Long-term droughts may drive drier tropical forests towards increased functional, taxonomic and phylogenetic homogeneity

Jesús Aguirre-Gutiérrez (), Yadvinder Malhi, Simon L. Lewis, Sophie Fauset, Stephen Adu-Bredu, Kofi Affum-Baffoe, Timothy R. Baker, Agne Gvozdevaite, Wannes Hubau, Sam Moore, Theresa Peprah, Kasia Ziemińska, Oliver L. Phillips and Imma Oliveras
Additional contact information
Jesús Aguirre-Gutiérrez: University of Oxford
Yadvinder Malhi: University of Oxford
Simon L. Lewis: University of Leeds
Sophie Fauset: University of Plymouth
Stephen Adu-Bredu: University Post Office, KNUST
Kofi Affum-Baffoe: Forestry Commission of Ghana
Timothy R. Baker: University of Leeds
Agne Gvozdevaite: University of Oxford
Wannes Hubau: University of Leeds
Sam Moore: University of Oxford
Theresa Peprah: University Post Office, KNUST
Kasia Ziemińska: Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
Oliver L. Phillips: University of Leeds
Imma Oliveras: University of Oxford

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Tropical ecosystems adapted to high water availability may be highly impacted by climatic changes that increase soil and atmospheric moisture deficits. Many tropical regions are experiencing significant changes in climatic conditions, which may induce strong shifts in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of forest communities. However, it remains unclear if and to what extent tropical forests are shifting in these facets of diversity along climatic gradients in response to climate change. Here, we show that changes in climate affected all three facets of diversity in West Africa in recent decades. Taxonomic and functional diversity increased in wetter forests but tended to decrease in forests with drier climate. Phylogenetic diversity showed a large decrease along a wet-dry climatic gradient. Notably, we find that all three facets of diversity tended to be higher in wetter forests. Drier forests showed functional, taxonomic and phylogenetic homogenization. Understanding how different facets of diversity respond to a changing environment across climatic gradients is essential for effective long-term conservation of tropical forest ecosystems.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16973-4

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