A team of Amazon scientists have used a computer model to simulate how the Amazon rainforest may be affected by climate change. Their study, published in Nature Climate Change journal, demonstrated how even small increases in temperature could have significant implications on its survival.
The model revealed that an increase of 1 degree Celsius temperature could result in a 10% decline in rainfall, reducing plant growth and sparking fires more frequently. Furthermore, this research demonstrated a 20% rise in drought days across Amazonia with every increase of temperature by just one degree Celsius.
The authors of the study claim their findings underscore the significance of taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as they claim failure could cause irreparable damage to Amazon rainforest ecosystem.
The study’s findings are in line with prior research which has demonstrated the Amazon rainforest is sensitive to climate change. One 2019 paper in Science showed that, by 2020, it may start emitting more carbon dioxide than it absorbs – effectively turning this natural resource from carbon sink into emitter.
The Amazon rainforest is one of the planet’s most valuable ecosystems, playing an essential role in maintaining an optimal global climate and providing shelter to countless plant and animal species. Loss of this habitat would have devastating repercussions for life on Earth.
Now is the time to take steps to curb greenhouse gas emissions and protect the Amazon rainforest; our collective future depends on it.