Selecting Trees for Afforestation
A forest is more than just a collection of trees and shrubs. It is an ecosystem, a complex community of closely interconnected elements, including both living organisms and non-living, abiotic components—air, soil, and water. Forest biota includes vegetation, animals, and microorganisms, while forest vegetation includes not only woody plants but also grasses, mosses, fungi, algae, and lichens. Flows of energy and substances (such as oxygen or water) circulate within the ecosystem, forming a cycle and linking all elements of nature into a unified whole. An example is photosynthesis—the process of producing nutrients from water and carbon dioxide using the energy of sunlight. Only green plants are capable of photosynthesis, so all other plants must feed either on these plants or on other organisms that use plants as food. Thus, plants, directly or indirectly, serve as a source of nutrition for all organisms. The role of bacteria and other organisms that decompose metabolic waste, including plant and animal remains, is crucial, as they form simpler substances that can be used in further metabolism.
To make the right decision on species composition during reforestation, it is necessary to examine each planting site. For example, in a stream or river floodplain, moisture-loving trees should be planted, while in upland areas, trees that can withstand deep soil drying should be planted. The presence of existing plants on the site must also be considered. How will new species interact with native ones? Will rare native trees and shrubs adapt to the new conditions, or will they have to give way? Clearly, it is impossible to plant the same forest on every square meter of land. Therefore, forests should be divided into main types.
Determining the main types of forest stands by their location is essential for making decisions on species composition.
Floodplain
We select moisture-loving trees and shrubs from the rainforest. When this forest grows, the land and the ponds created will be fully protected from sunlight and the dry desert wind. The accumulated moisture will evaporate only through the leaves of the trees. In the pre-dawn hours, this forest is capable of forming a fog, which will return some of the evaporated moisture back into the soil, transferring it, thus, to the nearby hills.
Hills
Even with a slight increase in humidity in the air and in the ground, on the nearby hills, shrubs and native plants will begin to grow on their own. For greater soil protection from the sun on the hills, you may need to plant additional tree species in addition to those already growing on the ground. At the device network canal-shafts on the hillsides you can plant more moisture-loving plants. It is very important to protect the soil surface with a plant cover from direct sunlight. You can use herbs, succulents, shrubs and fast-growing trees.
Regular natural flooding
Water levels in reservoirs fluctuate significantly throughout the year, periodically flooding vast coastal areas. These areas typically remain uninhabited by aquatic and riparian vegetation. In such areas, we select tropical trees that can withstand flooding for extended periods. A good example of such a forest is the Amazon River region. There, rivers flood during the rainy season, covering the forest floor for up to six months of the year. Many forested areas are flooded to a depth of up to 8 meters during this time. A floodplain forest located adjacent to a wet floodplain forest will enhance the resilience of all plants in the forest zone.
Selecting species for each forest type will require the participation of biologists and ecologists familiar with the characteristics of local vegetation and its relationships. Plants should be selected from natural forest samples.
When selecting trees and shrubs for forest planting, it is important to consider the following properties.
Growth rate of planted trees
Trees with this quality should form the first signs of a forest. Soil shading, condensation of moisture from the air, the formation of the organic layer of the soil.
Tree height
What place will the tree take in the new forest when it grows? This is an important choice of trees in the preparation of afforestation. Selection of trees of various sizes and frequency of planting, low and high.
Tree planting methods
The participation of animals in the movement of seeds and planting new trees suggests the need for further settlement of these animals in the forest. Will settled animals survive in the forest of the future? How will they affect the environment?
Dependence of the plant on other species
For example, vines grow quickly, but they already need tall trees.
The ability of a plant to provide support to other species
So legumes are an excellent nitrogen fixer, and succulents, growing rapidly on dry soil, protect it from the sun's rays.
Temporary flooding
The ability of trees and shrubs to survive the temporary flooding of the area. Such species can be planted in temporarily flooded places such as the banks of ponds and lakes.
For each forest type, we select several different tree species. All these species will need to be planted in the initial plots to assess their ability to survive and thrive.
We select the composition of the new forest to create a resilient ecosystem capable of independent development and survival in the face of global warming. Reforestation is an important and challenging endeavor that requires the involvement of the world's best specialists.
