Urgent call to limit climate change to help future for world's tropical rainforests
The research team, led by Dr Martin Sullivan, from the University of Leeds and Manchester Metropolitan University, started the work due to the uncertain future facing tropical forests because of climate change.
The world’s tropical forests store a quarter-century worth of fossil fuel emissions in their trees alone. There are fears that global heating can reduce this store if tree growth reduces or tree death increases, accelerating climate change.
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Hide AdDr Sullivan said: "If we limit climate change they can continue to store a large amount of carbon in a warmer world".
The international research team measured over half a million trees in 813 forests across the tropics to assess how much carbon is stored by forests growing under different climatic conditions today.
Researchers found that tropical forests continue to store high levels of carbon under high temperatures, showing that in the long run these forests can handle heat up to an estimated threshold of 32 degrees.
Dr Sullivan said: "Our analysis reveals that up to a certain point of heating tropical forests are surprisingly resistant to small temperature differences.
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Hide Ad"The 32 degree threshold highlights the critical importance of urgently cutting our emissions to avoid pushing too many forests beyond the safety zone.
He added: "Any further increases in temperature will lead to rapid losses of forest carbon."
The researchers warned forests must have time to adapt, remain intact, and global heating is strictly limited to avoid pushing global temperatures into conditions beyond the critical threshold.
The groundbreaking study was a result of decades of careful fieldwork, often in remote locations. The global team of 225 researchers combined forests observations across South America, Africa and Asia.
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Hide AdIn each monitoring plot the diameter of each tree and its height was used to calculate how much carbon they stored.
Plots were revisited every few years to see how much carbon was being taken in, and how long it was stored before trees died.
Professor Simon Lewis, from the University of Leeds and University College London, said: "The amount of carbon absorbed and stored by forests is a crucial element in how the Earth responds to climate change."
"The study underlines why long-term research collaboration is essential for understanding the effects of environmental change.
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Hide Ad"Scientists need to work together more than ever, as monitoring the health of our planet’s great tropical forests is vital for all of us."
The project is the first to measure long-term climate sensitivity based on direct observation of whole forests across the topics.
The research suggests that over the long-term, temperature has the greatest effect on forest carbon stocks by reducing growth, with drought killing trees the second key factor.
For the future the researchers are making the urgent call for governments globally to cut carbon emissions enough to keep forests within the safety zone.
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Hide AdProfessor Oliver Phillips, from the University of Leeds, added: “Keeping our planet and ourselves healthy has never been more important. Right now, humanity has a unique opportunity to make the transition toward a stable climate.
"By not simply returning to ‘business as usual’ after the current crisis we can ensure tropical forests remain huge stores of carbon.
"Protecting them from climate change, deforestation and wildlife exploitation needs to be front and centre of our global push for biosecurity.
"Imagine if we take this chance to reset how we treat our Earth. We can keep our home cool enough to protect these magnificent forests - and keep all of us safer."
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