(Note: This meeting and presentation took place online via Zoom due to social distancing protocols prompted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.)
At 7:00 p.m., President Debbie Mullins called the meeting of the Society to order.
President Mullins noted that many new species had been sighted in Central Park over the past month, including unusualspecies such as a Summer Tanager and a Brewster’s Warbler. Members and non-members are welcome to participate in the weekly Linnaean Society spring migration walks on Tuesdays in Central Park by registering online.
The Birdathon for the Great Gull Island Project will be held on May 13th and 14th. Five teams have registered tosupport this fundraiser, and there is still time to sign up or sponsor a team with a tax-deductible donation. President Mullins thanked Michelle Zorzi and Debbie Becker for organizing the 2023 Birdathon.
The city council has reintroduced a critical bill requiring all New York City buildings to turn off non-essential lights during migration from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. If passed, this bill would prevent tens of thousands of birds from being killed by crashing into buildings. It would also reduce energy usage and help the city reduce its carbon footprint. If you want to contact your city council representative, now is the time. There will also be a rally tomorrow from 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Broadway entrance to City Hall to focus attention on this crucial legislation.
Motion 1: President Mullins then announced the result of the online vote to approve the April 2023 members’ meeting minutes. The vote passed with 114 votes in favor and two abstaining.
Motion 2: The Society welcomed the following twelve new members, with 116 members voting in favor and none opposed.
- Bruno Babij, Active, sponsored by Mary Beth Kooper
- Emily Southwick, Active, sponsored by Mary Beth Kooper
- Jeanne Ann Karfo, Active, sponsored by Debbie Becker
- Jenn Burland, Active, sponsored by Kathleen Matthews
- Christopher Hamlin, Active, sponsored by Linda Labella
- Yoming Lin, Supporting, sponsored by Richard Davis
- Anne Fearon, Active, sponsored by Kathleen Matthews
- Jill Appel, Active, sponsored by Ken Chaya
- Linda Macaulay, Active, sponsored by Debbie Mullins
- Judith Nelson, Supporting, sponsored by Barrie Raik
- Louise Kerner, Active, sponsored by Lynne Hertzog
- Catherine Ichord, Active, sponsored by Debbie Mullins
President Mullins emphasized the Linnaean Society’s unwavering dedication to fostering diversity within ourmembership. We extend a warm welcome to anyone with an interest in birds and natural history, inviting them to join our ranks. Prospective members are encouraged to use either Debbie Mullins’ name or that of any other board member as a sponsor for their membership application. For further details, please refer to our website.
At 7:10 p.m., President Mullins introduced the speaker, Dr. Pedro Piffer.
Dr. Pedro Piffer
Dr. Pedro Piffer is an environmental specialist with years of experience in the private sector in Brazil. His environmental impact assessment and mitigation work spans many infrastructure projects, including some with high environmental and social risks, such as dams, roads, and mining. He recently received his Ph.D. from ColumbiaUniversity, researching changes in forest cover in tropical regions with a focus on reforestation and carbon sequestration in Brazil. He works as a remote sensing scientist at Earthshot Labs, and is seeking to secure financing for restoration and conservation projects from the voluntary carbon market.
Do Regenerated Forests Survive? Towards a Better Understanding of the Drivers of Forest Regeneration and Persistence in Tropical Regions
Dr. Piffer’s pioneering research delves into the dynamics of tropical forest cover changes, focusing on identifying thecatalysts behind forest regeneration and the critical conditions that support their sustainability. These inquiries holdprofound implications for the provisioning of vital ecosystem services.
Reforestation holds paramount importance due to its role in enhancing carbon sequestration within mature forests.When these reforested areas feature native plant species, they foster a thriving ecosystem that benefits a broad spectrum of flora and fauna. Moreover, working to preserve young forests becomes increasingly imperative as they face heightened threats.
The majority of international treaties and agreements, including prominent ones like the Paris Climate Agreement, the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, and the Bonn Challenge, not only commit to reforestation efforts butalso emphasize the crucial need to curb deforestation. In light of significant challenges faced by countries such as Brazil, the sustainability of regenerating forests over time emerges as a pivotal factor determining their success.
Brazilian Atlantic Forest
Dr. Piffer’s research involves identifying key actions to bolster the Atlantic Forest, an ecosystem marked by significant fragmentation and high population density, with two-thirds of Brazil’s population residing in this region. Despite 35 years of intense forest loss, the Atlantic Forest remains a remarkable biodiversity hotspot worthy of protection and study.
His comprehensive analysis spans three decades (1985-2019) and encompasses deforestation and reforestation, observing native and planted forests. The study revealed an overall 38 percent reforestation rate. However, aconsiderable portion comprises newly planted monoculture forests, susceptible to high failure rates and limited carbon sequestration capabilities.
Forest Transitions Framework
The first fundamental concept in his research is the notion of “forest transitions,” a framework that describes how a region undergoes a shift from a net loss to a net gain in forest cover. This transition often correlates with the migration of rural populations to urban centers, leaving behind farmlands to reforest. It can also result from advancements inagricultural mechanization, where lands less suitable for machinery are left to reforest.
The recovery process can unfold through unassisted natural regeneration, where forests naturally reestablish themselves. In contrast, some countries, notably China, India, and Vietnam, have made deliberate efforts to plant vast acres of trees. Although they have achieved commendable restoration goals, it’s important to note that many of these restored forests consist of monoculture, lacking the ecological richness and resilience of diverse natural forest ecosystems.
The Success of Secondary Forests
The other pivotal area of research examines the enduring presence of secondary forests within the Brazilian AtlanticForest. Notably, many of these recently planted forests are harvested for lumber after just eight years, only to be replanted anew, a practice termed “ephemeral reforestation.”
A significant finding was that a failure to differentiate between native and planted forests could lead to overestimating carbon sequestration potential by as much as 70 percent.
Conditions For Success
Regenerated forests thrive when they meet specific conditions, including proximity to existing forests and planting onsteep slopes where agriculture does not readily occur. In ideal situations, forests are near rivers, providing additionallegal protection. A higher per-capita GDP, increased agricultural yields, and reduced rural population density also create the best conditions for success. The longevity of these newly established forests plays a vital role in facilitating the long-term recolonization of this ecosystem by various species, particularly birds.
Conclusions
In the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, regenerated forests increased in size by ten percent between 1985 and 2019. However, a substantial portion of this regeneration is short-lived due to ephemeral reforestation, when forests are re-harvested within a few years. This practice masks the extent of deforestation’s detrimental impact and results in a striking 70% reduction in projected carbon sequestration. This issue underscores a global challenge: the failure to differentiatebetween planted and native forests, leading to overestimating the beneficial effect of reforestation, resulting in a substantial misjudgment of carbon sequestration rates.
The key takeaway is that global organizations and accountability mechanisms must prioritize forest regeneration and reforestation’s enduring, long-term sustainability to reach the full potential for carbon sequestration.
Vice President Douglas Futuyma hosted a robust Q and A session, and the evening concluded with the LinnaeanSociety thanking Dr. Piffer for sharing his fascinating and essential research.