Positive environmental impact of productive forest expansion on mitigating climate change and reducing natural and semi-natural forest loss

摘要

Afforestation and reforestation programmes are increasingly influenced by environmental policies favouring nature restoration often linked to the concepts of ‘rewilding’ and ‘nativeness’. These strategies regularly prompt criticism of productive forestry associated with the use of non-native species and forest expansion oriented towards commercial production. While tree planting supporting biodiversity and nature protection is extremely important, this paper highlights the significant positive environmental impacts of productive forest expansion in achieving critical policy goals of reducing atmospheric CO2 and meeting the growing global demand for sustainable wood products that in turn reduces pressure to exploit the world’s remaining naturaland semi-natural forests. The importance of non-native tree species in future afforestation and reforestation programmes is examined in the context of a rapidly changing climate and the need to increase the future resilience of forests. Implications of forest expansion on land availability are discussed.