Reforestation is the process and consequence of reforesting. This verb refers to re-sowing or cultivating on an area that had lost its forest (plants, trees, etc.). It is generally accepted that reforestation takes place on land that, at some point in the last five decades, has been covered by plants but which, for some reason, has lost its vegetation.
There are several causes that can lead to deforestation: the overexploitation of forest resources, a fire, a drought, the advance of urbanized areas and the increase in the number of livestock are some of them.
When deforestation occurs and later it is intended to regain vegetation on said lands, reforestation is carried out. By repopulating a surface with plants, reforestation brings many benefits: it helps absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, protects the soil from the consequences of erosion, provides a barrier against the wind and allows the production of wood. Beyond the importance of reforestation, it is necessary for the authorities to take charge of preventing the advance of deforestation. Once the loss of forest resources occurs, their recovery can take a long time and require extensive effort.
Reforestation is necessary to save the thermal stability of our planet, but this task should not be left only to the government or the owners of large areas of land; On the contrary, we can all participate with our grain of sand, which can consist of planting a fruit or ornamental tree in the space we have available, which can be as big as a garden or as small as a flowerpot.
Reforesting is important, understanding that reforestation is not a one-dimensional process, which is why it does not simply consist of recovering the trees that have been lost in deforestation, but there are different techniques that must be combined to carry it out successfully. It is very easy to deforest, but very slow and complicated to reforest, with much more probability of error. Some of the factors that must be taken into account when developing a reforestation plan include the following:
The climate: decisive in terms of the kind of trees that can be planted, since not all of them resist extreme cold or heat, for example.
Rains: humidity is another of the fundamental points, since each species of tree has its own needs in this regard.
The terrain: although certain types of trees have great adaptability, others only manage to develop if they are found in terrain with very specific characteristics.
Height: each species of tree has a limit with respect to the height above sea level to survive, so its reforestation ignoring this factor would end in an inevitable failure.
Sun Exposure: Competition between various tree species for sunlight can prevent the development of some of them, even when all the above considerations have been respected. Similarly, too much sun exposure can be fatal for some types of trees.
Population density: the distance between one tree and another must be adequate so that everyone can access sunlight and the nutrients necessary for its growth.
Soil depth: for successful reforestation, attention must also be paid to the root system of each tree species, since not all can grow in soils of equal depth.
