Diversity for Restoration (D4R) tool

4th July, 2023 Environment

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Context

Researchers from Bioversity International have devised a tool named Diversity for Restoration (D4R) for promoting restoration programmes in India.
Another team from Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment helped these researchers to modify the tool for Indian conditions.

Other Details

In countries like Malaysia, Ethiopia, Columbia, Peru, Burkina Faso, Cameroon the tool is already in use.
It is modified for India and provides recommendations about a particular tree species for plantations in a specific location.
This tool will serve the purpose of socio-ecologically responsible restoration and will benefit local communities.

Significance of the tool

This tool is being claimed to help in enabling appropriate agroforestry and aiding systematic ecosystem restoration programmes in India.
By using this tool tree species, which match the restoration objectives, are identified along with their ecological benefits.
It helps in identifying the best suited tree species for a particular geographical region. Hence it promotes sustainable development.
It will also help in success of restoration of land and ecosystems with minimum instances of failure of plantation programme.
Thus better decision would be taken regarding selection of the species suitable to local environmental, soil, and geographical conditions.
This tool contains information on 100 plant functional traits of 237 important native trees of Western Ghats which have socio-economic significance.
Functional trait provides information on economic and ecological uses of tree like timber, medicine, fruits or other commercial benefits.
Habitat suitability, threat status are also considered by this tool while identifying suitable species.