ArticleCommunications earth & environment2025
Forest edges are globally warmer than interiors and exceed optimal temperatures for vegetation productivity.
Article in Communications earth & environment, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Extra Climate Benefits From Afforestation Due to Reduced Forest Fragmentation in China.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- Forests in protected areas worldwide face increased thermal pressure from urbanization.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Larger forest patches have greater per-area productivity.Nature ecology & evolution · 2026Article
- Spatiotemporal variation of the maximum cooling effect across edge-to-interior gradients in forest patches of southwestern China.PloS one · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Forests not only regulate the global climate by absorbing carbon dioxide but also shape local biophysical conditions by creating microclimates that buffer temperature extremes. However, ongoing deforestation and fragmentation are transforming forest interiors into edge environments, which may differ markedly in their microclimatic conditions and undermine local climate-regulating functions. Here, we quantify how proximity to forest edges alters thermal conditions across biomes and seasons using global satellite-derived surface temperature data from nearly 13 million sites. We find that forest edges are consistently warmer on average than interiors, with the magnitude of warming varying with biome type and season. During summer months, surface temperature at edges frequently exceeds the optimal temperature for vegetation productivity, particularly in tropical forests. These results suggest that continued loss of interior forest will reduce the capacity of remnant forests to buffer local climate conditions, potentially hampering ecosystem productivity and resilience.
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Registered trials
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