Global change effect over forest and rangeland ecosystems are major global issues of the 21st century. In recent years, as a consequence of the implementation of conservationist measures, forested land has significantly increased in Europe, Russia and elsewhere, which may contribute to enhancing the C sink capacity of terrestrial ecosystems and improving soil and water conservation. Reforestation or the rehabilitation of degraded land and their conversion into forestry systems might make up an opportunity to increase the system capacity in terms of soil and biomass carbon capture. Other parallel benefits are those derived from the soil conservation, water quality and soil biodiversity conservation. For other hand, Rangelands cover 30% of the earth land surface, support the livelihood of a large population of pastoralists, agro-pastoralists and farmers across the globe who maintain marginal lands in various sustainable ways and contribute substantially to national economies. The IPCC reports, however, that rangeland productivity in Africa and Asia is likely to reduce or endure substantial changes induced by climate change, putting at risk the wide array of societal services these land systems provide to a highly resource-dependent population. Other processes such as large-scale investments in land, export markets for high value added crops, and conflicts further challenge the future of rangelands, their potential agricultural productivity and the resilience of dependent livelihoods.
This session is includes examples of good practices leading to increase the soil C sequestration, and also seeks to reflect on the future prospects of managed forests and rangelands in terms of sustainable land management, improved productivity, adaptive capacity and resilience of smallholders, and ecosystems services.