Mangrove areas that were cleared and converted into prawn farms or fishponds, after being left idle and without substantial human disturbance (allowing natural tides to flood and drain the ponds) will see substantial regenerative growth of the cleared forest in as short a time as 10-12 years.

Many factors can hasten or slow-down this process. (e.g. the occurence of mature, propagule-bearing trees in the surrounding area, water flow, pond depth, etc.) The aim of planters should be to help hasten and assist this process of natural regeneration and to ensure that ecosystems are restored as much as possible to their original state.

The regeneration process for beach forests, on the other hand, is much more difficult for nature to take on its own. The aroma thorn-bush, common in many sandy beaches and pond banks in the Philippines (especially in Luzon), has proven to be a dominating invasive specie. Upon the clearing of beach forest, this aggressive bush, highly adapted to dry, salty, and wind burnt conditions, quickly spreads through cleared areas. The bush, which grows to the size of small trees with large, vicious thorns easily choke out seedlings of other trees, and makes it almost impossible for the beach forest to regenerate without our help.