Research Updates May 2017

The relationship between climate change & the endangered rainforest shrub Triunia robusta (Proteaceae) endemic to southeast Queensland, Australia
Threatened species in rainforests may be vulnerable to climate change, because of their potentially narrow thermal tolerances, small population sizes and restricted distributions. This study modelled climate induced changes on the habitat distribution of the endangered rainforest plant Triunia robusta, endemic to southeast Queensland, Australia.
Link to article - https://www.nature.com/articles/srep46399

Long-term fate of tropical forests may not be as dire as believed, study says

Tropical rainforests are often described as the "lungs of the earth", able to inhale carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and exhale oxygen in return. The faster they grow, the more they mitigate climate change by absorbing CO2.
Link to article – http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ele.12765/epdf

Remnant vegetation, plantings, and fences are beneficial for reptiles in agricultural landscapes

Managing agricultural landscapes for biodiversity conservation is increasingly difficult as land use is modified or intensified for production. Finding ways to mitigate the negative effects of agriculture on biodiversity is therefore critical.
Link to article: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.12923/epdf

Heavy Precipitation Speeds Carbon Exchange in Tropics

New insight into how forests globally will respond to long-term climate change has been gained by recent research. The new work suggests that climate-change driven increases in rainfall in warm, wet forests are likely to cause increased plant growth. Plant-growth declines are still expected in cooler forests with increased precipitation.
Link to article - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ele.12765/epdf

Carbon-based approaches for saving rainforests should include biodiversity studie

How Fungi Help Trees Tolerate Drought

Specific adaptations in the transcriptome of the most common ectomycorrhizal fungus could help their hosts be more resistant to drought stress, a finding that could be useful in developing more plant feedstocks for bioenergy amidst the changing climate.

Link to article - https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160907082250.htm