Climate scientists warn that the decreasing capacity of these forests to absorb CO2 complicates efforts to limit global warming and underscores the necessity of accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels.

Multiple studies suggest that rising temperatures, water stress, droughts, and extreme weather events are increasingly impacting tropical forests worldwide, leading to higher tree mortality, reduced growth, and altered carbon cycling.

The study utilized a unique dataset tracking approximately 11,000 trees across 20 sites since 1971, focusing on above-ground carbon in trunks and branches, underscoring the importance of long-term environmental data.

Evidence from various regions, including the Amazon, shows long-term declines in carbon sink capacity, with some areas turning into sources of CO2 due to climate-induced stress, deforestation, and ecosystem responses.

This pattern of reduced carbon sequestration and increased emissions is part of a broader global trend affecting tropical forests due to climate change and human activities.

A groundbreaking international study reveals that Australia's tropical rainforests have shifted from acting as carbon sinks to becoming carbon sources, primarily due to climate change impacts over the past 25 years.

This shift is driven by rising temperatures and drier conditions, which have caused the trunks and branches of trees in Australia's wet tropics to release more CO2 than they absorb, although roots remain unaffected.

Published in Nature, the study emphasizes that the trunks and branches now emit more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, marking a significant change in the forests' role in carbon cycling.

Long-term, high-resolution data from these forests highlight the urgent need for ongoing monitoring and action to address these changes in order to meet global emissions reduction goals.

This transformation threatens the vital role of tropical forests as carbon reservoirs, with current models possibly overestimating their ability to absorb emissions under climate stress.

The shift in forest behavior could significantly influence global climate policies and models, as it indicates that tropical forests may not always serve as effective carbon sinks in a changing climate.

The study also indicates that cyclones further diminish the forests' ability to act as carbon sinks, with more severe storms expected as climate change progresses, potentially impacting larger forest areas.

Experts emphasize that climate change and human land use are undermining the climate mitigation potential of tropical forests, which are increasingly vulnerable or even becoming sources of greenhouse gases.