Standard
Harvard
Aguirre-Gutiérrez, J, Rifai, SW, Deng, X, ter Steege, H, Thomson, E, Corral-Rivas, JJ, Guimaraes, AF, Muller, S, Klipel, J, Fauset, S, Resende, AF, Wallin, G, Joly, CA, Abernethy, K, Adu-Bredu, S, Alexandre Silva, C, de Oliveira, EA
, Almeida, DRA, Alvarez-Davila, E, Asner, GP, Baker, TR, Benchimol, M, Bentley, LP
, Berenguer, E, Blanc, L, Bonal, D, Bordin, K, Borges de Lima, R, Both, S, Cabezas Duarte, J, Cardoso, D, de Lima, HC, Cavalheiro, L, Cernusak, LA, dos Santos Prestes, NCC, da Silva Zanzini, AC, da Silva, RJ, dos Santos Alves da Silva, R, de Andrade Iguatemy, M, De Sousa Oliveira, TC, Dechant, B, Derroire, G, Dexter, KG, Rodrigues, DJ, Espírito-Santo, M, Silva, LF, Domingues, TF, Ferreira, J, Simon, MF, Girardin, CAJ, Hérault, B, Jeffery, KJ, Kalpuzha Ashtamoorthy, S, Kavidapadinjattathil Sivadasan, A, Klitgaard, B, Laurance, WF, Dan, ML, Magnusson, WE, Campos-Filho, EM, Manoel dos Santos, R, Manzatto, AG, Silveira, M, Marimon-Junior, BH, Martin, RE, Vieira, DLM, Metzker, T, Milliken, W, Moonlight, P, Moraes de Seixas, MM, Morandi, PS, Muscarella, R, Nava-Miranda, MG, Nyirambangutse, B, Silva, JO, Oliveras Menor, I, Francisco Pena Rodrigues, PJ, Pereira de Oliveira, C, Pereira Zanzini, L, Peres, CA, Punjayil, V, Quesada, CA, Réjou-Méchain, M, Riutta, T, Rivas-Torres, G, Rosa, C, Salinas, N, Bergamin, RS, Marimon, BS, Shenkin, A, Silva Rodrigues, PM, Figueiredo, AES, Garcia, QS, Spósito, T, Storck-Tonon, D, Sullivan, MJP, Svátek, M, Vieira Santiago, WT, Arn Teh, Y, Theruvil Parambil Sivan, P, Nascimento, MT, Veenendaal, E, Zo-Bi, IC, Dago, MR, Traoré, S, Patacca, M, Badouard, V, de Padua Chaves e Carvalho, S, White, LJT, Zhang-Zheng, H, Zibera, E, Zwerts, JA, Burslem, DFRP, Silman, M, Chave, J, Enquist, BJ
, Barlow, J, Phillips, OL, Coomes, DA & Malhi, Y 2025, '
Canopy functional trait variation across Earth’s tropical forests',
Nature.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08663-2APA
Aguirre-Gutiérrez, J., Rifai, S. W., Deng, X., ter Steege, H., 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., Alexandre Silva, C., de Oliveira, E. A.
, Almeida, D. R. A., Alvarez-Davila, E., ... Malhi, Y. (2025).
Canopy functional trait variation across Earth’s tropical forests.
