Yadvinder Malhi
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View article: Species functional traits affect regional and local dominance across western Amazonian forests
Species functional traits affect regional and local dominance across western Amazonian forests Open
Several studies have documented dominance by few species in Amazonian forests. Dominant species tend to be either locally abundant (local dominants) or regionally frequent (widespread dominants) but rarely both (oligarchs). Here, we explor…
View article: Community (citizen) science for assessing nature's benefits: A systematic review and survey
Community (citizen) science for assessing nature's benefits: A systematic review and survey Open
The undervaluation of nature in decision‐making significantly contributes to the current global biodiversity crisis. However, assessing the benefits of nature for people is challenging, partly due to barriers in collecting relevant data. W…
View article: Energy flows reveal declining ecosystem functions by animals across Africa
Energy flows reveal declining ecosystem functions by animals across Africa Open
A key challenge for ecological science is to understand how biodiversity loss is changing ecosystem structure and function at scales that are relevant for policy 1 . Almost all biodiversity metrics are challenging to disaggregate into anim…
View article: Increasing tree size across Amazonia
Increasing tree size across Amazonia Open
View article: Rapid increase of climate extremes across northern Amazonia
Rapid increase of climate extremes across northern Amazonia Open
Amazonia’s exceptional biodiversity, cultural significance, and ecosystem services make it pivotal to global and regional sustainability. However, the region is increasingly threatened by climate extremes, which exacerbate the effects of l…
View article: The Global Canopy Atlas: analysis-ready maps of 3D structure for the world’s woody ecosystems
The Global Canopy Atlas: analysis-ready maps of 3D structure for the world’s woody ecosystems Open
Woody canopies regulate exchanges of energy, water and carbon, and their three-dimensional (3D) structure supports much of terrestrial biodiversity. Remote sensing technologies such as airborne laser scanning (ALS) now enable the 3D mappin…
View article: Diagnosing linearity along the carbon cascade in terrestrial biosphere models
Diagnosing linearity along the carbon cascade in terrestrial biosphere models Open
Elevated carbon dioxide (eCO 2 ) fertilises photosynthesis, driving an increase in terrestrial gross primary production (GPP). However, it is unclear how effectively increased GPP propagates along the “carbon (C) cascade” to increase net p…
View article: Amazonian and Andean tree communities are not tracking current climate warming
Amazonian and Andean tree communities are not tracking current climate warming Open
Climate change is shifting species distributions, leading to changes in community composition and novel species assemblages worldwide. However, the responses of tropical forests to climate change across large-scale environmental gradients …
View article: Tree competition in West African tropical forests mediated by the functional attributes of species and variation in soil moisture
Tree competition in West African tropical forests mediated by the functional attributes of species and variation in soil moisture Open
Understanding the ecological processes shaping competitive interactions among forest trees is crucial for predicting ecosystem productivity and climate change resilience. However, few studies have investigated how the biological attributes…
View article: Sensitivity of tropical woodland savannas to El Niño droughts
Sensitivity of tropical woodland savannas to El Niño droughts Open
The 2015–2016 El Niño event led to one of the hottest and most intense droughts for many tropical forests, profoundly impacting forest productivity. However, we know little about how this event affected the Cerrado, the largest savanna in …
View article: An AI-based and coding-free protocol for forests Leaf Area Index (LAI) calculation
An AI-based and coding-free protocol for forests Leaf Area Index (LAI) calculation Open
Measurements of Leaf Area Index (LAI) have become an important component in modern forest ecology and conservation. Detecting subtle annual, seasonal, and spatial variations in tropical forests is particularly challenging, due to their com…
View article: Wood density variation across an Andes‐to‐Amazon elevational gradient
Wood density variation across an Andes‐to‐Amazon elevational gradient Open
Understanding how functional traits are related to species diversity and ecosystem properties is a central goal of ecology. Wood density is a trait that integrates many aspects of plant form and function and is highly variable among specie…
View article: A test of ecophysiological theories on tropical forest functional traits along a VPD gradient
A test of ecophysiological theories on tropical forest functional traits along a VPD gradient Open
Forest primary production is a crucial process for both ecosystem functioning and global carbon cycling. Primary production responds to both temperature and vapour pressure deficit (VPD) through separate mechanisms. Vegetation models need …
View article: Quantifying the functional composition and potential resilience hotspots across a large latitudinal and environmental gradient in South American forests
Quantifying the functional composition and potential resilience hotspots across a large latitudinal and environmental gradient in South American forests Open
Accurately inferring plant functional trait composition, diversity, and redundancy across space and time is pivotal for understanding environmental change impacts on forests’ biodiversity and functioning. Here, we tested the capabilities o…
View article: Bridging land and seascape restoration for ecoscape recovery
Bridging land and seascape restoration for ecoscape recovery Open
The escalating loss and degradation of coastal habitats significantly affect coastal communities, ocean biodiversity, and planetary health. A special Collection launched in npj Ocean Sustainability on “Bridging Land and Seascape Restoratio…
