Tropical dry forests play a crucial role in climate change mitigation by sequestering atmospheric carbon, yet the balance

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the abstract and stated research gap and inline gaps of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 2024 and 2026, spanning 8 journals. Those papers have been cited 9 times in total.

Supporting evidence — 8 representative gaps

• Contrasting restoration strategies shape tree carbon recovery through different ecological pathways in subalpine forests (2026) · Journal of Applied Ecology · doi

  Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (EcM) trees differ in resource‐use strategies, nutrient economies and carbon allocation patterns, yet it remains unclear whether passive and active restoration lead to tree carbon recovery through similar or contrasting changes in AM‐ and EcM‐associated tree carbon stocks.

  generalabstractevidence 5/5
  Keywords: carbon tree arbuscular mycorrhizal ectomycorrhizal trees differ resource strategies nutrient economies allocation patterns remains unclear
• Contrasting tree growth and soil organic carbon across stand densities in a Picea crassifolia plantation: associations with soil nitrogen (2026) · Frontiers in Plant Science · doi

  The density conditions favorable for tree growth and soil carbon storage may not coincide. There is a need to investigate the relationship between stand density and tree growth and soil organic carbon. The structure and management of existing plantations require greater attention.

  generalstated research gapevidence 5/5
  Keywords: density conditions favorable tree growth soil carbon storage
• Spatiotemporal Evolution and Prediction of Land Use and Carbon Stock in Shanghai (2024) · Land · cited 8× · doi

  Future research should focus on better characterizing LUCC patterns, obtaining accurate data on terrestrial carbon sinks, and quantifying the gradient of carbon stock changes in terrestrial ecosystems. The impact of LUCC on carbon storage due to current urbanization has not been clarified, and studies on carbon storage prediction in conjunction with future LUCC are lacking.

  generalinline gapsevidence 5/5
  Keywords: carbon lucc future terrestrial storage focus better characterizing patterns obtaining accurate sinks quantifying gradient stock
• Carbon sink-source dynamics across ecuadorian coastal tropical dry forests: unraveling the seasonal balance of soil carbon inputs and CO2 efflux (2026) · Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution · doi

  Tropical dry forests play a crucial role in climate change mitigation by sequestering atmospheric carbon, yet the balance between soil carbon storage and soil CO 2 emissions remains poorly understood across contrasting forest subtypes.

  generalabstractevidence 5/5
  Keywords: carbon soil tropical forests play crucial role climate change mitigation sequestering atmospheric balance storage emissions
• The effects of land restoration techniques on mycorrhizal colonization in post‐agricultural soils (2025) · Restoration Ecology · doi

  The recovery of nutrient cycling, predominantly carbon, following the conversion of agricultural lands is widely studied, but few studies have examined how mycorrhizal colonization changes over time after restoration, how soil physical properties and colonization differ in restored prairies versus forests, and which soil characteristics are associated with colonization.

  generalabstractevidence 5/5
  Keywords: colonization soil recovery nutrient cycling predominantly carbon following conversion agricultural lands widely studied examined mycorrhizal
• Depth-stratified soil organic carbon dynamics across forest–cultivation gradients in Nkanu East Watershed, Southeast Nigeria: implications for agroecological management (2026) · Frontiers in Agronomy · doi

  Background Forest-to-cultivation conversion in tropical watersheds drives soil degradation through altered carbon dynamics and physical compaction, yet depth-stratified assessments that account for subsoil contributions remain scarce.

  generalabstractevidence 4/5
  Keywords: background forest cultivation conversion tropical watersheds drives soil degradation altered carbon dynamics physical compaction depth
• Long‐term protection in grasslands enhances soil carbon storage through reduced disturbance and community trait diversity–environment adaptations (2026) · Functional Ecology · cited 1× · doi

  However, the processes by which disturbance regimes mediate the trade‐offs between species preservation and soil carbon storage are difficult to predict due to their complexity and remain debated, particularly in comparison to protected systems.

  generalabstractevidence 4/5
  Keywords: processes disturbance regimes mediate trade offs species preservation soil carbon storage difficult predict complexity remain
• Stand development and soil C and N accumulation along a chronosequence of Japanese oak (Quercus crispula) plantations in eastern Hokkaido, Japan (2026) · Frontiers in Forests and Global Change · doi

  The dynamics of soil carbon in secondary forests remain poorly understood. There is a lack of comprehensive studies on the entire process from planting to harvesting of Q. crispula plantations. The effects of thinning operations on stand development and soil properties are not well understood.

  generalstated research gapevidence 3/5
  Keywords: dynamics soil carbon secondary forests remain poorly understood

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