Long-term decline in above-ground carbon sinks in Brazilian tropical and subtropical forests

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Recent evidence indicates that Brazilian forests are shifting from persistent carbon sinks to emerging carbon sources, with important implications for the global climate. To investigate this trend, we analyse long-term census data from 49 forest sites spanning southeast and southern Brazil, including tropical and subtropical forests. We examine above-ground carbon dynamics and its relationship with tree diversity and functional traits that are tightly linked with species' carbon processing and storage capacities. Our findings reveal a long-term trend of taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic homogenisation and a decline in the forests' above-ground carbon sink. Specifically, homogeneous forests have lower carbon losses, whilst forests with more conservative species are associated with greater carbon gains and lower carbon losses. Overall, our study establishes a baseline to understand and predict the above-ground carbon sink in the face of ongoing climate change in this region.

Source: Nature Communications

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-74921-0

Institutions: Universidade Federal de Lavras, James Cook University, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina

Language: English

Topic: Forest ecology and management

Subfield: Nature and Landscape Conservation

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Climate action, Life on land

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $6,990

Funders: Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Universidade Federal de Lavras

OpenAlex ID: W7203625161