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Item type:Publication, Amazonian and Andean tree communities are not tracking current climate warming(National Academy of Sciences, 2025)Climate change is shifting species distributions, leading to changes in community composition and novel species assemblages worldwide. However, the responses of tropical forests to climate change across large-scale environmental gradients remain largely unexplored. Using long-term data over 66,000 trees of more than 2,500 species occurring over 3,500 m elevation along the hyperdiverse Amazon-to-Andes elevational gradients in Peru and Bolivia, we assessed community-level shifts in species composition over a 40+ y time span. We tested the thermophilization hypothesis, which predicts an increase in the relative abundances of species from warmer climates through time. Additionally, we examined the relative contributions of tree mortality, recruitment, and growth to the observed compositional changes. Mean thermophilization rates (TR) across the Amazon-to-Andes gradient were slow relative to regional temperature change. TR were positive and more variable among Andean forest plots compared to Amazonian plots but were highest at midelevations around the cloud base. Across all elevations, TR were driven primarily by tree mortality and decreased growth of highland (cool-adapted) species rather than an influx of lowland species with higher thermal optima. Given the high variability of community-level responses to warming along the elevational gradients, the high tree mortality, and the slower-than-warming rates of compositional change, we conclude that most tropical tree species, and especially lowland Amazonian tree species, will not be able to escape current or future climate change through upward range shifts, causing fundamental changes to composition and function in Earth’s highest diversity forests.2 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Plant functional traits shape the provision of ecosystem services to Indigenous communities in western Amazonia(John Wiley and Sons, 2025)1.-Context. Exploring how Indigenous People interact with plants through their functional traits allows us to understand the ecological bases of plant selection. Functional traits can help explain why certain plants are consistently chosen for specific purposes across diverse cultural contexts. However, these relationships are complex and remain insufficiently explored. Here, we ask (1) which functional traits are most important in shaping different uses? and (2) do similarities in trait–use associations across Indigenous communities reflect patterns of knowledge convergence?. 2.-Methods. We conducted fieldwork across nine different Indigenous communities spanning a 1800 km distance in western Amazonia. In total, we sampled 115 0.1-ha plots, recording the abundance of 1856 woody plant species. For these species, we collected data on 13 different functional traits, primarily measured in the field, with additional values sourced from TRY and other databases, and conducted in situ ethnobotanical interviews with 25 Indigenous male participants, focusing on 14 distinct use categories. We analysed (1) trait–use relationships using generalized linear models and (2) the similarity in trait selection for each use across communities using generalized linear mixed models. 3.-Results. Plants used for medicine or food were associated with multiple traits, including reproductive traits, exudates and life form. In contrast, culturally specific uses such as rituals, cosmetics or recreational were linked to more specific traits, particularly wood density and lianas. Across communities, we observed widespread convergence in trait–use associations, suggesting shared patterns of plant use despite cultural differences. However, 24% of the trait–use combinations showed divergence, indicating local adaptation or cultural specificity. Synthesis and applications. Plant selection by Indigenous communities is not random; rather, it is guided by functional traits that consistently support human well-being. We named this pattern ‘functional selection convergence’, highlighting how ecological function and traditional knowledge interact across distinct cultural contexts. This convergence shows the importance of functional ecology explaining traditional plant selection. Our findings are a call for a trait-based ethnobotanical approach to document and better preserve the ecosystem services essential to Indigenous livelihoods. Nevertheless, we emphasize the need for future research to involve broader and more diverse ethnobotanical participation.3