Forest Protection

• This article assesses the quantitative and qualitative benefits of protecting forests as an important solution to climate change.
• This resource includes an overview of forest protection measures and the importance and feasibility of using them to maintain their carbon-storing services and prevent further greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, and damage to ecosystem services.

Positives

• The brief article explains how the authors came to their conclusions by presenting their methodology and sources.
• This resource is great practice for reading technical texts and research papers.
• The article also provides ways individuals can engage in the solution.
  

Additional Prerequisites

• Before reading the article, students should understand the basics of nature-based carbon sequestration and storage and read the methodology section to fully understand the information presented.
• Students should know terms like anthropogenic, deforestation, and degradation.
• This interactive table of solutions can be used to show students the rankings of solutions by scenario on the Drawdown website and may make it easier to understand the relative impact of forest protection.

Differentiation

• This resource can be used in economics classes during lessons about market solutions and ecosystem valuation methods.
• Have social studies students consider how to engage different stakeholders (e.g., governments, businesses, local and marginalized communities, etc.) in forest protection.
• The related articles on bamboo production and abandoned farmland restoration can be used to compare the impact of other similar solutions to protecting forestland. Have students add up the many nature-based resources together from the interactive table of solutions to quantify the total benefit of protecting and enhancing nature as a solution to climate change.
  

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.