By combining field data from over 1,800 vegetation plots with satellite imagery and tree trait data, researchers have mapped the functional diversity of tropical forests. The results show distinct differences between forests in the Americas, Africa, and Asia: American forests exhibit the highest variation, while African forests are more specialized. Göran Wallin is a researcher at the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at Gothenburg University and a member in BECC. He is one of the co-authors in the study:
– Our findings provide a much more detailed picture of how canopy traits vary geographically. This not only helps us better understand the functional diversity of forests but also improves models predicting how different forests will respond to climate change.
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The article is published in full at Gothenburg University's website:
Unique mapping of canopy diversity in tropical forests | University of Gothenburg
Read the full article in Nature here: Canopy functional trait variation across Earth’s tropical forests
Aguirre-Gutiérrez, J., Rifai, S.W., Deng, X. et al. Canopy functional trait variation across Earth’s tropical forests. Nature (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08663-2