The global movement to restore nature's biodiversity | Thomas Crowther

Summary

The speaker discusses the importance of biodiversity and forests in combating climate change. They reveal their research on global forest data, showing the potential of planting over a trillion new trees to capture excess carbon. The script highlights the media's role in promoting tree planting but warns against oversimplification. It stresses the need for nuanced restoration efforts that consider local ecology and community needs, introducing 'Restor', a platform to guide and support global restoration projects.

Takeaways

• 🌳 The sounds of a native forest are linked to our evolutionary past, where biodiversity was crucial for survival.
• 🌿 Biodiversity is essential for life on Earth, and ecosystems like forests play a key role in capturing carbon from the atmosphere.
• 🔍 The speaker's career focused on the connection between insects and fungi in soil, aiming to understand how these networks could mitigate climate change.
• 🌍 Forests can help combat global warming by capturing carbon and storing it in the soil for centuries.
• 🌱 Protecting existing forests and planting new trees could significantly reduce annual carbon emissions.
• 🌐 A global network of experts contributed data revealing that there is room for over one trillion new trees on Earth.
• 🌲 The potential of forests to capture excess carbon is enormous, equivalent to decades of human emissions.
• 📈 The research sparked global interest, leading to initiatives like the Trillion Trees Campaign and pledges from governments and companies.
• 🚫 The speaker warns against oversimplification, emphasizing that tree planting is not a single solution to climate change but part of a broader portfolio of solutions.
• 🌱 The importance of ecological diversity is highlighted by contrasting a native forest with a monoculture plantation, which lacks biodiversity and ecosystem services.
• 🌐 The platform 'Restor' is introduced as a tool to facilitate global restoration efforts by providing ecological insights and a space for sharing project data and learnings.

Q & A

What is the significance of the sounds of a native forest in Southern Europe?

The sounds of a native forest in Southern Europe are significant because they indicate the presence of biodiversity, which is essential for life on Earth. The speaker suggests that we evolved in ecosystems where these sounds signified the availability of food, medicine, and other resources necessary for survival.

What is the speaker's area of focus in their career?

The speaker has focused on the connection between insects and fungi in the soil, aiming to understand the scale of these networks and how they might help address the challenge of climate change.

How do forests help in reducing atmospheric carbon?

Forests help reduce atmospheric carbon by capturing carbon from the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis. Trees use this carbon for growth, and some of it enters the soil, where it can be stored for hundreds or thousands of years.

What is the potential impact of stopping global forest loss?

Stopping global forest loss could directly help reduce annual emissions by preserving the carbon already stored in trees and soil. It could also potentially tip the balance towards carbon sequestration, aiding in the repair process of the climate.

How many trees are estimated to exist on Earth according to the speaker's research?

According to the speaker's research, there are just over three trillion trees on Earth, which is almost half of what existed before human civilization.

What is the potential for new tree growth outside of urban and agricultural areas?

The speaker suggests that there is room for just over one trillion new trees on 0.9 billion hectares of land outside of urban and agricultural areas where trees would naturally exist.

What is the estimated potential of these new trees to capture excess carbon in the atmosphere?

The speaker estimates that if these areas could be protected in the long term, the soils and vegetation might capture up to 30 percent of the excess carbon in the atmosphere, equivalent to decades of human emissions.

What was the reaction to the speaker's research when it was published in the journal Science?

The publication of the speaker's research in Science led to a media explosion, with global discussions about the potential of trees in combating climate change. It also led to the launch of various tree planting campaigns by organizations like the World Economic Forum, WWF, and United Nations.

What mistakes did the speaker make in communication that threatened the message of their research?

The speaker made the mistake of oversimplifying the message about tree restoration, which led to the perception that it was a single solution to climate change. This忽视ed the need for a comprehensive approach to reducing emissions and protecting existing ecosystems.

What is the difference between a eucalyptus plantation and a native forest in terms of biodiversity?

A eucalyptus plantation, as described in the script, lacks the sounds of birds and insects, indicating a lack of biodiversity. In contrast, a native forest is rich in biodiversity, with various species of trees, birds, and insects, which contribute to a healthy ecosystem.

What is the main goal of the Restor platform mentioned in the script?

The Restor platform aims to provide an open data platform for the restoration movement, offering free ecological insights to guide tree planting, soil amendment, and other restoration efforts. It also facilitates the sharing of ecological information to help restoration organizations learn from each other and for funders to track projects.

How does the speaker view the role of global restoration in addressing climate change and other global threats?

The speaker sees global restoration as a crucial part of a portfolio of solutions to climate change, not a silver bullet. They also emphasize that protecting and rebuilding biodiversity is essential for addressing other global threats such as extreme weather events, droughts, food shortages, and pandemics, even if climate change were to stop immediately.

