Diversity for Restoration - D4R
The restoration of degraded land is a global priority, yet many tree-planting initiatives rely on a limited number of easily available species. This can reduce biodiversity, weaken climate resilience, and limit long-term restoration success.
Diversity for Restoration (D4R) is an online decision-support tool that helps restoration planners select the most suitable tree species and seed sources for specific locations and objectives. By combining scientific data and local ecological knowledge, the tool supports more diverse, climate-resilient, and effective restoration strategies.
Through a user-friendly interface, users specify the location of the restoration area, describe local site conditions and select tree planting objectives. The D4R tool then recommends combinations of tree species and seed zones that best match these inputs, along with guidance on propagation and suggestions for monitoring. The tool integrates habitat suitability models for present and projected climatic conditions, functional trait data, local ecological knowledge and other species characteristics. It then optimizes species portfolios to promote complementarity and multifunctionality, while seed zone maps support the identification of planting material adapted to present and future climate conditions.
Results are provided to the user as a report to be downloaded directly or received by email. The report is intended to serve as a guide for selecting appropriate species and seed sources for restoration of the specified site. Propagation protocols of individual species can be downloaded through hyperlinks. Recommended indicators for monitoring the success of restoration interventions are also included.
Flowchart of the D4R tool linking the inputs provided by the user (top) with the output of the tool (bottom)
In what context is this tool useful?
D4R is designed for organisations and individuals involved in planning, implementing or supporting restoration in tropical forest landscapes. This includes scientists, extension agents, NGOs, community groups, public agencies, private companies, investors and donors. It is particularly useful for projects aiming to restore multiple ecosystem services, enhance local livelihoods and ensure that restored forests remain resilient to climate change.
The tool can be used in restoration projects that involve tree planting, when decisions need to be made about which tree species to plant and where to source the seeds. By bringing together scientific information and local knowledge, D4R helps practitioners move away from choosing only a few species that happen to be locally available, encourages the use of native species diversity, and highlights the importance of choosing seed sources that are suitable for current and future climates.
Results
Originally developed for tropical dry forests in Colombia, D4R now also covers other tropical forest ecosystems in selected regions of South America, Africa and Asia. Users report that the tool improves decision-making for species and seed sourcing, enhances understanding of the role of genetic diversity and climate adaptation in restoration, and facilitates knowledge exchange among scientists and practitioners.
Evaluations and user feedback indicate that D4R increases the efficiency of species-selection processes by reducing the time and cost needed to gather and interpret information from multiple sources. It is perceived as more comprehensive and practical than alternative tools, offering science-based recommendations for a wide range of restoration goals. D4R has also been used in awareness-raising and capacity-building initiatives aimed at integrating native tree diversity into restoration.
Variations, scaling and adaptation
D4R is designed to be scalable, both by incorporating new restoration objectives and by expanding to additional countries and ecosystems.
Scaling to new regions such as Borneo and northern Thailand is underway.
The D4R tool also gave rise to a ‘sister tool’ called Diversity for Agroforestry
Which provides recommendations on tree species and planting designs in cacao and coffee agroforestry systems.
Contact people
Publications
Funders
Tool development team are grateful to all data contributors and collaborators of the Diversity for Restoration tool, listed here.
This work received financial support from the Flemish Interuniversity Council, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), commissioned and administered through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Fund for International Agricultural Research (FIA), grant number 8121944, the CGIAR Fund Donors (www.cgiar.org/funders), the Austrian Development Agency, the Forest Ecosystem Restoration Initiative (FERI) of the Convention of Biological Diversity, the Colombian companies Ecopetrol and Empresas Públicas de Medellín, the government of the Colombian department of Antioquia, and the Copernicus project of the European Union. Chiang Mai University supported Stephen Elliott's work on the manuscript.