A safer bet for REDD+: Review of the evidence on the relationship between biodiversity and the resilience of forest carbon stocks

There is a growing belief that the carbon stocks of natural, biodiverse forests are likely to be more resilient to climate change than those of planted, less diverse forests (e.g. Fischer et al. 2006; Bodin and Wiman 2007). Resilience in this context means that forests can resist and or recover from the negative effects of climate change. Resistance and recovery will differ between forests for various reasons. This review examines the role of biodiversity and related factors in carbon stock resilience.