Loss of monkeys and birds in tropical forests driving up carbon emissions

Overhunting affects seed dispersal and thus survival of hardwood trees, resulting in drastic reduction in Earth's natural carbon storage, study finds

Large fruit-eating monkeys and birds in tropical forests have been revealed as surprising climate change champions, whose loss to over-hunting is driving up carbon emissions. This is because their seed-spreading plays a vital role in the survival of huge, hard-wooded trees.

Tropical forests store 40% of all the carbon on the Earth's surface and the slashing of trees causes about 15% of the greenhouse gases that drive global warming.