Forest Dynamics and Tropical Ecosystem Transitions

Forest dynamics encompass the patterns and processes by which tree communities develop, regenerate and respond to environmental drivers over time. In tropical regions, these dynamics are intricately linked to transitions between open savanna, closed‐canopy forest and specialised forest formations that emerge under unique edaphic or hydrological conditions. Transitions are driven by interactions among disturbance regimes (such as fire and logging), species‐specific traits (for example, coppicing ability and shade tolerance), soil properties and climatic variation. Such shifts alter carbon storage, biodiversity and ecosystem services at landscape scales. Recent advances in remote sensing, long‐term plot monitoring and trait‐based ecology have deepened our understanding of how savanna trees give way to forest pioneers, how monodominant patches arise and persist, and how feedbacks between vegetation structure and microclimate regulate successional trajectories. This knowledge is vital for predicting ecosystem responses to land‐use change and for guiding restoration and conservation in tropical biodiversity hotspots.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have revealed that instances of monodominance—where a single tree species comprises more than half of individuals in a forest plot—are exceptionally rare in the Amazon basin. Large‐scale analysis of inventory data showed that coppicing capacity and local soil conditions, rather than broad functional traits like wood density or seed mass, are primary factors enabling rare monodominant stands. This work refines models of species assembly during forest succession, emphasises the role of edaphic filtering in driving stand composition and provides improved estimates of carbon storage in hyperdiverse forests.

Forest Dynamics and Tropical Ecosystem Transitions publication trend

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

Technical terms

Forest dynamics: Temporal changes in forest structure, composition and function driven by growth, death, disturbance and recruitment.

Succession: Sequential development of plant communities following disturbance or on new substrates.

Monodominance: A forest state in which one tree species accounts for at least half of the individual stems.

Above-ground biomass (AGB): Total mass of living plant material above the soil surface, often expressed in megagrams per hectare.

Ecotone: Transitional zone between two distinct ecosystem types, such as savanna and forest.

References

1. Species Substitution and Changes in the Structure, Volume, and Biomass of Forest in a Savanna. Plants (2024).
2. African Savanna-Forest Boundary Dynamics: A 20-Year Study. PLOS ONE (2016).
3. Rarity of monodominance in hyperdiverse Amazonian forests. Scientific Reports (2019).
4. Post-fire dynamics of the woody vegetation of a savanna forest (Cerradão) in the Cerrado-Amazon transition zone. Acta Botanica Brasilica (2015).