GoKawiilEcologist Daisy Dent's studies show natural tropical forest regrowth can rival planting efforts
Research by ecologist Daisy Dent, drawing on long-term forest plots at Barro Colorado and sites in Panama and Brazil, found that naturally regenerating secondary forests can capture up to 11 times more carbon annually than old-growth forest. A 2022 Royal Society study she co-authored found that areas surrounded by rich wildlife can regain old-growth levels of species abundance within decades without any planting, and a 2024 follow-up showed plots with as little as 35% remaining tree cover can regenerate into forest.