Tropical ecosystems are biomes of global significance due to their large biodiversity, carbon storage capacity, and their role in the hydrological cycle. Historical and recent human activities have, however, resulted in an intensive transformation of the tropical ecosystems in the Amazon, Central America, Central Africa and South East Asia, impacting the cycling of nutrients, carbon, water, and energy. Understanding their current functioning at process up to biome level in its pristine and transformed state is elemental for predicting their response to changing climate and land use and the impact this will have on local up to global scale.
The purpose of this session is to unite scientists investigating the dynamics of tropical ecosystems, employing a range of remote and on-site observational, experimental, modelling, and theoretical approaches. We are particularly interested in studies evidencing/documenting how tropical biomes, at the local or regional scale, respond to human-induced disturbances and climate change. In particular, spatial gradients and temporal scales that mirror global changes. Moreover, we encourage the presentation of innovative interdisciplinary methodologies and techniques that have the potential to reshape existing paradigms, thereby paving the way for exciting new avenues of exploration.