Tropical forests may be approaching a critical high-temperature threshold, but there is still time to act
Canopy Biology
Monkeys swing through for a bite to eat, ants cross from tree to tree on liana highways, and climate variables shape cycles of flowering, fruiting and photosynthesis: there is a lot going on in the forest canopy. To overcome the limitations of studying towering tropical forests from the normal human vantage point, Smithsonian scientists in Panama revolutionized canopy biology by erecting construction cranes in forests on both sides of the Isthmus of Panama. More daring biologists continue to climb into the treetops to set up camera traps and observe animal behavior first hand.
The mystery of an unusual Panamanian plant’s dispersal
Dramatic liana increases in old-growth tropical forests is linked to natural disturbance and climate change
First report of dorsal navigation in a flying insect
The ecological effects of lightning in a tropical forest