Nature. Advance online publication.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08663-2Vancouver
Author
Bibtex
@article{f28f8a1b7a9f400f8dd1ad51930d3e43,
title = "Canopy functional trait variation across Earth{\textquoteright}s tropical forests",
abstract = "Tropical forest canopies are the biosphere{\textquoteright}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.",
author = "Jes{\'u}s Aguirre-Guti{\'e}rrez and Rifai, {Sami W.} and Xiongjie Deng and {ter Steege}, Hans and Eleanor Thomson and Corral-Rivas, {Jose Javier} and Guimaraes, {Aretha Franklin} and Sandra Muller and Joice Klipel and Sophie Fauset and Resende, {Angelica F.} and G{\"o}ran Wallin and Joly, {Carlos A.} and Katharine Abernethy and Stephen Adu-Bredu and {Alexandre Silva}, Celice and {de Oliveira}, {Edmar Almeida} and Almeida, {Danilo R. A.} and Esteban Alvarez-Davila and Asner, {Gregory P.} and Baker, {Timothy R.} and Ma{\'i}ra Benchimol and Bentley, {Lisa Patrick} and Erika Berenguer and Lilian Blanc and Damien Bonal and Kauane Bordin and {Borges de Lima}, Robson and Sabine Both and {Cabezas Duarte}, Jaime and Domingos Cardoso and {de Lima}, {Haroldo C.} and Larissa Cavalheiro and Cernusak, {Lucas A.} and {dos Santos Prestes}, {Nayane Cristina C.} and {da Silva Zanzini}, {Antonio Carlos} and {da Silva}, {Ricardo Jos{\'e}} and {dos Santos Alves da Silva}, Robson and {de Andrade Iguatemy}, Mariana and {De Sousa Oliveira}, {Tony C{\'e}sar} and Benjamin Dechant and G{\'e}raldine Derroire and Dexter, {Kyle G.} and Rodrigues, {Domingos J.} and M{\'a}rio Esp{\'i}rito-Santo and Silva, {Let{\'i}cia Fernandes} and Domingues, {Tomas Ferreira} and Joice Ferreira and Simon, {Marcelo Fragomeni} and Girardin, {C{\'e}cile A. J.} and Bruno H{\'e}rault and Jeffery, {Kathryn J.} and {Kalpuzha Ashtamoorthy}, Sreejith and {Kavidapadinjattathil Sivadasan}, Arunkumar and Bente Klitgaard and Laurance, {William F.} and Dan, {Maur{\'i}cio Lima} and Magnusson, {William E.} and Campos-Filho, {Eduardo Malta} and {Manoel dos Santos}, Rubens and Manzatto, {Angelo Gilberto} and Marcos Silveira and Marimon-Junior, {Ben Hur} and Martin, {Roberta E.} and Vieira, {Daniel Luis Mascia} and Thiago Metzker and William Milliken and Peter Moonlight and {Moraes de Seixas}, {Marina Maria} and Morandi, {Paulo S.} and Robert Muscarella and Nava-Miranda, {Mar{\'i}a Guadalupe} and Brigitte Nyirambangutse and Silva, {Jhonathan Oliveira} and {Oliveras Menor}, Imma and {Francisco Pena Rodrigues}, {Pablo Jos{\'e}} and {Pereira de Oliveira}, Cinthia and {Pereira Zanzini}, Lucas and Peres, {Carlos A.} and Vignesh Punjayil and Quesada, {Carlos A.} and Maxime R{\'e}jou-M{\'e}chain and Terhi Riutta and Gonzalo Rivas-Torres and Clarissa Rosa and Norma Salinas and Bergamin, {Rodrigo Scarton} and Marimon, {Beatriz Schwantes} and Alexander Shenkin and {Silva Rodrigues}, {Priscyla Maria} and Figueiredo, {Axa Emanuelle Sim{\~o}es} and Garcia, {Queila Souza} and Tereza Sp{\'o}sito and Danielle Storck-Tonon and Sullivan, {Martin J. P.} and Martin Sv{\'a}tek and {Vieira Santiago}, {Wagner Tadeu} and {Arn Teh}, Yit and {Theruvil Parambil Sivan}, Prasad and Nascimento, {Marcelo Trindade} and Elmar Veenendaal and Zo-Bi, {Irie Casimir} and Dago, {Marie Ruth} and Soulemane Traor{\'e} and Marco Patacca and Vincyane Badouard and {de Padua Chaves e Carvalho}, Samuel and White, {Lee J. T.} and Huanyuan Zhang-Zheng and Etienne Zibera and Zwerts, {Joeri Alexander} and Burslem, {David F. R. P.} and Miles Silman and J{\'e}r{\^o}me Chave and Enquist, {Brian J.} and Jos Barlow and Phillips, {Oliver L.} and Coomes, {David A.} and Yadvinder Malhi",
year = "2025",
month = mar,
day = "5",
doi = "10.1038/s41586-025-08663-2",
language = "English",
journal = "Nature",
issn = "0028-0836",
publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - Canopy functional trait variation across Earth’s tropical forests
AU - Aguirre-Gutiérrez, Jesús
AU - Rifai, Sami W.
AU - Deng, Xiongjie
AU - ter Steege, Hans
AU - Thomson, Eleanor
AU - Corral-Rivas, Jose Javier
AU - Guimaraes, Aretha Franklin
AU - Muller, Sandra
AU - Klipel, Joice
AU - Fauset, Sophie
AU - Resende, Angelica F.
AU - Wallin, Göran
AU - Joly, Carlos A.
AU - Abernethy, Katharine
AU - Adu-Bredu, Stephen
AU - Alexandre Silva, Celice
AU - de Oliveira, Edmar Almeida
AU - Almeida, Danilo R. A.
