Patterns of tropical forest understory temperatures

Ali Ismaeel, Amos P.K. Tai, Erone Ghizoni Santos, Heveakore Maraia, Iris Aalto, Jan Altman, Jiří Doležal, Jonas J. Lembrechts, José Luís Camargo, Juha Aalto, Kateřina Sam, Lair Cristina Avelino do Nascimento, Martin Kopecký, Martin Svátek, Matheus Henrique Nunes, Radim Matula, Roman Plichta, Temesgen Abera, Eduardo Eiji Maeda

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

Abstract

Temperature is a fundamental driver of species distribution and ecosystem functioning. Yet, our knowledge of the microclimatic conditions experienced by organisms inside tropical forests remains limited. This is because ecological studies often rely on coarse-gridded temperature estimates representing the conditions at 2 m height in an open-air environment (i.e., macroclimate). In this study, we present a high-resolution pantropical estimate of near-ground (15 cm above the surface) temperatures inside forests. We quantify diurnal and seasonal variability, thus revealing both spatial and temporal microclimate patterns. We find that on average, understory near-ground temperatures are 1.6 °C cooler than the open-air temperatures. The diurnal temperature range is on average 1.7 °C lower inside the forests, in comparison to open-air conditions. More importantly, we demonstrate a substantial spatial variability in the microclimate characteristics of tropical forests. This variability is regulated by a combination of large-scale climate conditions, vegetation structure and topography, and hence could not be captured by existing macroclimate grids. Our results thus contribute to quantifying the actual thermal ranges experienced by organisms inside tropical forests and provide new insights into how these limits may be affected by climate change and ecosystem disturbances.

Original languageEnglish
Article number549
JournalNature Communications
Volume15
Issue number1
Number of pages10
ISSN2041-1723
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 23 Jan 2024
MoE publication typeA1 Journal article-refereed

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024, The Author(s).

Fields of Science

  • Climate
  • Dynamics
  • Microclimate
  • Microrefugia
  • Nighttime transpiration
  • Responses
  • Soil-moisture
  • Thermal sensitivity
  • 1172 Environmental sciences

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