For this work, which involved researchers from 30 countries led by Liang Jingjing, University of West Virginia (USA), Peter B. Reich of the University of Minnesota and Thomas W. Crowther of Yale University, they have analyzed the relationship between biodiversity -number of species of trees – and productivity of forests (BPR, for its acronym in English).
“Knowing this relationship is essential to economically evaluate the biodiversity and integrate biological conservation and socio – economic development of humanity”, Sergio de Miguel, aresearcher at the University of Lleida and member of the steering committee of the GFB explains. “The loss of biodiversity can increase the degree of vulnerability of rural populations that depend largely on the resources forest , ” he continues.
The forests are the greatest repositories of biodiversity land, but deforestation and climate change threaten half the species of trees. For this study, researchers have worked on 777,126 plots, which measured more than 30 million trees of 8,737 species spread over 44 countries worldwide. The analyzed in the study area represents most of the Earth ‘s biomass. So far, studies of this type managed only regional data.
“Using a single global data base, we found that the diversity of trees enhances biomass production on a global scale. This indicates that world reserves of timber and carbon storage will fall if we keep losing species of trees in our forests , “said Thomas W. Crowther to Sinc.
