Forests can grow faster with a little help from coffee

A recent experiment conducted in Costa Rica, has tested whether coffee pulp, a leftover of the coffee growing process, could help bring  rainforests back to life.

Researchers covered one parcel of grass with about 20 inches of coffee pulp and left the other untouched. After two years, the plot of land given a boost from coffee showed a dramatic improvement. Eighty percent of the plot was covered by young tree canopy, some trees already 15 feet versus just 20 percent in the untreated plot. In the coffee-fueled plot, trees were also four times taller on average, soil samples were more nutrient-rich, and invasive grasses had been eliminated.

“This really was like a forest on caffeine. I think it’s really promising.” Said the study author, Rebecca Cole.

Read the full coverage by The Telegraph and National Geographic following the links below

The Telegraph

National Geographic