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Accounting for albedo change to identify climate-positive tree cover restoration

Author

Listed:
  • Natalia Hasler

    (Clark University)

  • Christopher A. Williams

    (Clark University)

  • Vanessa Carrasco Denney

    (The Nature Conservancy)

  • Peter W. Ellis

    (The Nature Conservancy)

  • Surendra Shrestha

    (Clark University)

  • Drew E. Terasaki Hart

    (The Nature Conservancy
    CSIRO Environment)

  • Nicholas H. Wolff

    (The Nature Conservancy)

  • Samantha Yeo

    (The Nature Conservancy)

  • Thomas W. Crowther

    (ETH Zurich)

  • Leland K. Werden

    (ETH Zurich)

  • Susan C. Cook-Patton

    (The Nature Conservancy)

Abstract

Restoring tree cover changes albedo, which is the fraction of sunlight reflected from the Earth’s surface. In most locations, these changes in albedo offset or even negate the carbon removal benefits with the latter leading to global warming. Previous efforts to quantify the global climate mitigation benefit of restoring tree cover have not accounted robustly for albedo given a lack of spatially explicit data. Here we produce maps that show that carbon-only estimates may be up to 81% too high. While dryland and boreal settings have especially severe albedo offsets, it is possible to find places that provide net-positive climate mitigation benefits in all biomes. We further find that on-the-ground projects are concentrated in these more climate-positive locations, but that the majority still face at least a 20% albedo offset. Thus, strategically deploying restoration of tree cover for maximum climate benefit requires accounting for albedo change and we provide the tools to do so.

Suggested Citation

  • Natalia Hasler & Christopher A. Williams & Vanessa Carrasco Denney & Peter W. Ellis & Surendra Shrestha & Drew E. Terasaki Hart & Nicholas H. Wolff & Samantha Yeo & Thomas W. Crowther & Leland K. Werd, 2024. "Accounting for albedo change to identify climate-positive tree cover restoration," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-46577-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46577-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tong Jiao & Christopher A. Williams & Bardan Ghimire & Jeffrey Masek & Feng Gao & Crystal Schaaf, 2017. "Global climate forcing from albedo change caused by large-scale deforestation and reforestation: quantification and attribution of geographic variation," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 142(3), pages 463-476, June.
    2. Solange Filoso & Maíra Ometto Bezerra & Katherine C B Weiss & Margaret A Palmer, 2017. "Impacts of forest restoration on water yield: A systematic review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(8), pages 1-26, August.
    3. Stephanie Roe & Charlotte Streck & Michael Obersteiner & Stefan Frank & Bronson Griscom & Laurent Drouet & Oliver Fricko & Mykola Gusti & Nancy Harris & Tomoko Hasegawa & Zeke Hausfather & Petr Havlík, 2019. "Contribution of the land sector to a 1.5 °C world," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 9(11), pages 817-828, November.
    4. Jussi Lintunen & Aapo Rautiainen & Jussi Uusivuori, 2022. "Which Is more Important, Carbon or Albedo? Optimizing Harvest Rotations for Timber and Climate Benefits in a Changing Climate," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 104(1), pages 134-160, January.
    5. Richard A. Betts, 2000. "Offset of the potential carbon sink from boreal forestation by decreases in surface albedo," Nature, Nature, vol. 408(6809), pages 187-190, November.
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