Title:	Canopy functional trait variation across Earth’s tropical forests.
Authors:	AGUIRRE-GUTIÉRREZ, J. RIFAI, S. W. DENG, X. STEEGE, H. ter THOMSON, E. CORRAL-RIVAS, J. J. GUIMARAES, A. F. MULLER, S. KLIPEL, J. FAUSET, S. RESENDE, A. F. WALLIN, G. JOLY, C. A. ABERNETHY, K. ADU-BREDU, S. SILVA, C. A. OLIVEIRA, E. A. de ALMEIDA, D. R. A. ALVAREZ-DAVILA, E. ASNER, G. P. BAKER, T. R. BENCHIMOL, M. BENTLEY, L. P. BERENGUER, E. BLANC, L. BONAL, D. BORDIN, K. LIMA, R. B. de BOTH, S. DUARTE, J. C. CARDOSO, D. LIMA, H. C. de CAVALHEIRO, L. CERNUSAK, L. A. PRESTES, N. C. C. dos S. ZANZINI, A. C. da S. SILVA, R. J. da SILVA, R. dos S. A. da IGUATEMY, M. de A. OLIVEIRA, T. C. de S. DECHANT, B. DERROIRE, G. DEXTER, K. G. RODRIGUES, D. J. ESPÍRITO-SANTO, M. SILVA, L. F. DOMINGUES, T. F. FERREIRA, J. N. SIMON, M. F. GIRARDIN, C. A. J. HÉRAULT, B. JEFFERY, K. J. ASHTAMOORTHY, S. K. SIVADASAN, A. K. KLITGAARD, B. LAURANCE, W. F. DAN, M. L. MAGNUSSON, W. E. CAMPOS-FILHO, E. M. SANTOS, R. M. dos MANZATTO, A. G. SILVEIRA, M. MARIMON-JUNIOR, H. H. MARTIN, R. E. VIEIRA, D. L. M. METZKER, T. MILLIKEN, W. MOONLIGHT, P. SEIXAS, M. M. M. de MORANDI, P. S. MUSCARELLA, R. NAVA-MIRANDA, M. G. NYIRAMBANGUTSE, B. SILVA, J. O. MENOR, I. O. RODRIGUES, P. J. F. P. OLIVEIRA, C. P. de ZANZINI, L. P. PERES, C. A. PUNJAYIL, V. QUESADA, C. A. RÉJOU-MÉCHAIN, M. RIUTTA, T. RIVAS-TORRES, G. ROSA, C. SALINAS, N. BERGAMIN, R. S. MARIMON, B. S. SHENKIN, A. RODRIGUES, P. M. S. FIGUEIREDO, A. E. S. GARCIA, Q. S. SPÓSITO, T. STORCK-TONON, D. SULLIVAN, M. J. P. SVÁTEK, M. SANTIAGO, W. T. V. TEH, Y. A. SIVAN, P. T. P. NASCIMENTO, M. T. VEENENDAAL, E. ZO-BI, I. C. DAGO, M. R. TRAORÉ, S. PATACCA, M. BADOUARD, V. CARVALHO, S. de P. C. e WHITE, L. J. T. ZHANG-ZHENG, H. ZIBERA, E. ZWERTS, J. A. BURSLEM, D. F. R. P. SILMAN, M. CHAVE, J. ENQUIST, B. J. BARLOW, J. PHILLIPS, O. L. COOMES, D. A. MALHI, Y.
Affiliation:	JESÚS AGUIRRE-GUTIÉRREZ, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD SAMI W. RIFAI, UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE XIONGJIE DENG, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD HANS TER STEEGE, UTRECHT UNIVERSITY ELEANOR THOMSON, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD JOSE JAVIER CORRAL-RIVAS, UNIVERSIDAD JUÁREZ DEL ESTADO DE DURANGO ARETHA FRANKLIN GUIMARAES, INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE PESQUISAS DA AMAZÔNIA SANDRA MULLER, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO GRANDE DO SUL JOICE KLIPEL, LEUPHANA UNIVERSITY OF LÜNEBURG SOPHIE FAUSET, UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH ANGELICA F. RESENDE, UNIVERSITY OF SÃO PAULO (USP/ESALQ) GÖRAN WALLIN, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD CARLOS A. JOLY, UNIVERSIDADE ESTADUAL DE CAMPINAS KATHARINE ABERNETHY, UNIVERSITY OF STIRLING STEPHEN ADU-BREDU, CSIR COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CELICE ALEXANDRE SILVA, UNIVERSIDADE DO ESTADO DE MATO GROSSO EDMAR ALMEIDA DE OLIVEIRA, UNIVERSIDADE DO ESTADO DE MATO GROSSO DANILO R. A. ALMEIDA, UNIVERSITY OF SÃO PAULO (USP/ESALQ) ESTEBAN ALVAREZ-DAVILA, UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL ABIERTA Y A DISTANCIA GREGORY P. ASNER, ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY TIMOTHY R. BAKER, UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS MAÍRA BENCHIMOL, UNIVERSIDADE ESTADUAL DE SANTA CRUZ LISA PATRICK BENTLEY, SONOMA STATE UNIVERSITY ERIKA BERENGUER, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD LILIAN BLANC, UNIVERSITÉ DE MONTPELLIER DAMIEN BONAL, UNIVERSITÉ DE LORRAINE KAUANE BORDIN, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO GRANDE DO SUL ROBSON BORGES DE LIMA, UNIVERSIDADE DO ESTADO DO AMAPÁ SABINE BOTH, UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND JAIME CABEZAS DUARTE, UNIVERSIDAD DE LOS ANDES DOMINGOS CARDOSO, INSTITUTO DE PESQUISAS JARDIM BOTÂNICO DO RIO DE JANEIRO HAROLDO C. DE LIMA, INSTITUTO DE PESQUISAS JARDIM BOTÂNICO DO