Trees in the Amazon rainforest 'getting bigger'

Trees in the Amazon forest have gotten bigger over recent years, according to scientists.

A new study suggests that, on average, trees are increasing in size by more than 3% every ten years.

Scientists often call the rainforest the "lungs of the planet" because of the role it plays in absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen.

Researchers say their findings highlight just how important tropical rainforests are in efforts to address climate change.

What have scientists found?

The study was carried out by an international team of scientists from more than 60 universities around the world, including from South America and the UK.

The group of almost a hundred researchers looked at the size of trees in 188 permanent plots.

They discovered that average tree size across the Amazon has increased by 3.2% every decade.

This was in line with rising carbon dioxide levels.

The team also discovered that the trend has continued for at least the past 30 years and that both large and smaller trees had increased in size.

Co-author of the study Professor Beatriz Marimon, from Universidade do Mato Grosso, explained: "This is a good news story. We regularly hear how climate change... is threatening Amazonian forests.

"But meanwhile the trees in intact forests have grown bigger; even the largest trees have continued to thrive despite these threats."

However, scientists also warned that deforestation and climate change remained a big challenge for the Amazon.

Professor Tim Baker from the University of Leeds, who was also involved with the study, added: "We knew that the total amount of carbon stored in the trees of intact Amazonian forests has increased.

What this new study shows is that all sizes of tree have grown larger over the same period – the whole forest has changed."

What is the Amazon rainforest?

The Golden Lion Tamarin is an endangered species that is native to the Amazon rainforests of Brazil

The Amazon rainforest is the largest tropical rainforest in the world.

It is spread across nine countries in South America - Brazil, Peru, Columbia, Bolivia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela - but the majority of it, almost 60%, is in Brazil.

The huge rainforest is home to thousands of plants and wildlife species, many of which are only found in that part of the world.

It is also home to various species that are endangered and whose populations are under threat.

According to the conservation organisation World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the total known number of different species in the rainforest includes: 427 mammals, 1300 birds, 378 reptiles, over 400 amphibians and between 2,500 - 3,000 freshwater fish.

This large number is mainly due to the rainforest's warm temperatures and various ecosystems for wildlife and plants to live in.

Did you know? The Amazon rainforest is more than 24 times the size of the UK.