Amazon Rainforest Facing Critical Recovery Challenges

May 29, 2024

New study has found a worrying trend in the Amazon rainforest, more than a third of this important ecosystem is having a hard time recovering from repeated droughts. Some research on this topic was released on May 20, 2024, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study was called “Critical Slowing Down of the Amazon Forest after Increased Drought Occurrence.”

Drought Impact and Forest Recovery

The study found that from 2001 to 2019, the Amazon experienced three very severe droughts, which have been called “once-in-a-century” events in the past. Because of climate change, these are happening more often and getting worse, which makes it much harder for the rainforest to heal. These slower rates of healing show up as fewer trees growing and more trees dying, which could cause forests to die back.

Mechanisms of Tree Mortality

Researchers found that trees are mostly affected by drought in two ways: carbon starvation and hydraulic failure. When plants close their stomata to save water, photosynthesis stops, and there is a negative carbon balance. This is called carbon starvation. On the other hand, trees die from hydraulic failure when they lose a lot of water and their xylem channels burst. This stops water from moving through the tree and kills it. The study found that the severity of the drought had a bigger effect on these processes than the length of the drought.

Implications for Future Research and Conservation

Even though things are very bad, not all parts of the Amazon are showing signs of a major slowdown. In the Amazon, this means that certain areas of forest may be more at risk. These kinds of changes to the environment have big effects on biodiversity, climate control, and the Earth’s ability to store carbon. The researchers stress how important it is to keep these forests safe and highlight the important role that indigenous and traditional groups play in conservation efforts. They want to keep an eye on the Amazon jungle and push for proactive preservation policies to stop more damage and possible tipping points.

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