IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0171368.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A global review of past land use, climate, and active vs. passive restoration effects on forest recovery

Author

Listed:
  • Paula Meli
  • Karen D Holl
  • José María Rey Benayas
  • Holly P Jones
  • Peter C Jones
  • Daniel Montoya
  • David Moreno Mateos

Abstract

Global forest restoration targets have been set, yet policy makers and land managers lack guiding principles on how to invest limited resources to achieve them. We conducted a meta-analysis of 166 studies in naturally regenerating and actively restored forests worldwide to answer: (1) To what extent do floral and faunal abundance and diversity and biogeochemical functions recover? (2) Does recovery vary as a function of past land use, time since restoration, forest region, or precipitation? (3) Does active restoration result in more complete or faster recovery than passive restoration? Overall, forests showed a high level of recovery, but the time to recovery depended on the metric type measured, past land use, and region. Abundance recovered quickly and completely, whereas diversity recovered slower in tropical than in temperate forests. Biogeochemical functions recovered more slowly after agriculture than after logging or mining. Formerly logged sites were mostly passively restored and generally recovered quickly. Mined sites were nearly always actively restored using a combination of planting and either soil amendments or recontouring topography, which resulted in rapid recovery of the metrics evaluated. Actively restoring former agricultural land, primarily by planting trees, did not result in consistently faster or more complete recovery than passively restored sites. Our results suggest that simply ending the land use is sufficient for forests to recover in many cases, but more studies are needed that directly compare the value added of active versus passive restoration strategies in the same system. Investments in active restoration should be evaluated relative to the past land use, the natural resilience of the system, and the specific objectives of each project.

