Forest ecology has long centered on trees. Beyond Trees explores the diversity of growth forms that climb, sprawl, twine, and hang, and the vital roles they play in forests as ecological and socioeconomic systems.
Forests are not made of trees alone.
Palms, bamboos, bananas, lianas, climbers, and epiphytes shape tropical ecosystems alongside trees, yet they remain underrepresented in ecological research and conservation discourse.
These growth forms reveal alternative solutions to the woody tree strategy for some of the most fundamental challenges of life on land: reaching the canopy, persisting through time, competing for light, and surviving disturbance. Their evolutionary pathways differ dramatically from those of woody trees, but their ecological importance is no less profound.
Beyond Trees is a research community dedicated to understanding, celebrating, and fostering research on the diverse growth forms that make forests possible. By broadening our perspective beyond trees, we hope to build a more inclusive understanding of forest ecology, biodiversity, and sustainability.
Choose a bookmark and discover a different side of the forest.
Pick a bookmark to the left. Each one opens the speaker who explores that question, with their talk and a key paper.
Beyond Trees began as a symposium, but its vision extends beyond a single session. We hope to foster a community exploring the diversity, function, and significance of plant growth forms.
We are assembling a special collection that gathers evolutionary, functional, and socio-ecological work on lianas, palms and rattans, bamboos, and epiphytes under one perspective.
Journal: Biotropica. More details coming soon.
Beyond Trees is building a community of researchers interested in non-tree growth forms across tropical and subtropical ecosystems.
Whether your work focuses on evolution, ecology, conservation, remote sensing, urban systems, or human livelihoods, we welcome new connections and collaborations.
Sign-up form coming soon.
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