Mastering tree species selection: The GlobUNT Tool

Tree planting can improve the livelihoods of millions of people while supporting essential environmental services such as biodiversity conservation and climate regulation. However, these benefits are only achieved when restoration is planned and implemented strategically - this means ensuring the right trees are planted in the right place for the right purpose - which for many tree planting programmes is a challenge.

The GlobalUsefulNativeTrees database (GlobUNT) was developed to help address the challenge of choosing the right tree to plant. To do so, it integrates two major global datasets, GlobalTreeSearch (which indicates tree species’ native distributions globally) and the World Checklist of Useful Plant Species (which documents the human uses of plants). The resulting database contains 14,014 tree species (about a quarter of the world’s tree species and a third of the world’s documented useful plants) with their native distributions and human uses across ten major use categories, including both key products and services that trees can provide.

By enabling the selection of diverse native species of known use, GlobUNT provides a practical decision-support tool for translating The Global Biodiversity Standard - which promotes native species, avoids invasive species and maximizes biodiversity - into restoration practice, as well as supporting broader tree planting. It helps practitioners move beyond exclusively carbon-focused or product-focused planting toward ecologically sound and socially relevant planting strategies that embrace livelihoods and the environment.

This masterclass aims to:

• Build practitioner competence in using GlobUNT as a decision-support tool for native tree species selection
• Support the selection of tree species that are consistent with the Global Biodiversity Standard

Objectives

• By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
• Understand the scientific basis and structure of the GlobUNT database and its relationship to The Global Biodiversity Standard
• Use GlobUNT to identify diverse native tree species suitable for specific restoration contexts
• Apply GlobUNT outputs to explore future scenarios, including climate change
• Integrate GlobUNT into restoration project design, policy dialogue, and landscape-level planning in line with TGBS principles

Target Audience (Global)

• Restoration practitioners, ecologists, and landscape planners
• NGOs and government staff involved in forest and landscape restoration
• Researchers and academics in agroforestry, biodiversity, and ecosystem management
• Donors and development partners supporting restoration initiatives

Expected Outcomes

• Participants gain hands-on experience using GlobUNT to select species aligned with TGBS
• Improved restoration planning that anticipates future ecological and climatic scenarios.
• Awareness of trade-offs, risks, and considerations in species selection for landscape restoration.