Fostering natural forest regeneration on former agricultural land through economic and policy interventions

TLDR

Deforested agricultural land can naturally regenerate into forests that conserve biodiversity, provide ecosystem services, and support rural economies. The study summarizes global cases of natural regeneration in agricultural landscapes and identifies socio‑ecological factors that promote its development and influence its outcomes. The authors describe how economic and policy contexts create barriers to the development, persistence, and management of naturally regenerating forests, including unintended consequences of protection policies. They recommend specific economic and policy interventions at local, national, and global scales to enhance natural regeneration and promote sustainable management of regrowth forests while strengthening rural communities and economies.

Abstract

Abstract Under suitable conditions, deforested land used for agricultural crops or pastures can revert to forest through the assisted or unassisted process of natural regeneration. These naturally regenerating forests conserve biodiversity, provide a wide array of ecosystem goods and services, and support rural economies and livelihoods. Based on studies in tropical and temperate forest ecosystems, we summarize cases where natural regeneration is occurring in agricultural landscapes around the world and identify the socio-ecological factors that favor its development and affect its qualities, outcomes and persistence. We describe how the economic and policy context creates barriers for the development, persistence, and management of naturally regenerating forests, including perverse outcomes of policies intended to enhance protection of native forests. We conclude with recommendations for specific economic and policy interventions at local, national, and global scales to enhance forest natural regeneration and to promote the sustainable management of regrowth forests on former agricultural land while strengthening rural communities and economies.