Forest Ecosystems

Forest ecosystems are among the most structurally complex and biodiverse habitats on Earth, spanning tropical rainforests to boreal taiga. They perform critical ecosystem functions—photosynthetic carbon uptake, water regulation, soil formation and nutrient cycling—that underpin global biogeochemical cycles and provide a wide array of services to humanity. Through their above- and below-ground biomass, forests serve as the planet’s largest terrestrial carbon reservoirs, moderating climate by sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide. Canopy structure and species composition govern microclimates and hydrological flows, while leaf litter and root turnover sustain soil fertility and support diverse food webs from soil microbes to canopy arthropods and mammalian herbivores. The distribution and diversity of tree species, together with their mycorrhizal and microbial associates, shape the productivity, resilience and successional trajectories of forests in response to disturbance. Forests also supply provisioning goods—timber, non-timber products, fodder and fuelwood—and cultural, recreational and spiritual benefits that sustain rural livelihoods. However, they face mounting pressures from land-use change, fragmentation, selective logging and climate anomalies. A holistic understanding of forest ecosystem dynamics, including species interactions, disturbance regimes and adaptive management, is essential to safeguard their ecological integrity and to maintain the services upon which both local communities and the global climate depend.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Global satellite and LiDAR analyses have revealed that selective logging, fire and agricultural conversion have caused up to 50% declines in canopy height and 20–30% reductions in above-ground biomass in tropical moist forests, with edge-related degradation extending up to 1.5 km into intact stands. Separate ground-based surveys in South America showed that the 2015–2016 El Niño drought halted the regional carbon sink, reducing net biomass gain to near zero, although forests did not exhibit greater vulnerability to this extreme event than to more moderate droughts. In central Amazonia, terrestrial LiDAR measurements demonstrated that trees at fragment margins adapt to edge conditions by increasing branch thickness yet suffer height suppression among large trees, resulting in a net biomass loss of about 6 Mg ha⁻¹—equivalent to 2.3% of local biomass—in long-term fragments. These findings highlight the persistent legacy of fragmentation on forest structure, the pivotal role of extreme climate events in modulating carbon sequestration and the complex architectural responses of trees to altered microclimates.

Research from all publishers

Continental-scale mapping of tropical dry woodlands has shown that more than 40% of remaining patches lie outside strictly protected areas and that loss is disproportionately concentrated in high-value conservation frontiers. This work calls for tailored governance measures—enhanced enforcement within protected zones and restoration incentives on degraded lands—to conserve biodiversity and carbon stocks. A millennial-scale palaeoecological study in Amazonian and Andean sites, integrating fossil pollen and functional-trait proxies, found that wetter climates favour acquisitive traits (large leaves, softer wood) while warm, dry periods drive communities towards shorter stature and drought-adapted species, foreshadowing shifts under future rainfall changes. Additionally, a regional analysis of deforestation drivers identified that agricultural and mining concessions drive forest loss differently across land-tenure regimes, with clear-cut fronts often impinging on high biodiversity areas, underscoring the need for context-specific land-use policy to balance development and conservation goals.

Forest Ecosystems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in forest ecosystems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Functional diversity: The range and value of traits among species in a community that influence ecosystem processes and resource use.

Edge effects: Alterations in forest microclimate, structure and species composition observed near boundaries with non-forest land uses.

Carbon sink saturation: A decline in the capacity of forests to sequester carbon over time, often due to disturbances or physiological limits.

El Niño drought: A severe drought event driven by El Niño–Southern Oscillation that can disrupt forest water balance and carbon uptake.

Terrestrial LiDAR: Ground-based laser scanning technology that produces detailed three-dimensional measurements of tree architecture and forest structure.

References

1. Human degradation of tropical moist forests is greater than previously estimated. Nature (2024).
2. Sensitivity of South American tropical forests to an extreme climate anomaly. Nature Climate Change (2023).
3. Edge effects on tree architecture exacerbate biomass loss of fragmented Amazonian forests. Nature Communications (2023).
4. Tropical dry woodland loss occurs disproportionately in areas of highest conservation value. Global Change Biology (2023).
5. Warming, drought, and disturbances lead to shifts in functional composition: A millennial‐scale analysis for Amazonian and Andean sites. Global Change Biology (2023).
6. Land tenure drives Brazil’s deforestation rates across socio-environmental contexts. Nature Communications (2022).