Scientists warn that the Amazon Rainforest has experienced a loss of the rainfall necessary to sustain it, pushing the world’s largest tropical ecosystem toward a potential tipping point.
A recent study published in Nature Communications indicates that deforestation is causing a significant decline in rainfall during the Amazon’s dry season, thereby increasing heat across the region.
Researchers suggest these changes could signify “early signs of biome destabilization,” implying that the forests are beginning to struggle to maintain their balance.
The study analyzed satellite and climate data from 1985 to 2020, encompassing an area of 2.6 million km² (1,000,000 square miles) in Brazil’s Amazon. This is nearly four times larger than Texas.
The data revealed that dry season rainfall has decreased by approximately 21mm (0.8 inches), with about three-quarters of this decline directly associated with deforestation.
During the same period, maximum daily temperatures increased by around 2°C (3.6°F), with 16.5% of this rise attributable to forest loss, while the remainder results from global climate change.
Plants play a crucial role in the Amazon’s rain cycle by extracting water from the soil and releasing it through a process known as transpiration.
When trees are removed, this cycle weakens, leading to fewer clouds and less rainfall. Consequently, the forest becomes hotter and drier, creating a harmful feedback loop.
If the Amazon reaches a tipping point, it may no longer be able to sustain itself, resulting in a rapid and irreversible collapse of the ecosystem and converting the region into a savanna.
This shift would significantly impact the entire water cycle in South America and release the carbon stored in the rainforests.
“These findings underscore the necessity of preserving and restoring Amazonian forest cover as a vital strategy for mitigating climate change and ensuring ecosystem stability,” the scientists conclude.
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Source: www.sciencefocus.com
