The Amazon rainforest could become a desert, which may accelerate global warming with “unquantifiable consequences,” scientists warn.
Research conducted by the Woods Hole Research Center in the United States indicates that this vast rainforest is on the brink of transforming into a desert, leading to catastrophic impacts on the world’s climate. This process may be irreversible and could begin as early as next year.
The study concludes that the forest cannot survive after more than two years of consecutive drought, and there is a high likelihood that tree deaths will occur en masse by early 2007.
The expansive Amazon rainforest has the capacity to absorb up to 90 billion tons of carbon, which is sufficient to accelerate the Earth’s warming by 50%. Scientists state that deforestation and climate change have diminished the Amazon’s ability to self-recover after many years of continuous drought in the region.
TUONG VY
