Rainforest trees are resilient in face of climate change

THEY ARE GROWING BIGGER DESPITE THREATS

- BY STEPHEN BEECH, SWNS

TREES are growing even bigger in the Amazon rainforest - despite climate change, reveals new research involving the University of Cambridge.

Average tree size across the world’s largest tropical rainforest has increased by 3.2 per cent every decade for the last 30 years - consistent with a response to rising carbon dioxide levels, say scientists.

The international team of researchers said their findings show the “remarkable resilience” of the forest.

The team of almost 100 scientists monitored the size of trees in 188 permanent plots and discovered that the increase has continued for at least 30 years.

The study, published in the journal Nature Plants, is the result of al partnership involving more than 60 universities in South America and beyond - including the Universities of Birmingham, Bristol, and Leeds in Britain.