Making green pledges support biodiversity: Nature-based solution design can be informed by landscape ecology principles

Citation

Vasiliev D & Greenwood S (2022) Making green pledges support biodiversity: Nature-based solution design can be informed by landscape ecology principles. Land Use Policy, 117, Art. No.: 106129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2022.106129

Abstract
To address climate change and meet global commitments, nature-based climate (NbCS) solutions i.e. actions that aim to address climate change in sustainable way, are becoming increasingly popular. This is often expressed in so called “green pledges” that promote large scale programs of tree planting, often in plantations. Establishment of such plantations could deliver benefits to biodiversity, but this is not guaranteed, and recommendations on how to manage nature-based solutions (NbS) for biodiversity are limited and not embedded in scientific knowledge. Evidence from landscape ecology can inform general principles of NbCS design. Here, we synthesise evidence and make recommendations that can help “green pledges” to benefit biodiversity conservation. We call for an integrated approach, where NbCS tree planting projects move beyond carbon storage to create functional and diverse habitats providing multiple long-term services while safeguarding biodiversity.

Keywords
Forest plantations; Climate change; Complex systems; Landscape ecology; Meta-ecosystems; Conservation management

Journal
Land Use Policy: Volume 117

People

Dr Sarah Greenwood

Lecturer in Global Change Biology, Biological and Environmental Sciences