A

Canopy functional trait variation across Earth’s tropical forests

Nature, vol. 641, pp. 129–136

Abstract

Abstract 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.

Authors 99

  1. University of Oxford

    Affiliation as printed

    Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. jeaggu@gmail.com

    Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. jeaggu@gmail.com

  2. The University of Adelaide

    Affiliation as printed

    School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

  3. University of Oxford

    Affiliation as printed

    Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

  4. Naturalis Biodiversity Center · Utrecht University

    Affiliation as printed

    Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Quantitative Biodiversity Dynamics, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

  5. University of Oxford

    Affiliation as printed

    Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

  6. Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango

    Affiliation as printed

    Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Ambientales, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Durango, Mexico

  7. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia

    Affiliation as printed

    Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil

  8. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

    Affiliation as printed

    Plant Ecology Lab, Ecology Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil

  9. Leuphana University of Lüneburg · Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Ecology, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany

    Plant Ecology Lab, Ecology Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil

  10. University of Plymouth

    Affiliation as printed

    School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK

  11. University of Stirling · Universidade de São Paulo

    Affiliation as printed

    Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK

    Department of Forest Sciences, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo (USP/ESALQ), Piracicaba, Brazil

  12. University of Oxford · University of Gothenburg

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

  13. Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)

    Affiliation as printed

    Brazilian Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (BPBES), Campinas, Brazil

    Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil

  14. University of Stirling

    Affiliation as printed

    Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK

    Institut de Recherche en Écologie Tropicale, Libreville, Gabon

  15. Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology · Forestry Research Institute of Ghana

    Affiliation as printed

    CSIR-Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Kumasi, Ghana

    Department of Natural Resources Management, CSIR College of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

  16. Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso

    Affiliation as printed

    Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Tangará da Serra, Brazil

  17. Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso

    Affiliation as printed

    PPG Ecology and Conservation, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, Brazil

  18. Universidade de São Paulo

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Forest Sciences, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo (USP/ESALQ), Piracicaba, Brazil

  19. Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia

    Affiliation as printed

    Escuela de Ciencias Agrícolas, Pecuarias y Ambientales - ECAPMA, Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia, Bogota, Colombia

  20. Arizona State University

    Affiliation as printed

    Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

  21. University of Leeds

    Affiliation as printed

    School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

  22. Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz

    Affiliation as printed

    Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada à Conservacão, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Brazil

  23. Sonoma State University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA, USA

  24. University of Oxford · Lancaster University

    Affiliation as printed

    Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK

  25. Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement · Université de Montpellier · Forests and Societies

    Affiliation as printed

    Forêts et Sociétés, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, Montpellier, France

  26. AgroParisTech · Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement · Silva · Ecologie et Ecophysiologie Forestières · Université de Lorraine

    Affiliation as printed

    INRAE, Université de Lorraine, AgroParisTech, UMR Silva, Nancy, France

  27. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Ecology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil

  28. Universidade Estadual do Amapá

    Affiliation as printed

    Laboratório de Manejo Florestal, Universidade do Estado do Amapá, Macapá, Brazil

  29. University of New England

    Affiliation as printed

    Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia

  30. Universidad de Los Andes · Jardín Botánico de Bogotá José Celestino Mutis

    Affiliation as printed

    Jardín Botánico de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia

    Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia

  31. Universidade Federal da Bahia · Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro

    Affiliation as printed

    Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil

    Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

  32. Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro

    Affiliation as printed

    Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

  33. Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso

    Affiliation as printed

    Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Sinop, Brazil

  34. James Cook University

    Affiliation as printed

    College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia

  35. Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso

    Affiliation as printed

    PPG Ecology and Conservation, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, Brazil

  36. Universidade Federal de Lavras

    Affiliation as printed

    Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brazil

  37. Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso

    Affiliation as printed

    Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Tangará da Serra, Brazil

  38. Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso

    Affiliation as printed

    Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Tangará da Serra, Brazil

  39. Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro · International Institute for Sustainability

    Affiliation as printed

    Instituto Internacional para Sustentabilidade, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

  40. Forschungszentrum Jülich · Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences

    Affiliation as printed

    Faculty of Communication and Environment, Hochschule Rhein-Waal, Kamp-Lintfort, Germany

    Institute of Biogeosciences, IBG2: Plant Sciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany

  41. German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research · Leipzig University

    Affiliation as printed

    German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany

  42. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement · Université de Montpellier · Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement · Forests and Societies · Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane

    Affiliation as printed

    Cirad, UMR EcoFoG (AgroParistech, CNRS, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de la Guyane), Campus Agronomique, Kourou, French Guiana

    Forêts et Sociétés, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, Montpellier, France

  43. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh · University of Turin · University of Edinburgh

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy

    Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

    School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

  44. Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso

    Affiliation as printed

    Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Sinop, Brazil

  45. Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros

    Affiliation as printed

    Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, Montes Claros, Brazil

  46. Universidade Federal do Acre · Universidade Paulista

    Affiliation as printed

    Universidade Federal do Acre, Rio Branco, Brazil

    Universidade Paulista, Polo Rio Branco, Brazil

  47. Universidade de São Paulo

    Affiliation as printed

    Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil

    Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

  48. Embrapa Amazônia Oriental

    Affiliation as printed

    Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, Belém, Brazil

  49. Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia

    Affiliation as printed

    Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Brasília, Brazil

  50. University of Oxford

    Affiliation as printed

    Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

  51. Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement · Université de Montpellier · Forests and Societies

