Researchers have analysed data from 127 studies to reveal ‘thresholds’ for when logged rainforests lose the ability to sustain themselves.
Researchers have analysed data from 127 studies to reveal ‘thresholds’ for when logged rainforests lose the ability to sustain themselves.
The results could widen the scope of which forests are considered ‘worth’ conserving, but also show how much logging degrades forests beyond the point of no return.
The first-of-its-kind study, led by researchers from the Department of Life Sciences at Imperial College London with collaborators from around the world, is published today in Nature. The team looked at data from 127 plant and animal surveys covering more than 10 years in the same site in Sabah, Malaysia.
The site, named the Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) Project, includes a full gradient of landscapes, including unlogged primary forests, selectively logged forests, protected riverside ‘buffer’ forests, and forests converted into oil palm plantations that represent 99% of forest removal.
Read more at Imperial College London
Photo Credit: Bazela via Pixabay
