The greatest danger comes from slow-growing trees with dense wood and long life cycles, especially those found in moist tropical and subtropical forests. They play a key role in ecosystems by providing stability and long-term carbon storage. They are being replaced by fast-growing species such as acacia, eucalyptus, and pine, which have light foliage and low wood density.
“Although these species adapt well and grow quickly, they are less resilient to droughts, storms, pests, and climate change. This leads to a decrease in forest stability,” notes Professor Jens-Christian Svenning from Aarhus University.
Tropical and subtropical regions will face the most serious consequences. Many slow-growing species with limited ranges grow here, which may completely disappear due to habitat loss. Nearly 41% of naturalized species — trees that originally grew in other regions — possess characteristics that allow them to survive in altered conditions, but they rarely can replace the ecological role of local species.
The primary cause of these changes is human activity: climate change, deforestation, intensive forestry, and global trade in species. Scientists emphasize the need to rethink forest management approaches and focus on slow-growing and rare species when creating new plantings, which could help increase biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.
