Articles tagged with Tropical Forests
Researchers developed a new index to track tropical forest vulnerability using satellite data, revealing regions at risk due to climate change and land use pressures. The Tropical Forest Vulnerability Index (TFVI) provides early warnings for conservation efforts.
The study reveals that nearly 20 percent of intact tropical forests overlap with mining and oil concessions, posing a significant threat to these ecosystems. The total area of overlap is approximately 376,449 square miles, about the size of Egypt.
Researchers found that most protected areas have been effective against deforestation, but significant variation exists among them. They estimated that these protected areas avoid the same amount of carbon emissions as 120,000 Europeans per year.
A global network of over 2,500 scientists is exploring climate change's impact on forests and biodiversity. ForestPlots.net provides a unique platform for long-term monitoring and analysis, discovering how tropical forests help control carbon emissions.
Researchers discovered that sweat bees use patterns in the canopy overhead to navigate, finding their way home even in extremely low light conditions. This unique navigation system has implications for military applications, such as navigation for drones.
For over 13,000 years, humans have thrived in tropical forest environments, transforming the natural landscapes into forest gardens. Ensuring local peoples' rights to their ancestral forest lands is crucial for conserving these sensitive environments and boosting food security.
Researchers analyzed carbon loss and gain in African tropical forests between 1984 and 2017, finding no significant increase in tree mortality despite extreme climate conditions. Intact forests continued to grow biomass and remain a carbon sink, suggesting they may be more resilient to climate extremes.
A century-long study of bird species on Barro Colorado Island reveals that forest fragmentation leads to significant biodiversity loss, with species shifting towards drier habitats. Researchers found that birds living in wet forests are more likely to disappear from isolated habitat remnants.
The current loss of tropical forest fauna impedes achieving SDGs, threatening food security, infectious disease outbreaks, and climate change mitigation. Defaunation also jeopardizes human well-being and cultural significance.
Researchers found that excess nitrogen deposition increases soil carbon and nitrogen concentrations in tropical forests, accelerating acidification and physical protection. However, this sink cannot offset human-induced carbon emissions, highlighting the need for sustainable land management practices.
A recent study reveals that the end-Cretaceous asteroid impact drastically restructured tropical forests, leading to a decline in plant diversity and the emergence of angiosperms. The findings suggest that the impact's long-term effects on tropical ecosystems were variable, depending on proximity to the crater and local conditions.
Researchers found that nearly nothing is known about the biggest trees and how they die, making them difficult to study. Climate change, severe storms, and droughts are affecting these giant trees, releasing more carbon into the atmosphere.
A new study found that coffee pulp can speed up tropical forest recovery on degraded land in Costa Rica. After two years, the area treated with coffee pulp had 80% canopy cover and four times taller trees than the control plot.
A new study reveals that nitrogen-fixing trees play a vital role in recovering tropical forests by enriching nutrient-poor soils with scarce elements such as phosphorus. The trees' roots weather rocks beneath them, releasing nutrients like phosphorus and molybdenum that boost plant growth.
Researchers have developed a three-step method to reverse significant reforestation side effects, including rapid soil water loss due to fast-growing species. The approach involves reconstructing slopes and planting slow-growing tree species alongside fast-growing species to increase soil water content.
Scientists from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute synthesize patterns of tropical forest productivity and carbon storage, finding that warm, wet forests with moderately fertile soils store more carbon. The study's findings reveal consistent relationships across regions, influenced by climate and soil conditions.
A new study reveals that only 10% of remaining tropical forest cover remains fire-resistant, while the rest has been fragmented or degraded. Tropical forests play a crucial role in preventing catastrophic fires, emphasizing the need for preservation and regeneration.
Research finds that tropical trees' lifespans decrease above 25 C, with implications for animal habitats, air quality, and carbon stocks. The study suggests that global warming will exacerbate tree mortality, affecting biodiversity and CO2 emissions.
A new study published in Nature Plants suggests that tropical forests like the one at Biosphere 2 may be more resilient to predicted temperature increases than previously thought. The rainforest's ability to photosynthesize steadily even at high temperatures, up to 38C, challenges current climate change predictions for the Amazon.
A new study finds that the Amazon rainforest is at risk of crossing a tipping point where it could become a savanna-type ecosystem, affecting up to 40% of the region. Climate change is expected to worsen this trend due to rising greenhouse gas emissions.