Suggested Citation

  • Paula Meli & Karen D Holl & José María Rey Benayas & Holly P Jones & Peter C Jones & Daniel Montoya & David Moreno Mateos, 2017. "A global review of past land use, climate, and active vs. passive restoration effects on forest recovery," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(2), pages 1-17, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0171368
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0171368
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0171368
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0171368&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0171368?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David Moreno-Mateos & Mary E Power & Francisco A Comín & Roxana Yockteng, 2012. "Structural and Functional Loss in Restored Wetland Ecosystems," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(1), pages 1-8, January.
    2. Lydia E. S. Cole & Shonil A. Bhagwat & Katherine J. Willis, 2014. "Recovery and resilience of tropical forests after disturbance," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-7, September.
    3. Tobias Plieninger & Cang Hui & Mirijam Gaertner & Lynn Huntsinger, 2014. "The Impact of Land Abandonment on Species Richness and Abundance in the Mediterranean Basin: A Meta-Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(5), pages 1-12, May.
    4. Paula Meli & José María Rey Benayas & Patricia Balvanera & Miguel Martínez Ramos, 2014. "Restoration Enhances Wetland Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Supply, but Results Are Context-Dependent: A Meta-Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(4), pages 1-9, April.
    5. David Moreno Mateos & Mary E Power & Francisco A Comín & Roxana Yockteng, 2012. "Structural and Functional Loss in Restored Wetland Ecosystems," Working Papers id:4755, eSocialSciences.
    6. Thomas Knoke & Jörg Bendix & Perdita Pohle & Ute Hamer & Patrick Hildebrandt & Kristin Roos & Andrés Gerique & María L. Sandoval & Lutz Breuer & Alexander Tischer & Brenner Silva & Baltazar Calvas & N, 2014. "Afforestation or intense pasturing improve the ecological and economic value of abandoned tropical farmlands," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-12, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Rocha, Samuel José Silva Soares da & Comini, Indira Bifano & Morais Júnior, Vicente Toledo Machado de & Schettini, Bruno Leão Said & Villanova, Paulo Henrique & Alves, Eliana Boaventura Bernardes Mour, 2020. "Ecological ICMS enables forest restoration in Brazil," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    2. Kim, Yeon-Su & Latifah, Sitti & Afifi, Mansur & Mulligan, Mark & Burke, Sophia & Fisher, Larry & Siwicka, Ewa & Remoundou, Kyriaki & Christie, Michael & Masek Lopez, Sharon & Jenness, Jeff, 2018. "Managing forests for global and local ecosystem services: A case study of carbon, water and livelihoods from eastern Indonesia," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 31(PA), pages 153-168.
    3. Gasparinnetti, Pedro & Bakker, Leonardo Barcellos & Queiroz, Julia Mello & Vilela, Thais, 2024. "Economic valuation of artisanal small-scale gold mining impacts: A framework for value transfer application," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    4. Frederick Gyasi Damptey & Klaus Birkhofer & Paul Kofi Nsiah & Enrique G. de la Riva, 2020. "Soil Properties and Biomass Attributes in a Former Gravel Mine Area after Two Decades of Forest Restoration," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-18, June.
    5. Oimahmad Rahmonov & Bartłomiej Szypuła & Michał Sobala & Zebiniso B. Islamova, 2024. "Environmental and Land-Use Changes as a Consequence of Land Reform in the Urej River Catchment (Western Tajikistan)," Resources, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-22, April.
    6. Hernández-Aguilar, J.A. & Durán, E. & de Jong, W. & Velázquez, A. & Pérez-Verdín, G., 2021. "Understanding drivers of local forest transition in community forests in Mixteca Alta, Oaxaca, Mexico," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    7. Špirić, Jovanka & Salinas-Melgoza, Miguel Angel & Merlo-Reyes, Ana & Ramírez, M. Isabel, 2023. "Estimating the causal effect of forestry programs on forest recovery in a REDD+ priority area in Michoacán, Mexico," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    8. Shaobo Liu & Li Liu & Jiang Li & Qingping Zhou & Yifeng Ji & Wenbo Lai & Cui Long, 2022. "Spatiotemporal Variability of Human Disturbance Impacts on Ecosystem Services in Mining Areas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-20, June.
    9. Yu Song & Xiaodong Song & Guofan Shao, 2020. "Effects of Green Space Patterns on Urban Thermal Environment at Multiple Spatial–Temporal Scales," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-18, August.
    10. Robert Beyer & Tim Rademacher, 2021. "Species Richness and Carbon Footprints of Vegetable Oils: Can High Yields Outweigh Palm Oil’s Environmental Impact?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-10, February.
    11. Meine van Noordwijk & Vincent Gitz & Peter A. Minang & Sonya Dewi & Beria Leimona & Lalisa Duguma & Nathanaël Pingault & Alexandre Meybeck, 2020. "People-Centric Nature-Based Land Restoration through Agroforestry: A Typology," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-29, July.
