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Tropical Forests and Regions

Articles and Reports: Tropical Forests and Regions

Amazon rainforest needs rain

by ARTiFactor on Jul. 29th, 2006
in The Water Cycle, Weather and Climate

Amazon rainforest could become a desert
And that could speed up global warming with 'incalculable consequences', says alarming new research. Studies by the blue-chip Woods Hole Research Centre, carried out in Amazonia, have concluded that the forest cannot withstand more than two consecutive years of drought without breaking down. And that process, which would be irreversible, could begin as early as next year.

The Amazon rainforest is huge
For those who'd like some perspective, the Amazon rainforest represents half the rainforests in the world. It encompasses 1.2 billion acres, or 1.875 million square miles. That's 3.25% of the planets land mass. That�s a huge chunk of land. So if this report is accurate, it�s far from being insignificant.

The Amazon now appears to be entering its second successive year of drought, raising the possibility that it could start dying next year. The immense forest contains 90 billion tons of carbon, enough in itself to increase the rate of global warming by 50 per cent.

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