"Where do palm trees grow and why does it matter?"

[Hillizard]

Article via the Royal Botanic Gardens | Kew: "Where do palm trees grow and why does it matter? Palm trees differ from other tropical trees in many ways but how many grow worldwide has long been a mystery." --  Dr. Thaise Emilio

https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/where-do-palm-trees-grow

"Palm trees (Arecaceae) are iconic tropical forest plants. However, the familiar postcard images of coconut palms leaning over white sandy beaches do not capture the stunning diversity of palms and their importance to humans and ecosystems. There are over 2,500 species of palms. They come in all shapes and sizes, from small shrubs to lianas and towering trees. Many are used by humans for food, shelter, medicine and crafts. "

The global abundance of tree palms: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/geb.13123

"Tree palms are not only quintessentially tropical, but they are also overwhelmingly Neotropical. Future work to understand the contributions of tree palms to biomass estimates and carbon cycling will be particularly crucial in Neotropical forests."