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Wills AR, Shirima DD, Villemaire-Côté O, Platts PJ, Knight SJ, Loveridge R, Seki H, Waite CE, Munishi PKT, Lyatuu H, Bernal B, Pfeifer M, Marshall AR. A practice-led assessment of landscape restoration potential in a biodiversity hotspot. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210070. [PMID: 36374130 PMCID: PMC9662286 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Effective restoration planning tools are needed to mitigate global carbon and biodiversity crises. Published spatial assessments of restoration potential are often at large scales or coarse resolutions inappropriate for local action. Using a Tanzanian case study, we introduce a systematic approach to inform landscape restoration planning, estimating spatial variation in cost-effectiveness, based on restoration method, logistics, biomass modelling and uncertainty mapping. We found potential for biomass recovery across 77.7% of a 53 000 km2 region, but with some natural spatial discontinuity in moist forest biomass, that was previously assigned to human causes. Most areas with biomass deficit (80.5%) were restorable through passive or assisted natural regeneration. However, cumulative biomass gains from planting outweighed initially high implementation costs meaning that, where applicable, this method yielded greater long-term returns on investment. Accounting for ecological, funding and other uncertainty, the top 25% consistently cost-effective sites were within protected areas and/or moderately degraded moist forest and savanna. Agro-ecological mosaics had high biomass deficit but little cost-effective restoration potential. Socio-economic research will be needed to inform action towards environmental and human development goals in these areas. Our results highlight value in long-term landscape restoration investments and separate treatment of savannas and forests. Furthermore, they contradict previously asserted low restoration potential in East Africa, emphasizing the importance of our regional approach for identifying restoration opportunities across the tropics. This article is part of the theme issue 'Understanding forest landscape restoration: reinforcing scientific foundations for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail R. Wills
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York YO10 5NG, UK
| | - Deo D. Shirima
- National Carbon Monitoring Centre, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
- Reforest Africa, PO Box 5, Mang'ula, Kilombero District, Tanzania
| | - Olivier Villemaire-Côté
- Centre for Forest Research, Department of Forest and Wood Sciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC Canada, G1V 0A6
| | - Philip J. Platts
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York YO10 5NG, UK
- BeZero Carbon Ltd, Discovery House, Banner St, London EC1Y 8QE, UK
- Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Sarah J. Knight
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York YO10 5NG, UK
| | - Robin Loveridge
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York YO10 5NG, UK
- The Biodiversity Consultancy, Cambridge CB2 1SJ, UK
| | - Hamidu Seki
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York YO10 5NG, UK
| | - Catherine E. Waite
- Forest Research Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, QLD 4556, Australia
| | - Pantaleo K. T. Munishi
- National Carbon Monitoring Centre, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Herman Lyatuu
- Reforest Africa, PO Box 5, Mang'ula, Kilombero District, Tanzania
| | | | - Marion Pfeifer
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Andrew R. Marshall
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York YO10 5NG, UK
- Forest Research Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, QLD 4556, Australia
- Reforest Africa, PO Box 5, Mang'ula, Kilombero District, Tanzania
- Flamingo Land Ltd, Kirby Misperton, North Yorkshire YO17 6UX, UK
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