According to a groundbreaking new study, the average size of trees in the Amazon rainforest has more than doubled. This shift goes hand-in-hand with increasing carbon dioxide concentrations during the last three decades. Research was primarily conducted by Beatriz Marimon from the Universidade do Mato Grosso. Almost one hundred scientists from dozens of institutions joined this effort, methodically measuring tree diameters in 188 permanent plots throughout southern Amazonia. Produced in partnership with the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), this joint report illustrates the importance of Amazon forests in the fight against anthropogenic climate change.
This suggests that on average, trees in the Amazon have been getting larger by 3.2% per decade. This continued growth is a strong reflection of the trees’ response to increased atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. It was here that the research team found that big, old tropical trees are disproportionately affected by these shifts. Many of these trees are four hundred years old. The growth in tree size is an astonishing ecological success story. It’s an indication that more carbon is being stored overall in intact Amazonian forests.
Joint lead authors Adriane Esquivel Muelbert from the University of Cambridge and Rebecca Banbury Morgan from the University of Bristol emphasized the importance of this research. They argue that in order to predict how tropical rainforests will react to ongoing global change, we first need to understand the dynamics of tree size. Tim Baker, a joint senior author from University of Leeds, said the impacts of Amazon deforestation were devastating. Such devastation directly endangers these critical marine ecosystems.
The study was made possible through a robust international collaboration. It was a competition, which engaged over 600 universities – including some big names, such as Universities of Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds. Their astute observations and their deep collective expertise resulted in a comprehensive analysis. Specifically, they looked at how increasing CO₂ concentrations have shaped the distribution of tree sizes in Amazon forests.
This research provides more than just new scientific knowledge about tree growth. It highlights the crucial importance of tropical rainforests to any serious global climate strategy. By surging carbon sinks, these forests are key to addressing climate change. They continue to be endangered by drastic deforestation which has serious implications for their health and ability to sequester carbon.