What is Forest Restoration?

You might be wondering what is forest restoration and if it has anything to do with reforestation.

Although these are similar concepts and very common terms in areas of environmental recovery, it is important to understand the differences between them. And while the term reforestation is widely used, it must be understood that it is just one step in forest restoration.

In the Brazilian Amazon, for example, restoration projects are essential to help restructure the ecosystem. Through these projects, local communities also benefit from caring for nature. The steps involved in restoration are complex and require attention, time, and continuous monitoring. To complete, there are stages of reforestation in many of these projects, since planting in deforested areas helps to restore the ecosystem.

In a way, it is possible to say that reforestation may or may not be present in a restoration project. Everything will depend on the objectives presented in the studies on the natural area that will receive the restoration.

In this post, we invite you to learn more about what is forest restoration and how Redda+ is involved in implementing restoration projects in the Amazon. These are projects developed in partnership with communities and traditional peoples, designed and applied in the long term, supporting sustainable growth.

In this post has:

• What is forest restoration?
• When did the forest restoration begin in Brazil?
• What types of restoration exist?
• Why is forest restoration important?
• Get to know Redda+

What is forest restoration?

Forest restoration is an intentional human action aimed at reversing forest loss and degradation. Through restoration projects, we seek to recover an ecosystem that has been destroyed. Normally, areas that undergo restoration are in a critical situation, as a result, almost always, of human actions. The main actions are deforestation, illegal fires, management carried out without adequate environmental control, and abandonment.

The restoration process is long because it considers all the peculiarities of the ecosystem that will be taken care of. For this, there is a whole study involved with the objective of gradually restoring the biodiversity, ecological function and sustainability of the area.

Forest restoration considers the conditions of the degradation, including the factors that led to the degradation of the place. It also observes the different rainfall regimes that this area under analysis receives. In addition to analyzing the species of fauna, flora and paying attention to the economic activities that take place around.

When did the forest restoration begin in Brazil?

In Brazil, records of restoration projects in degraded areas date back to 1862, during the imperial period. At the time, Emperor Dom Pedro II was the one who encouraged the restoration of the current Tijuca National Park, in Rio de Janeiro. The emperor said it was important to keep the springs healthy to supply the city with water. The planting of native trees, that is, reforestation, was one of the actions used in this restoration process.

In the Amazon, there are data that forest restoration began in the 1970s, through recovery programs in Rio do Norte. The process sought to restore an area degraded due to mining activities, in the exploration of bauxite.

In 2017, Brazil committed to restoring at least 12 million hectares of native forests by 2030. In 2021, the UN (United Nations National Organization) launched the Decade of Restoration program. The program is a call to action for the protection and revitalization of ecosystems around the world. The United Nations Decade of Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030, hopes to stop the degradation of ecosystems and restore them.

What types of restoration exist?

Forest restoration must consider the entire degraded area to select the most appropriate technique. Therefore, it is possible to affirm that there are types of restoration that are related to the use of techniques. An area can receive one or more techniques, it is always important to analyze the context of the place to determine the choices. 

The main restoration techniques are:

Seedling planting

The planting of seedlings is the main technique in restoration projects. In this case, native and/or exotic species can be used. It is also possible to decide whether the region will receive a mix of planting, of different native species, or just one type of species. The advantage of this technique is that it has high efficiency and rapid growth compared to other techniques, such as seed planting. Usually, fast-developing species are used, improving the quality of environmental life. This restoration technique can also be known as reforestation.

With Redda+ you can participate in the project to plant a tree in the Amazon, collaborating with the restoration of the forest. Click here and know all the details about the Plantree application.

Agroforestry

In agroforestry systems (AFS), some tree species, such as bushes, palms, and bamboos, will share the area with agricultural crops and/or animals. Thus, these are productive systems living in balance and interacting with the environment. It is a technique mostly used in areas with the presence of small farmers, also known as productive forest restoration. Negotiations regarding the natural space are established to maintain the conservation and preservation of nature. It is a sustainable production process that generates benefits for the producer and the forest, as it collaborates with the recovery of the area.

Assisted Natural Regeneration

The technique of assisted natural regeneration, or natural regeneration with management, consists of helping nature through human actions. For this, it is possible to control competing plants, or even control pests. 

It is possible to monitor the quality of the soil and follow more closely other techniques applied, such as, for example, reforestation. Also, to measure the growth of the flora and how the fauna is developing, seeking alternatives that help in this regeneration process.

Therefore, in this technique, the direct and indirect interferences of human actions to help in the recovery of the forest are allowed.

Natural Regeneration

Natural regeneration, or spontaneous regeneration, is a technique mostly used in permanent preservation areas by the National Council for the Environment. This is because it requires an abandonment of the area that will be restored, in order to regenerate naturally. 

There is a follow-up, of course, but you have to let nature do the work. In this case, the degraded area does not receive plants and seeds introduced by human action, for example. 

The area needs to be protected to allow the vegetation to re-establish itself. Typically, this technique is performed in regions where nature has more potential for natural regeneration.

Why is forest restoration important?

Now that you already know what is forest restoration, you must be wondering why it’s important.

It is a way to help nature recover its ecosystem, consequently improving everyone’s quality of life. The well-being of forests and nature are closely connected with people’s daily lives. There is a better climate balance – temperatures are mild and rainfall is well distributed throughout the year. In addition to environmental issues, forest restoration is a way to help the growth and sustainable development of traditional peoples.

In the Amazon, for example, riverine and quilombola communities have food for subsistence in the forest, as well as work. Small farmers also benefit from a restored forest. Nature and society have an intrinsic relationship that is often ignored by humanity, but which is real and vital.

The UN Secretary-General left an important message about restoration: “By restoring ecosystems, we can drive a transformation that will contribute to the achievement of all the Sustainable Development Goals. The task is monumental. We need to replant and protect our forests. We need to clean our rivers and seas. And we need to make our cities green.”

Find out how Redda+ and you can help preserve the Amazon

Redda+ is an organization that understands the importance of developing projects that are integrated with the forest and the communities that surround it. In this way, our projects aim at a commitment to sustainability presented by the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. Redda+ operates in the Portel region, in Pará, in communities and traditional peoples.

In this region, Redda+ applies projects that understand the importance of forest restoration. The restoration techniques used in the projects consider the needs of nature, its surroundings, and the communities that live off what they produce. Therefore, it takes care to show how it is possible to live in integration with nature.

Because it is in the Amazon, Redda+ also supports projects in REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) mechanisms. It is a way to implement actions that can cooperate with the reduction of environmental impacts from carbon emissions.

Compensation for excessive carbon emissions is done through projects that seek to restore the forest. In fact, one of the Redda+ projects is to plant trees in the Amazon and you can help to plant. To participate, just click here and check out extra information.