Discussion Forum: The Role of Tropical Forests in Climate Change

The Role of Tropical Forests in Climate Change

The Role of Tropical Forests in Climate Change

by Yue Ma -
Number of replies: 2

In the article “Could Tropical Forests Soon Contribute to Global Warming?”, scientists explain that tropical forests, which used to help fight climate change, might actually start making it worse. Normally, these forests take in a lot of carbon dioxide from the air and store it in their trees. But recent studies, like those by David and Deborah Clark, show that rising temperatures are making it harder for trees to grow. In hotter years, tree growth dropped by up to 34%, while in cooler years, it increased. This means that if global temperatures keep rising, tropical forests may stop taking in as much CO₂ and might even start releasing it.

This is part of a positive feedback loop, which is really dangerous. Basically, more CO₂ causes more warming, which causes trees to grow less, which means more CO₂ stays in the air, and the cycle repeats. This could speed up global warming faster than expected.

The article also talks about scientists trying to engineer plants to be better at taking in CO₂, like by giving C3 plants the traits of C4 or CAM plants, which handle heat and dryness better. While it sounds cool, it’s still really hard to do because of genetic problems and hasn’t worked well yet.

I don’t think it’s a reliable solution yet. Instead, we should focus on things like protecting forests, stopping deforestation, and cutting carbon emissions. If we don’t take action, tropical forests could go from helping us to making climate change worse.


In reply to Yue Ma

Re: The Role of Tropical Forests in Climate Change

by Runlang Liu -
That’s a really well-explained post—you’ve done a great job summarizing the main ideas from the article and making the science easy to understand. The way you described the positive feedback loop is especially clear and powerful—it shows how quickly things could spiral if we don’t act.

I agree with your point that engineering C₃ plants sounds promising but isn’t something we can rely on just yet. It’s exciting in theory, but as you said, there are still major genetic and technical barriers that scientists are trying to overcome. Until those solutions are more reliable, focusing on protecting existing forests and reducing CO₂ emissions feels like the more immediate and realistic path.

You could even take your post further by mentioning how restoring degraded forests (not just protecting what’s left) can also boost carbon capture. And maybe bringing in a hopeful note—like how community-led conservation efforts have shown success in some parts of the world—might add balance to the urgency you’re expressing. MA YUE you are on the right truck.
In reply to Yue Ma

Re: The Role of Tropical Forests in Climate Change

by Kongduo (Luke) Li -
I found it surprising and worrying that tropical forests, which have helped fight climate change for so long, might soon start adding to the problem. You explained the positive feedback loop really well—it’s scary how one problem like warming temperatures can lead to even more CO₂ in the air, making things worse.

I agree with you that engineering C3 plants to act like C4 or CAM plants is interesting, but not something we can rely on right now. It’s very complex and still in early stages. Maybe in the future, it could help crops grow better in dry, hot places, but we can’t count on it alone.

Like you said, protecting forests and stopping deforestation is a more realistic and urgent solution. I’d also add that supporting the people who live in and care for these forests—like indigenous communities—is really important. In many places, when locals have strong land rights, deforestation drops a lot.

One real-world idea could be paying countries to keep their forests standing, like through programs that give money for conservation. That way, forests stay healthy, and everyone benefits.