Ecowatch: Warming world, changing forests

We depend on forests for crucial ecosystem services – temperature regulation, wildlife habitats, landslide prevention, water catchment systems, and biodiversity survival – which is why finding out how they will react as the planet becomes hotter is vital. — 123rf

IN the heart of a verdant urban forest in Kuala Lumpur, plant physiologist Dr Elizabeth Philip is trying to answer an important question about Malaysia’s forests.

She’s in charge of the Environment and Climate Change programme at the Forest Research Institute (FRIM), Kepong, researching and helping to estimate greenhouse gas emissions, and their removal from sectors such as forestry and agriculture.