Comment on "The global tree restoration potential"

Veldman JW; Aleman JC; Alvarado ST; Anderson TM; Archibald S; Bond WJ; Boutton TW; Buchmann N; Buisson E; Canadell JG; Dechoum MD; Diaz-Toribio MH; Durigan G; Ewel JJ; Fernandes GW; Fidelis A; Fleischman F; Good SP; Griffith DM; Hermann JM; Hoffmann WA; Stradic S; Lehmann CER; Mahy G; Nerlekar AN; Nippert JB; Noss RF; Osborne CP; Overbeck GE; Parr CL; Pausas JG; Pennington RT; Perring MP; Putz FE; Ratnam J; Sankaran M; Schmidt IB; Schmitt CB; Silveira FAO; Staver AC; Stevens N; Still CJ; Stromberg CAE; Temperton VM; Varner JM; Zaloumis NP

Science, Vol.366, No.6463, 2019

DOI10.1126/science.aay7976 Export Citation

Comment on "The global tree restoration potential"

Veldman JW, Aleman JC, Alvarado ST, Anderson TM, Archibald S, Bond WJ, Boutton TW, Buchmann N, Buisson E, Canadell JG, Dechoum MD, Diaz-Toribio MH, Durigan G, Ewel JJ, Fernandes GW, Fidelis A, Fleischman F, Good SP, Griffith DM, Hermann JM, Hoffmann WA, Stradic S, Lehmann CER, Mahy G, Nerlekar AN, Nippert JB, Noss RF, Osborne CP, Overbeck GE, Parr CL, Pausas JG, Pennington RT, Perring MP, Putz FE, Ratnam J, Sankaran M, Schmidt IB, Schmitt CB, Silveira FAO, Staver AC, Stevens N, Still CJ, Stromberg CAE, Temperton VM, Varner JM, Zaloumis NP

Bastin et al.'s estimate (Reports, 5 July 2019, p. 76) that tree planting for climate change mitigation could sequester 205 gigatonnes of carbon is approximately five times too large. Their analysis inflated soil organic carbon gains, failed to safeguard against warming from trees at high latitudes and elevations, and considered afforestation of savannas, grasslands, and shrublands to be restoration.