Outlines

00:00

🌳 The Power of Forests in Climate Change Mitigation

The speaker discusses the importance of biodiversity and ecosystems, particularly focusing on the relationship between insects and fungi in the soil. They emphasize the role of forests in capturing carbon from the atmosphere, which can help combat climate change. The speaker's research indicates that there is room for an additional one trillion trees on Earth, which could absorb up to 30% of excess atmospheric carbon. This research has sparked global interest and initiatives like the Trillion Trees Campaign, highlighting the potential of forest restoration in the fight against climate change.

05:01

🚫 The Pitfalls of Monoculture Forests

The speaker warns against the simplification of the message that tree planting alone can solve climate change. They highlight the dangers of monoculture plantations, which lack biodiversity and the ecosystem services that natural forests provide. The speaker acknowledges the criticism their research received and emphasizes the need for accurate ecological information to guide restoration efforts. They introduce 'Restor', a digital platform designed to provide ecological insights and support the sharing of knowledge among restoration projects worldwide.

10:02

🌐 The Global Movement for Ecosystem Restoration

The speaker concludes by emphasizing that restoration is not just about planting trees but about the broader ecosystem. They define 'restore' as returning nature to its original state and owners, highlighting the importance of local biodiversity and community involvement. The speaker calls for a collective human effort, involving farmers, scientists, governments, NGOs, and individuals, to address the challenge of global restoration. They stress that while technology can inform, the solution lies in the interconnected actions of people worldwide.

Keywords

💡Biodiversity

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth, including all plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms, as well as the ecosystems they form and the genetic variation they contain. In the video, biodiversity is highlighted as crucial for human survival, as it provides food, medicine, and other resources. The speaker is 'obsessed' with biodiversity, emphasizing the interconnectedness of species and their dependency on each other for survival, which is a central theme of the video.

💡Ecosystems

Ecosystems are complex networks of living organisms interacting with each other and their physical environment. The video script describes ecosystems as holding the 'key to life on this planet', emphasizing their importance for human survival and the health of the planet. The speaker's career is focused on understanding one such ecosystem: the connection between insects and fungi in the soil.

💡Carbon Capture

Carbon capture refers to the process by which carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere, often through natural processes like photosynthesis by plants. Trees, as mentioned in the script, are significant carbon capture agents. The video discusses how protecting forests can help reduce annual emissions by preventing carbon loss and potentially storing it in the soil for long periods.

💡Climate Change

Climate change is a long-term shift in global or regional climate patterns. The video addresses climate change as one of the greatest challenges facing humanity, with the need to reduce emissions and draw carbon out of the atmosphere to mitigate its effects. The potential of forests in combating climate change is a central topic in the script.

💡Machine Learning Models

Machine learning models are algorithms that allow computers to learn from and make predictions or decisions based on data. In the video, the speaker's team uses machine learning to analyze data from over 1.2 million forests, creating models to predict forest structure worldwide. These models help understand the distribution of tree species and carbon storage, illustrating the application of technology in ecological research.

💡Reforestation

Reforestation is the process of planting trees in areas that were once forested but have been cleared. The video discusses the potential for reforestation, suggesting there is room for over one trillion new trees globally. It is presented as a significant opportunity to capture excess carbon in the atmosphere and combat climate change.

💡Monoculture

Monoculture refers to the practice of planting a single type of crop or tree species over a large area. The video contrasts the biodiversity of a native forest with a eucalyptus plantation, which is a monoculture. This plantation lacks the biodiversity and ecosystem services of a natural forest, illustrating the potential downsides of reforestation efforts that prioritize monocultures over diverse ecosystems.

💡Ecosystem Restoration

Ecosystem restoration involves the repair and recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded, damaged, or destroyed. The video emphasizes the importance of ecosystem restoration as a solution to climate change, but also cautions against the simplification of the message, which could lead to monoculture plantations rather than true restoration of diverse ecosystems.

💡UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is a global commitment to restore degraded ecosystems. The video mentions this initiative in the context of the global movement towards tree planting and forest restoration, indicating a growing international recognition of the importance of ecosystems in addressing climate change.

💡Restor

Restor, as mentioned in the video, is an open data platform for the restoration movement. It provides ecological insights, monitors projects, and facilitates the sharing of information among restoration organizations. Restor represents the integration of technology and ecological data to support a global effort in ecosystem restoration, emphasizing collaboration and data-driven decision-making.

💡Human Interdependence

Human interdependence is the concept that people rely on each other for survival and well-being. The video concludes by emphasizing that just as species in ecosystems are interdependent, humans also rely on each other to address global challenges like climate change. This keyword encapsulates the call to collective action and the need for a diverse array of contributions to the restoration movement.

Highlights

The calming sound of a native forest in Southern Europe indicates the presence of resources essential for survival.

Biodiversity is crucial for life on Earth, with each species depending on others.

Insects and fungi in the soil are a key connection in ecosystems.

Forests can play a significant role in combating climate change by capturing carbon.

Trees absorb carbon and store it in the soil for potentially thousands of years.

Globally, stopping deforestation could significantly reduce annual carbon emissions.

There is room for over one trillion new trees to be planted.

New trees could capture up to 30 percent of excess atmospheric carbon.

The research was published in Science, sparking global interest in trees' potential.

The World Economic Forum launched the Trillion Trees Campaign.

Governments and companies pledged to restore Earth's forests.

Restoration is not a single solution but part of a portfolio of solutions needed for climate change.

Monoculture plantations are not true restoration and can damage ecosystems.

The UN suggests nearly half of reforested areas are monocultures.

Restoration done wrong can lead to criticism and loss of opportunities.

Restor is an open data platform for the restoration movement, providing ecological insights.

Restor aims to help with the protection of land, soil amendment, and promotion of ecosystem health.

Restoration is for local biodiversity and the communities that depend on it.

Global restoration requires collective human action and cannot rely solely on tech solutions.

Transcripts

Transcriber: TED Translators Admin Reviewer: Rhonda Jacobs

(Birds chirping)

What you're hearing

is the sound of a native forest in Southern Europe.

The calm, tranquil feeling we all get is not a coincidence.

We all evolved in ecosystems like this,

where the sounds of birds and insects

indicated the possibility of food, medicines

and all the resources we need for survival.

Ecosystems and their biodiversity still hold the key to life on this planet.

I'm obsessed with this biodiversity,

the magic of the infinite network,

where every species depends on others to survive.

For most of my career,

I focused on just one of those fascinating connections

between insects and fungi in the soil.

I longed to understand the scale of these networks

and to understand how they might help us

with one of the greatest challenges facing humanity:

our rapidly warming planet.

The problem is clear.

We know we need to reduce our emissions

and draw the existing carbon out of the atmosphere,

stop the damage and start the repair.

And this is where forests can help.

Like all plants, trees capture carbon from the atmosphere,

and they use it for growth.

And some of that carbon enters the soil,

where it can stay for hundreds or even thousands of years.

If we could stop the losses of forests around the world,

we could directly help to cut our annual emissions.

And if we could start to tip the balance in the other direction,

we might even help the repair process.

But if people were really going to invest their valuable time and energy

in a solution like this,

we needed to comprehend the size of this opportunity

and understand the impacts that we can have as individuals.

But comprehending something of this scale

was a completely new challenge for me and my colleagues.

For this, we needed the knowledge of experts all over the world.

So we began building a new network.

The more people we contacted, the more data we received,

and the more clearly patterns began to emerge.

With data from over 1.2 million forests,

we were able to build new machine learning models

to predict forest structure around the world.

For the first time,

we could see that our earth is home to just over three trillion trees,

almost half of what existed before human civilization.

We could see where the different species are distributed

and how carbon is stored in this massive system.

But this approach could also show us something more transformative.

Using the same models, we could begin to see where trees might naturally grow

under the existing climate.

And this suggested

that outside of urban and agricultural areas,

there's 0.9 billion hectares where trees would naturally exist.

And this is room for just over one trillion new trees.

We estimated that if we could protect these areas in the long term,

then the soils and vegetation

might capture up to 30 percent of the excess carbon in the atmosphere,

capturing decades of human emissions.

We now have a wealth of ongoing research to refine these initial estimates.

But the scale of this potential

suggests that along with all the other benefits these ecosystems provide,

they might also represent a valuable role in our fight against climate change.

When our research was accepted to be published in the journal Science,

nothing could have prepared us for the media explosion that followed.

Suddenly, it seemed like the whole world was talking about the potential of trees.

Under the umbrella of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration,

the World Economic Forum launched their Trillion Trees Campaign

to go alongside similar efforts from the WWF and United Nations.

Suddenly, governments and companies all around the world

were pledging their commitment to the restoration of earth's forests.

And with the job creation that would result,

the idea of a global restoration movement was becoming a reality.

But in the excitement of it all,

and with the chance to make that positive impact I'd always dreamed of,

I made some naive and stupid mistakes in communication

that threatened the entire message.

The simplicity of our message was its strength,

but it came at the expense of nuance that is so important.

And as the headlines began to emerge,

I desperately just wanted to pull them back in.

Because to some, it seemed like we were proposing restoration

as the single solution to climate change.

And this is the opposite of what this movement needs.

When viewed through this lens,

restoration just seems like an easy way out,

a chance for us to "offset our emissions" by planting a few trees

and ignore the very real and urgent challenges of cutting emissions

and protecting the ecosystems that we currently have.