AU - Alvarez-Davila, Esteban
AU - Asner, Gregory P.
AU - Baker, Timothy R.
AU - Benchimol, Maíra
AU - Bentley, Lisa Patrick
AU - Berenguer, Erika
AU - Blanc, Lilian
AU - Bonal, Damien
AU - Bordin, Kauane
AU - Borges de Lima, Robson
AU - Both, Sabine
AU - Cabezas Duarte, Jaime
AU - Cardoso, Domingos
AU - de Lima, Haroldo C.
AU - Cavalheiro, Larissa
AU - Cernusak, Lucas A.
AU - dos Santos Prestes, Nayane Cristina C.
AU - da Silva Zanzini, Antonio Carlos
AU - da Silva, Ricardo José
AU - dos Santos Alves da Silva, Robson
AU - de Andrade Iguatemy, Mariana
AU - De Sousa Oliveira, Tony César
AU - Dechant, Benjamin
AU - Derroire, Géraldine
AU - Dexter, Kyle G.
AU - Rodrigues, Domingos J.
AU - Espírito-Santo, Mário
AU - Silva, Letícia Fernandes
AU - Domingues, Tomas Ferreira
AU - Ferreira, Joice
AU - Simon, Marcelo Fragomeni
AU - Girardin, Cécile A. J.
AU - Hérault, Bruno
AU - Jeffery, Kathryn J.
AU - Kalpuzha Ashtamoorthy, Sreejith
AU - Kavidapadinjattathil Sivadasan, Arunkumar
AU - Klitgaard, Bente
AU - Laurance, William F.
AU - Dan, Maurício Lima
AU - Magnusson, William E.
AU - Campos-Filho, Eduardo Malta
AU - Manoel dos Santos, Rubens
AU - Manzatto, Angelo Gilberto
AU - Silveira, Marcos
AU - Marimon-Junior, Ben Hur
AU - Martin, Roberta E.
AU - Vieira, Daniel Luis Mascia
AU - Metzker, Thiago
AU - Milliken, William
AU - Moonlight, Peter
AU - Moraes de Seixas, Marina Maria
AU - Morandi, Paulo S.
AU - Muscarella, Robert
AU - Nava-Miranda, María Guadalupe
AU - Nyirambangutse, Brigitte
AU - Silva, Jhonathan Oliveira
AU - Oliveras Menor, Imma
AU - Francisco Pena Rodrigues, Pablo José
AU - Pereira de Oliveira, Cinthia
AU - Pereira Zanzini, Lucas
AU - Peres, Carlos A.
AU - Punjayil, Vignesh
AU - Quesada, Carlos A.
AU - Réjou-Méchain, Maxime
AU - Riutta, Terhi
AU - Rivas-Torres, Gonzalo
AU - Rosa, Clarissa
AU - Salinas, Norma
AU - Bergamin, Rodrigo Scarton
AU - Marimon, Beatriz Schwantes
AU - Shenkin, Alexander
AU - Silva Rodrigues, Priscyla Maria
AU - Figueiredo, Axa Emanuelle Simões
AU - Garcia, Queila Souza
AU - Spósito, Tereza
AU - Storck-Tonon, Danielle
AU - Sullivan, Martin J. P.
AU - Svátek, Martin
AU - Vieira Santiago, Wagner Tadeu
AU - Arn Teh, Yit
AU - Theruvil Parambil Sivan, Prasad
AU - Nascimento, Marcelo Trindade
AU - Veenendaal, Elmar
AU - Zo-Bi, Irie Casimir
AU - Dago, Marie Ruth
AU - Traoré, Soulemane
AU - Patacca, Marco
AU - Badouard, Vincyane
AU - de Padua Chaves e Carvalho, Samuel
AU - White, Lee J. T.
AU - Zhang-Zheng, Huanyuan
AU - Zibera, Etienne
AU - Zwerts, Joeri Alexander
AU - Burslem, David F. R. P.
AU - Silman, Miles
AU - Chave, Jérôme
AU - Enquist, Brian J.
AU - Barlow, Jos
AU - Phillips, Oliver L.
AU - Coomes, David A.
AU - Malhi, Yadvinder
PY - 2025/3/5
Y1 - 2025/3/5
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
U2 - 10.1038/s41586-025-08663-2
DO - 10.1038/s41586-025-08663-2
M3 - Journal article
JO - Nature
JF - Nature
SN - 0028-0836
ER -
