The Problem

The warming of the global climate is now indisputable. The 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 4 th Assessment Report, for example, documents increasing air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of ice and snow, and rising sea levels. These large-scale changes have enormous implications for forests, which constitute 27% of total land mass world wide. Indeed, the effects of climate change on forests are alarming. Expected temperature rises are likely to place severe pressure on forests’ ability to adapt and survive. Additionally, rising temperatures will lead to changes in availability of water and carbon dioxide, so that at least one-third of all forests worldwide will experience significant shifts in species composition (CIDA 2001). While higher-latitude forests are expected to be most affected, tropical forests also will experience changes as a result of shifts in growing conditions. The direction of effect, however, is unclear: on the one hand, the survival of tropical forest species may be challenged by these changes; on the other hand, forests may experience growth and expansion. Although the consequences of climate change have not ascertained by the scientific community, any large-scale impacts have important implications not only for the inhabitants of these forests, but also for broader ecological systems and the humans who depend on them.

To learn more about specific tropical rainforest responses to climate change, as well as the implications of these changes, scroll down the toolbar on your right.