He global rise in temperatures is pushing the limit to all the natural ecosystems of the planet; from poles increasingly threatened by melting ice to oceans that are ‘boiling’ like never before. According to a study published this Wednesday in the journal ‘Nature’, extreme heat is reducing the photosynthesis capacity of tropical forests. Right now, at least the 1% of forest cover from the jungles can no longer obtain energy due to the extreme increase in thermometers. In the future, experts warn that the advance of global warming could further intensify this phenomenon and, thus, threaten the survival of these tropical ecosystems.
The investigation, led by a team of experts from the University of Arizona, has compiled three years of measurements about surface temperature from different tropical forests of the world. The analysis of these data has revealed that the “photosynthetic machinery” of the trees reaches its limit temperature when the thermometers exceed 46.7 degrees Celsius. From this figure it is observed how a small but important part of the leaves stop producing energy from sunlight, water and carbon dioxide.
At this time it is estimated that at least 1% of the leaves of tropical forests could have reached this threshold. But, in the future, a progressive increase in temperatures could extend the scope of this phenomenon. According to the experts who have led this study, headed by the ecologist Christopher Doughty, an increase of 3.9 degrees in thermometers in the regions that house these tropical forests could reduce the photosynthesis capacity of trees and, from there, further alter the functioning of these already threatened ecosystems.
Threatened ecosystems
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Forests are considered as one of the main ‘lungs of the planet‘, one of the most important carbon stores in the world and, above all, as the home to most of the biodiversity who lives on the planet. All the risks that affect this ecosystem, then, can also influence all these elements. “Tropical forests are also key to regulating water availability on a regional scale. In the Congo Basin, for example, this ecosystem influences rainfall regimes as far away as North Africa,” he says. Gabriel Labatean expert from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in an interview published on the occasion of the International Day of Forests.
It is estimated that the world has lost about 80 million hectares of forest in just 20 years. This would be the equivalent of cutting down an area larger than Spain on the world map. Or to wipe out a tenth of Russia. According to a study published in the magazine ‘One Earth’, in the last twenty years 41% of the forest area has been lost due to felling of trees, 29% due to forest fires, 15% due to ‘slashing and burning ‘ of shifting crops and 10% for permanent agricultural uses. As of 2010, in addition, there is a drastic increase in fellings around the world.