Research finds 36 percent of Amazon can withstand climate shifts

In a significant break from years of bleak environmental forecasts, new field research has identified a massive "bright spot" within the Amazon rainforest that appears stubbornly resistant to extreme drought.

While record-breaking dry spells and rising temperatures have pushed much of the biome toward a catastrophic tipping point, forest ecologist Flávia Costa and her team discovered that shallow water table areas, which make up over a third of the Amazon, are actually thriving, News.Az reports, citing MONGABAY.  

Rather than withering under the stress of intensifying climate change, palm species and other wetland trees in these regions are maintaining their health and even increasing their biomass.

This resilience is attributed to local hydrology where belowground water compensates for the lack of rain, allowing these areas to act as vital refugia for biodiversity.

The findings challenge the narrative of a total Amazonian collapse and suggest that conservation efforts should be strategically redirected to protect these durable lowland forests as they continue to function as stable carbon sinks.

News.Az 

By Leyla Şirinova