Lon&Queta / Flickr A giant liana (Entada puseatha) in a Sri Lankan forestLon&Queta / Flickr
In humid tropical forests like the Amazon and the Atlantic Forest, deforestation, low rainfall, and high temperatures lead to the growth of lianas, a type of woody vine that grows quickly on trees. In degraded forests, they can proliferate so excessively that they harm tree growth. An international team, led by researchers from Australia and including German geographer Christoph Gehring of the State University of Maranhão, analyzed 651 vegetation samples representing 26,538 lianas and 82,802 trees from 556 locations on five continents, including Brazil. The study found that greater exposure to sunlight due to tree felling and increased average temperatures have resulted in dominance by lianas. Average annual temperatures of over 27.8 degrees Celsius (ºC) favor the growth of lianas more than trees. The researchers concluded that over the coming years, rising temperatures and human interventions could disrupt the balance between lianas and trees, reducing carbon absorption in affected forests and making it difficult to recover degraded forests (Global Change Biology, January 19).
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