    12. Calle, Alicia, 2020. "Can short-term payments for ecosystem services deliver long-term tree cover change?," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 42(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Edward B. Barbier, 2016. "The Protective Value of Estuarine and Coastal Ecosystem Services in a Wealth Accounting Framework," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 64(1), pages 37-58, May.
    2. Scemama, Pierre & Levrel, Harold, 2019. "Influence of the Organization of Actors in the Ecological Outcomes of Investment in Restoration of Biodiversity," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 71-79.
    3. Jin Huang & Hao Yang & Wei He & Yu Li, 2022. "Ecological Service Value Tradeoffs: An Ecological Water Replenishment Model for the Jilin Momoge National Nature Reserve, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-14, March.
    4. Yaxian Zhang & Jiangwen Fan & Suizi Wang, 2020. "Assessment of Ecological Carrying Capacity and Ecological Security in China’s Typical Eco-Engineering Areas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-17, May.
    5. Juan Carlos Carrasco Baquero & Verónica Lucía Caballero Serrano & Fernando Romero Cañizares & Daisy Carolina Carrasco López & David Alejandro León Gualán & Rufino Vieira Lanero & Fernando Cobo-Gradín, 2023. "Water Quality Determination Using Soil and Vegetation Communities in the Wetlands of the Andes of Ecuador," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-18, August.
    6. Aryal, Kishor & Ojha, Bhuwan Raj & Maraseni, Tek, 2021. "Perceived importance and economic valuation of ecosystem services in Ghodaghodi wetland of Nepal," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    7. Valencia Torres, Angélica & Tiwari, Chetan & Atkinson, Samuel F., 2021. "Progress in ecosystem services research: A guide for scholars and practitioners," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    8. Paula Meli & José María Rey Benayas & Patricia Balvanera & Miguel Martínez Ramos, 2014. "Restoration Enhances Wetland Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Supply, but Results Are Context-Dependent: A Meta-Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(4), pages 1-9, April.
    9. Delanie M. Spangler & Anna Christina Tyler & Carmody K. McCalley, 2021. "Effects of Grazer Exclusion on Carbon Cycling in Created Freshwater Wetlands," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-18, July.
    10. Swades Pal & Satyajit Paul, 2021. "Stability consistency and trend mapping of seasonally inundated wetlands in Moribund deltaic part of India," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(9), pages 12925-12953, September.
    11. Jiaqi Han & Dongyan Wang & Shuwen Zhang, 2022. "Momoge Internationally Important Wetland: Ecosystem Integrity Remote Assessment and Spatial Pattern Optimization Study," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-21, August.
    12. Reiss, Kelly Chinners & Hernandez, Erica & Brown, Mark T., 2014. "Application of the landscape development intensity (LDI) index in wetland mitigation banking," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 271(C), pages 83-89.
    13. Alex C Valach & Kuno Kasak & Kyle S Hemes & Tyler L Anthony & Iryna Dronova & Sophie Taddeo & Whendee L Silver & Daphne Szutu & Joseph Verfaillie & Dennis D Baldocchi, 2021. "Productive wetlands restored for carbon sequestration quickly become net CO2 sinks with site-level factors driving uptake variability," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(3), pages 1-22, March.
    14. Jonas Nordström & Cecilia Hammarlund, 2021. "You Win Some, You Lose Some: Compensating the Loss of Green Space in Cities Considering Heterogeneous Population Characteristics," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-20, October.
    15. Jacob, Céline & Vaissiere, Anne-Charlotte & Bas, Adeline & Calvet, Coralie, 2016. "Investigating the inclusion of ecosystem services in biodiversity offsetting," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 21(PA), pages 92-102.
    16. Van Dover, C.L. & Aronson, J. & Pendleton, L. & Smith, S. & Arnaud-Haond, S. & Moreno-Mateos, D. & Barbier, E. & Billett, D. & Bowers, K. & Danovaro, R. & Edwards, A. & Kellert, S. & Morato, T. & Poll, 2014. "Ecological restoration in the deep sea: Desiderata," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 98-106.
    17. Michael C. Hassett & Alan D. Steinman, 2022. "Wetland Restoration through Excavation: Sediment Removal Results in Dramatic Water Quality Improvement," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-17, September.
    18. Jenneke M. Visser & Scott M. Duke-Sylvester, 2017. "LaVegMod v2: Modeling Coastal Vegetation Dynamics in Response to Proposed Coastal Restoration and Protection Projects in Louisiana, USA," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-20, September.
    19. Anne-Charlotte Vaissière & Fabien Quétier & Adeline Bierry & Clémence Vannier & Florence Baptist & Sandra Lavorel, 2021. "Modeling Alternative Approaches to the Biodiversity Offsetting of Urban Expansion in the Grenoble Area (France): What Is the Role of Spatial Scales in ‘No Net Loss’ of Wetland Area and Function?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-23, May.
    20. Sponagel, Christian & Angenendt, Elisabeth & Piepho, Hans-Peter & Bahrs, Enno, 2021. "Farmers’ preferences for nature conservation compensation measures with a focus on eco-accounts according to the German Nature Conservation Act," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0171368. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.