This study investigates the impact of climate change on the reproductive phenology of tropical rainforests in Southeast Asia. Analyzing 35 years of reproductive phenology data from 210 species in Peninsular Malaysia, the researchers found a decrease in flowering and fruiting species from 1976 to 2010. A phenology model revealed that 57% of Dipterocarpaceae species respond to drought and low-temperature cues for flowering. Future climate scenarios (RCP2.6 and 8.5) predict reduced flowering opportunities due to decreased low-temperature cues, highlighting the vulnerability of tropical ecosystems to climate change.

Shinya Numata, Koharu Yamaguchi, Masaaki Shimizu, Gen Sakurai, Ayaka Morimoto, Noraliza Alias, Nashatul Zaimah Noor Azman, Tetsuro Hosaka, Akiko Satake