Riparian reforestoration addresses climate change and biodiversity conservation

Former agricultural field undergoing riparian restoration in the Cosumnes River Preserve, near Galt, California.
Photo by Kristen E. Dybala

Forests store tremendous amounts of carbon in the trees and soil, and provide valuable habitat for wildlife, making reforestation an important strategy for addressing both climate change and biodiversity conservation concerns. But reforestations designed to maximize carbon storage may not be as successful at providing habitat. In a paper recently published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, colleagues and I examined how carbon storage and bird communities in the Cosumnes River Preserve relate to forest density, canopy and understory cover, and forest age.

Read More