A study in Borneo found that degraded tropical forests have a high conservation value for 28 tropical mammal species. Mammals tend to avoid heavily degraded areas with open canopies and reduced vegetation density, highlighting the importance of maintaining good quality forest habitat.
A study by University of Göttingen researchers reveals that reforestation can only partially restore degraded tropical soil properties. The team analyzed data from 130 studies and found that soil degradation persists even decades after deforestation, with deeper soil layers losing significant amounts of carbon.
A new study highlights the critical importance of partnering with indigenous people and local communities in tropical forest restoration. The research estimates that 294.5 million people live within areas with good potential for forest restoration, and over one billion people live nearby such land.
Research reveals that forest restoration can replenish carbon storage and preserve biodiversity, with actively restored forests recovering 50% faster than naturally regenerating ones. The study found that degraded forests can recover up to 2.9 tons of aboveground carbon per hectare annually if protected from agricultural conversion.
A long-term study in Southeast Asian rainforests found that active restoration accelerates forest recovery, with areas recovering up to 50% faster than those left to regenerate naturally. However, the high cost of restoration currently limits its impact on mitigating climate change.
Researchers found that tropical forest soils are highly sensitive to climate change, with a potential increase of 55% in soil carbon emissions if temperatures rise by four degrees Celsius. This could trigger further global warming and lead to the release of billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Only 6.5% of world's pristine tropical forests are formally protected, leaving rest at risk due to lack of focus on forest intactness and quality in global conservation strategies. New targets for protection, restoration, and reduction of human pressure are urgently needed to conserve these ecosystems.
A new study reveals that gold mining significantly restricts Amazon forest regeneration, leading to substantial losses in carbon sink capacity. The research highlights the urgent need for active land management and restoration to recover tropical forests on previously mined lands.
Researchers found that maximum daily temperatures above 32.2 degrees Celsius cause tropical forests to lose stored carbon more quickly. The study highlights the importance of protecting tropical forests and stabilizing the Earth's climate.
A long-term study found that tropical forests worldwide are likely to remain intact in moderate climate warming scenarios, with carbon storage capacities remaining stable. However, this thermal adaptation potential may not be fully realized due to rapid temperature rises and human disturbances like clearance, logging, or fires.
Researchers found that tropical forests can handle heat up to a certain threshold of 32 degrees Celsius, but limiting global temperatures is crucial to avoid accelerating climate change. The study analyzed over half a million trees across 813 forests in the tropics.
A study finds temperate and tropical dry forests harbor unique tree evolutionary diversity, exceeding that of rainforests. Researchers highlight the need for conservation efforts in these often-overlooked ecosystems.
A new method enables predictions for the development of species-rich forests, which can help mitigate climate change and promote biodiversity. The method uses a digital experiment to simulate tree growth, death, and reproduction, and has been shown to be reliable with only five strategy types.
Research reveals a significant decline in aboveground carbon storage along Malaysian Borneo's forest edges, impacting the global carbon budget. The study found that buffer zones could mitigate edge-related declines in forest carbon stocks.
Tropical forests are losing carbon storage potential over time due to changes in structure and function at forest edges. Along these boundaries, the study found aboveground carbon storage declines of 22% up to 100 meters from the edge.
Researchers found that smaller tropical forest fragments experienced greater losses than larger ones between 2001 and 2018. Connecting small fragments to reestablish wide-ranging tree cover is crucial in Central America, West Africa, and Southeast Asia.
A study tracking 300,000 trees over 30 years reveals that tropical forests' carbon sink is weakening, with a feared switch from absorption to emission imminent. The loss of this critical carbon sink capacity is equivalent to a decade of fossil fuel emissions from major countries.
A 600-year study of lava flows on Réunion Island reveals a significant decline in large frugivore species after human colonization, leading to reduced plant diversity. The findings suggest that rewilding projects could help restore native frugivores and promote ecosystem recovery.
A new study published in Nature Communications reveals that nitrogen-fixing trees can double the amount of carbon stored in a forest's first 30 years of regrowth. Forests with these trees also take up 10% more carbon at maturity. Planting fixers as part of reforestation efforts could boost forest development and carbon accumulation.
