Regeneration of tropical tree seedlings and their response to a changing climate is inadequately understood. Experimental work suggests that tropical moist forest tree seedlings and saplings can acclimate photosynthetically to moderate levels of warming and, unlike adults, may even exhibit increased growth rates . Some moist forest seedlings also show plasticity to recurrent drought episodes by enhancing their growth rates when favourable moisture conditions return, while others fail to respond . The nature of response also seems to be mediated by neighbourhood diversity, with greater plasticity in more diverse communities . Seedlings in tropical dry forests subject to burning show enhanced growth rates post-fire and within two years attain similar height of seedlings in unburnt areas , though the environmental drivers of seedling growth post-fire are not well understood .
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report