近日，澳大利亚环境决策能力交流研究所Williams, Brooke A.和Beyer, Hawthorne L等人合作，探明了全球热带森林砍伐地区自然再生的潜力。相关论文发表在2024年10月30日出版的《自然》杂志上。

据悉，大规模的森林恢复是实现基于自然的可持续发展目标，并提供多种社会和环境效益的关键战略。然而，实现大规模的森林恢复需要具有成本效益的方法。在退化的土地上植树是一种普遍但代价高昂的森林恢复方法，在类似条件下，与自然再生技术相比，这种方法通常会导致森林的生物多样性减少。

研究人员评估了目前泛热带天然林的空间分布（2000年至2016年），并以此提出了一个热带森林国家和生物群落的自然再生潜力的模型，空间分辨率为30m。研究估计面积额外i2.15亿公顷的区域具有自然森林再生的潜力（比整个墨西哥的面积还要大），这代表了30年内23.4Gt C（范围，21.1-25.7 Gt）的地上碳封存潜力。

五个国家（巴西、印度尼西亚、中国、墨西哥和哥伦比亚）占这一预估潜力的52%，这表明有必要利用自然再生潜力，采取有针对性的恢复举措。研究结果促进了更广泛的公平决策过程，利用自然再生的广泛机会来帮助实现国家和全球环境议程。

附：英文原文

Title: Global potential for natural regeneration in deforested tropical regions

Author: Williams, Brooke A., Beyer, Hawthorne L., Fagan, Matthew E., Chazdon, Robin L., Schmoeller, Marina, Sprenkle-Hyppolite, Starry, Griscom, Bronson W., Watson, James E. M., Tedesco, Anazlia M., Gonzalez-Roglich, Mariano, Daldegan, Gabriel A., Bodin, Blaise, Celentano, Danielle, Wilson, Sarah Jane, Rhodes, Jonathan R., Alexandre, Nikola S., Kim, Do-Hyung, Bastos, Diego, Crouzeilles, Renato

Issue&Volume: 2024-10-30

Abstract: Extensive forest restoration is a key strategy to meet nature-based sustainable development goals and provide multiple social and environmental benefits. Yet achieving forest restoration at scale requires cost-effective methods. Tree planting in degraded landscapes is a popular but costly forest restoration method that often results in less biodiverse forests when compared to natural regeneration techniques under similar conditions. Here we assess the current spatial distribution of pantropical natural forest (from 2000 to 2016) and use this to present a model of the potential for natural regeneration across tropical forested countries and biomes at a spatial resolution of 30 m. We estimate that an area of 215million hectares—an area greater than the entire country of Mexico—has potential for natural forest regeneration, representing an above-ground carbon sequestration potential of 23.4Gt C (range, 21.1–25.7Gt) over 30years. Five countries (Brazil, Indonesia, China, Mexico and Colombia) account for 52% of this estimated potential, showcasing the need for targeting restoration initiatives that leverage natural regeneration potential. Our results facilitate broader equitable decision-making processes that capitalize on the widespread opportunity for natural regeneration to help achieve national and global environmental agendas.

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08106-4

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08106-4