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Amazon rainforest reaching tipping point, researchers say
The Amazon rainforest is moving towards a "tipping point" where trees may die off en masse, say researchers.
A study suggests the world’s largest rainforest is losing its ability to bounce back from damage caused by droughts, fires and deforestation.
- Helen Briggs
- BBC
Large swathes could become sparsely forested savannah, which is much less efficient than tropical forest at sucking carbon dioxide from the air.
The giant forest traps carbon that would otherwise add to global warming.
But previous studies have shown that parts of the Amazon are now emitting more carbon dioxide than can be absorbed.
“The trees are…