According to scientists; ‘More droughts can lead to less forest, leading to more droughts and so on’.

Story by: Ian Johnston Environment Correspondent (Independent).

Much of the Amazon is facing a death spiral of deforestation and drought over the next century, according to a new study. Projected reductions in rainfall would not lead to “complete Amazon dieback” but “large parts” of the vast region were “certainly at risk”, one of the researchers said.

The water cycle of the Amazon has been described as “one of nature’s great wonders”, but the forest has been under pressure from the timber industry, agriculture and the effects of climate change.

The new study examined what would happen if the dry seasons intensify.

They found there was a feedback loop in which droughts led to fewer trees, which reduced the level of rainfall.

The Amazon rainforest is so large that it has an important impact on the world’s climate. It has been said that deforestation there could cause more rain in the Europe.

Read the full story on Independent.