Rising sclerophylly in the Amazon over the last four decades

Rising sclerophylly in the Amazon over the last four decades | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Rising sclerophylly in the Amazon over the last four decades Milton Barbosa, Renata Maia, Imma Oliveras Menor, Ben Hur Marimon-Junior, and 4 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5573817/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The Amazon Forest, essential for global biodiversity and climate regulation, is increasingly threatened by deforestation, fire, and climate change, pushing it toward a critical tipping point. This may lead to a shift from dense forests to open, fire-prone landscapes, jeopardising its original biodiversity and key ecological functions. Using historical satellite spectral data and community-weighted tree trait data from 130 vegetation plots, we quantify changes in leaf sclerophylly - leaf toughness, a drought-adaptive trait - across the Amazon. We show that vegetation with higher sclerophylly exhibits more stable spectral reflectance over time. Over the last four decades, this stability has increased by 10%, suggesting a rise in sclerophylly linked to climatic stress. If current trends continue, in 40 years, the Amazon may approach sclerophylly levels seen in transitional zones with the Cerrado savanna biome, potentially altering carbon and water cycles with profound implications for biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. However, significant regional variation in this trend underscores the role of local factors, including human activities, in influencing forest resilience. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted conservation strategies to mitigate both climate-induced and anthropogenic pressures, ensuring the forest’s future resilience. Biological sciences/Ecology/Climate-change ecology Biological sciences/Ecology/Tropical ecology Earth and environmental sciences/Ecology/Forest ecology Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files supplementarybarbosaetal.pdf Supplementary Information rs.pdf Reporting Summary Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5573817","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":399562099,"identity":"5d83ec9c-b253-476a-8f2e-3a044b59865f","order_by":0,"name":"Milton 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