The Amazon rainforest may be near a tipping point that could cause the ecosystem to transform into a grassy savannah. The rainforest is very important for the planet’s health as it is home to a large variety of animal and plant life and stores a large amount of carbon. Scientists have said that about three quarters of the rainforest may be showing signs of resilience loss, a reduced ability to recover from natural disturbances.
The decreasing resilience is a warning sign of irreversible damage. Once this tipping point is reached, it may be impossible to save the rainforest, and it could be close to that point with no obviously visible changes. Human land use and changes to weather and climate patterns are causing harm to the rainforest. If the rainforest transforms to a savannah, it won’t store nearly as much carbon and would make it difficult to reach Net Zero emissions globally.
Read more: Amazon near tipping point of shifting from rainforest to savannah, study suggests
