The rainforest that recycles its own rain

Borneo's Biotic Pump

Deep in the 438-square-kilometre Danum Valley Conservation Area, primary dipterocarp rainforest trees tower over 80 metres into the equatorial sky. These ancient forests do far more than store carbon; they actively regulate the regional climate.

Through a process known as evapotranspiration, a single mature dipterocarp tree can pull hundreds of litres of groundwater per day and transpire it through its canopy leaves into the lower atmosphere.