    Affiliation as printed

    Forêts et Sociétés, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, Montpellier, France

  52. University of Stirling

    Affiliation as printed

    Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK

  53. Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment · Kerala Forest Research Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Forest Ecology Department, KSCSTE-Kerala Forest Research Institute, Kerala, India

  54. Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment · Kerala Forest Research Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Forest Ecology Department, KSCSTE-Kerala Forest Research Institute, Kerala, India

  55. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

    Affiliation as printed

    Department for Accelerated Taxonomy, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK

  56. James Cook University

    Affiliation as printed

    College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia

  57. Instituto Capixaba de Pesquisa, Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural

    Affiliation as printed

    Centro de Pesquisa, Desenvolvimento e Inovação Sul, Instituto Capixaba de Pesquisa, Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural, Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Brazil

  58. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia

    Affiliation as printed

    Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil

  59. Instituto Sócioambiental

    Affiliation as printed

    Instituto Socioambiental, São Paulo, Brazil

  60. Universidade Federal de Rondônia

    Affiliation as printed

    Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Rondônia, Porto Velho, Brazil

  61. Universidade Federal do Acre

    Affiliation as printed

    Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Natureza, Universidade Federal do Acre, Rio Branco, Brazil

  62. Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso

    Affiliation as printed

    Laboratório de Ecologia Vegetal (LABEV), Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, Brazil

  63. Arizona State University

    Affiliation as printed

    Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

  64. Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia

    Affiliation as printed

    Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Brasília, Brazil

  65. Affiliation as printed

    IBAM-Instituto Bem Ambiental, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

    Myr Projetos Sustentáveis, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

  66. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

    Affiliation as printed

    Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK

  67. Trinity College Dublin

    Affiliation as printed

    Botany, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

  68. Embrapa Amazônia Oriental

    Affiliation as printed

    Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, Belém, Brazil

  69. Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso

    Affiliation as printed

    Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, Brazil

  70. Uppsala University

    Affiliation as printed

    Plant Ecology and Evolution, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

  71. Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango · Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

    Affiliation as printed

    Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Durango, Mexico

    Escuela Politécnica Superior de Ingeniería, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Terra, Lugo, España

  72. University of Rwanda

    Affiliation as printed

    Global Green Growth Institute, Rwanda Program, Kigali, Rwanda

    University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda

  73. Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco

    Affiliation as printed

    Colegiado de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco (UNIVASF), Senhor do Bonfim, Brazil

  74. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement · Université de Montpellier · University of Oxford · Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement · UMR Botanique et Modélisation de l’Architecture des Plantes et des végétations · Institut de Recherche pour le Développement

    Affiliation as printed

    AMAP, Université de Montpellier, IRD, CNRS, CIRAD INRAE, Montpellier, France

    Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

  75. Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro · Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco

    Affiliation as printed

    Colegiado de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco (UNIVASF), Senhor do Bonfim, Brazil

    Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

  76. Universidade Estadual do Amapá

    Affiliation as printed

    Laboratório de Manejo Florestal, Universidade do Estado do Amapá, Macapá, Brazil

  77. Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso

    Affiliation as printed

    Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Caceres, Brazil

  78. University of East Anglia

    Affiliation as printed

    School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK

  79. Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment · Kerala Forest Research Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Forest Ecology Department, KSCSTE-Kerala Forest Research Institute, Kerala, India

  80. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia

    Affiliation as printed

    Coordenação de Dinâmica Ambiental, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil

  81. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement · Université de Montpellier · Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement · UMR Botanique et Modélisation de l’Architecture des Plantes et des végétations · Institut de Recherche pour le Développement

    Affiliation as printed

    AMAP, Université de Montpellier, IRD, CNRS, CIRAD INRAE, Montpellier, France

  82. University of Exeter · University of Oxford

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Geography, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK

    Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

  83. Universidad San Francisco de Quito

    Affiliation as printed

    Estación de Biodiversidad Tiputini, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador

  84. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia

    Affiliation as printed

    Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil

  85. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute for Nature Earth and Energy, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Peru

  86. University of Birmingham

    Affiliation as printed

    Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR), University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

    School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

  87. Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso

    Affiliation as printed

    Laboratório de Ecologia Vegetal (LABEV), Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, Brazil

  88. Northern Arizona University

    Affiliation as printed

    School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA

  89. Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro · Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco

    Affiliation as printed

    Colegiado de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco (UNIVASF), Senhor do Bonfim, Brazil

    Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

  90. Universidade de Brasília

    Affiliation as printed

    Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil

  91. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

    Affiliation as printed

    Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

  92. Affiliation as printed

    IBAM-Instituto Bem Ambiental, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

  93. Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso

    Affiliation as printed

    Programa de Pós-graduação em Ambiente e Sistemas de Produção Agrícola, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Tangará da Serra, Brazil

  94. Manchester Metropolitan University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK

  95. Mendel University in Brno

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Forest Botany, Dendrology and Geobiocoenology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic

  96. Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar · University of Aveiro

    Affiliation as printed

    CESAM-Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Departamento de Biologia, Pesquisador Colaborador, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal

  97. Newcastle University

    Affiliation as printed

    School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

  98. Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment · Kerala Forest Research Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Forest Ecology Department, KSCSTE-Kerala Forest Research Institute, Kerala, India

  99. State University of Norte Fluminense

    Affiliation as printed

    Laboratório de Ciências Ambientais, CBB, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil

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References 80