“ The whole forest has changed ”: Amazon Trees becomes larger due to the increase in CO2 in the atmosphere
Trees of all sizes through the Amazon forest become larger due to climate changeshows a new study.
Coining carbon dioxide (Co2) Concentrations in the atmosphere have created an environment richer in resources for plants in the AmazonLeading to an average increase of 3.3% in the circumference of trees at their base every decades since the 1970s, researchers have revealed.
“We knew that the total quantity of carbon stored in the trees of the intact Amazonian forests has increased”, co-author of the study Tim Bakerprofessor of tropical ecology and conservation at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, said in a statement. “What this new study shows is that all sizes of trees grew up during the same period – the whole forest has changed.”
This fattening is a “good news” because it suggests that Amazonian trees are more resistant to global warming than we thought previously, co-author of the study Beatriz MarimonA professor and ecologist of tropical plants at the Mato Grosso State University in Brazil, in the press release.
Previous studies indicate that the increase in temperatures and CO2 The levels are Push the Amazon forest always a tilting point This could transform the ecosystem into a savannah over the next 100 years – but in the meantime, the trees are doing the best party in the climate by locking massive quantities of carbon and swelling, according to new research.
For the study, the researchers collected data from 188 plots through the Amazon forest, measuring what is known as the basal zone of trees, or the quantity of space that their trunks occupy on forest soil. Surveillance began in 1971 and ended in 2015, but various plots were observed for variable durations during this period, the longest intrigue monitoring time being 30 years.
The team, made up of nearly 100 tropical plants scientists, designed the study with several possible results in mind. One of these results, known as “winners-take-all”, described a scenario where only the biggest trees benefit from the rise2 Levels. Large trees have more access to light and nutrients than small trees, which means that they are more resistant to changing conditions, depending on the study.
Another result, nicknamed the response of the “limited carbon service”, described a case where small trees benefit more from the rise2 Because they are so limited to resources to start that any increase would have a stronger effect overall than in the largest trees.
A combination of these results, nicknamed the response of “shared advantages”, was also possible, wrote scientists in the study.
The results, published Thursday, September 25 in the journal Natural plantsSuggest that the “shared advantages” response prevails – for the moment. “The trees of intact forests are increasingly large,” said Marimon, adding that even the largest trees, which are generally more vulnerable to climate -related events such as drought and lightning, prospered in places without deforestation.
However, the researchers noted that over time, the increase in the basal zone could become more pronounced in large trees, which would then dominate the ecosystem to the detriment of small trees.
“Large trees are extremely beneficial to absorb the CO2 of the atmosphere and this study confirms that “the author of the study Adriane Esquivel MuelbertAn associate professor of ecology of tropical plants at the University of Cambridge, in the press release. “Despite the worries that Climate change can have a negative impact on trees in the Amazon and Soft the carbon well effectThe effect of CO2 In stimulating growth is still there. This shows the remarkable resilience of these forests, at least for the moment, “she said.
None of the plots studied has shown a drop in the basal zone, which indicates that the negative climatic effects have so far been offset by the rise of the CO2 availability. But that could change soon, have warned the researchers in the study, with a slowdown in trees growth and a mortality bump expected in the coming decades.
The slowdown in growth and higher mortality can result from a combination of factors – including thermal stress, water stress, forest fires and storms – which are already growing in frequency and severity. In addition to the decrease in our carbon emissions, the best way to buffer the Amazonian forest against these factors is to leave it intact, the researchers said.
“These results underline how important tropical tropical forests are in our continuous efforts to alleviate artificial climate change,” said Esquivel Muelbert.
