A team of More than 100 scientists, have evaluated the impact of global warming on thousands of tree species across the Amazon from 30 years of climate change.
The scientists have found and categorized some as ‘losers’ (that are not suited to the new conditions) and others as ‘winners’.
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The study found out, that most moisture-loving tree species are dying more frequently than other species.
Team leader Dr Adriane Esquivel Muelbert, from the School of Geography at the University of Leeds, said: “The ecosystem’s response is lagging behind the rate of climate change. The data showed us that the droughts that hit the Amazon basin in the last decades had serious consequences for the make-up of the forest, with higher mortality in tree species most vulnerable to droughts and not enough compensatory growth in species better equipped to survive drier conditions.”
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According to the study, the bigger trees – predominantly canopy species in the upper levels of the forests – are surpassing smaller plants.
The team confirms the belief that canopy species would be climate change ‘winners’ as they benefit from increased carbon dioxide, which can allow them to grow more quickly. This suggests that higher the carbon dioxide concentrations, the more it will have a direct impact on rainforest composition and forest dynamics – the way forests grow, die and change.
Co-author Dr Kyle Dexter, from the University of Edinburgh, said: “Our findings highlight the need for strict measures to protect existing intact rainforests. Deforestation for agriculture and livestock is known to intensify the droughts in this region, which is exacerbating the effects already being caused by global climate change.”
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