Understand the difference between forest restoration, reforestation, tree planting and their environmental impacts

Forest restoration is an essential strategy for bringing forests back to places and conditions in which they should never have been destroyed.

Many of the environmental challenges we face today stem essentially from the degradation of native ecosystems, especially forests, in the case of Brazil.

Therefore, a natural way to try to contain this impact is precisely to restore forests. They perform essential functions in the provision of ecosystem services, protecting the soil and acting in the recovery of biodiversity, for example. In addition, they contribute to carbon sequestration, helping to combat climate change.

Keep reading this text to understand how it is possible to reestablish a forest system and the multiple benefits it can bring us.

What is forest restoration? And, what differentiates it from tree planting or reforestation?

Forest restoration is a branch of knowledge that is dedicated to recovering forests in areas where they have already been destroyed, that is, degraded areas. However, when this activity is carried out, the idea is to establish a forest similar to the one that existed in the place before the degradation process.  Forest restoration seeks ways to bring these forests back, restoring their structure and functioning.

When we talk about reforestation or tree planting, we do not always refer to forest restoration. Reforestation means planting trees in an area, which can be done with native or exotic species, often with a productive focus. These species can be of the genus Eucalyptus, for example, being used for the production of wood, paper, cellulose and other products.

The term forest restoration, on the other hand, has a broader meaning, as it seeks to recover the ecosystem as a whole. This includes preserving or restoring biodiversity, soil, water, and other ecological functions, often prioritizing native species and natural processes. That is:

• Reforestation = planting trees
• Forest restoration = rebuilding the forest (structure + biodiversity + ecological functions)

Therefore, not all reforestation results in restoration, but all restoration can include the planting of trees as one of the strategies for its execution. Both approaches, when properly carried out, can contribute to carbon sequestration and ecosystem sustainability.

To better understand this subject, watch Prof. Pedro Brancalion’s TEDx Talks talk below. He explains, clearly, that restoring forests goes far beyond planting trees.

Why is forest restoration important? And how does it help to combat climate change?

Forest restoration has several benefits. In addition to forests covering the soil and helping to recover biodiversity, they contribute to carbon sequestration. This process helps to mitigate the impacts caused by climate change.

One of humanity’s most recent concerns concerns these changes and the consequences they have been bringing to the planet. These include droughts and intense flooding, melting glaciers, rising sea levels and loss of biodiversity. In addition, difficulty in agricultural production due to droughts and high temperatures and, consequently, increases in food prices.

Deforestation, together with the burning of fossil fuels, is precisely one of the main reasons for the increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases (GHG). The main GHGs are carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O), which trap heat and cause global warming.

This warming, in turn, unbalances the entire climate system, causing changes that drastically affect the forms of life on the planet.

For this reason, it is difficult to imagine what our lives would be like without forests.

Studies indicate that restored forests can recover about 50% of the total carbon stocks of mature forests after approximately 60 years of regeneration. Another recent research showed that secondary forests in the Atlantic Forest can accumulate up to 2.7 tons of carbon per hectare per year, depending on the region analyzed.

In this scenario, forest restoration emerges as a fundamental strategy to address current climate challenges. In addition to promoting the conservation of biodiversity and the recovery of ecosystems, forests play an essential role in capturing atmospheric carbon. 

How forest restoration is done in practice

In order to start a forest restoration process, it is first necessary to make a diagnosis of the area to be restored. With this, it is possible to understand which human impacts restricted the recovery of native vegetation in that location.

In this diagnosis, the level of degradation of the soil and the surroundings is evaluated. The recovery of a forest depends a lot on the support of neighboring forests, as they are the ones that provide seeds, shelter fauna and maintain other elements of biodiversity. Gradually, these components return to occupy the area that is intended to be recovered, helping in the forest restoration process.

It is also important to understand the resilience of the ecosystem, that is, its ability to recover and reoccupy that area in a natural way. With this, it is possible to choose between different restoration methods, applying the most appropriate strategies for each environmental situation.

“We are increasingly called upon to recover native forests in different environmental or social conditions, or by market or financial demands. So it is important to do this activity efficiently, that is, at low cost, with high yield and with high levels of benefit generation, not only for nature, but above all for people.”

Prof. Pedro H. S. Brancalion Director of Innovation and Researcher at CCARBON/USP

Legislation also helps restore forests

The need for forest restoration occurs, in many cases, so that rural landowners comply with the legislation. The 2012 Native Vegetation Protection Law (Law No. 12,651), which replaced the old Forest Code, determines that all rural properties must maintain areas covered by native vegetation. Among them are the areas around springs, river banks and sloping regions. These areas are fundamental for the conservation of soil, water and biodiversity. If they have already been occupied by agricultural activities in the past, the producer needs to recover the native vegetation in these places, as determined by law.

Another very common situation involves environmental compensation processes. In these cases, the suppression of vegetation can be authorized by the government to carry out works such as duplication of highways, construction of hydroelectric plants or other infrastructure projects.

As a way of compensating for the environmental impacts caused, the entrepreneur now has the obligation to recover areas of native vegetation in another location. To this end, it finances forest restoration projects, which are often carried out on rural properties.

This process ends up bringing benefits to both: entrepreneur and rural producer. The first complies with the environmental requirement provided for in the legislation, while the second gets financial support to recover areas that already needed to be restored.

