Forest Conservation Myths: Why Planting Trees Isn't Enough

Did you know that planting trees can actually harm forests?

Here's a number that might surprise you: planted forests account for only about 8 percent of total forest area (FAO Forest Resources Assessment 2025). Meanwhile, naturally regenerating forests—the ones that grow back on their own—make up 92% of all forests, but they've declined by 324 million hectares since 1990 (FAO Newsroom). So when we fixate on planting trees, we're ignoring the bigger crisis: the loss of wild, self-sustaining forests. I'm not saying planting trees is bad, but it's not the silver bullet we've been sold.

Isn't deforestation slowing down? Why are you so worried?

Yes, the headline numbers look good: net forest loss fell from 10.7 million hectares per year in the 1990s to 4.12 million hectares per year in 2015–2025 (FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025). But that's like saying a patient is doing better because they're bleeding out slower. Gross deforestation is still 10.9 million hectares per year—that's roughly the size of South Korea, every year, gone for good. And the rate of forest expansion is actually decreasing, from 9.88 million hectares per year in 2000–2015 to 6.78 million hectares per year in 2015–2025 (FAO Newsroom). So we're not just losing less—we're also growing less. That's not a recovery; it's a slowdown in the loss.

Doesn't planting trees count as 'conservation'?

Here's the myth-buster: tree planting is restoration, not conservation. Conservation means protecting what's already there—especially primary forests, which cover at least 1.18 billion hectares, about one-third of all forest area (FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025). Primary forests are irreplaceable: they store more carbon, support more biodiversity, and are more resilient than any plantation. And yet, we're losing them at an alarming rate: in 2023 alone, tropical primary forest loss was 3.7 million hectares—that's almost 10 football fields per minute (WRI Global Forest Review). Planting a monoculture of eucalyptus in a degraded area doesn't compensate for that loss. It's not the same forest.

Are protected areas actually protecting forests?

You'd think so, right? But here's the kicker: satellite data from the Amazon shows that territories managed by Indigenous peoples have far less deforestation than even official parks and protected areas (NASA Earth Observatory). That's a direct quote from the science. So while about 20% of forests (813 million hectares) are legally protected (FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025), that protection is uneven. In many places, parks are 'paper parks'—they exist on maps but lack enforcement. Meanwhile, Indigenous communities, who rely on forests for their livelihoods, have a proven track record of keeping them intact. If we're serious about conservation, we should be supporting Indigenous land rights, not just drawing lines on a map.

What about all those pledges to end deforestation by 2030?

Leaders of 145 countries have pledged to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030 (WRI Global Forest Review). That's a lot of promises. But look at the data: Bolivia's primary forest loss rose 27% in 2023 to a record high, and Laos lost 1.9% of its remaining primary forest in a single year—a rate five times faster than Brazil's relative to its forest area (WRI). Meanwhile, Brazil and Colombia are making real progress—Brazil cut primary forest loss by 36% in 2023, and Colombia by 49% (WRI). So it's possible, but it's not happening everywhere. Pledges don't save forests; policies and enforcement do.

Is there any good news? What's actually working?

Yes, there is. The Bonn Challenge, which aims to restore 350 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, has already seen over 210 million hectares pledged by more than 60 countries and partners (IUCN Bonn Challenge press release). And it's not just about planting trees—it's about restoring landscapes, often with local communities leading the way. Another bright spot: global mangrove loss has slowed, and restoring mangroves could safeguard carbon equivalent to 1.27 gigatonnes of CO2 (Global Mangrove Watch). Mangroves are superheroes for both climate and coastal protection. But here's the thing: restoration is not a substitute for conservation. We need both. And we need to prioritize saving the forests we have, because once they're gone, no amount of planting will bring them back.

So, what should we actually do?

Stop obsessing over planting trees and start focusing on keeping forests standing. That means supporting Indigenous land rights, enforcing existing protected areas, and tackling the root causes of deforestation—like agriculture and illegal logging. It also means recognizing that more than half of forests (55%) are under long-term management plans (FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025), which is good, but we need to make sure those plans are actually sustainable. And when we do restore, let's do it right: prioritize native species and natural regeneration over exotic monocultures. The Bonn Challenge has shown that restoration can work at scale, but it's not a free pass to keep destroying primary forests.

Takeaway

The numbers are clear: we're still losing forests, and the ones we're losing are the most valuable. Planting trees is a nice gesture, but it's not conservation. If we're serious about saving forests, we need to protect what's already there, support the people who live in them, and stop treating restoration as a substitute for prevention. That's the only way we'll see real progress by 2030.

Sources

• FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025 - https://www.un-redd.org/post/global-deforestation-slows-forests-remain-under-pressure-fao-report-shows
• FAO Forest Resources Assessment 2025 - https://www.fao.org/forest-resources-assessment/en/
• FAO Newsroom: Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025 - https://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/global-deforestation-slows--but-forests-remain-under-pressure--fao-report-shows/en
• WRI Global Forest Review: 2023 tree cover loss - https://gfr.wri.org/global-tree-cover-loss-data-2023
• NASA Earth Observatory: Tropical Deforestation - https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/Deforestation
• IUCN Bonn Challenge press release - https://iucn.org/press-release/202511/germany-and-iucn-celebrate-15-years-bonn-challenge-worlds-largest-restoration