We Are Too Busy Planting Trees, but Forget to Protect What Already Exists

Images of tree-planting campaigns rows of seedlings, community work activities, and the number of trees planted often attract public and donor attention. These efforts are important as expressions of care and landscape restoration. However, if the primary goal is to maintain ecosystem functions that support life such as clean water availability, soil stability, and sustainable livelihoods then the measure of conservation success must go beyond the number of seedlings planted. Sustaining ecosystem functions and the well-being of the communities that care for them should be the main focus.

From a hydrological and ecological perspective, mature trees provide far more significant services than newly planted seedlings. Established canopies reduce the intensity of rainfall, thereby decreasing surface runoff; deeper root systems enhance infiltration capacity, allowing water to be stored in the soil profile and gradually released as baseflow during dry seasons; and mature plant communities support wildlife habitats and decomposition processes that maintain soil fertility. Seedlings take years to reach this level of function and are vulnerable without proper maintenance plans. Protection from animal disturbance, pest and disease management, fire prevention, and control of human interference are all fundamental requirements. Therefore, interventions that focus solely on planting risk delivering limited ecosystem benefits.

To meaningfully assess conservation success, metrics must directly reflect ecosystem functions. Canopy cover percentage indicates water storage capacity and runoff reduction; dry-season spring discharge reflects water availability for communities; biodiversity indices represent ecosystem stability and resilience; while the frequency of fires and incidents of illegal logging indicate anthropogenic pressures. Measuring these metrics requires medium- to long-term monitoring and provides a more relevant basis for evaluation than simply counting planted seedlings.

Field experience shows that community-based management is often effective in maintaining ecosystem functions. Local forest management groups conduct regular patrols, regulate resource access based on local norms, and implement restoration using natural regeneration. Examples such as LPHD Rio Kemunyang in Jambi, LPHD Manjau in West Kalimantan, and LPHD Telaga in Central Kalimantan demonstrate that locally driven interventions tend to be sustainable when accompanied by clear economic incentives such as benefit-sharing, market access for sustainable forest products, or long-term financial support. Without such mechanisms, economic pressures to convert land into more immediately profitable uses remain high, making conservation commitments difficult to sustain.

Several strategic steps can be prioritized. For instance, prioritize the protection of existing forests and natural restoration in critical area, especially upstream zones and water buffer areas rather than conducting mass planting in less suitable locations. Well-facilitated natural regeneration is often more ecologically effective and cost-efficient than intensive planting that ignores local conditions. Every planting program should include a maintenance budget typically covering 3–5 years for activities such as patrols, replacing dead seedlings, fire management, and community engagement in upkeep. Without a clear maintenance plan and medium-term funding, high initial planting numbers do not guarantee sustained ecosystem function.

Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) mechanisms should be designed so that benefits flow directly to local stewards and are tied to functional indicator, such as increased dry-season water flow or reduced fire frequency rather than merely claims of planting. Transparent and measurable economic incentives strengthen long-term protection efforts. Participatory monitoring combines simple technologies, such as river discharge measurements, soil moisture sensors, and canopy cover image analysis with observations from local communities. This approach produces scientifically relevant data while enhancing local ownership and legitimacy over both outcomes and incentives.

Planting trees remains an important part of landscape restoration when carried out with proper planning, maintenance, and incentives. However, to ensure conservation actions truly strengthen landscape resilience and community well-being, success must be measured by ecosystem function and sustained local benefits. Effective forest management requires integrating scientific knowledge, local wisdom, functional metrics, and economic incentive mechanisms for forest steward communities. With such targeted steps, conservation efforts can create productive, resilient landscapes and deliver tangible benefits to society not just quantitative results that look good in reports.