Life in the treetops—An overview of forest canopy science and its future directions

Abstract

Forests are currently under global threat from human activities, despite the fact that recent findings confirm trees are critical for the health of humans as well as for the entire planet. Advances in whole forest research, which includes the upper reaches and not just the forest floor, are providing critical information about carbon storage, biodiversity, water cycles, and other essential ecosystem services provided by trees. The methods to study forest canopies are relatively new and vastly underfunded, despite our growing recognition of the global importance of trees. In addition to advancing exploration of the treetops, the forest canopy toolkit is also proving instrumental to jumpstart innovative actions to conserve forest ecosystems. Summary: Forest canopies are home to an estimated 50% of terrestrial biodiversity but remain relatively unexplored until just four decades ago. As one of the first global arbornauts, I share an abbreviated history of canopy science, and how treetop access has inspired forest conservation, especially in the tropics where forests remain relatively unexplored. The arboreal toolkit of ropes and harnesses, canopy walkways, dirigible and inflatable rafts, construction cranes, drones, and LIght Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) has revealed that forests provide many important ecosystem services, essential for life on earth. Yet despite millions of research dollars, extensive time, and extraordinary intellectual capital, the degradation of tropical rain forests is accelerating and does not correlate with the extent of scientific investments. A few case studies illustrate how canopy access methods can inspire innovative approaches to conservation, especially in tropical forests where deforestation is rampant: (a) Use treetop walkways for education and ecotourism, not just research, so that indigenous communities can earn sustainable income without logging; (b) Incorporate citizen scientists into forest field research through BioBlitzes or virtual technologies that are now relatively inexpensive and far-reaching; (c) Inspire girls, especially in low-income countries, to become stewards of their local forests; and (d) Seek diverse stakeholders in forest conservation actions, including religious and corporate leaders. I summarize how treetop exploration can inspire a renaissance in botany, engaging the public about the importance of trees, especially tropical forests and their biodiversity.