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Significance Drought events affecting tropical rainforests are expected to become more frequent due to climate change. However, the ability of tropical rainforests to withstand drought remains controversial. We developed a… Click to show full abstract
Significance Drought events affecting tropical rainforests are expected to become more frequent due to climate change. However, the ability of tropical rainforests to withstand drought remains controversial. We developed a radar data set that quantifies how global intact tropical rainforests have responded to droughts continuously since 1992. The radar instruments used in this study actively sense moisture levels of forest canopies, and they are insensitive to cloud cover. We found a long-term declining trend of radar signal in all three continents, and that most intact tropical rainforests have become increasingly vulnerable to drought. Thus, repeated droughts may navigate the world’s last intact rainforests out of their normal functioning regime.
Journal Title: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Year Published: 2022
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