Before More Disappears, a climate change action arm of Zam Energy, LLC which specializes in project development services for renewable energy also installs pocket forests. Zam Energy is giving back through Before More Disappears, a focus on using the firm’s multi decade Project Management Expertise to develop compact pocket forests to combat climate change.
A 2,153 square foot area of land, can become home to over a few hundred tree species and draw down 250 kg CO2/yr or 55 lbs/year acting as a cooling station and sponge on stormy days.
Small pockets of land have used this method specifically in stressed urban and industrial environments as a solution to noise, high temperatures, soil erosion, drought and stark urban view scapes.
We will deliver this by greening cities & reimagining urban life by planning healthy woodlands, to absorb carbon dioxide, clean the air and provide for wildlife. Our team will pick forest locations, conduct project design, species selection, site preparation, planting, and ongoing monitoring and reporting as well as marketing & communication.
How is the compact forest different from monoculture tree planting?
Compact forests are specially designed to build biodiversity. We aim to create ultra-dense, biodiverse forests of native species only using a proven Japanese technique called the Miyawaki method. These forests are 100% natural, 30x denser and 100x more biodiverse than conventional tree plantations and grow very quickly. Many organizations solely plant, non-native, tree species in monoculture, in remote sites. These projects have minimal social impact with an acute lack of transparency on their growth and long term environmental impact.
What is the Success Rate?
Multistratal quasi-natural forest – Miyawaki method
Planting density: 2 to 7 trees per m2
Green surface area: 30 times more than a meadow
Survival rate (Natural Selection): 15 to 90%
Growth rate: 1.5 m/year [rainforest], 1 m/year [temperate forest], 0.3 m/year [Mediterranean forest]
Growth stabilization: from 15-20 years [temperate zone], 30-40 years [tropical zone]
