Understanding forest landscape restoration: reinforcing scientific foundations for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

Under the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, 2021-2030, there has been no more critical or opportune time to restore forests, which are critical for the world’s species, people and climate. However, multiple mistakes have been made in restoring forests and planting trees, using inappropriate species and methods, at inappropriate locations, and without full collaboration between practitioners, scientists and local people. As a result, both people and nature have suffered.

This landmark theme issue unites scientists from across the world, and from diverse scientific disciplines. It tests options and offers solutions for planning and executing forest landscape restoration, to benefit both nature and people. The theme issue includes approaches to identify, monitor, predict and mitigate environmental, governance and socio-economic challenges for forest restoration. It also makes method and conceptual developments towards growing forests for both biodiversity and carbon sinks, not just by planting trees, and using fair and inclusive practice.

This issue of Philosophical Transactions B is available online. There are two articles by FORRU in the volume:-

• ‘The road to recovery: a synthesis of outcomes from ecosystem restoration in tropical and sub-tropical Asian forests’ and
• ‘The framework species method—harnessing natural regeneration to restore tropical forest ecosystems’