Reforestation is one of the most important things that we can do as humans on this Earth.
There are four basic approaches depending on the project executors’ goals, budget, and available time.
Fruit Forest:
In order to be as self-sustainable as possible, the land can be reforested with primarily native and exotic fruit trees, which are typically from seeds or nursery-raised plants. The inclusion of support species such as nitrogen-fixing trees and shrubs can help to mimic the diversity and symbiotic relationships of a natural forest. This method can require a higher investment of time and/or money but has the highest rewards for self-sufficiency. More info…
Native Forest:
To reforest the land to as close to its natural state and as quickly as possible, an assortment of native trees can be planted. This can also cost time and money, and it doesn’t necessarily come with the reward of personal self-sufficiency, but it does restore the land to a more natural state faster.
Johnny Appleseed:
By throwing seeds of fruit trees or native trees around the land, we can establish a biodiverse forest with very little effort. This doesn’t take much time or money and can be moderately effective as a supplement to letting the forest regenerate on its own.
Laissez-Faire:
If we literally don’t do anything at all with the land, it will recreate a forest environment by itself. The native forest trees will establish themselves and create a canopy to shade out the undesirable vegetation. This method can take longer but is the most natural, easiest, and least expensive approach to reforesting the land.