Description: ANR involves minimal intervention compared to more intensive restoration methods like reforestation. This strategy enhances natural regenerative processes by protecting and nurturing naturally emerging seedlings in degraded areas. This method is cost-effective and aims to accelerate ecosystem recovery by relying mostly on the existing soil seed bank or nearby forest sources for seed dispersal.
Optimal Use Case: ANR is best applied in areas where a seed source exists nearby (either on-site or in adjacent areas) and where human or natural barriers have previously prevented successful natural regeneration. These include lands degraded by overgrazing, fire, or invasive species, but still close enough to natural forests to benefit from natural seed dispersal.
Species Spatial and Temporal Arrangement: The species composition and spatial arrangement in ANR projects are determined by natural seed dispersal dynamics and the inherent soil seed bank present in the soil. The temporal arrangement of species follows natural successional processes, with pioneer species typically establishing first, followed by climax species over time.
On-the-Ground Techniques: Techniques include removing or reducing barriers to natural regeneration, such as controlling invasive species, fencing to exclude grazers, reducing fire frequency, and protecting naturally regenerating seedlings from competition (e.g., by weeding around them) and from predation or trampling. Enrichment planting (which can also be done through aerial vehicles) may be used if natural regeneration is insufficient to introduce desired species or increase diversity.
Carbon Sequestration Capacity within the Lifetime of a Carbon Project: ANR can have a significant capacity to sequester carbon, especially as the forest matures. Initially, carbon sequestration rates may be lower than in planted forests, but as the forest regenerates naturally, it can develop into a complex, mature ecosystem with a high biomass capacity.
Community Benefits in Carbon Project Context: ANR offers multiple benefits to local communities, including reduced restoration costs, making it easier to engage in projects; improved ecosystem services like water regulation, soil protection, and biodiversity conservation, which support livelihoods; and opportunities for sustainable use of forest resources, including non-timber products, as the forest regenerates.
For further reading, please refer to:
- Elliott, S. (2016). The potential for automating assisted natural regeneration of tropical forest ecosystems. Biotropica, 48(6), 825-833.
- Shono, K., Cadaweng, E. A., & Durst, P. B. (2007). Application of assisted natural regeneration to restore degraded tropical forestlands. Restoration Ecology, 15(4), 620-626.