Archive · 25 Jun 2025
Study: Policymakers Overlook Vital Role of Regrowing Forests
Imagine forests growing back after being cut down.
These "young" forests are really good at sucking up carbon from the air, which helps fight climate change.
Scientists found that these forests are ignored by people who make the rules about the environment.
These forests are cleared before they can get really good at capturing carbon, so they don't help the climate as much as they could.
Also, a loophole in a deal about protecting forests lets people sell soybeans grown on land that was once a forest.
The scientists say we need to protect these young forests because they can help us a lot in the fight against global warming.
Research indicates policymakers often overlook the carbon absorption potential of naturally regenerating forests.
Young, secondary forests absorb carbon up to eight times faster per hectare than newly planted forests.
These forests are frequently cleared before reaching maturity, hindering their climate benefits.
A loophole in the Amazon Soy Moratorium allows trading of soy grown on recently deforested secondary forests.
Scientists say better policies are needed to protect and utilize the carbon-capturing capabilities of regrowing forests.
- Who
- Scientists and researchers.
- What
- Research highlights that policymakers often undervalue the role of naturally regenerating forests in carbon absorption.
- When
- Research was published Tuesday.
- Where
- Global, with specific examples in the Amazon.
- Why
- To understand and highlight the potential of secondary forests in combating climate change and identify policy gaps.
Current Policy
Proposed Policy
Forest Protection Focus
Current Policy
Current policies often prioritize protection of old-growth forests, while secondary forests are cleared.
Proposed Policy
Researchers believe that policies should be updated to protect secondary forests.
- Focus
- Secondary, naturally regenerating forests
- Carbon Absorption Rate
- Up to eight times faster than planted forests
- Forest Age
- 20-40 years (young)
- Amazon Soy Moratorium
- Allows soy trading from deforested secondary forests.
- Secondary forest survival
- Only 6% of secondary forests in tropics reach two decades of regrowth