Surprising resilience: tropical rainforests need just 20 years to bounce back

If humans don’t interfere, tropical rainforests can bounce back to life pretty fast, finds a new study.

Researchers say it would take just about 20 years for tropical rainforests to almost fully regrow if left untouched. Writing in the journal Science, they explained that a multidimensional mechanism where old forest flora and fauna help a new generation of the forest to grow is the reason behind this resilience.

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Climate experts say the findings are ‘good news’ because 20 years is a realistic time that people and policymakers can think and work towards. It also shows that perhaps it's not too late to undo the damage that humans have caused to the Earth’s ecosystems.

For the research, around 90 researchers from across the world analysed 77 sites and 2,275 plots of land in the Americas and West Africa. The analysis showed that in 20 years, the tropical forests were able to recover to their old growth by roughly 78 per cent.

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