A new study uses novel methods to analyze tree rings, radiocarbon dating and genetic analysis to uncover past human influences on tropical forests. The research promotes conservation priorities by acknowledging the role of tropical trees in cultural and natural ecosystems.
A new study reveals that tropical forests and coral reefs are being threatened by a combination of ongoing climate changes, increasingly extreme weather, and damaging local human activities. The research highlights the urgent need for international action to decrease CO2 emissions and reverse this trend.
The study reveals that interactions between planetary boundaries amplify human impacts, particularly in climate change and biosphere integrity. Reducing pressure on one boundary can lessen pressure on others, offering a win-win solution for sustainable development.
Research suggests that tropical forests are hardest hit by forest fragmentation, with sensitivity increasing six-fold at low versus high latitudes. This finding could allow for more effective conservation schemes, such as preserving larger areas of pristine forest.
A University of Arizona-led team used air-based maps of plant chemistry to better understand tropical forest responses to climate change. By combining traditional on-the-ground measurements with aerial data, researchers improved carbon cycling models and gained insights into the role of forests in the global carbon cycle.
Researchers developed a method to monitor tropical forest carbon emissions at unprecedented detail using satellite imagery and machine learning algorithms. The approach quantified the economic cost of deforestation in Peru, revealing areas with significant net losses of forest carbon due to logging and land conversion.
Scientists at Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ developed an approach using recent satellite data to estimate Amazon forest biomass with greater precision. This enables more accurate assessments of the consequences of droughts and forest fires on the Amazon.
A new study reveals that intact tropical forests have a significantly higher carbon impact than previously thought, with losses between 2000 and 2013 resulting in a 626% increase. This translates to two years' worth of global land-use change emissions and underscores the urgent need for conservation.
Research shows that losing intact tropical forests results in a 626% increase in climate impact, equivalent to two years of global land-use change emissions. The study highlights the devastating effects of deforestation on the climate and emphasizes the need for better funding and conservation efforts.
A recent study reveals that half of the Earth's land surface remains relatively wild, but fragmented into small pieces, posing a threat to their future. The report identifies high-priority areas for protection, including remote boreal forests and tropical rainforests.
The new website provides a resource for understanding why, where, and how tropical reforestation is occurring. It highlights eight key messages on livelihoods, local decision-making, planting trees, natural regeneration, and climate change, among others.
The study found that elephants change the structure of African tropical forests, increasing aboveground biomass by 26 to 60 tons per hectare. This process contributes to a corresponding increase in carbon storage, making the forests more resilient to climate change.
A University of Oklahoma-led study has generated improved annual maps of tropical forest cover in the Brazilian Amazon from 2000-2017, revealing ~15% higher estimates than existing datasets. The study also shows a renewed increase in forest area loss after 2013, driven by land use change and strong El Nino.
The study found that Darien has the highest carbon stocks among nine mature forest sites across the Neotropics and second-highest tree species richness in the region. Disturbed forests maintained a high capacity to sequester carbon, challenging REDD+ exclusion policies.
Scientists at the University of Sheffield discovered how climate change and deforestation interact to disconnection natural habitats, leaving wildlife with limited escape routes from rising temperatures. The study highlights the urgent need to fund reforestation efforts and stop tropical forest loss.
Researchers have pinpointed restoration hotspots in 15 countries across four continents, offering the biggest carbon, water, and wildlife benefits. The study identifies over 100 million hectares of lost lowland tropical rain forests that can be restored to overcome rising global temperatures.
Research reveals tree species with durable wood persist longer, but slow growth comes at the expense of reduced resources; Early stages dominate 'fast' pioneer species with soft wood.
Scientists have mapped the expected decline for each mammal species across all tropical forests due to hunting. The study found that more than half of tropical forests are under hunting pressure, with hotspots in Western and Central Africa and South-East Asia.
A new study suggests that the Cerrado biome in Brazil connected the Andean and Atlantic tropical forests, which are now over 1,000 km apart. The research used genomic and biogeographical data to support this hypothesis.
Research shows forests in temperate, boreal, and tropical regions lower air temperatures by an average of 4°C compared to surrounding areas. The study suggests that management strategies can improve forest microclimates and mitigate the effects of global warming on biodiversity.
Two new studies reveal that a sixth of EU citizens' typical diet-related emissions can be directly linked to tropical forest deforestation. The research highlights the need for stricter regulations on food imports and alternative production methods.