# El Niño’s hidden toll on trees emerges years later in Papua New Guinea rainforest

Source: [Conservation news](https://news.mongabay.com/2026/11/el-ninos-hidden-toll-on-trees-emerges-years-later-in-papua-new-guinea-rainforest/) · 2026-11-09 · Life
Page: https://themorning.science/story/el-nino-s-hidden-toll-on-trees-emerges-years-later-in-papua-new-guinea-rainfores-946092758030324a
Kind: research · Impact: medium

## In brief

- A recent study tracked more than 21,000 trees in the 50-hectare Wanang Forest Dynamics Plot in Papua New Guinea.
- Trees did not recover immediately after the El Niño drought ended; many kept dying afterwards.
- The effects of the drought on the rainforest became visible only years later.

## Why it matters

The findings suggest that drought damage to tropical forests can continue long after the drought itself, so short-term observations may understate tree losses.

## Coverage

- [El Niño’s hidden toll on trees emerges years later in Papua New Guinea rainforest](https://news.mongabay.com/2026/11/el-ninos-hidden-toll-on-trees-emerges-years-later-in-papua-new-guinea-rainforest/) — Conservation news, 2026-11-09

Tags: el niño, rainforest, tree mortality, drought, papua new guinea, forest ecology

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science