Featured Press Release by
Nature |
|
Zhou et al., Nature, 2014, was featured
in this week’s press release for Nature on April 17, 2014 as
follows: Ecology: Declining Greenness of
Congolese Rainforests DOI:
10.1038/nature13265 There
has been a widespread reduction of greenness in Congolese rainforests, which
may be attributable to less rainfall in Africa over the past decade,
according to a study published in Nature. The findings suggest
that the continuation of a drying trend could alter the species present in
the rainforests by favouring those that are more tolerant of droughts. The
Congo rainforests are the second-largest on Earth, but little is known about
how they are affected by climate change. By analysing satellite data from different
sensors (optical, thermal, microwave and gravity) over the Congo basin from
the past decade, Liming Zhou and colleagues report a large-scale decline in
forest greenness. This decline is consistent with a decreasing trend in
rainfall and terrestrial water storage, and an increasing trend in incoming
solar radiation and land surface temperature. The results indicate that
forest browning could be a consequence of a long-term drying trend in this
region, and reflect a slow adjustment to climate change. The
authors suggest that a drying-trend-driven gradual decline in forest
greenness, associated with a loss of photosynthesis capability, could alter
the forest community by supporting species that thrive in drier conditions,
and thus affect biodiversity and carbon storage. CONTACT Liming
Zhou (State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA) Tel:
+1 518 442 4446; E-mail: lzhou@albany.edu |