Evidence grows of rainforest resilience to global warming

The world’s tropical forest are less likely to lose biomass, or plant material, this century due to the effects of global warming than previously thought, said scientists in a paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience. This adds to growing evidence that rainforests might be more resilient to the effects of climate change than feared.

In this study, scientists and tropical ecologists from Britain, the United States, Australia, and Brazil used computer simulations based on 22 climate models to study the response of tropical forest in America, Africa, and Asia to rising global temperatures. “While these new results suggest that tropical forests may be quite resilient to warming, it is important also to remember that other factor not included in this study, such as fire and deforestation, will also affect the carbon stored in tropical forests,” said co-author David Galbraith from the University of Leeds.