Diversity of South East Asian forests helped them survive the cold 'Last Glacial Maximum': Study

South East Asian forests, including montane forests, survived the Last Glacial Maximum, making them more resilient to climate change. Prioritizing the protection of forests above 1000 meters and seasonally dry forest types is crucial to prevent the savannisation of Asia's rainforests. The study analyzed paleoenvironmental records and found that forests persisted alongside grasslands during the Last Glacial Maximum. Maintaining resilient forest types should be a conservation objective for South East Asian forests. The statistical methods developed for this study can be useful for analyzing other past ecological changes.