Researchers from Swinburne University of Technology and the University of California synthesised 80 years of tree ring research from tropical forests to pinpoint how well they use water.
Studies of the world’s tropical forests have pinpointed how much water plants put back into the atmosphere compared to how much carbon they take up, with lower rainfall linked to increased efficiency.
By studying how efficiently plants use water, researchers from Swinburne and the University of California have determined how well forests are acclimating to rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
The researchers conclude that some drier conifer forests are acclimating two to three times faster to rising carbon dioxide than wetter, conifer forests, meaning they are more efficient in their water use. The results of this research have been published in the journal Nature Communications.
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