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Rapid warming and high temperatures are an immediate threat to global ecosystems, but the threat may be especially pronounced in the tropics. Although low‐latitude tree species are widely predicted to be vulnerable to warming, information about how tropical tree diversity and community composition respond to elevated temperatures remains sparse. Here, we study long‐term responses of tree diversity and composition to increased soil and air temperatures at the Boiling River—an exceptional and unique “natural warming experiment” in the central Peruvian Amazon. Along the Boiling River's course, geothermally heated water joins the river, gradually increasing water temperature and subsequently warming the surrounding forest. In the riparian forests along the Boiling River, mean annual and maximum air temperatures span gradients of 4°C and 11°C, respectively, over extremely short distances (< 1 km), with the hottest temperatures matching those predicted for much of the Amazon under future global warming scenarios. Using a new network of 70 woody plant inventory plots situated along the Boiling River's thermal gradient, we observed aca.11% decline in tree α‐diversity per 1°C increase in mean annual temperature. We also found that the tree communities growing under elevated temperatures were generally more thermophilic (i.e., included greater relative abundances of species from hotter parts of the Amazon) than the communities in cooler parts of the gradient. Based on patterns at the Boiling River, we hypothesize that global warming will lead to dramatic shifts in tree diversity and composition in the lowland Amazon, including local extinctions and biotic attrition. 

When scientists study plants, they often collect, preserve, and store parts of the plants in a big collection called an herbarium. These plant specimens serve as proof that a species was growing in a certain place at a certain time. Herbaria (“herbaria” is the plural of herbarium) are where scientists describe new plant species and study how different species are related. Herbaria also contain lots of information about where certain plant species grow, what type of habitats species like, and at what time of year plants bloom and make fruits. Finally, herbaria are powerful tools for helping us understand how plants are affected by disturbances like habitat destruction and climate change. For all of these reasons, herbaria allow us to better understand and protect plant species all over the world. To continue benefitting from herbaria, we need to keep collecting plants and make these collections accessible to the world. 

We report the rediscovery of the Critically Endangered cloud forest herb Gasteranthus extinctus , not seen since 1985. In 2019 and 2021, G. extinctus was recorded at five sites in the western foothills of the Ecuadorian Andes, 4–25 km from the type locality at the celebrated Centinela ridge. We describe the species’ distribution, abundance, habitat and conservation status and offer recommendations for further research and conservation efforts focused on G. extinctus and the small, disjunct forest remnants it occupies.