Stakeholders’ Perspectives of Species Diversity in Tree Plantations: a Global Review

Purpose of Review: Increasing the diversity of commercial tree plantations is a promising approach to adapt forests to climate change, but it may complicate management. Here, we evaluate stakeholders’ perspectives about tree-species diversity in plantations and explore policy alternatives to make mixed plantations a viable strategy for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Recent Findings: Current evidence shows that improving the diversity of tree species in plantations can be a viable, scalable, and economically accessible strategy for sustainable wood production and reconciling economic and environmental benefits. Tree diversity is particularly important in the context of global environmental changes and associated increases in abiotic and biotic stresses, such as severe droughts and pest outbreaks. Even though there is substantial scientific evidence supporting mixed-tree plantations, most forest plantations globally are still conventional monocultures. Summary: Our findings (i) describe the geographical distribution of publications investigating human perspectives about forest plantation diversity; (ii) build understanding of how political engagement and governance systems can support forest initiatives on forest conservation, management, and restoration; and (iii) demonstrate how these perspectives can create possibilities and opportunities for sustainable development in forestry. We conclude that new strategies will only be widely applied if there is political and institutional interest, particularly in strengthening land-governance systems.