The Amazon rainforest emits more carbon dioxide than it absorbs «kleinezeitung.at

The Amazon rainforest is the green lung of the world. Figures now show for the first time that “the forest is tilted and is now a net source of emissions”.

11:40 AM May 1, 2021

From Amazon rainforest According to a study, nearly 20 percent of carbon dioxide was released into the atmosphere in the past decade compared to the so-called The green lungs of the planet Can be included. Thursday in the magazineThe Nature of Climate Change“A published study compared the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the forest with that of carbon dioxide from cutting, burning and destroying.

Figures showed for the first time that “the Brazilian Amazon rainforest has tended and is now one Net source It is, “said the co-author Jean-Pierre Winron Of French nationality Agricultural Research Institute (Inra). “We don’t know at what point this change will become irreversible.”

Between 2010 and 2019, the Amazon basin was stabilized, according to the study 13.9 billion tons of carbon dioxide But it has waived 16.6 billion tons. The study also shows growing Destroy the forest with fires and lumberjacks. Deforestation increased nearly four-fold in 2019 compared to previous years, from around 1 million hectares to 3.9 million – an area the size of the Netherlands.

Researchers also see a reason for this in politics. After opening Right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro In January 2019, environmental measures were significantly weakened, according to a statement from Inra.

Healthy ecosystems play a critical role in Combating climate change And increase in carbon dioxide emissions, which amounted to more than 40 billion tons in 2019. Over the past 50 years, plants and soil have absorbed about 30 percent of these emissions, and the oceans more than 20 percent. Tropical rain forests absorb an especially large amount of carbon dioxide, and about half of these forests are located in the Amazon Basin.