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The Amazon rainforest could turn to dust
Scientists at the Blue-Chip Woods Hole Research centre have released a report, which confirms the impact of climate change on the Amazon rainforest.
The research makes the assumption that global warming will restrict rainfall in the Amazon. The research team recreated this effect by covering a small piece forest with plastic and over a three year period observed how the trees coped.
24th July 2006
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The research results
As the Amazon currently finds itself in the second year of a severe drought, there is a real possibility that the forest could start to disintegrate and release some of the 90 billion tons of carbon stored in the trees and plants already next year.
If the Amazon starts to turn to dust it has the potential to increase the rate of global warming by 50% due to the volume of carbon locked away. A situation that humans would be unable to control as the planet would become almost uninhabitable.
Year 1 - The trees managed the drought without difficulty.
Year 2 - Trees sunk their roots deeper into the soil to find moisture, but survived.
Year 3 - Largest trees started dying, exposing the forest floor to the sun and releasing 75% of the carbon stored during the life of the tree.
Did you know that the Amazon forest produces 20% of the worlds oxygen
The Amazon 2050?
