07/09/2023
A newly published paper by Carvalho et al. (2023) in Current Biology, with Torbjørn Haugaasen (member of the Steering Committee of the Tropical Forest Arena) as one of the co-authors, demonstrates that vast areas of the tropics remain understudied. When looking at tropical forests in America, the diverse rainforests of the Amazon are the least known. By compiling ecological metadata from 7,694 sampling sites (surveyed from 2010 to 2020) the authors mapped the research probability across the Brazilian Amazon.
Logistics (accessibility (travel time) and distance to research facilities) and human influence (land tenure and forest degradation) explained most of the variation in research probability. Moreover, there are limited research efforts in indigenous lands compared to strictly protected areas or sustainable use reserves. 15-18% of the areas with the least research probability (first quartile) exhibit a high susceptibility to climate changes and habitat destruction.
Carvalho et al. urge the scientific community to expand research into currently understudied areas that will likely be affected by climate change and deforestation. This can contribute to understanding ecological responses and constitute an integral part of informing society and supporting evidence-based policies and practices.
Graphical abstract (Carvalho et al. 2023)
Carvalho R. L. et al. (2023) Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research,
Current Biology, 33 (16): 3495-3504, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.06.077.