View article: The global spectrum of tree crown architecture
The global spectrum of tree crown architecture Open
Trees can differ enormously in their crown architectural traits, such as the scaling relationships between tree height, crown width and stem diameter. Yet despite the importance of crown architecture in shaping the structure and function o…
View article: Marine‐derived nutrients shape the functional composition of High Arctic plant communities
Marine‐derived nutrients shape the functional composition of High Arctic plant communities Open
Low temperatures and nutrient limitation have shaped Arctic plant communities, which are now affected by biome‐wise changes in both climate and nutrient cycling. Rising temperatures are favouring taller plant species with more resource‐acq…
View article: Simulation-based inference advances water quality mapping in shallow coral reef environments
Simulation-based inference advances water quality mapping in shallow coral reef environments Open
Human activities are altering coral reef ecosystems worldwide. Optical remote sensing via satellites and drones can offer novel insights into where and how coral reefs are changing. However, interpretation of the observed optical signal (r…
View article: The impact of environmental variables on ash dieback mediated tree mortality and defoliation
The impact of environmental variables on ash dieback mediated tree mortality and defoliation Open
View article: Investigating the accuracy of tropical woody stem <scp> CO <sub>2</sub> </scp> efflux estimates: scaling methods, and vertical and diel variation
Investigating the accuracy of tropical woody stem <span> CO <sub>2</sub> </span> efflux estimates: scaling methods, and vertical and diel variation Open
Summary Stem CO 2 efflux (EA) significantly contributes to autotrophic and ecosystem respiration in tropical forests, but field methodologies often introduce biases and uncertainty. This study evaluates these biases and their impact on sca…
View article: Variation in wood density across South American tropical forests
Variation in wood density across South American tropical forests Open
Wood density is a critical control on tree biomass, so poor understanding of its spatial variation can lead to large and systematic errors in forest biomass estimates and carbon maps. The need to understand how and why wood density varies …
View article: Nutrientscape ecology: a whole-system framework to support the understanding and management of coastal nutrient connectivity
Nutrientscape ecology: a whole-system framework to support the understanding and management of coastal nutrient connectivity Open
Context Nutrient connectivity across landscapes and seascapes plays a fundamental role in shaping the structure and function of coastal ecosystems. A whole-system understanding of the spatial–temporal dynamics and ecological significance o…
View article: Global chocolate supply is limited by low pollination and high temperatures
Global chocolate supply is limited by low pollination and high temperatures Open
Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) provides livelihoods for 5 million smallholder farmers, but the factors limiting cocoa yield are poorly understood. We present a global analysis of pollination, cocoa tree, plantation, and climate factors affecti…
View article: ‘Sowing and harvesting water’: Revisiting forest restoration in the Peruvian Andes through a multi‐stakeholder analysis
‘Sowing and harvesting water’: Revisiting forest restoration in the Peruvian Andes through a multi‐stakeholder analysis Open
Efforts to restore Peru's megadiverse Andean Forests are rapidly growing. While ecological determinants for restoration success are well known, knowledge on the socio‐economic and governance conditions that allow for the success of ecologi…
View article: Rising sclerophylly in the Amazon over the last four decades
Rising sclerophylly in the Amazon over the last four decades Open
The Amazon Forest, essential for global biodiversity and climate regulation, is increasingly threatened by deforestation, fire, and climate change, pushing it toward a critical tipping point. This may lead to a shift from dense forests to …
View article: Tropical forest clearance impacts biodiversity and function, whereas logging changes structure
Tropical forest clearance impacts biodiversity and function, whereas logging changes structure Open
The impacts of degradation and deforestation on tropical forests are poorly understood, particularly at landscape scales. We present an extensive ecosystem analysis of the impacts of logging and conversion of tropical forest to oil palm fr…
View article: Anthromes and forest carbon responses to global change
Anthromes and forest carbon responses to global change Open
Societal Impact Statement Forest ecosystems absorb and store about 25% of global carbon dioxide emissions annually and are increasingly shaped by human land use and management. Climate change interacts with land use and forest dynamics to …
View article: Low-intensity insect herbivory could have large effects on ecosystem productivity through reduced canopy photosynthesis
Low-intensity insect herbivory could have large effects on ecosystem productivity through reduced canopy photosynthesis Open
Our current understanding of the effect of insect herbivory on ecosystem productivity is limited. Previous studies have typically quantified only the amount of leaf area loss or have been conducted during outbreak years when levels of herb…
View article: Why models underestimate West African tropical forest primary productivity
Why models underestimate West African tropical forest primary productivity Open
Tropical forests dominate terrestrial photosynthesis, yet there are major contradictions in our understanding due to a lack of field studies, especially outside the tropical Americas. A recent field study indicated that West African forest…
View article: Unravelling a hidden synergy: How pathogen-climate interactions transform habitat hydrology and affect tree growth
Unravelling a hidden synergy: How pathogen-climate interactions transform habitat hydrology and affect tree growth Open