500-Year-Old Tree DNA Powers Brazil’s Forest Rebirth

2026-02-24 - 11:53

Key Points — Scientists in Bahia are using genetic mapping to identify centuries-old mother trees that survived colonial-era deforestation, selecting their DNA to grow forests that develop 50 percent faster and are more resilient to climate change. — Brazil’s Atlantic Forest once covered 130 million hectares — only 24 percent remains, with just 12.4 percent