What criteria does Planet use to select the tree species to be planted?

When selecting trees to plant, it is critical that they are native tree species that can cope with prevailing natural conditions such as soil conditions, drought and flooding. So we only plant trees that have always been native to the region. You can find out which specific tree species are planted in our planting reports at https://www.plant-for-the-planet.org/annual-reports/.

We are constantly trying to increase the number of tree species planted, because the highest possible ecological diversity goes hand in hand with the stability of an ecosystem. Since the 2021 season, we have therefore been planting up to 30 different tree species. In doing so, we are guided by intact forests in the surrounding area and analyze very precisely which tree species occur there.

Our team of nine ecologists develops a restoration plan for each coming planting season that is tailored to the specific conditions of the area to be restored, i.e. selection of tree species, planting distances, number of seedlings, tree communities, i.e. which species harmonize particularly well with each other.

The 2021 restoration plan was reviewed and approved by the independent Supervision Restoration Expert Board, composed of four external experts from Germany, Mexico and the USA, at the end of June 2021.

Basically, our overall strategy is aimed at restoring a near-natural forest. From the initial focus on the individual tree, we now concentrate on the entire ecosystem.

See also the following links:

Our planting strategy: https://blog.plant-for-the-planet.org/de/2021/pflanzstrategie-und-renaturierungsplan-2021/ 

Our ecologists: https://blog.plant-for-the-planet.org/de/2021/neuigkeiten-vom-feldteam-in-yucatan/ 

Our transparency report:

https://www.plant-for-the-planet.org/annual-reports/