Summary
This global synthesis of 264 studies across 53 countries evaluated ecosystem service delivery and biodiversity outcomes from different forest restoration approaches. Native forests substantially outperformed tree plantations in carbon storage, water provision, soil erosion control, and biodiversity conservation, with compositionally simple, younger plantations in drier regions performing particularly poorly. The analysis reveals fundamental trade-offs between ecological benefits and wood production that require careful policy navigation in forest restoration commitments.
UK applicability
The findings are relevant to UK forest policy and land-use decisions, particularly for upland and woodland restoration programmes where native broadleaf restoration is increasingly prioritised. However, UK's relatively wet climate and temperate conditions differ from the drier regions where plantation underperformance was most pronounced, potentially allowing somewhat better plantation outcomes in British contexts.
Key measures
Aboveground carbon storage, water provisioning, soil erosion control, biodiversity indices, wood production
Outcomes reported
The study compared delivery of climate, soil, water, and wood production services alongside biodiversity benefits across tree plantations and native forest restoration approaches using 25,950 matched data pairs from 264 studies across 53 countries.
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