RIO DE JANEIRO LARISSA CAVALHEIRO, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE MATO GROSSO LUCAS A. CERNUSAK, JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY NAYANE CRISTINA C. DOS SANTOS PRESTES, UNIVERSIDADE DO ESTADO DE MATO GROSSO ANTONIO CARLOS DA SILVA ZANZINI, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE LAVRAS RICARDO JOSÉ DA SILVA, UNIVERSIDADE DO ESTADO DE MATO GROSSO ROBSON DOS SANTOS ALVES DA SILVA, UNIVERSIDADE DO ESTADO DE MATO GROSSO MARIANA DE ANDRADE IGUATEMY, INSTITUTO DE PESQUISAS JARDIM BOTÂNICO DO RIO DE JANEIRO TONY CÉSAR DE SOUSA OLIVEIRA, FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JÜLICH GMBH BENJAMIN DECHANT, GERMAN CENTRE FOR INTEGRATIVE BIODIVERSITY RESEARCH (IDIV) HALLE-JENA-LEIPZIG GÉRALDINE DERROIRE, UNIVERSITÉ DE MONTPELLIER KYLE G. DEXTER, ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN EDINBURGH DOMINGOS J. RODRIGUES, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE MATO GROSSO MÁRIO ESPÍRITO-SANTO, UNIVERSIDADE ESTADUAL DE MONTES CLAROS LETÍCIA FERNANDES SILVA, UNIVERSIDADE PAULISTA TOMAS FERREIRA DOMINGUES, CIÊNCIAS E LETRAS DE RIBEIRÃO PRETO JOICE NUNES FERREIRA, CPATU MARCELO FRAGOMENI SIMON, CENARGEN CÉCILE A. J. GIRARDIN, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD BRUNO HÉRAULT, UNIVERSITÉ DE MONTPELLIER KATHRYN J. JEFFERY, UNIVERSITY OF STIRLING SREEJITH KALPUZHA ASHTAMOORTHY, KSCSTE–KERALA FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE ARUNKUMAR KAVIDAPADINJATTATHIL SIVADASAN, KSCSTE–KERALA FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE BENTE KLITGAARD, ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS WILLIAM F. LAURANCE, JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY MAURÍCIO LIMA DAN, INSTITUTO CAPIXABA DE PESQUISA WILLIAM E. MAGNUSSON, INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE PESQUISAS DA AMAZÔNIA EDUARDO MALTA CAMPOS-FILHO, INSTITUTO SOCIOAMBIENTAL RUBENS MANOEL DOS SANTOS, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE LAVRAS ANGELO GILBERTO MANZATTO, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE RONDÔNIA MARCOS SILVEIRA, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO ACRE BEN HUR MARIMON-JUNIOR, UNIVERSIDADE DO ESTADO DE MATO GROSSO ROBERTA E. MARTIN, ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY DANIEL LUIS MASCIA VIEIRA, CENARGEN THIAGO METZKER, IBAM—INSTITUTO BEM AMBIENTAL WILLIAM MILLIKEN, ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS PETER MOONLIGHT, TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN MARINA MARIA MORAES DE SEIXAS PAULO S. MORANDI, UNIVERSIDADE DO ESTADO DE MATO GROSSO ROBERT MUSCARELLA, UPPSALA UNIVERSITY MARÍA GUADALUPE NAVA-MIRANDA, UNIVERSIDAD JUÁREZ DEL ESTADO DE DURANGO BRIGITTE NYIRAMBANGUTSE, UNIVERSITY OF RWANDA JHONATHAN OLIVEIRA SILVA, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO VALE DO SÃO FRANCISCO (UNIVASF) IMMA OLIVERAS MENOR, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD PABLO JOSÉ FRANCISCO PENA RODRIGUES, INSTITUTO DE PESQUISAS JARDIM BOTÂNICO DO RIO DE JANEIRO CINTHIA PEREIRA DE OLIVEIRA, UNIVERSIDADE DO ESTADO DO AMAPÁ LUCAS PEREIRA ZANZINI, UNIVERSIDADE DO ESTADO DE MATO GROSSO CARLOS A. PERES, UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA VIGNESH PUNJAYIL, KSCSTE–KERALA FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE CARLOS A. QUESADA, INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE PESQUISAS DA AMAZÔNIA MAXIME RÉJOU-MÉCHAIN, UNIVERSITÉ DE MONTPELLIER TERHI RIUTTA, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD GONZALO RIVAS-TORRES, UNIVERSIDAD SAN FRANCISCO DE QUITO CLARISSA ROSA, INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE PESQUISAS DA AMAZÔNIA NORMA SALINAS, PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD CATÓLICA DEL PERÚ RODRIGO SCARTON BERGAMIN, UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM BEATRIZ SCHWANTES MARIMON, UNIVERSIDADE DO ESTADO DE MATO GROSSO ALEXANDER