Climate change is moving too fast for tropical forests in the Americas

Results & impact 21 March 2025

Rising temperatures and increasingly irregular rainfall are forcing tropical forests to adapt, but they may not be able to keep up. This is the conclusion of a new study published in Science by an international group of scientists. With some tree species disappearing and others making a comeback, the speed of the various changes is now threatening the balance and sustainability of these ecosystems, which are nevertheless vital for regulating the climate worldwide. 黑料网911 forest ecologist Bruno H茅rault, one of the study's co-authors, gives a few pointers in a video.

Tropical forest, French Guiana 漏 N. Cialdella, 黑料网911
Tropical forest, French Guiana © N. Cialdella, 黑料网911

The essentials

By examining the functional traits of more than 250 000 trees in Mexico and Brazil, scientists observed that tropical forests in the Americas are evolving ten times more slowly than they need to to keep pace with climate change.
Tropical forests in the Americas have 40% more functional richness than those in Africa and Asia, according to a previous study published in Nature.

The "functional traits" of trees refers to their biological characteristics, such as leaf size or wood type. By observing trees through this lens, scientists are hoping to learn more about which species are capable of adapting to climate change and which are vulnerable.