HOW IS CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECTING THE AMAZON RAINFOREST? I SEANNA

Since the mid 1990s numerous studies have been carried out on the Amazon rainforest and there is evidence to show that climate change is having a devastating impact on this area.  The Amazon rainforest is the world’s largest tropical rainforest covering most of north-western Brazil and extending into South America. The Amazon rainforest plays a crucial role in regulating the world’s oxygen and carbon cycles, producing about 6% of the world’s total oxygen.

Global warming is causing sea temperatures in the Atlantic ocean to rise which largely correlate with changing land conditions. Higher ocean temperatures has been linked with increased land temperature variability and persistence of extreme temperatures, causing a higher frequency of droughts. This leaves the area more susceptible to forest fires and results in a major loss of vegetation.

Heavy rain and high temperatures (approximately 28 degrees Celsius) throughout the year is a key attribute of the rainforest. Climate change has caused variation in these conditions which has led to a significant effect on the biodiversity, wildlife, water availability and agriculture of the Amazon rainforest.

These effects include:

• Trees being killed by the high temperatures in the Amazon rainforest and more prone to fires. The light-wooded and fast-growing trees are especially vulnerable to reduced rainfall. It is estimated around 57% of Amazonian trees are facing extinction.

• The high temperatures mean that species like fish, which are dependent on cooler environments, change their distribution because of the water temperatures. Terrestrial animals in the Amazon Rainforest have already moved their habitats to higher altitudes because it is cold there. 

• With less rainfall when it is dry and warm, habitats are less suitable for exotic species, like birds, which need dampness in their homes. With a less suitable environment, this means the species will have to compete with the other native species for a new habitat.

• Reduced rainfall causes a change in the nutrient cycle of the rainforest as there will be less erosion of rocks to release nutrients into the soil. This will reduce the rate of growth of vegetation which causes further loss of habitation and food and results in a loss of biodiversity.

An example of an animal endangered in the Amazon Rainforest due to climate change are toucans. Toucans are brightly marked  birds with large vibrant bills that live in the Amazon Rainforest. As the temperatures in the Amazon Rainforest rise, the toucans have no choice but to move to more mountainous places in order to seek cooler environments. Toucans have also been migrating in large groups to places like Costa Rica to escape the unbearable heat.

Other endangered species include mangrove trees, orchids and pygmy sloth. Although this may not seem like a pressing issue at first glance, extinction of these species will create a major imbalance in the food chain and cause a ripple effect. There are many plants and animals in the Amazon Rainforest which have potential medicinal value that are yet to be discovered. For instance, vincristine is a drug that is believed to have anti-cancer properties, and is found in a flower (periwinkle) from the Amazon Rainforest.

The Amazon Rainforest has great value to people and to the environment; it provides resources, medicine, energy and acts as a carbon sink and provides a home to many plants and animals. However, climate change is having a devastating impact on the Amazon rainforest’s provision of these services.

Seanna

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