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Romanelli JP, Piana MR, Klaus VH, Brancalion PHS, Murcia C, Cardou F, Wallace KJ, Adams C, Martin PA, Burton PJ, Diefenderfer HL, Gornish ES, Stanturf J, Beyene M, Santos JPB, Rodrigues RR, Cadotte MW. Convergence and divergence in science and practice of urban and rural forest restoration. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:295-312. [PMID: 37813383 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Forest restoration has never been higher on policymakers' agendas. Complex and multi-dimensional arrangements across the urban-rural continuum challenge restorationists and require integrative approaches to strengthen environmental protection and increase restoration outcomes. It remains unclear if urban and rural forest restoration are moving towards or away from each other in practice and research, and whether comparing research outcomes can help stakeholders to gain a clearer understanding of the interconnectedness between the two fields. This study aims to identify the challenges and opportunities for enhancing forest restoration in both urban and rural systems by reviewing the scientific evidence, engaging with key stakeholders and using an urban-rural forest restoration framework. Using the Society for Ecological Restoration's International Principles as discussion topics, we highlight aspects of convergence and divergence between the two fields to broaden our understanding of forest restoration and promote integrative management approaches to address future forest conditions. Our findings reveal that urban and rural forest restoration have convergent and divergent aspects. We emphasise the importance of tailoring goals and objectives to specific contexts and the need to design different institutions and incentives based on the social and ecological needs and goals of stakeholders in different regions. Additionally, we discuss the challenges of achieving high levels of ecological restoration and the need to go beyond traditional ecology to plan, implement, monitor, and adaptively manage restored forests. We suggest that rivers and watersheds could serve as a common ground linking rural and urban landscapes and that forest restoration could interact with other environmental protection measures. We note the potential for expanding the creative vision associated with increasing tree-containing environments in cities to generate more diverse and resilient forest restoration outcomes in rural settings. This study underscores the value of integrative management approaches in addressing future forest conditions across the urban-rural continuum. Our framework provides valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and decision-makers to advance the field of forest restoration and address the challenges of restoration across the urban-rural continuum. The rural-urban interface serves as a convergence point for forest restoration, and both urban and rural fields can benefit from each other's expertise.
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Affiliation(s)
- João P Romanelli
- Laboratory of Ecology and Forest Restoration (LERF), Department of Biological Sciences, 'Luiz de Queiroz' College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias, 11, Piracicaba, SP, 13418-900, Brazil
| | - Max R Piana
- Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, 160 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Valentin H Klaus
- ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Universitätstr. 2, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Pedro H S Brancalion
- Department of Forest Sciences, 'Luiz de Queiroz' College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias, 11, Piracicaba, SP, 13418-900, Brazil
| | - Carolina Murcia
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Françoise Cardou
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Kiri Joy Wallace
- Te Tumu Whakaora Taiao - Environmental Research Institute, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, 3240, New Zealand
| | - Cristina Adams
- Forest Governance Research Group (GGF), Institute of Energy and Environment (IEE), University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Luciano Gualberto, 1289, São Paulo, SP, 05508-010, Brazil
| | - Philip A Martin
- Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3), Edificio sede no 1, planta 1, Parque científico UPV/EHU, Barrio Sarriena s/n, Leioa, Bizkaia, 48940, Spain
| | - Philip J Burton
- Department of Ecosystem Science & Management, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, V2N 4Z9, Canada
- Symbios Research & Restoration, Smithers, BC, V0J 2N4, Canada
| | - Heida L Diefenderfer
- University of Washington and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 1529 West Sequim Bay Road, Sequim, WA, 98382, USA
| | - Elise S Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - John Stanturf
- Institute of Forestry and Rural Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 5, Tartu, 51014, Estonia
| | - Menilek Beyene
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - João Paulo Bispo Santos
- Laboratory of Ecology and Forest Restoration (LERF), Department of Biological Sciences, 'Luiz de Queiroz' College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias, 11, Piracicaba, SP, 13418-900, Brazil
| | - Ricardo R Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Ecology and Forest Restoration (LERF), Department of Biological Sciences, 'Luiz de Queiroz' College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias, 11, Piracicaba, SP, 13418-900, Brazil
| | - Marc W Cadotte
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada
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Mejía GA, Groffman PM, Downey AE, Cook EM, Sritrairat S, Karty R, Palmer MI, McPhearson T. Nitrogen cycling and urban afforestation success in New York City. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2535. [PMID: 35044032 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Afforestation projects are a growing focus of urban restoration efforts to rehabilitate degraded landscapes and develop new forests. Urban forests provide myriad valuable ecosystem services essential for urban sustainability and resilience. These essential services are supported by natural soil microbial processes that transform organic matter to critical nutrients for plant community establishment and development. Nitrogen (N) is the most limiting nutrient in forest ecosystems, yet little information is known about N cycling in urban afforestation efforts. This study examined microbially mediated processes of carbon (C) and N cycling in 10 experimental afforested sites established across New York City parklands under the MillionTreesNYC initiative. Long-term research plots were established between 2009 and 2011 at each site with low and high diversity (two vs. six tree species) treatments. In 2018, 1-m soil cores were collected from plots at each site and analyzed for microbial biomass and respiration, potential net N mineralization, and nitrification, denitrification potential, soil inorganic N, and total soil N. Field observations revealed markedly different trajectories between sites that exhibited a closed canopy and leaf litter layer derived from trees that were planted and those that did not fit this description. These two metrics served to group sites into two categories (high vs. low) of afforestation success. We hypothesized that: (1) afforestation success would be correlated with rates of C and N cycling, (2) high diversity restoration techniques would affect these processes, and (3) inherent soil properties interact with plants and environmental conditions to affect the development of these processes over time. We found that high success sites had significantly higher rates of C and N cycling processes, but low and high diversity treatments showed no differences. Low success sites were more likely to have disturbed soil profiles with human-derived debris. Afforestation success appears to be driven by interactions between initial site conditions that facilitate plant community establishment and development that in turn enable N accumulation and cycling, creating positive feedbacks for success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisselle A Mejía
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, CUNY-The Graduate Center, New York, New York, USA
- Advanced Science Research Center, CUNY-The Graduate Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Peter M Groffman
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, CUNY-The Graduate Center, New York, New York, USA
- Advanced Science Research Center, CUNY-The Graduate Center, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, CUNY-Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York, USA
| | - Alisen E Downey
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, CUNY-Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, New York, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Cook
- Department of Environmental Science, Barnard College, New York, New York, USA
- Urban Systems Laboratory, The New School, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Richard Karty
- Urban Systems Laboratory, The New School, New York, New York, USA
- Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland / Friends of the Earth, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthew I Palmer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Timon McPhearson
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Barnard College, New York, New York, USA
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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