40% of the Amazon rainforest can turn into savannah

Rainforests are sensitive to changes in rainfall over long periods of time.If from

the number will fall below a certain threshold, entire areas of the Amazon may go into a savannah state.

“According to our findings, by about 40%In the Amazon, rainfall is now at a level at which a forest can exist in any form - like rainforest or savannah, ”explains lead author of the study Ari Staal.

The findings of scientists are alarming, because inparts of the Amazon region now experience much less rain than they used to. In addition, this trend is expected to worsen as the region warms due to rising greenhouse gas emissions.

Using computer simulations,the researchers figured out what would happen if emissions continued to rise this century under the very high emissions scenario used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Overall, scientists have found that asmore and more parts of the Amazon are losing their natural resilience, becoming unstable and more likely to dry up and move into savanna-type ecosystems. They note that even the most resilient part of the rainforest is shrinking. In other words, much of the rainforest is prone to tipping points as greenhouse gas emissions are now reaching high levels.

It should be noted that the study studiedonly the impacts of climate change on rainforests. He did not assess the added stress of deforestation in the tropics due to the expansion of agriculture and logging.

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