Native Plant Conservation Campaign News: Native Plants Deliver Superior and Less Expensive Buffering Against Climate Change.
A new report published in Nature Climate Change reviews the growing body of evidence that conservation of intact native plant communities offer the most effective and cost-effective defense against climate change.
The study examines examples of “human-engineered” responses to climate change, such as the building of sea walls, genetic engineering of drought-resistant plants, and expansion of agriculture into protected areas. It contrasts these with conservation-based responses, such as the protection and restoration of native forests, salt marshes and coral reefs.
The authors found that conservation of intact, diverse, native plant communities and ecosystems consistently buffers against climate change impacts. Intact native forests, for example, have been shown to effectively protect against floods and salt marsh vegetation protects coasts against storm surges, flooding, and erosion.
Conservation-based approaches were also shown to be more cost effective than human-engineered methods.
In one example in Vietnam, “…the cost of planting 12,000 ha of mangroves was $1.1 million, but saved approximately $7.3 million per year in dyke maintenance”.
The authors also noted that the 2015 global carbon subsidies for oil, natural gas, and other energy sources were estimated at $US5.3 trillion by the International Monetary Fund. They pointed out that, “Eliminating fossil fuel subsidies would slash global carbon emissions by 20% and raise government revenue by US$2.9 trillion,” funds that could be used to respond to climate change.
