Deforestation in the Amazon triggers an increase in rainfall during the rainy season and a decrease in the dry season, according to a recent study released on Wednesday, highlighting the “crucial” role of the tropical rainforest in regulating the climate locally and globally.
The loss of trees in the Amazon river region, mainly driven by unsustainable agriculture, mining, and logging, undermines the tropical rainforest’s ability to absorb the carbon dioxide that exacerbates global warming.
Previous studies had already demonstrated that reducing vegetation decreases the amount of water evaporating into the atmosphere, leading to generally drier conditions.
The new study, published in the journal Nature, aimed to achieve a more detailed view, using regional climate simulations and satellite data of the forest between 2000 and 2020.
Researchers, based in China and Thailand, discovered that the impacts in the Amazon vary according to the seasons.
More rainfall was recorded specifically over areas where trees were cut down in the wet season (from December to February), while in the dry season (from June to August), when plants need it the most, less rainfall was recorded over a more extensive region.
“Due to its essential role in regional and global climate regulation, constant efforts are required to safeguard the remaining forests in the Amazon, as well as to rehabilitate degraded lands,” the authors conclude.
Climate and Economic Consequences of Increased Amazon Deforestation
Experts emphasized that the loss of trees in the Amazon, often caused by the illegal expansion of agricultural lands, represents a particular threat to crops.
“During the rainy season, deforested areas experienced a significant increase in precipitation (0.96 mm month−1 per percentage point loss of forest),” the text details.
The increase in precipitation “could exacerbate flooding during the wet season in certain deforested regions, harming regional agriculture and social economy,” they stated.
Overall, the authors found that ongoing deforestation in the Amazon “could lead to a decrease in total precipitation,” threatening fauna, intensifying droughts, worsening forest fires, and reducing CO2 absorption capacity.
The reduction in regional precipitation could also result in “substantial economic losses in agriculture.”
Towards an Amazonian Savanna?
In a related commentary on the study also published in Nature, Wim Thiery, associate professor at the Vrije Universiteit in Brussels, pointed out that the research was “pioneering” and that such texts were important for understanding the complex interactions between deforestation, climate change, and plant health.
This could help researchers assess whether the tropical rainforest is approaching a so-called “tipping point,” which could lead this crucial ecosystem to turn into a savanna, said Thiery, who was not involved in the research.
In a study last year, published in Nature, an international group of scientists estimated that between 10% and 47% of the Amazon will be exposed to the combined strains of warming and forest loss by 2050, which could lead to a widespread ecosystem shift.
This could cause this key ecosystem to release stored carbon, further driving global warming and intensifying its effects.
Drought plagued the Amazon river region from mid-2023 to 2024, driven by man-made climate change and the El Niño warming phenomenon, helping to create conditions for record forest fires.
Globally, the trend toward tropical forest destruction continues despite promises to end this practice by 2030, according to last year’s “Forest Declaration Assessment” report by research organizations, NGOs, and regional advocacy groups.
Have you visited our YouTube channel? Subscribe now!
