Afforestation and reforestation support coupled gains in soil life and carbon storage worldwide.
A new study in Nature Ecology & Evolution compiled data from 1,158 paired planted and reference sites across six continents. Planting forests on non-forest land supported more soil microbial life and larger topsoil carbon stores over as long as a century, while replanting lost forests brought both back close to original forest levels within about three decades — with the greatest gains on degraded lands.
Posted: September 26, 2026