Cheap carbon and biodiversity co-benefits from forest regeneration in a hotspot of endemism

Gilroy, J.J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7597-5780, Woodcock, P., Edwards, F.A., Wheeler, C., Baptiste, B.L.G., Medina Uribe, C.A., Haugaasen, T. and Edwards, D.P. (2014) Cheap carbon and biodiversity co-benefits from forest regeneration in a hotspot of endemism. Nature Climate Change, 4 (6). pp. 503-507. ISSN 1758-678X

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Abstract

Climate change and biodiversity loss can be addressed simultaneously by well-planned conservation policies, but this requires information on the alignment of co-benefits under different management actions. One option is to allow forests to naturally regenerate on marginal agricultural land: a key question is whether this approach will deliver environmental co-benefits in an economically viable manner. Here we report on a survey of carbon stocks, biodiversity and economic values from one of the worldâ (tm) s most endemic-rich and threatened ecosystems: the western Andes of Colombia. We show that naturally regenerating secondary forests accumulate significant carbon stocks within 30 years, and support biodiverse communities including many species at risk of extinction. Cattle farming, the principal land use in the region, provides minimal economic returns to local communities, making forest regeneration a viable option despite weak global carbon markets. Efforts to promote natural forest regeneration in the tropical Andes could therefore provide globally significant carbon and biodiversity co-benefits at minimal cost.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: sdg 13 - climate action,sdg 15 - life on land ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences

UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Organisms and the Environment
Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Environmental Biology
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Depositing User: Pure Connector
Date Deposited: 17 Mar 2015 13:34
Last Modified: 18 May 2023 00:12
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/52720
DOI: 10.1038/nclimate2200

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