Restoration boosting economic activities

Forest restoration has been increasingly seen not only as an environmental action, but also as an economic and competitive activity. It can generate financial benefits for the producer and opportunities in the field. In this context, projects aimed at carbon sequestration, the production of native wood, the cultivation of fruits and other forest products emerge. Thus, restoration is associated with sustainable land use, combining environmental conservation and economic viability.

These production systems seek to integrate different plant species in the same area, creating more diverse and resilient models. Instead of betting only on monocultures, such as eucalyptus, the proposal is to produce several species that offer multiple benefits over time. In addition to contributing to the recovery of biodiversity, these models can expand sources of income and make restoration more attractive to rural producers.

Land use and occupation planning in the context of forest restoration

When land use and land occupation are not properly planned, it is common for areas unsuitable for agriculture to be deforested. Frontiers are expanded and are converted into crops or pastures even though they are not useful for these activities. These interventions generate degradation, harming the functioning of rivers, streams and generating erosive processes.

When managing agricultural land or natural resources, it is essential to understand the role of soil in providing a wide range of ecosystem services.

Therefore, it is necessary to handle it as a living and dynamic element in the environment. In this context, restoration lends itself precisely as an activity to correct some historical problems in the process of disorderly use and occupation of the land.

“Restaurants do not have the ambition to occupy a productive area of agriculture. Our greatest ambition is to occupy degraded pastures, underutilized areas, which today are mostly in marginal areas for agricultural production.”

Prof. Pedro H. S. BrancalionDirector of Innovation and Researcher at CCARBON/USP

The efficient use of productive areas requires the application of the best available science and technology. Marginal areas, which are not suitable for agricultural production, must be recovered so that they can also be productive in terms of environmental services. These services include improving water quality, mitigating climate change, protecting soil and biodiversity.

Forest Restoration X Agricultural Production X Biodiversity

Forest restoration areas in the context of agricultural production have some aspects that directly impact biodiversity. One of them is related to pest and disease control. Both recovered areas and those that are natural, that is, those that persist on properties, are home to various organisms that control pests and diseases in agriculture. Therefore, the closer to a forest, the greater the chance that a crop area will have a lower incidence of pests and diseases. This is precisely because we have insects and microorganisms in these forests that will feed on other insects or microorganisms that cause damage to crops.

In addition, several agricultural crops are dependent on or favored by pollination. And it is not in crops that pollinators live, but within native forests. According to the FAO, about 75% of the types of food crops on the planet depend on pollinators. Therefore, by restoring forests, we are also recovering pollination services that are fundamental to the diversity of our food system.

In the market context, we can say that society is increasingly aware of the importance of biodiversity. In this way, companies and rural producers that contribute to this activity are more valued by consumers and shareholders. In other words, agricultural products produced in a sustainable way have greater added value for their commercialization. As a result, biodiversity will increasingly be an integral part of production systems.

CCARBON and its importance in forest restoration

The Center for Carbon Research in Tropical Agriculture at the University of São Paulo (CCARBON/USP) proposes to study the dynamics of carbon in agroecosystems. But when we talk about tropical agriculture, we consider not only agricultural production, but the entire context within which this ecosystem is inserted. Therefore, the studies range from agriculture, livestock to the restoration of different natural landscapes that make up the Brazilian biomes. Research areas include integrated production systems, forestry, ecosystem restoration and conservation, regenerative agriculture, sustainable cattle management, green finance, and digital technologies.

CCARBON is a transdisciplinary research meeting place that focuses on nature-based solutions to climate change-related problems. In this context, forest restoration is recommended because it is one of the main areas capable of sequestering carbon, therefore, it has an important role in mitigating climate change.

In addition, important global agreements, such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), encourage large-scale forest restoration. SDG 15 aims to ensure sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, such as forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands.

References

BRANCALION, Pedro H. S.; GUILLEMOT, Joannès; CÉSAR, Ricardo G.; ANDRADE, Henrique S.; MENDES, Alex; SORRINI, Taísi B.; PICCOLO, Marisa D. C.; PELUCI, Marina C.; MORENO, Vanessa D. S.; COLLETTA, Gabriel; CHAZDON, Robin L. The cost of restoring carbon stocks in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. Land Degradation & Development, v. 32, n. 2, p. 830-841, 2021. DOI: 10.1002/ldr.3764. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.3764.

BRAZIL. Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio). Environmental compensation. Brasília, DF, 2024. Available at: https://www.gov.br/icmbio/pt-br/assuntos/compensacao-ambiental. Accessed on: June 16, 2026

BRAZIL. Law No. 12,651, of May 25, 2012. Provides for the protection of native vegetation. Federal Official Gazette: section 1, Brasília, DF, May 28, 2012.

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS (FAO). About pollination. Rome: FAO, [s.d.]. Disponível em: https://www.fao.org/pollination/about/en. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2026.

HOLL, Karen D.; BRANCALION, Pedro H. S. Tree planting is not a simple solution. Science, v. 368, n. 6491, p. 580-581, 2020. DOI: 10.1126/science.aba8232. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aba8232.

ROSAN, T. M.; VEDOVATO, L. B.; HEINRICH, V. H. A. et al. Forest connectivity boosts carbon recovery in regenerating Atlantic Forests. Communications Earth & Environment, [S.l.], 2026. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03480-5. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2026.