Challenges to the Reforestation Pipeline in the United States
Large-scale global reforestation goals have been proposed to help mitigate climate change and provide other ecosystem services. To explore reforestation potential in the United States, we used GIS analyses, surveys of nursery managers and foresters, and literature synthesis to assess the opportuniti...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-02-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Forests and Global Change |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2021.629198/full |
| _version_ | 1819048773349801984 |
|---|---|
| author | Joseph Fargione Diane L. Haase Owen T. Burney Olga A. Kildisheva Greg Edge Susan C. Cook-Patton Teresa Chapman Austin Rempel Matthew D. Hurteau Kimberley T. Davis Solomon Dobrowski Scott Enebak Rafael De La Torre Arvind A. R. Bhuta Frederick Cubbage Brian Kittler Daowei Zhang Richard W. Guldin |
| author_facet | Joseph Fargione Diane L. Haase Owen T. Burney Olga A. Kildisheva Greg Edge Susan C. Cook-Patton Teresa Chapman Austin Rempel Matthew D. Hurteau Kimberley T. Davis Solomon Dobrowski Scott Enebak Rafael De La Torre Arvind A. R. Bhuta Frederick Cubbage Brian Kittler Daowei Zhang Richard W. Guldin |
| author_sort | Joseph Fargione |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Large-scale global reforestation goals have been proposed to help mitigate climate change and provide other ecosystem services. To explore reforestation potential in the United States, we used GIS analyses, surveys of nursery managers and foresters, and literature synthesis to assess the opportunities and challenges associated with meeting proposed reforestation goals. We considered a scenario where 26 million hectares (64 million acres) of natural and agricultural lands are reforested by 2040 with 30 billion trees at an estimated cost of $33 ($24–$53) billion USD. Cost per hectare will vary by region, site conditions, and other factors. This scenario would require increasing the number of tree seedlings produced each year by 1.7 billion, a 2.3-fold increase over current nursery production levels. Additional investment (not included in the reforestation cost estimate) will be needed to expand capacity for seed collection, seedling production, workforce development, and improvements in pre- and post-planting practices. Achieving this scenario will require public support for investing in these activities and incentives for landowners. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T11:21:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4eadab909b1044678909b7dfd5343072 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2624-893X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T11:21:35Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Forests and Global Change |
| spelling | doaj.art-4eadab909b1044678909b7dfd53430722022-12-21T19:05:45ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Forests and Global Change2624-893X2021-02-01410.3389/ffgc.2021.629198629198Challenges to the Reforestation Pipeline in the United StatesJoseph Fargione0Diane L. Haase1Owen T. Burney2Olga A. Kildisheva3Greg Edge4Susan C. Cook-Patton5Teresa Chapman6Austin Rempel7Matthew D. Hurteau8Kimberley T. Davis9Solomon Dobrowski10Scott Enebak11Rafael De La Torre12Arvind A. R. Bhuta13Frederick Cubbage14Brian Kittler15Daowei Zhang16Richard W. Guldin17North America Region Science, The Nature Conservancy, Minneapolis, MN, United StatesReforestation, Nurseries, and Genetics Resources, USDA Forest Service, Portland, OR, United StatesJohn T. Harrington Forestry Research Center, New Mexico State University, Mora, NM, United StatesSagebrush Sea Program, The Nature Conservancy, Bend, OR, United StatesDivision of Forestry, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, La Crosse, WI, United StatesNatural Climate Solutions Science, The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA, United StatesColorado Chapter, The Nature Conservancy, Boulder, CO, United StatesAmerican Forests, Washington, DC, United StatesDepartment of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States0Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States1Department of Forest Management, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States2Southern Forest Nursery Management Cooperative, School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States3Forest Planning and Analysis, ArborGen Inc., Ridgeville, SC, United States4USDA Forest Service, Washington, DC, United States5Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United StatesAmerican Forests, Washington, DC, United States6School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States7Guldin Forestry LLC, Silver Spring, MD, United StatesLarge-scale global reforestation goals have been proposed to help mitigate climate change and provide other ecosystem services. To explore reforestation potential in the United States, we used GIS analyses, surveys of nursery managers and foresters, and literature synthesis to assess the opportunities and challenges associated with meeting proposed reforestation goals. We considered a scenario where 26 million hectares (64 million acres) of natural and agricultural lands are reforested by 2040 with 30 billion trees at an estimated cost of $33 ($24–$53) billion USD. Cost per hectare will vary by region, site conditions, and other factors. This scenario would require increasing the number of tree seedlings produced each year by 1.7 billion, a 2.3-fold increase over current nursery production levels. Additional investment (not included in the reforestation cost estimate) will be needed to expand capacity for seed collection, seedling production, workforce development, and improvements in pre- and post-planting practices. Achieving this scenario will require public support for investing in these activities and incentives for landowners.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2021.629198/fullafforestationtree plantingnurseriesseedlingsland use |
| spellingShingle | Joseph Fargione Diane L. Haase Owen T. Burney Olga A. Kildisheva Greg Edge Susan C. Cook-Patton Teresa Chapman Austin Rempel Matthew D. Hurteau Kimberley T. Davis Solomon Dobrowski Scott Enebak Rafael De La Torre Arvind A. R. Bhuta Frederick Cubbage Brian Kittler Daowei Zhang Richard W. Guldin Challenges to the Reforestation Pipeline in the United States Frontiers in Forests and Global Change afforestation tree planting nurseries seedlings land use |
| title | Challenges to the Reforestation Pipeline in the United States |
| title_full | Challenges to the Reforestation Pipeline in the United States |
| title_fullStr | Challenges to the Reforestation Pipeline in the United States |
| title_full_unstemmed | Challenges to the Reforestation Pipeline in the United States |
| title_short | Challenges to the Reforestation Pipeline in the United States |
| title_sort | challenges to the reforestation pipeline in the united states |
| topic | afforestation tree planting nurseries seedlings land use |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2021.629198/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT josephfargione challengestothereforestationpipelineintheunitedstates AT dianelhaase challengestothereforestationpipelineintheunitedstates AT owentburney challengestothereforestationpipelineintheunitedstates AT olgaakildisheva challengestothereforestationpipelineintheunitedstates AT gregedge challengestothereforestationpipelineintheunitedstates AT susanccookpatton challengestothereforestationpipelineintheunitedstates AT teresachapman challengestothereforestationpipelineintheunitedstates AT austinrempel challengestothereforestationpipelineintheunitedstates AT matthewdhurteau challengestothereforestationpipelineintheunitedstates AT kimberleytdavis challengestothereforestationpipelineintheunitedstates AT solomondobrowski challengestothereforestationpipelineintheunitedstates AT scottenebak challengestothereforestationpipelineintheunitedstates AT rafaeldelatorre challengestothereforestationpipelineintheunitedstates AT arvindarbhuta challengestothereforestationpipelineintheunitedstates AT frederickcubbage challengestothereforestationpipelineintheunitedstates AT briankittler challengestothereforestationpipelineintheunitedstates AT daoweizhang challengestothereforestationpipelineintheunitedstates AT richardwguldin challengestothereforestationpipelineintheunitedstates |