Trees in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest are migrating in search of more favorable temperatures, while species in montane forests are moving uphill to escape rising heat caused by climate change, a new study reveals.
Most species in the higher reaches of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest are thriving as temperatures rise, but scientists say the trees that thrive in colder temperatures are at risk of extinction as the world continues to warm.
Researchers studying the forest, which stretches along Brazil’s Atlantic coast, have also found that some trees in lowland forests migrate downhill.
They publish their findings today (July 23). Journal of Vegetation Sciences, an international group of researchers reveals the first signs of climate change affecting the mix of tree species in the Atlantic Forest, a place known for its rich diversity of life.
Lead author Dr. Rodrigo Bergamin, from the University of Birmingham, noted: “We found that different species move in different directions – in lower forests, trees move downhill more often than uphill, probably due to factors other than temperature, such as competition between species.
“However, in forests higher up in the mountains, most species move uphill as temperatures rise and the undergrowth becomes more suitable for trees that prefer warm temperatures. This could mean that species that require colder temperatures are at risk of extinction as the world expands.” stays warm.”
The researchers studied 627 tree species at 96 different locations in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest to calculate community temperature scores (CTS) – a way to understand climate patterns in the forest.
Researchers also found that younger trees in high-altitude forests move uphill; young groups of trees had more growth than the older ones, and this growth had increased over a decade of observing the forest.
Prof. Sandra Müller from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, lead author of the study, said: “Species from higher altitudes are generally more sensitive to temperature and species that require cold are likely to lose competition at warmer temperatures with species that provide prefer higher temperatures.”
The Brazilian Atlantic Forest, called Mata Atlântica in Portuguese, extends from the state of Rio Grande do Norte in the northeast to the state of Rio Grande do Sul in the south. It covers an area inland as far as Paraguay and the Misiones province of Argentina. The forest is considered one of the world’s most important biodiversity hotspots and is home to a wide range of unique species and ecosystems.
“This study showed what’s happening in the southern Atlantic Forest, but different regions may show different trends. We’re now bringing together researchers from across the biome to create the big picture of how these forests are responding to global changes “, he says. said dr. Adriane Esquivel Muelbert, associate professor at the University of Birmingham, co-author of the study.
