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New Phytologist
Article . 2025 . Peer-reviewed
License: CC BY
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PubMed Central
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New Phytologist
Article . 2025
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Mapping the density of giant trees in the Amazon

Authors: de Lima, RB; da Silva, DAS; Nunes, MH; Bittencourt, PRDL; Groenendyk, P; de Oliveira, CP; Granato‐Souza, D; +14 Authors

Mapping the density of giant trees in the Amazon

Abstract

Summary Tall trees (height ≥ 60 m) are keystone elements of tropical forests, strongly influencing biodiversity, carbon storage, and ecosystem resilience. Yet, their density and spatial distribution remain poorly quantified, especially in remote Amazonian regions, limiting our understanding of their ecological roles and contribution to forest–climate interactions. We combined airborne LiDAR data from 900 transects across the Brazilian Amazon with environmental predictors to model tall‐tree density. Spatial extrapolations allowed us to generate regional distribution estimates and assess associations with climate, topography, and disturbance regimes. Our model predicts that tall trees are unevenly distributed, with c. 14% of the estimated density concentrated in c. 1% of the Amazon and c. 50% within c. 11%. The highest densities occur in Roraima and the Guiana Shield provinces, where water availability is high and lightning or storm incidence is low. Modeled density strongly correlates with aboveground biomass, highlighting the disproportionate contribution of tall trees to carbon stocks. We estimate c. 55.5 million tall trees across the Brazilian Amazon. These findings demonstrate that tall‐tree distribution is a crucial but underused predictor for biomass models. Understanding their ecological and spatial dynamics is vital for forest conservation and climate‐resilience strategies under increasing anthropogenic pressures.

Country
United Kingdom
Keywords

Population Density, Geography, Research, Biomass, Forests, Brazil, Trees

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
1
Average
Average
Average
Green
hybrid