Greater biodiversity shields forests from climate extremes, say scientists

When a forest's canopy is made up of a many different species, it acts as a buffer that preserves the forest’s microclimate – and therefore its ecosystem, scientists have found. © AFP - MARIANA SUAREZ

Having a large variety of plant and tree species as well as fertile soils rich in organic life helps forests to better withstand the impacts of climate change, particularly droughts, new research has found.

Published on Monday in the journals Global Change Biology and PNAS, two studies carried out by French, German and Chinese scientists underpin the critical importance of fostering biodiversity.