The Amazon: From Rainforest to Savannah

Since the beginning of this century, the Amazon rainforest has presented a loss of resilience, which translates into a drastic change in an irreversible way. A biologically rich and diverse place can transform into a grassy savannah and this variation is crucial for the planet.

The Amazon harbors a large amount of carbon, is home to several animal species, and its abrupt change could actively influence global weather patterns.

Timothy M. Lenton, director of the Institute for Global Systems at the University of Exeter, UK, during a press conference stated that:

“Remember, if that tipping point is reached and we commit to losing the Amazon rainforest, then we will get significant feedback from global climate change.”

A group of scientists assures the loss of resilience, verified in the observations of the last 20 years that record monthly satellite data and where they have mapped the biomass (organic matter of the area) and the greenness of the forest to show how it has changed in response to fluctuations in weather conditions.

"About 90,000 million tons of carbon dioxide are eliminated, especially in the trees, but also in the soil (of the Amazon). If the Amazon forest is transformed into a savannah, it will no longer store as much carbon within itself," Lenton added..

The scientists responsible for this observational study asserted that these conclusions were related to real-world observations. This Monday in the academic journal Nature Climate Change they published their impressions.

In the same way, Lenton suggests that this important change could take place in a few decades, he assured that it is only his impression.

The study showed that the loss of resilience is more aggressive in areas where human activity is close, as well as in those areas where rainfall is infrequent.

Other study data

Chantelle Burton, a climate scientist at the UK Met Office Hadley Centre, who was not involved in the research and is wondering how the rainforest is going to survive these climatic challenges, said:

"What this study does is offer some observational evidence of what's already happening with this important carbon sink and shows that human land use and changes in weather and climate patterns are already driving a major change in the system"

In addition to this, Richard Allan, professor of climate sciences at the University of Reading, also commented on the research, stating that:

“Much of the Amazon is showing signs that it may be approaching a tipping point toward irreversible decline; but because multiple satellite sensors are used to infer the 'lushness' of the vegetation, we have to be sure that those data records show accurate trends.”

Allan says that human activities for many years have declared a kind of war against natural facilities, although measures have been taken to stop deforestation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.