BibTex format
@article{de:2026:10.1111/nph.70634,
author = {de, Lima RB and da, Silva DAS and Nunes, MH and Bittencourt, PRDL and Groenendyk, P and de, Oliveira CP and Granato-Souza, D and Caraciolo, Ferreira RL and Aleixo, da Silva JA and Aguirre-Gutiérrez, J and Jackson, T and de, Matos Filho JR and Aparício, PDS and da, Silva JPG and de, Toledo JJ and Guedes, MC and de, Almeida DRA and Higuchi, N and Wagner, FH and Ometto, JP and Görgens, EB},
doi = {10.1111/nph.70634},
journal = {New Phytol},
pages = {152--168},
title = {Mapping the density of giant trees in the Amazon.},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nph.70634},
volume = {249},
year = {2026}
}
RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)
TY - JOUR
AB - 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.
AU - de,Lima RB
AU - da,Silva DAS
AU - Nunes,MH
AU - Bittencourt,PRDL
AU - Groenendyk,P
AU - de,Oliveira CP
AU - Granato-Souza,D
AU - Caraciolo,Ferreira RL
AU - Aleixo,da Silva JA
AU - Aguirre-Gutiérrez,J
AU - Jackson,T
AU - de,Matos Filho JR
AU - Aparício,PDS
AU - da,Silva JPG
AU - de,Toledo JJ
AU - Guedes,MC
AU - de,Almeida DRA
AU - Higuchi,N
AU - Wagner,FH
AU - Ometto,JP
AU - Görgens,EB
DO - 10.1111/nph.70634
EP - 168
PY - 2026///
SP - 152
TI - Mapping the density of giant trees in the Amazon.
T2 - New Phytol
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nph.70634
UR - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/41084952
VL - 249
ER -