Restoration is not a silver bullet.

There is no silver bullet.

It is just one of a huge portfolio of solutions

that we so desperately need.

And this view of trees as an easy way out is such a tempting perspective,

but it is a real threat to the climate change movement

and to the ecosystems that still remain.

(Faint sounds)

This is also the sound of trees.

It's a eucalyptus plantation

that exists just a couple of miles away from where we began.

Notice how there were no sounds of birds or insects.

The songs of biodiversity are gone.

That's because what you're hearing is not an ecosystem.

It's a monoculture of one single tree species

planted for rapid tree growth.

Along with the biodiversity that used to live here,

this local community has now lost the benefits those ecosystems provided,

like clean water, soil fertility,

and most urgently,

protection from the intense fires that now threaten the region every summer.

The UN suggests that almost half of reforested areas around the world

are monocultures just like this,

planted for rapid timber production or carbon capture.

Just like a farm, these plantations may be valuable for timber,

but they are not the restoration of nature.

And monocultures are just one of the many ways

we can damage ecosystems

when we offset our emissions without considering the local ecology

or the people that depend on it.

Following these mistakes, a second wave of articles flooded in,

warning of the risks of restoration done wrong.

And this criticism was so painful

because it was entirely correct.

But most of all,

I was terrified that we would squander this incredible opportunity,

because restoration has such enormous potential for positive impact.

But just like every good idea, it only works if we get it right.

But as the dust settled,

we realized that this was actually a time

when the entire movement gained real momentum.

More people than ever were interested in global restoration,

and with messages flooding in

about the successes and failures of restoration projects around the world,

we had access to the lessons that can help us to get it right.

Every new criticism offered incredible opportunities to learn and grow.

Every failed restoration example

was a lesson on how to improve future projects.

These learnings were an entirely new source of data --

data from the real heroes of this movement,

from the people on the ground

who were conserving and managing ecosystems around the world.

No one knows their ecosystems more,

and no one is more aware of the risks of restoration done wrong

and the need for accurate ecological information

to show the best areas to focus on,

which species can exist in those regions,

and what benefits those species can provide to the community.

Historically, these are questions that have been addressed

through years of rigorous trial and error.

But we started wondering:

What if we fed this deep on-the-ground knowledge

back into our machine-learning models

to learn from the thousands of successes and failures?

Could this help us to identify

which strategies are working and failing around the world?

And about a year ago, we started working with Google

to help build and scale this idea into a functioning online ecosystem,

where projects from around the world can learn and grow together.

By pairing Google's technology and our models,

this ever-growing network of scientists, restoration projects, and NGOs

could now build the platform that could serve the restoration movement.

And I am so excited to give you a first glimpse

of what we've been working on.

This is Restor, an open data platform for the restoration movement,

providing free ecological insights

to show which species of trees, grasses, or shrubs might exist in that region,

monitoring of projects

so that we can all see the developments happening on the ground.

And most importantly,

for the sharing of ecological information

so that restoration organizations can learn one another

and so that funders can find and track projects to support.

Restor is a digital ecosystem for restoration.

The more data the community uploads, the stronger the predictions get

and the more informed action we can all take.

Putting the learnings of thousands of projects

into the hands of people everywhere.

And this ecosystem is much bigger than just planting trees.

Trees are just the symbol for entire ecosystem restoration.

Restor is for the protection of land so trees can recover,

for the amendment of soil so vegetation can return,

and for the thousands of other approaches used

to promote the health of grasslands, peatlands,

and all other ecosystems that are equally important for life on earth.

Whether you want to support a wetland conservation project

with huge carbon potential

or simply find which species of plant might exist in your garden

and how much soil carbon they could accumulate,

with this tool,

we hope that everyone everywhere

will have a chance to engage in the restoration movement.

The word "restore" is defined

as the act of returning something back to its original state,

but it's also the act of returning it back to its original owners.

The restoration of nature is for the local biodiversity

and the communities that depend on it.

And as that network grows, the collective action benefits everyone.

And these benefits go far beyond the threat of climate change.

Even if climate change stopped right now,

the protection and rebuilding of earth's biodiversity

would still be a top priority because it underpins all life on earth.

It can help us with all other global threats,

including extreme weather events, droughts,

food shortages and global pandemics.

But global restoration won't be easy,

and it will not be solved by tech solutions alone.

These tools can inform us,

but ultimately the challenge is one that can only be addressed by us,

by all of us.

Just like the interdependent species that make up natural ecosystems,

we humans are deeply dependent on one another.

We need the immense network of limitless connections,

the farmers and project leaders on the ground

who need local markets and industries to make use of sustainable products.

The scientists, governments, NGOs, businesses, you, me,

we are all needed to keep this movement going.

We need the whole ecology of humanity.

Thank you.