Why planting trees in inappropriate places can threaten nature? Scientists explained on the example of Africa – News

Savannah at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro.

kavramm/Depositphotos

Scientists warn that due to reforestation in unsuitable areas in Africa, an area the size of France is at risk.

In a study published in the journal Science, scientists warn against planting trees on an area of ​​100 million hectares, which is planned to be carried out by 2030 for the implementation of the Initiative to restore African forest landscapes, writes The Guardian.

Scientists note that, according to the project, it is planned to plant trees in non-forest ecosystems, in particular in savannahs and meadows.

According to the study, 52% of tree-planting projects currently being implemented in Africa are in savannas – areas dominated by grass with individual trees, groups of trees or shrubs.

This, they say, could potentially disrupt or destroy pristine ecosystems. Adding more trees to these areas reduces the amount of light that can reach the ground, which threatens to change the savanna’s grass environment.

Such actions also have a negative impact on the wild animals that live there, including rhinos and wildebeest.

Researchers call the classification of savannahs not as grassy ecosystems, but as “forests” the reason for the implementation of projects that may be harmful.

According to the definition currently used by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, forests are areas of land over 0.5 hectares with trees over 5 meters tall and a tree cover of at least 10%.

According to this definition, savannas are subject to standards for reforestation, even though they are not.

“We must avoid a situation where we can no longer see the savanna beyond the trees, and these precious grass systems will be lost forever.” – write the authors of the study.

“Ecosystem restoration is necessary and important, but it must be done in a way that is appropriate for each system. There is an urgent need to revise the definition so that savannahs are not confused with forest.” Kate Parr, professor of tropical ecology at the University of Liverpool, emphasized.

We will remind you that in June 2021, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree on the launch of the “Green Country” project, the goal of which is to increase the area of ​​forests by one million hectares in 10 years. This was supposed to happen within the framework of the “Large-scale afforestation of Ukraine” program.

However, environmentalists criticized this initiative. They pointed out that planting trees to combat climate change and to protect nature is ineffective.

Also, in May 2023, Ukraine officially approved a list of alien species of trees that are prohibited from being planted in forests.