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Impact of the 2015–2016 El Niño on the carbon dynamics of South American tropical forests

A network of more than 100 researchers tracked trees for up to 30 years in forest plots across South America, enabling estimation of the impacts of record temperatures and drought on carbon dynamics. The carbon sink in these forests ceased during the 2015–2016 El Niño, with drier forests losing the most carbon.

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Fig. 1: Aboveground carbon changes in 123 South American tropical forest plots during the 2015–2016 El Niño.

References

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This is a summary of: Bennett, A. C. et al. Sensitivity of South American tropical forests to an extreme climate anomaly. Nat. Clim. Change https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01776-4 (2023).

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Impact of the 2015–2016 El Niño on the carbon dynamics of South American tropical forests. Nat. Clim. Chang. 13, 905–906 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01777-3

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