[IYRPsupportgroup] Request for information on tree plantations in grasslands/rangelands

Fri Aug 19 08:19:06 MST 2022

Greetings everyone, the 5 August 2022 edition of Science has a special section on grasses covering the value of grasslands and carbon storage in grasslands.

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________________________________
From: IYRPsupportgroup <iyrpsupportgroup-bounces at list.cals.arizona.edu> on behalf of Maryam Niamir-Fuller <mniafull2 at gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, August 19, 2022 6:26:29 AM
To: iyrpsupportgroup at list.cals.arizona.edu <iyrpsupportgroup at list.cals.arizona.edu>
Cc: Susanne Vetter <s.vetter at ru.ac.za>; Jacob <jfkushner at gmail.com>
Subject: [IYRPsupportgroup] Request for information on tree plantations in grasslands/rangelands

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Dear IYRP friends and Supporters
As you may recall, we have a Working Group that is developing a strategy paper on the issue of trees in rangelands, and the possible impacts on rangelands of Trillian Tree Campaigns and other similar efforts to meet climate change targets. As part of this process, I would like to introduce you to the Journalist Jacob Kushner, who would like to write up an article, and has some specific questions below. Please respond directly to him, with copy to Susi Vetter and myself.

FROM Jacob Kushner
Hello,

My name is Jacob Kushner, I'm a Nairobi-based freelance journalist and a contributor<https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nationalgeographic.co.uk%2Fauthor%2Fjacob-kushner&data=05%7C01%7Cgperrier%40nvcc.edu%7Cec90833fb72540a6473708da81e8ac1e%7C9f05c0e4988c48288359193b3485e731%7C0%7C0%7C637965133571029008%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=th8xoOEpodHJqrDBymt0YaVdJLlpdurMOXM0G8YvEgI%3D&reserved=0> to National Geographic.

When I learned from Susanne Vetter's research<https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheconversation.com%2Fthe-long-shadow-of-colonial-forestry-is-a-threat-to-savannas-and-grasslands-151700&data=05%7C01%7Cgperrier%40nvcc.edu%7Cec90833fb72540a6473708da81e8ac1e%7C9f05c0e4988c48288359193b3485e731%7C0%7C0%7C637965133571029008%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=dXrhv%2FV01PfB0akMQAF8rbjAOVJxekwVtRMSDdLYm2Q%3D&reserved=0> about how forestry is threatening grasslands, I spoke with an editor of mine at NatGeo who was interested in the idea. National Geographic recently published an issue devoted to forests.<https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nationalgeographic.com%2Fmagazine%2Fissue%2Fmay-2022&data=05%7C01%7Cgperrier%40nvcc.edu%7Cec90833fb72540a6473708da81e8ac1e%7C9f05c0e4988c48288359193b3485e731%7C0%7C0%7C637965133571029008%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=lN1r6VzWWIt5%2F%2Fn46HU6vmkI2ObU6BB92zvzEJE8%2FV4%3D&reserved=0> And given all the recent coverage of CO2 capture in swamps such as in DRC, Iit got me thinking: What about grasslands and savannahs? Considering AFR100 and the trillion tree project and all the rest, what if the carbon capture or potential of grasslands and savannahs is being overlooked for the sake of planting trees--to the point of detriment? What if these grasslands are already storing a good deal of carbon, and what if the planned forests that replace them are liable to dry and die, or burn, or simply not be sustainable or not capture as much carbon as their implementors hope?

Therefore, I'm looking to see whether there are any examples of sizeable, current or upcoming FLR initiatives on grasslands or savannas that are ill-advised or unlikely to succeed--tree planting projects in grasslands or similar places where in fact, we might be better off leaving these lands alone or else doing different sorts of restoration altogether. If grasslands or savannas are being replanted with trees in a major project anywhere in Africa (or even better, in East Africa), I'd love to look into it to figure out if 1) it's being done in a sustainable way and 2) whether the entity responsible has tried to account for all the carbon that's already being stored in those grasslands, and factoring that in. I'm especially interested in projects where it seems the implementers haven't or aren't given/giving due consideration to the carbon already in the ground there.

Thank you very much in advance if you or your colleagues can think of any specific projects/examples worth looking into. I'm also on the hunt for any studies that estimate how much carbon particular grasslands or savannahs already hold.

All the best,

Jacob Kushner
jacobkushner.com/about<https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fjacobkushner.com%2Fabout%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cgperrier%40nvcc.edu%7Cec90833fb72540a6473708da81e8ac1e%7C9f05c0e4988c48288359193b3485e731%7C0%7C0%7C637965133571185247%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=2ekvlkVI3EgEsf2VJ%2B9P6P56%2BkubJBABcqcVIiIaYdE%3D&reserved=0>

Thank you!
*...*...*...*
Dr. Maryam Niamir-Fuller
Co-Chair of International Support Group for the IYRP

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