For those working at the intersection of land use and climate change, this is a central motivating truth. Forests play a crucial role in mitigating climate change. We are unlikely to avoid disastrous effects of climat change without halting deforestation and other natural ecosystem dest ruction, which account for at least 11% of human greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Report1 clearly identifies the centrality of forests in mitigating climate change, estimating that the land sector can provide up to 30% of the emissions reductions needed to meet 2050 targets, with forests and other natural ecosystems providing the largest share of that mitigation potential.