Tropical forests play a vital role in global climate regulation and biodiversity conservation. However, a major new study led by Dr Jesús Aguirre-Gutiérrez from the University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute (ECI), reveals that forests across the Americas are not adapting quickly enough to keep pace with climate change, raising concerns about their long-term resilience.
Dr Aguirre-Gutiérrez said:
Tropical forests are among the most diverse ecosystems on Earth, yet their ability to adapt to climate change is limited.... If we know what species of trees are doing better or worse, and what set of traits they have, then we know what they can withstand. It will help inform what conservation actions should be encouraged and where funding should be allocated.”
Read more on this on the University of Oxford website.
Read the study in full in Science: Tropical forests in the Americas are changing too slowly to track climate change
