Terraformation (TF) and its partners are committed to restoring native forest ecosystems with the objectives of sequestering and storing carbon, augmenting biodiversity, and impacting communities in a positive manner. This will be primarily accomplished by planting native tree species and protecting that ecosystem to allow biodiversity to return.
These guidelines are specific to restoration projects. If you are interested in an agroforestry-focused project, contact Terraformation to learn more about our agroforestry guidelines.
TF recognizes a number of forest systems occurring among various terrestrial ecoregions (biomes) of the world. We primarily work with partners restoring native mangroves and/or native terrestrial forests in moist tropical forest biomes. Supplementary forest systems such as agroforestry, sustainable timber, and subsistence monocultures may also be included. These guidelines discuss our position on each of these systems within our partners’ forestry projects, as well as some general forestry practices that are prohibited or limited-use.
Guidelines for Sustainable Forest Restoration Practices
Each participant will present, for discussion with TF, the project's unique approach to integrating key species and successional groups across the landscape and over time. This approach is essential, as it plays a pivotal role in enhancing ecosystem resilience, promoting biodiversity conservation, and fostering sustainable land management practices.
Native Forest Restoration Types (together, these should equal >70% of the project area):
- Native Mangrove Forests. Restoration of mangrove ecosystems will include most of the native tree species that dominate the ecosystem locally, represented by a minimum of 2–5 distinct species. Mangrove restoration could be accompanied by planting other native tree species as the site becomes higher in elevation, above the mangrove and wetland zone. Propagating and planting mangroves often requires a different approach than terrestrial forests, including understanding or managing the hydrology and hydroperiod of the site. Regarding the use of cuttings, wildings, and invasive species, please read the section on prohibited and limited-use forestry practices below.
- Native Terrestrial Forests (in Moist Tropical Forest Biomes). Restoration of terrestrial forest ecosystems should utilize a minimum of 10 native tree species. The tree species selected should include early, middle, and late succession species that coexisted historically in the ecosystem being restored, as well as understory species. By the end of planting, the relative abundances of at least the pioneer and early successional species should be similar to those found in the reference ecosystem, setting the stage for natural regeneration of understory and secondary/late successional species. If habitats are suitable, we encourage the use of endemic, rare, and threatened species, following the appropriate IUCN reintroduction guidelines to manage them for conservation purposes. TF recognizes that individual species' seed collection and seedling production will vary from year to year. Regarding the use of cuttings, wildings, and invasive species, please read the section on prohibited and limited-use forestry practices below.
Supplementary Forest System Types:
- Agroforestry. TF recognizes the importance of agroforestry in many communities for food, fiber, erosion control, and other factors. As such, we support a limited percentage of agroforestry within the project area for native restoration–focused projects. If you are interested in an agroforestry-focused project, contact Terraformation to learn more about our agroforestry guidelines.
- Sustainable Timber. Efforts in sustainable timber normally involve planting 100–200 native trees/ha of a high-value timber species in a random pattern, along with 400–600 other native trees. At harvest, e.g., after the 40-year contract period, there could be a commercial harvest of the timber trees using reduced impact logging (RIL) technology, with the other planted trees to continue as a restoration forest ecosystem. Less than 10% of the project area should comprise sustainable timber, and Verra will be updating the forest carbon calculations/implications for this forest ecosystem type.
- Subsistence Monoculture. TF recognizes that many projects will have subsistence areas of monoculture that could be woodlots to produce fuelwood, building timbers, food, non-timber forest products, medicine, etc. This should be for subsistence purposes only and less than 10% of the project area.
Prohibited and Limited-Use Forestry Practices:
- The use of invasive species is prohibited by Terraformation. This is in agreement with the new Verra VCS Standards, for which “the project shall not introduce any invasive species or allow an invasive species to thrive as part of project activities.” We follow the Verra VCS definition of invasive species as “A non-native species whose introduction and spread may cause socio-cultural, economic, or environmental harm or harm to human health per the Global Invasive Species Database or a jurisdictional registry, which takes precedence over any global dataset.” All non-native, introduced species should be evaluated for invasive potential following TF’s Plant Species Selection Guidelines (Box 2). Although the partner can plant whichever species they decide on their land, Terraformation will not be involved in funding, registering for carbon markets, or supporting any propagation or planting of any species considered invasive, regardless of their use or cultural importance. Thus, we require partners to confirm species identification following TF’s Plant Species Selection Guidelines (Box 1) before collecting, propagating, storing, and/or planting.
- The use of wildling harvest is strongly discouraged by Terraformation. The collection of wildlings, which refers to seedlings harvested from natural forests and subsequently replanted, raises significant ecological concerns that need to be addressed. While this practice may seem viable in certain contexts, it is important to note that Terraformation cannot endorse the large-scale adoption of wildlings for reforestation purposes. Wildlings are integral components of natural ecosystems, and their extraction can disrupt the delicate balance of these environments. The survival rate of transplanted wildlings is often compromised due to transplant shock, leading to questionable ecological outcomes. Furthermore, the assessment of the carbon value associated with using wildlings remains ambiguous and challenging to establish. This uncertainty not only makes it difficult to validate the environmental benefits but also raises questions about the additionality of such projects. Therefore, it is imperative to prioritize well-researched and scientifically sound restoration methods that ensure the long-term health and resilience of ecosystems, while minimizing adverse impacts. Any proposal to use wildlings should be well justified, and their potential additionality in carbon projects will be assessed on a case-by-case basis by TF. Potential exceptions could include cases of legitimate plant rescue, where the wildlings would undoubtedly be lost to land development or other external causes. Any potential use of this approach will be subjected to comprehensive evaluation, with room for adjustments and recommendations if deemed necessary.
- The use of cuttings or vegetative propagation is limited in Terraformation projects. The utilization of cuttings or vegetative/clonal propagation is a strategy that warrants thoughtful consideration and limited implementation. This approach should only be employed when the availability of seeds is exceptionally limited or when seed-based establishment and recruitment rates are extraordinarily low, leaving no feasible alternatives. It is important to acknowledge that the successful cultivation of cuttings is not a straightforward nursery practice for most plant species. It demands a high level of technical expertise and specialized infrastructure. Furthermore, ensuring adequate genetic diversity when using cuttings necessitates significant efforts, involving the maintenance of 100–1000 parental (stock) plants of wild origin, with no more than 10 cuttings/plant, and a carefully calibrated mixture in the field planting area, avoiding clonal blocks. It is suggested to replace the 100+ parental (stock) plants every 2–3 years. In all cases, vegetative propagation should be limited to 5% of annual planting. Cuttings could conceivably find a place in establishing field genebanks, albeit with strict adherence to meticulous sourcing and sampling strategies. Any proposal to use cuttings should be well justified and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis by TF. Any potential use of this approach will be subjected to comprehensive evaluation, with room for adjustments and recommendations if deemed necessary. As an organization dedicated to sustainability and ecological preservation, our commitment to prudent, scientifically sound methods remains paramount, and decisions involving the use of cuttings will be approached with utmost care.
Forestry Guidelines, Version 2.0 / October 2024
This document is under a continual internal review process by our experts and is subject to update based on new findings.