Tree survival rate
Tree survival rate is the proportion of trees planted in a programme that are still alive at a given time after planting, usually expressed as a percentage and measured at defined intervals, such as after one or three years.
Also known as: seedling survival · planting survival · survival rate
Why does it matter?
Tree-planting targets are often reported as trees distributed or planted. Survival varies widely with species choice, planting season, drought, grazing, farmer interest and tree tenure. A programme with high planting numbers and low survival delivers little. For carbon programmes, survival directly affects the removals that can be credited or claimed.
How does it work?
- Register planting per farmer and plot: species, number, date, location.
- Define intervals for checks, for example 6, 12 and 36 months.
- Count surviving trees on all plots or a representative sample.
- Record causes of mortality: drought, pests, livestock, removal by farmer.
- Replant where needed, recorded separately.
- Report survival by species, region and cohort.
Common pitfalls
- Counting replanted seedlings as surviving originals.
- Checks only on accessible plots near roads, biasing results upward.
- No link to farmer motivation: trees farmers do not value are often removed.
- Relying only on farmer declarations without verification.
Farmer1st tracks each planting cohort, survival checks and farmer feedback through its trees and agroforestry service.
Frequently asked questions
How is tree survival measured?
Through field counts on all or a representative sample of planted plots, often with geotagged photos, at defined intervals after planting. Remote sensing can help for larger trees but struggles with young seedlings under canopy.
Why is survival more important than trees planted?
Planted numbers measure effort. Benefits for farmers, biodiversity and carbon come only from trees that survive and grow, which is why carbon standards require monitoring of actual tree growth.
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