Potential impacts of COVID-19 on tropical forest recovery

Rakan A Zahawi; J Leighton Reid; Matthew E Fagan

doi:10.1111/btp.12851

Potential impacts of COVID-19 on tropical forest recovery

Biotropica. 2020 Sep;52(5):803-807. doi: 10.1111/btp.12851. Epub 2020 Sep 29.

Authors

Rakan A Zahawi¹, J Leighton Reid², Matthew E Fagan³

Affiliations

¹ Lyon Arboretum University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Honolulu HI USA.
² School of Plant and Environmental Sciences Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA USA.
³ Department of Geography and Environmental Systems University of Maryland Baltimore County Baltimore MD USA.

Abstract

COVID-19 has impacted humanity and the global environment in myriad ways, and more changes are on the horizon. Here we consider the impact of COVID-19 on our collective ability to restore degraded habitats and facilitate forest recovery in the tropics.

Keywords: active restoration; deforestation; ecosystem services; natural regeneration; pandemic; passive restoration; regenerating forests.