
A new tool maps the threats to the tropical dry forests in Peru and Ecuador. Bioscience engineers at KU Leuven combined data on possible threats to these forests - including fires and overgrazing - with data on the vulnerability of local tree species to these dangers, which the team estimated on the basis of species traits such as bark thickness and edibility of the leaves. The result is an online tool that local governments and NGOs can use to restore and conserve forests.
The tropical dry forests in Peru and Ecuador are under considerable strain due to fires, overgrazing, and overexploitation, among other things. And then there’s climate change as well. ...