A recent study states that while the ancient trees in the Amazon forest will remain unaffected by global warming, other threats to the forest continue.
Global and climate warming is a serious issue that needs immediate attention. Along with the many adverse effects climatic change poses on the environment, forests are said to be the most affected.
However, a study conducted by University of Michigan evolutionary biologist Christopher Dick and his colleagues found evidence that ancient Amazon trees are unlikely to become nearly extinct because of global warming.
"Our paper provides evidence that common Amazon tree species endured climates warmer than the present, implying that -- in the absence of other major environmental changes -- they could tolerate near-term future warming under climate change," said Dick, an associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and acting director of the U-M Herbarium.
Ancient trees are found to be more than 8 million years old and have survived cases of global warming in the past similar to the one predicted for 2100.
However, co-author of the study Simon Lewis warns that "the past cannot be compared directly to the future."
"While tree species seem likely to tolerate higher air temperatures than today, the Amazon forest is being converted for agriculture and mining, and what remains is being degraded by logging and increasingly fragmented by fields and roads," Lewis said. "Species will not move as freely in today's Amazon as they did in previous warm periods, when there was no human influence. Similarly, today's climate change is extremely fast, making comparisons with the past difficult.
"With a clearer understanding of the relative risks to the Amazon forest, we conclude that direct human impacts, such as forest clearance for agriculture or mining, should remain a focus of conservation policy," Lewis said. "We also need more aggressive action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to minimize the risk of drought and fire impacts to secure the future of most Amazon tree species."
