US EditionAmazon Trees Are Growing Larger by About 3% Per Decade, Landmark Study Finds
- A global team of nearly 100 scientists published a 2025 study in Nature Plants showing Amazon tree sizes have increased steadily over recent decades.
- The study tracked tree diameters at 188 plots across the Amazon basin for up to 30 years as atmospheric CO2 levels rose nearly 20%.
- Researchers found both large and smaller trees grew larger by about 3.3% per decade, consistent with fertilization from increased atmospheric carbon dioxide.
- Dr. Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert explained that large trees have an advantage in accessing light and water, making them crucial to the forest’s carbon storage; therefore, losing these trees would have a significant impact on carbon levels.
- While the forest shows resilience, experts including Dr. Rebecca Banbury Morgan warn that deforestation remains a critical threat which could undermine these gains.
49 Articles
49 Articles
Since 2000, the Amazon Forest Inventory Network (RAINFOR) has been operating as an international scientific collaboration dedicated to monitoring Amazon tropical forests through permanent plots to understand their structure, dynamics, biodiversity and role in the global carbon cycle. A recent study by RAINFOR, involving more than 60 universities in Brazil, the UK and other countries, has revealed that trees in intact Amazonian forests have incre…
Increasing tree size across Amazonia - Nature Plants
Climate change and increasing availability of resources such as carbon dioxide are modifying forest functioning worldwide, but the effects of these changes on forest structure are unclear. As additional resources become available, for example, through CO2 fertilization or nitrogen deposition, large trees, with greater access to light, may be expected to gain further advantages. Conversely, smaller light-suppressed trees might benefit more if the…
NBC Dallas-Fort Worth
Giant trees of the Amazon get taller as forests fatten up on carbon dioxide
A new study has found the rainforest’s largest trees are thriving, and continue to play a major role in mitigating the impacts of climate change.
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