The Amazon is in danger of turning into a savannah

BRASILIA (AFP)
the 28-07-2004

The Amazon rainforest can turn into a savanna area within 50 to 100 years due to global warming and fires destroying the forest area in Brazil, a Brazilian scientist warned on Tuesday.

"Almost all the scenarios point to a 'savanization' (of the Amazon) within 50 to 100 years," said Carlos Nobre, researcher at the National Institute of Space Investigations (INPE), during the Third Conference of the “Large-scale project on the biosphere and atmosphere of the Amazon” which opened on Tuesday in Brasilia.

“In the worst case, the forest loses around 60% of its surface; at best, everything continues as it is now; in the case of an intermediate scenario, 20% of its surface disappears ”, he indicated.

"Even without deforestation, global warming could cause 20% to 30%" savanization "of the Amazon, Nobre said.

According to Brazilian official sources, 70 years 2002 end, fires destroyed more than 630.000 2 million km3,68 of km2 account that the Amazon forest in the country (70% of the Amazon forest).

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The INPE researcher considers that deforestation, caused by the advance of soybean cultivation and livestock breeding, is already having a climatic impact, both locally and in more remote areas, since it causes "a decrease rains and a greater warming of the climate ”.

Nobre believes that this process can be reversed through the creation of a large body to coordinate efforts in favor of the Amazon. This implies a reorientation of resources, since currently "only 3% of research income goes to the Amazon," Nobre said.

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