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

Tue Aug 23 03:08:44 MST 2022

Dear Maryam, dear Susanne, dear Jacob, dear All,

thanks a lot, Maryam, I wasn’t aware of the Working Group – developing a strategy paper on the issue of trees in rangelands.

Please find below and attached my contribution.

I would be glad if you can make use of it – regarding the Working Group / the strategy paper as well as your questions, Jacob.

Best Anita

2022-08-23 

One of the most powerfull narratives for the dominating preference of trees/forests regarding climate mitigation is the conviction, that the QUANTITY of plant root biomass is determinating for the QUANTITY of carbon storrage / soil building (what is wrong – see below).

Unfortunatlely too for the further perception of grazing and the IYRP: The dominating question in the grassland-ecosystems research is still „Why trees are not growing here?“ – still and again focussing on trees. Instead of „Why grass societies are so successfully growing here?“ – bringing the coevolution of grazers and grasses in the focus of perception.

In my view too the currrent SCIENCE special is an important support for our work. A lot of basic aspects have been mentioned – first of all the generall „The unrecognized value of grass“ – and criticizing the dominant „tree narratives“ (sure not achieving the data based quality of Susann Vetter’s „The long shadow of colonial forestry is a threat to savannas and grasslands“).

But furthermore the intrinsic role of the grazing animals is lacking in the perception – regarding research and communication.

Even where grazers are object of research, grazing is generally still seen as disturbance. (Unfortunately but understandable: That perception becomes enhanced where overgrazing is increasing).

Yes it has been a disturbance millions of years ago. But because of grazing and not despite grazing: Later grassland ecosystems became the most successfull plant societies worldwide:

-                  the biggest biom

-                  the biggest permaculture and mixed culture (a criterion for success) too. 

Regarding the land area grassland ecosystems are the most successfull worldwide. The only plant society which is losing periodical a lot of its above ground biomass is covering more land surface than any other plant society – already during the last glacial and until now. 

Grasslands – criteria for success? 

While grazing is – generelly – still seen as disturbance perennial grasses developped completely different growth dynamics as the result of millions of years of coevolution from grasses with grazers: 

-      If not overgrazed: Grasses don’t try to prevent to be beaten. 

-      Sustainable grazing preconditioned: Grasses profit from the (cow’s) bite. The loss of   

       biomass is inducing a growth impuls leading to an increased photosynthesis rate –    

       leading to increased plant biomass building above (leaves) and below (roots) ground.

Other plants are expending a relevant part of their energy, to prevent to be beaten: They are building e.g. spikes (what we easily can see/perceive) and in an enormous amount bittering agents (what can’t be seen/perceived easily) etc.

Grasslands – criteria for success? 

Trees are storing their carbon yield from photosynthesis mostly above ground as wood. Plant biomass root-shot-ratio 1 : 2. Trees primarily invest in their own plant biomass – and that more above than below ground, (what is easier to perceive for us).

Grasses grow more below than above ground (Plant biomass root-shot-ratio 2 : 1 until 20 : 1). Grasses don’t primarily invest in their own plant biomass, but in soil building!

Soil originates by over 80 % from root biomass. Of course: Much more root biomass from trees is located below a hectare of forest than root biomass from grasses is located under a hectare of permanent grassland.

But despite the dominating narrative (see below Terrer et al. 2021): Soil building is not depending on root QUANTITY!

As soil building is taking place at the ends of the roots the QUALITY of roots is key!

Grasses are FINE rooters. It’s the mass of FINE roots which is crucial: It’s there where exsudates are leaving the roots and where rottening is taking place.

Still the dominating question in the grassland-ecosystems research reads as „Why trees are not growing here?“ Instead of „Why grass societies are so successfull here?“ 

Grasslands – criteria for success?

They all have a common genesis – thousands of years of steppe grazing.

-        So not „only“ the vast less fertile grassland ecoystems of the world,

-        but too the most fertile plains worldwide (prairies, pampas, tschernosem in Ukraine, 

          Mandschurei, Rumania, Germany etc.)

All research predicting soil building / carbon sequestration will be leading to a saturation in the soils can’t explain the existance of this most fertile soils – the granaries / the breadbaskets of the world. 

As method of success grassland ecosystems invest in – their own – fertile soil biomass. 

So its remarcable but not asthonishing that 

-        forest ecosystems store less C worldwide than grassland ecosystems (similar area)

-        grassland ecosystems store in their soils 50% more C than forest soils (similar area)

(don’t use average data!).

But most of the climate modelizing is still holding on the narrative,

the more photosynthesis >> the more building of plant biomass (what is true) and the more soil building (what is wrong).

See the meta study from Terrer et al. (2021)! (mentioned in the SCIENCE special literature  :-)  

A trade-off between plant and soil carbon storage under elevated CO2

 <https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03306-8> https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03306-8

>>We found that overall, SOC stocks increase with eCO2 in grasslands (8 ± 2 per cent) but not in forests (0 ± 2 per cent), even though plant biomass in grasslands increase less (9 ± 3 per cent) than in forests (23 ± 2 per cent). (…) Ecosystem models do not reproduce this trade-off, which implies that projections of SOC may need to be revised.<<

All the best     Anita

Dr. med. vet. Anita Idel

Mediation und Projektmanagement Agrobiodiversität

 <mailto:info at anita-idel.de> info at anita-idel.de

 <http://www.anita-idel.de/> www.anita-idel.de

 <https://iyrp.info/> 

 <https://iyrp.info/> https://iyrp.info

IAASTD-2020

 <https://www.globalagriculture.org/transformation-of-our-food-systems.html> https://www.globalagriculture.org/transformation-of-our-food-systems.html

Von: IYRPsupportgroup [mailto:iyrpsupportgroup-bounces at list.cals.arizona.edu] Im Auftrag von Maryam Niamir-Fuller
Gesendet: Freitag, 19. August 2022 15:26
An: iyrpsupportgroup at list.cals.arizona.edu
Cc: Susanne Vetter <s.vetter at ru.ac.za>; Jacob <jfkushner at gmail.com>
Betreff: [IYRPsupportgroup] Request for information on tree plantations in grasslands/rangelands

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  <https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/author/jacob-kushner> contributor to National Geographic. 

When I learned from Susanne Vetter's  <https://theconversation.com/the-long-shadow-of-colonial-forestry-is-a-threat-to-savannas-and-grasslands-151700> research 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  <https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/issue/may-2022> an issue devoted to forests. 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

 <http://jacobkushner.com/about/> jacobkushner.com/about

Thank you!

*...*...*...*

Dr. Maryam Niamir-Fuller

Co-Chair of International Support Group for the IYRP

Support the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026   <https://www.iyrp.info> https://www.iyrp.info

  <https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4zHpHERzU8YMLGBIDwn6RqnSt54KgD0k-1ZrAz6YBwd2MxPz0gebaVvAyF8yQiqzxO9t65NNgE>   <https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4wY5X_A1kdiZnF3VuTdK2OlH2_m_wqk-1NLpwS-SfvNQDhNnVpyH4NLnAMpUB92pxyTeTr08rA> 

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