Species Selection for Carbon and Livelihoods

Updated 2026-11-02 · 4 min read · By the akar.earth specialist team

Species selection for reforestation in Indonesia: balance carbon, native biodiversity, farmer income, site fit and permanence with a simple scoring method.

The best species mix for a reforestation carbon project is one that fits the site, survives, is valued by the people who manage it, and stays standing for the whole crediting period. Maximum theoretical carbon is less important than survival and permanence: a fast-growing tree that is cut early, or a native seedling that dies in the first dry season, delivers few credits.

Five criteria to balance

A practical selection process

1. Characterise sites. Group planting areas by soil, elevation and water regime. A species list for Bali’s dry uplands will not work in West Kalimantan’s lowlands or a tidal mangrove zone.
2. List candidate species from local forest remnants, farmer preferences, forestry research and nurseries. Farmer interviews are essential: species people value get protected.
3. Screen out invasive species, species unsuited to the site, and species that conflict with project rules (for example, some standards restrict monocultures of exotics).
4. Score each remaining species on the five criteria with weights agreed with the community and investor.
5. Design the mix. Combine pioneer species for early cover, long-lived natives for durable carbon, and income trees for farmers. Plan spacing and layout.
6. Check seed and nursery supply. A species you cannot source at quality and scale is not an option. See nursery and survival rates.
7. Model carbon with conservative growth and mortality. See ex-ante carbon estimation.

Species groups common in Indonesian projects

• Fast-growing timber: sengon, jabon, gmelina, acacia mangium. Quick canopy closure and early income, but low to moderate wood density and harvest risk. Acacia can be invasive outside plantations.
• Higher-value timber: teak, mahogany. Long rotations; harvest timing must align with permanence rules.
• Native forest trees: meranti and other dipterocarps, ulin. High long-term carbon and biodiversity value; slower, harder to propagate.
• Multipurpose and fruit trees: durian, jackfruit, candlenut, petai. High farmer value, usually good survival.
• Spice and estate crops in agroforestry: clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, with coffee or cocoa understoreys.
• Mangroves: Rhizophora, Avicennia, Bruguiera, Sonneratia, matched to tidal zone.

Wood density and growth vary between sites and provenances, so use ranges and local data rather than single values. Browse the species hub for profiles.

Monoculture or mix?

Monocultures are simpler to manage and model but carry higher pest, fire and market risk and weaker biodiversity outcomes. Mixed plantings and agroforestry spread risk and income. Buyers increasingly scrutinise biodiversity and community benefit alongside tonnes. See agroforestry vs monoculture plantation.

Testing before scaling

Before committing a large area to a species mix, run trial plantings across the main site types for at least one full wet-and-dry cycle. Record survival, early growth and farmer feedback by species. Trials reveal problems no desk study shows: a species that termites attack, a provenance that grows poorly, or a fruit tree that farmers prefer to plant closer to home. Adjust the mix and the nursery plan from the results, and keep the trial data; it strengthens both the ex-ante estimate and the PDD.

Planning for harvest and permanence

If the mix includes timber or fruit trees that will be cut or replaced, plan when, how much and what replaces them. Rotational harvest with replanting can keep long-term average carbon stable, but methodologies cap credits at that average. Write harvest rules into farmer agreements so expectations match the carbon accounting.

Common mistakes

• Choosing species from a carbon table without asking farmers.
• Planting one fast-growing exotic everywhere to maximise early credits.
• Ignoring site variation within the project.
• No harvest plan for timber species, causing reversals.
• Over-relying on one nursery or seed source.
• Using global wood density values for species with large regional variation.

What good evidence looks like

Document the site classification, candidate list and sources, farmer consultation records, scoring results, the final planting design by stratum, seed and nursery sources, and the carbon parameters (growth, wood density, allometry) with references. A VVB will check that species actually planted match the design, using planting records and monitoring data.

Linking to the rest of the project

Species choice shapes growth, survival, costs and permanence. It should be settled before the ARR feasibility is finalised. Estimate per-tree carbon with the tree CO2 calculator, and return to the ARR hub for the full process.