A new article in Mongabay examines how different research studies demonstrates the limited effectiveness of forest plantations in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh. Started in the 1970s, these forest restoration efforts have aimed to both mitigate the negative impacts of climate change and support the livelihood of nearby rural communities.
Forest Resources Associate Professor Forrest Fleischman is a co-author of one of the studies discussed in the article. The recent paper, "Planting and replanting: Continuity and change over four decades of forest restoration in Himachal Pradesh, India," identified one major issue impacting both the ecological and social outcomes of forest plantations: monoculture plantings using conifers. "The net result of this government planting activity has been to make forests which may be more useful for commercial purposes, but less useful to local people and less resilient to global climate changes,” he shared.
Read the full article on Mongabay: "Studies question effectiveness of forest plantations."