Assessing the impact of ecological forest restoration on soil carbon stocks in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review

Land use changes, especially deforestation and agricultural expansion, have had significant impacts on the global climate crisis through greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This has led to adverse effects on climate systems, biodiversity, forestry product supply, and soil quality. Global efforts such as...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Vuyo Qasha, Alen Manyevere, Trevan Flynn, Chuene Victor Mashamaite
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2024-12-01
Series:Carbon Management
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17583004.2024.2404409
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850103951827927040
author Vuyo Qasha
Alen Manyevere
Trevan Flynn
Chuene Victor Mashamaite
author_facet Vuyo Qasha
Alen Manyevere
Trevan Flynn
Chuene Victor Mashamaite
author_sort Vuyo Qasha
collection DOAJ
description Land use changes, especially deforestation and agricultural expansion, have had significant impacts on the global climate crisis through greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This has led to adverse effects on climate systems, biodiversity, forestry product supply, and soil quality. Global efforts such as the sustainable development goals, specifically Sustainable Development Goal(SDG) 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land), aim to mitigate land degradation and biodiversity loss. However, the challenge of land degradation presents a significant barrier to achieving these goals. This systematic review investigates the effectiveness of ecological forest restoration initiatives in bolstering soil Carbon (C) stocks within Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) forested areas. The review elucidates the impact of restoration efforts on soil C dynamics by synthesizing findings from 22 relevant studies conducted across various regions of SSA forested areas. The studies encompass diverse restoration strategies, including agroforestry systems, forest and landscape restoration, and selective logging assessments. Key findings highlight the positive influence of ecological restoration on soil C stocks, particularly in enhancing ecosystem resilience and promoting sustainable land use practices. Moreover, the review identifies critical research gaps and methodological considerations for future studies. Limitations in the literature, such as language bias and geographic coverage, underscore the need for more comprehensive and multilingual approaches to research. This review contributes significant insights into the effectiveness of ecological forest restoration in mitigating deforestation threats, promoting sustainable land management, and safeguarding vital ecosystem services in SSA forested areas.
format Article
id doaj-art-4658f3a9a3ad48d3bd51a63a80c3c08a
institution DOAJ
issn 1758-3004
1758-3012
language English
publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Taylor & Francis Group
record_format Article
series Carbon Management
spelling doaj-art-4658f3a9a3ad48d3bd51a63a80c3c08a2025-08-20T02:39:25ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCarbon Management1758-30041758-30122024-12-0115110.1080/17583004.2024.2404409Assessing the impact of ecological forest restoration on soil carbon stocks in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic reviewVuyo Qasha0Alen Manyevere1Trevan Flynn2Chuene Victor Mashamaite3Department of Agronomy, University of Fort Hare, Alice, South AfricaDepartment of Agronomy, University of Fort Hare, Alice, South AfricaDepartment of Agronomy, University of Fort Hare, Alice, South AfricaDepartment of Agronomy, University of Fort Hare, Alice, South AfricaLand use changes, especially deforestation and agricultural expansion, have had significant impacts on the global climate crisis through greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This has led to adverse effects on climate systems, biodiversity, forestry product supply, and soil quality. Global efforts such as the sustainable development goals, specifically Sustainable Development Goal(SDG) 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land), aim to mitigate land degradation and biodiversity loss. However, the challenge of land degradation presents a significant barrier to achieving these goals. This systematic review investigates the effectiveness of ecological forest restoration initiatives in bolstering soil Carbon (C) stocks within Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) forested areas. The review elucidates the impact of restoration efforts on soil C dynamics by synthesizing findings from 22 relevant studies conducted across various regions of SSA forested areas. The studies encompass diverse restoration strategies, including agroforestry systems, forest and landscape restoration, and selective logging assessments. Key findings highlight the positive influence of ecological restoration on soil C stocks, particularly in enhancing ecosystem resilience and promoting sustainable land use practices. Moreover, the review identifies critical research gaps and methodological considerations for future studies. Limitations in the literature, such as language bias and geographic coverage, underscore the need for more comprehensive and multilingual approaches to research. This review contributes significant insights into the effectiveness of ecological forest restoration in mitigating deforestation threats, promoting sustainable land management, and safeguarding vital ecosystem services in SSA forested areas.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17583004.2024.2404409Active forest restorationafforestationnative plant recoverycarbon sequestrationforest degradationforest management
spellingShingle Vuyo Qasha
Alen Manyevere
Trevan Flynn
Chuene Victor Mashamaite
Assessing the impact of ecological forest restoration on soil carbon stocks in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review
Carbon Management
Active forest restoration
afforestation
native plant recovery
carbon sequestration
forest degradation
forest management
title Assessing the impact of ecological forest restoration on soil carbon stocks in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review
title_full Assessing the impact of ecological forest restoration on soil carbon stocks in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review
title_fullStr Assessing the impact of ecological forest restoration on soil carbon stocks in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review
title_full_unstemmed Assessing the impact of ecological forest restoration on soil carbon stocks in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review
title_short Assessing the impact of ecological forest restoration on soil carbon stocks in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review
title_sort assessing the impact of ecological forest restoration on soil carbon stocks in sub saharan africa a systematic review
topic Active forest restoration
afforestation
native plant recovery
carbon sequestration
forest degradation
forest management
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17583004.2024.2404409
work_keys_str_mv AT vuyoqasha assessingtheimpactofecologicalforestrestorationonsoilcarbonstocksinsubsaharanafricaasystematicreview
AT alenmanyevere assessingtheimpactofecologicalforestrestorationonsoilcarbonstocksinsubsaharanafricaasystematicreview
AT trevanflynn assessingtheimpactofecologicalforestrestorationonsoilcarbonstocksinsubsaharanafricaasystematicreview
AT chuenevictormashamaite assessingtheimpactofecologicalforestrestorationonsoilcarbonstocksinsubsaharanafricaasystematicreview