Globally constrained forest biophysical cooling benefits under rising atmospheric dryness (opens in new tab)

Climate change reshapes forest biophysical effects, yet the impact direction and strength remain uncertain. Here we quantify the growing-season land surface temperature between forests and adjacent open land (∆LSTgs) and show contrasting temporal trends in ∆LSTgs across the globe during 2001–2023. Rising vapour pressure deficit (VPD) has emerged as the primary driver of these contrasting trends, surpassing other common climatic factors. By contrast, plant anisohydricity—an indicator of stomat...