Not everywhere is suitable for tree planting. It is particularly problematic in native non-forested ecosystems. These natural ecosystems are not deforested and degraded but are instead naturally occurring non-forested ecosystems. These areas vary from open grasslands to densely wooded savannas and shrublands. Here, restoring the natural ecosystems instead of afforesting them will better contribute to increasing carbon storage and increasing the area's resilience to climate change and other environmental changes. It is important to remember that, just because a tree can grow somewhere, it does not mean that it should. These systems are very important in their own right, storing carbon in soils, supporting rich biodiversity and providing people with important ecosystem services such as grasslands for animal grazing. Planting trees in these areas destroys the ecosystem and threatens the biodiversity which is adapted to these environments. They can also impact on ecosystem services such as forage for livestock, on which many people rely.
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report