Document is current

Article History

Received: 20 May 2026

Accepted: 3 September 2026

First Online: 23 September 2026

Declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study was approved by the project committee during a seminar held on 24th December 2025, organized by the Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resources Management (CoEB). The seminar was chaired by Venant Nzibanza, Project Manager, on behalf of Assoc. Prof. Venuste Nsengimana, Director of CoEB, and Prof. Beth Kaplin, COMBIO Project PI, at the University of Rwanda’s Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resources Management. The Student Research Contract between CoEB and Julien Nsanzimana, a master’s student, was duly followed throughout the course of this study. Prior to the commencement of the study, all participants comprising agronomists, technicians, cooperative members, and community representatives received comprehensive information about the COMBIO project from the CoEB team. Informed consent was subsequently obtained from every individual participant included in this study.

Consent for publication: Consent for publication is not applicable to this study. However, the project recommends that the final manuscript be submitted to a peer-reviewed, Scopus-indexed journal accepted by the University of Rwanda.

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

SDG alignment: This study directly contributes to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By assessing the growth and survival performance of native tree species used in restoration efforts across COMBIO project areas, the findings generate evidence to inform effective, locally-adapted reforestation strategies, supporting SDG 15 (Life on Land), particularly targets related to restoring degraded ecosystems and halting biodiversity loss. The use of native species for landscape restoration also supports carbon sequestration and ecosystem resilience, contributing to SDG 13 (Climate Action). Where restoration activities involve local cooperatives and community members as reflected in the participant composition of this study the work additionally supports SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by informing sustainable livelihood opportunities linked to natural resource management. Furthermore, by strengthening the evidence base for species selection in restoration programming, this study supports SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), given its foundation in collaboration between the University of Rwanda’s Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resources Management (CoEB), the COMBIO project, and local community and cooperative stakeholders.