SHENKIN, NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY PRISCYLA MARIA SILVA RODRIGUES, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO VALE DO SÃO FRANCISCO (UNIVASF) AXA EMANUELLE SIMÕES FIGUEIREDO, UNIVERSIDADE DE BRASÍLIA QUEILA SOUZA GARCIA, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE MINAS GERAIS TEREZA SPÓSITO, IBAM—INSTITUTO BEM AMBIENTAL DANIELLE STORCK-TONON, UNIVERSIDADE DO ESTADO DE MATO GROSSO MARTIN J. P. SULLIVAN, MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY MARTIN SVÁTEK, MENDEL UNIVERSITY IN BRNO WAGNER TADEU VIEIRA SANTIAGO, UNIVERSIDADE DE AVEIRO YIT ARN TEH, NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY PRASAD THERUVIL PARAMBIL SIVAN, KSCSTE–KERALA FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE MARCELO TRINDADE NASCIMENTO, UNIVERSIDADE ESTADUAL DO NORTE FLUMINENSE DARCY RIBEIRO ELMAR VEENENDAAL, WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY AND RESEARCH IRIE CASIMIR ZO-BI, INSTITUT NATIONAL POLYTECHNIQUE FÉLIX HOUPHOUËT-BOIGNY MARIE RUTH DAGO, INSTITUT NATIONAL POLYTECHNIQUE FÉLIX HOUPHOUËT-BOIGNY SOULEMANE TRAORÉ, INSTITUT NATIONAL POLYTECHNIQUE FÉLIX HOUPHOUËT-BOIGNY MARCO PATACCA, WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY AND RESEARCH VINCYANE BADOUARD, UNIVERSITÉ DES ANTILLES SAMUEL DE PADUA CHAVES E CARVALHO, FEDERAL RURAL UNIVERSITY OF RIO DE JANEIRO LEE J. T. WHITE, UNIVERSITY OF STIRLING HUANYUAN ZHANG-ZHENG, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD ETIENNE ZIBERA, UNIVERSITY OF GOTHENBURG JOERI ALEXANDER ZWERTS, UTRECHT UNIVERSITY DAVID F. R. P. BURSLEM, UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN MILES SILMAN, WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY JÉRÔME CHAVE, UNIVERSITÉ DE TOULOUSE BRIAN J. ENQUIST, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA JOS BARLOW, LANCASTER UNIVERSITY OLIVER L. PHILLIPS, UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS DAVID A. COOMES, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE YADVINDER MALHI, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD.
Date Issued:	2025
Citation:	Nature, v. 641, p. 129-136, 2025.
Description:	Tropical forest canopies are the biosphere’s most concentrated atmospheric interface for carbon, water and energy1,2. However, in most Earth System Models, the diverse and heterogeneous tropical forest biome is represented as a largely uniform ecosystem with either a singular or a small number of fixed canopy ecophysiological properties3. This situation arises, in part, from a lack of understanding about how and why the functional properties of tropical forest canopies vary geographically4. Here, by combining field-collected data from more than 1,800 vegetation plots and tree traits with satellite remote-sensing, terrain, climate and soil data, we predict variation across 13 morphological, structural and chemical functional traits of trees, and use this to compute and map the functional diversity of tropical forests. Our findings reveal that the tropical Americas, Africa and Asia tend to occupy different portions of the total functional trait space available across tropical forests. Tropical American forests are predicted to have 40% greater functional richness than tropical African and Asian forests. Meanwhile, African forests have the highest functional divergence—32% and 7% higher than that of tropical American and Asian forests, respectively. An uncertainty analysis highlights priority regions for further data collection, which would refine and improve these maps. Our predictions represent a ground-based and remotely enabled global analysis of how and why the functional traits of tropical forest canopies vary across space.
Keywords:	Tropical forest canopies
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08663-2
Notes:	Na publicação: Joice Ferreira.
Type of Material:	Artigo de periódico
Access:	openAccess
Appears in Collections:	Artigo em periódico indexado (CENARGEN)