The BiodiversiTREE Tree Planting Project

The BiodiversiTREE tree planting project is a great example of analyzing the impact trees can have on an area and on the planet.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

The BiodiversiTREE tree planting project is a great example of analyzing the impact trees can have on an area and on the planet. Image: Unsplash

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The BiodiversiTREE tree planting project

In the summer of 2013, a senior scientist from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Centre set out to plant 20,000 tree saplings on 60 acres of the centre’s campus to grow a new forest. This project was called BiodiversiTREE. This long-term, large-scale experiment was done to restore the naturally diverse coastal forests along the modified shorelines of the Chesapeake Bay.  

A decade after those first tree saplings were planted, the area around the Smithsonian Environmental Research Centre campus is full of sycamores, elms, tulip poplars and 13 other tree species.  

How does it work?  

When planting the tree saplings in 2012, the scientists set up 70 “mini forests”, which are large plots with one, four or 12 tree species. The logic behind this was for the scientists to find out whether a diverse forest would offer more ecological benefits than a single-species forest. They planted an additional five plots, left alone, to regrow naturally to show what would happen to the trees if they were left alone without human intervention. The scientists were interested in analyzing tree species richness, the functional diversity of the trees, and the source provenance of trees (for example, the northern versus southern populations).  

Over 100 volunteers came out and helped with the planting of the tree saplings. These volunteers continue to take care of the forests by mowing, weeding, and keeping out any additional tree species that could throw off their experiment and modify the results.  

The results

What the group found with the BiodiversitiTREE tree planting project was that single-species plots like sycamores saw phenomenal growth, while other single-species plots had very little to no growth. The Emerald ash borer reduced the ash trees to dead-looking sticks. Comparing these monoculture plots with diverse plots, they found the latter to be more successful. At least half of the tree species survived, and some saw survival rates as high as 93%. The benefits of the diverse plots (as you can probably imagine) brought about cooler summer temperatures, greater animal diversity and more carbon and water in the soil.   

The importance of this project is that it will help to create healthier shorelines along the Chesapeake Bay, which is shrinking and degrading due to excess nutrient pollution. Trees’ large canopies and deep roots can help prevent soil erosion by reducing the impact of rain on the ground. The canopies provide a surface area where rainwater lands and evaporates while roots take up water and help create soil conditions that promote infiltration.  

The BiodiversiTREE tree planting project doesn’t show any signs of stopping, as they have received two grants from the National Science Foundation. The first grant will examine if soil fungi can influence tree growth and carbon storage by comparing soil microbes in the BiodiversiTREE to soil microbes in forests across the continental US. The second grant will go towards exploring whether soil and leaf microbes in BiodiversiTREE affect enemies attacking the trees.  

The team has also installed a sister experiment at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Virginia, which is helping to research and address large-scale questions about the importance of tree diversity for key ecosystem functions.  

The growth of forests helps us develop natural solutions to the environmental conditions we face. The BiodiversiTREE tree planting project is a great example of analyzing the impact trees can have on an area and on the planet. As the project progresses, it may significantly impact the Chesapeake Bay’s shorelines and the ecosystems surrounding it. We need more researchers, scientists and volunteers like those from BiodiversiTREE to help us address these issues around the world.  

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