Are tropical forests approaching critical temperature thresholds?
Klaus Winter
Abstract
There is growing concern about the fate of tropical forests in the face of rising global temperatures. Doughty et al. (2023) suggest that an increase in air temperature beyond ∼4 °C will result in massive death of tropical forest leaves and potentially tree death. However, this prediction relies on assumptions that likely underestimate the heat tolerance of tropical leaves.
Topics & Concepts
BiologyTropical forestTropicsTropical climateAgroforestryTropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forestsEcologyAtmospheric sciencesSubtropicsGeologyPlant Water Relations and Carbon DynamicsSpecies Distribution and Climate ChangeEcology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies