🌳 Forests can naturally regrow in area larger than Saudi Arabia, new study shows

• Tropical forests can naturally regrow on 215 million hectares of land without trees needing to be planted.
• If all identified areas were reforested, it would sequester 23.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide over 30 years.
• Five countries - Brazil, China, Colombia, Indonesia and Mexico - account for 52 percent of the land that can reforest itself naturally.

Natural regrowth is cost-effective

A new study published in the journal Nature shows that tropical forests can naturally regrow in an area larger than Saudi Arabia. Researchers have identified 215 million hectares of land where conditions are right for forests to re-establish on their own, reports MongaBay.

Natural regeneration is significantly cheaper than planting trees. Planted forests can also involve increased fire risk, especially when non-native species are used. Naturally regrown forests also often have higher biodiversity.

Great potential for climate

If all identified areas were naturally reforested, it would sequester 23.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide over a 30-year period. This corresponds to more than twice as much carbon dioxide as world energy production emitted in 2023.

The study shows that Brazil, China, Colombia, Indonesia and Mexico together account for 52 percent of the land that can be naturally reforested. In Brazil, there is potential for natural regrowth on 43.7 million hectares.

Data-driven approach

The research team used machine learning and satellite data to identify areas where forest had already regrown naturally. They also analyzed factors such as soil chemistry, proximity to existing forests and fire history between 2001 and 2017 to find places with the best conditions for regrowth.

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