Air quality improvement has benefitted large portions of forests in the USA over the past 20 years. However, although terrestrial ecosystems are now better protected, sensitive species still experience harmful impacts, which could lead to biodiversity loss through shifts in forest composition.
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References
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This is a summary of: Coughlin, J. G. et al. Sensitive tree species remain at risk despite improved air quality benefits to US forests. Nat. Sustain. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-023-01203-8 (2023).
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Current US air pollution levels still harm sensitive tree species. Nat Sustain 6, 1520–1521 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-023-01204-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-023-01204-7