Researcher Simulates Forest Growth for Over 1000 Years for Forest Planning

In 2018, we brought you the story of Jadav Payeng, better known as the Forest Man of India. He earned this name by spending 30 years of his life planting trees, creating a real man-made forest of 550 hectares, and returning wildlife to the new area.

Now, we bring you the work of another man dedicated to reforestation: Dr. Karolyn Zsolnai Feher of Two Minute Papers. Dr. Feher however does not plant any trees. Instead, he creates a simulation that shows vegetation growth over thousands of years. 

What might this be used for? Well, forest planning of course.

Dr. Feher illustrates how forest growth is a question of temperature and precipitation showcasing how these two elements contribute to creating everything from tundras to boreal forests. For instance, if there is no rain and it's super cold, we get a tundra. If on the other hand, we have no rain and high temperature, we get a desert.

So what do his simulations show over a period of 1000 years? What is each stage of reforestation called? What trees blossom when and how does the final forest look like? This video answers all these questions and more.