Paper: GS – III, Subject: Environment and Ecology, Topic: Global Agreement and Efforts, Issue: The Amazon rainforest.
Context:
The Esecaflor project, a long-term scientific experiment aimed at understanding the impacts of drought on the Amazon rainforest.
- Launched in 2000, this project has provided critical insights into how prolonged drought conditions can affect the forest’s health, carbon storage capabilities, and overall ecosystem dynamics
Key Takeaways:
Experimental Setup:
- Location: Conducted in the Caxiuana National Forest in Brazil.
- Methodology: Approximately 6,000 transparent plastic panels were installed over one hectare of forest.
- These panels were designed to divert around 50% of rainfall away from the forest floor, mimicking drought stress.
- Panels ranged in height from 1 meter at the edges to 4 meters in the center, with water channeled into gutters and trenches.
- Control Plot: An identical plot of land was left untouched to serve as a control for comparison.
Amazon Rainforest:
- These are large tropical rainforests occupying the drainage basin of the Amazon River and its tributaries in northern South America and covering an area of 6,000,000 square km.
- The Amazon Basin supports the world’s largest rainforest, which accounts for more than half the total volume of rainforests in the world.
- Comprising about 40% of Brazil’s total area, Peru, and also parts of Guyana, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Suriname, French Guiana, and Venezuela, the Amazon River Basin is the world’s largest drainage system.
- It is bounded by the Guiana Highlands to the north, the Andes Mountains to the west, the Brazilian Central Plateau to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
- Tropical forests are closed-canopy forests growing within 28 degrees north or south of the equator.
- They are very wet places, receiving more than 200 cm of rainfall per year, either seasonally or throughout the year.
- Temperatures are uniformly high – between 20°C and 35°C.
Contributing Factors to Drought in the Amazon Rainforest:
Conclusion:
- The Esecaflor project underscores the profound effects of drought on the Amazon rainforest, revealing critical insights into how climate change alters carbon dynamics and forest health.
- Continued observation of the forest’s recovery will be essential for understanding ecological resilience in the face of ongoing environmental changes.
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