Abstract

A pivotal question in global change science is what role the biosphere plays in ameliorating the rate of climate change and what risks exist that there may be possible tipping points in the Earth System where the biosphere switches from being a brake to an accelerator of climate change [1]. Of th... Show moreA pivotal question in global change science is what role the biosphere plays in ameliorating the rate of climate change and what risks exist that there may be possible tipping points in the Earth System where the biosphere switches from being a brake to an accelerator of climate change [1]. Of the potential major global tipping points, the fate of the tropical forests is among the most important and iconic, with some studies suggesting that climate change could lead to extensive dieback of tropical forests (and the Amazon forest in particular), resulting in further carbon release, major loss of biodiversity, drying of regional climates and thereby further forest dieback and intensification of global warming [2]. However, these scenarios have been the subject of much debate, with questions about whether existing biosphere models sufficiently capture the consequences for key ecological processes, which are dependent on complex system attributes such as species' functional diversity and demography, and on factors such as forest fire that are poorly described. Show less