Blog Post Image: Tropical forest carbon absorption may hinge on an odd couple

The researchers’ findings suggest that the role of tropical forests in offsetting the atmospheric buildup of carbon from fossil fuels depends on tree diversity. Though legumes are not specifically coveted or threatened, forest degradation comes with a general loss of biodiversity. The essential role of legumes in tropical-forest health and speed-of-recovery implies that if their numbers plummet then the health of the surrounding forest would likely be affected for a very long time. The photo above is of a tropical forest on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. (Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute)