Data from: Optimizing carbon storage and biodiversity co-benefits in reforested riparian zones

1. Climate change and biodiversity loss are two global challenges that can be addressed simultaneously through reforestation of previously cleared land. However, carbon markets can encourage reforestations that focus on maximizing carbon storage, potentially at the expense of biodiversity conservation. 2. To identify opportunities to optimize reforestation design and management to meet both goals, we examined the forest stand features associated with carbon stocks in biomass and soil as well as bird abundance and diversity in remnant and restored riparian forest stands in central California, U.S.A. 3. Within three decades of reforestation, both planted and naturally regenerating riparian forest stands provided significantly greater carbon storage and avian biodiversity benefits compared to baseline conditions, and they were similar to a remnant forest stand. 4. We identified strong positive associations between understory cover, carbon storage, and biodiversity benefits, and a trade-off between these benefits in their relationships to forest stand density. Biomass carbon stocks were strongly positively related to stand density, while bird density and diversity suffered at the highest stand densities. 5. The variability in understory cover across forest stands indicates an opportunity for further enhancement of carbon and biodiversity benefits in areas where understory cover is low, while the variability in stand density suggests an opportunity to re-examine reforestation goals and consider thinning to achieve those goals. 6. Synthesis and applications. Identifying these synergies and trade-offs provides opportunities to optimize reforestation design and management, maximizing the chances of successfully addressing the global challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.29-Aug-2018