2019/11/04 by Pedro H.S. Brancalion, Pedro H. S. Brancalion, Paula Meli +10 · 209 citations
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Environmental Science · #Biology #Ecology #Economic and Environmental Valuation #Ecosystem #Environmental Conservation and Management #Environmental planning #Environmental resource management #Environmental science #Geography #Land Use and Ecosystem Services #Restoration ecology
paper · doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108274
published in Biological Conservation 240, 108274 (Elsevier BV)
openalex publication_date 2019/11/04 · openalex created_date 2019/11/22 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Limited funding is a major barrier to implementing ambitious global restoration commitments, so reducing restoration costs is essential to upscale restoration. The lack of rigorous analyses about the major components and drivers of restoration costs limit the development of alternatives to reduce costs and the selection of the most cost-effective methods to achieve restoration goals. We conducted detailed restoration cost assessments for the three most widespread biomes in Brazil (Amazon, Cerrado, and Atlantic Forest) and estimated the restoration costs associated with implementing Brazil’s National Plan for Native Vegetation Recovery (12M hectares). Most surveys (60–90%) reported using the costly methods of planting seedlings or sowing seeds throughout the site, regardless of the biome. Natural regeneration and assisted regeneration approaches were an order of magnitude cheaper but were reported in <15% of projects. The vast majority of tree planting and direct seeding costs were incurred during the implementation phase, and nearly 80% of projects ended maintenance within 30 months. We estimated a price tag of US0.7-1.2 billion per year until 2030 to implement Brazil’s restoration plan depending on the area that recovers through natural regeneration. Our results offer valuable insights for developing strategies to make restoration cheaper and to increase its cost-effectiveness for achieving diverse benefits in Brazilian ecosystems. Our survey also provides a starting point for sound assessments of restoration costs and their drivers in other biomes, which are needed to reduce the financial barriers to scaling up restoration at a global scale.