Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40000622›Full record

ReviewNature communications2025

Assessing the climate benefits of afforestation in the Canadian Northern Boreal and Southern Arctic.

Kevin Bradley Dsouza, Enoch Ofosu, Jack Salkeld, Richard Boudreault, Juan Moreno-Cruz, Yuri Leonenko

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Kevin Bradley DsouzaDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada. kevin.dsouza@uwaterloo.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2291-5143
Enoch OfosuDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
Jack SalkeldDepartment of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
Richard BoudreaultDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
Juan Moreno-CruzSchool of Environment, Enterprise and Development, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3707-142X
Yuri LeonenkoDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0649-8095

Funding

Canada Research Chairs (Chaires de recherche du Canada) CRC-2023-00181Gouvernement du Canada | Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (Conseil de Recherches en Sciences Naturelles et en Génie du Canada) ALLRP 577126-2022Gouvernement du Canada | Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (Conseil de Recherches en Sciences Naturelles et en Génie du Canada) NSERC PDF
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Afforestation greatly influences several earth system processes, making it essential to understand these effects to accurately assess its potential for climate change mitigation. Although our understanding of forest-climate system interactions has improved, significant knowledge gaps remain, preventing definitive assessments of afforestation's net climate benefits. In this review, focusing on the Canadian northern boreal and southern arctic, we identify these gaps and synthesize existing knowledge. The review highlights regional realities, Earth's climatic history, uncertainties in biogeochemical (BGC) and biogeophysical (BGP) changes following afforestation, and limitations in current assessment methodologies, emphasizing the need to reconcile these uncertainties before drawing firm conclusions about the climate benefits of afforestation. Finally, we propose an assessment framework which considers multiple forcing components, temporal analysis, future climatic contexts, and implementation details. We hope that the research gaps and assessment framework discussed in this review inform afforestation policy in Canada and other circumpolar nations.

Identifiers

PMID40000622
PMCPMC11861297

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.