Mitigation Ideas: Increasing Biodiversity
Earth’s land and ocean serve as natural carbon sinks, absorbing large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. Conserving and restoring natural spaces, and the biodiversity they contain, is essential for limiting emissions and mitigating climate impacts. Because these ecosystems and the biodiversity they contain are natural carbon sinks, they provide nature-based solutions to climate change.
The unpredictability of climate change imposes severe stress on animal and plant species. As populations or whole species move, migrate, potentially alter their behaviors, or even go extinct, our landscapes and seascapes shift. Ecosystems depend on the presence of native flora and fauna to produce basic needs including clean air, drinkable water, and nutrient-rich soil and seas. As we lose that biodiversity, ecosystems degrade, even breaking down entirely. It is these situations that make clear the inherent interdependence of both species and their ecosystems.
Climate change, however, is not the leading driver of biodiversity loss – it is overexploitation and habitat destruction. Still, just as climate change contributes to biodiversity loss, so too does the loss of biodiversity contribute to the changing climate. This is a relentless cycle.
What can I do to prevent biodiversity loss?
An introduction to personal actions that contribute to conservation.
https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/projects/biodiversity/how-can-you-protect-biodiversity/
Planting Miyawaki forests
Small urban forests – as small as a backyard – accommodate 3-4 plants per square meter of land, and grow 10 times faster, sustain 100 times more biodiversity, and absorb 40 times more carbon than conventional forests.
https://www.crowdforesting.org/miyawaki-model
Restoring rivers, streams and wetlands
Rivers are unsung heroes of biodiversity: Though freshwater covers less than 1 percent of all the water on the planet’s surface, it provides habitats for an astonishing number of species. Rivers are vital for conserving and sustaining wetlands, which house or provide breeding grounds for around 40% of Earth’s species. That is a staggering amount of life in a very small geographic area—and those figures don’t account for all the adjacent forests and other ecosystems, as well as people’s livelihoods that rely on rivers (internationalrivers.org)
Wetlands too occur all over the world and wherever they are, provide ecosystem services for people and habitat for wildlife. Restore marshes and increase biodiversity.
https://www.wetlands.org/restoring-wetlands-for-biodiversity-and-people/
Planting pollinator gardens: investigate best plantings, crowdfund to buy, etc.
Many pollinators are in trouble, chiefly because of habitat loss and pesticide use. Plant diverse native plants as much as possible because they are adapted to local climate, soils, and the natural pollinators with which they co-evolved.
https://www.fws.gov/story/how-build-pollinator-garden
Planting trees
Planting street trees in the city; public campaign; measure emissions saving by cooling the environment. Trees are cool: Air conditioning the landscape
https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/2021/10/19/street-trees-wonder-climate-adaptation
https://grist.org/article/trees-are-ac-for-cities-she-wants-everyone-to-benefit/
“Smart landscapes”: Working with nature to improve your town
Prairie on a housetop? Green roofs help keep it cool
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150327090753.htm
Compost can be beautiful
https://www.climatesolutions.org/article/garbage-gone-green
Planting hedges against urban air pollution
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170516104745.htm
Amending soil, catalyzing negative carbon emissions
Biodiversity and soil health: How protecting one safeguards the other (and helps to mitigate climate change)
Plants on the roof
5,500 schools across the US have installed solar on roofs, or on the campus. The campus installations have native grasses and wildflowers underneath – which supports bees.
Replacing lawns
https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2016-4-july-august/green-life/how-put-your-yard-work-for-climate
Installing rain gardens and streetside plantings; investigate effect on runoff and on biodiversity
By relying on plants, soil, and natural systems to manage rainfall runoff, green infrastructure tackles urban water woes and boosts climate resilience. Here’s how.
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/green-infrastructure-how-manage-water-sustainable-way
Prevent erosion by planting (e.g., paths in local reserves, offroad vehicle damage)
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-plants-help-slow-soil-erosion/
Planting drought-resistant circular gardens
Tolou Keur Gardens: https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/senegal-tolou-keur-drought-resistant-circular-gardens
How can you increase biodiversity?
Protect unused natural areas
Plant native plant species and help jumpstart a more diverse ecosystem and support the whole food web. For example, some top trees for butterflies are native oaks, cherry, plums, peaches, willows, poplars, aspens and cottonwoods, while top plants included goldenrod, asters and perennial sunflowers. Declining native plant species could be planted in public green spaces.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220518130719.htm
https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2019/1/3/using-native-species-in-urban-landscaping
Planting a vacant lot to increase biodiversity
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/urban/vacant-lot-gardening.htm
How to increase biodiversity in green spaces near your home and school
https://www.plt.org/educator-tips/how-increase-biodiversity