How is Climate Change Threatening Tropical Rainforests?

Hi Suryanshu,

This is a great question, and a really important one too! Whilst a big focus of conversation around tropical rainforests and climate change is usually on how deforestation adds to the effects of climate change, the rainforests themselves are impacted by these effects too. Many of the species in a tropical rainforest are adapted to certain climatic conditions like temperature and of course rainfall. With increased temperatures, delicate biological systems are disrupted, for instance some reptile species produce too many of one sex when reproducing. Similarly the interactions between species can also be affected, for instance Chytridiomycosis, a fungal disease of amphibians (frogs, toads, etc.) is causing mass declines in tropical rainforests, and the effects of climate change are thought to be worsening its prevalence.

In addition the Amazon Rainforest itself, experienced its worse drought in half a century this year, and studies causing vegetation like trees to die as it struggles to recover.

Whilst a drought like this would be harmful to any forest, the Amazon rainforest is already under immense pressure from deforestation.

Whilst these effects on their own are serious, healthy, resilient ecosystems could cope, however the combined stresses of climate change mixed with the various pressures humans exert in other ways, is often too much.

While this is just a brief glimpse of the issues, there is much more to learn and of course there are also solutions too and I encourage you (if interested) to seek out your own research using websites like conservation.org or WWF.

How is Climate Change Threatening Tropical Rainforests?

Climate change refers to significant and lasting changes in the Earth's climate patterns over extended periods, typically decades to millions of years. It involves alterations in temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, and other aspects of the climate system. While climate change can occur naturally through processes like volcanic eruptions, ocean currents, and variations in solar radiation, the current trend is predominantly driven by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes. This essay will explore how climate change is threatening tropical rainforests through altered weather patterns, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and disruptions in biodiversity.

One of the primary ways climate change threatens tropical rainforests is through altered weather patterns. Tropical rainforests rely on consistent rainfall and stable temperatures to maintain their unique ecosystems. Evidence shows that climate change is causing shifts in these patterns, leading to prolonged droughts in some regions and excessive rainfall in others. For example, the Amazon rainforest has experienced severe droughts in recent years, disrupting the water cycle and stressing plant (flora) and animal (fauna) species.  In 2022, the Amazon continued to experience drought conditions, particularly affecting the southern Amazon basin, with significant impacts on river levels, forest fires, and biodiversity. These changes can cause trees to die off, reducing the forest's ability to sequester carbon and exacerbating the effects of global warming. This is an important argument because the long-term trend of increased drought frequency and severity means that there is a threat to 20% of oxygen that the Amazon rainforest offers. Therefore, altered weather patterns due to climate change directly undermine the sustainability of tropical rainforests.

In addition to altered weather patterns, the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events pose a significant threat to tropical rainforests. Hurricanes, cyclones, and other extreme weather events have become more common and intense due to climate change. For instance, studies have shown that hurricanes in the Atlantic are becoming more powerful and frequent. These storms can cause massive destruction in tropical rainforests, uprooting trees, destroying habitats, and disrupting ecosystems. The damage from such events can take decades to recover from, if at all, significantly reducing the resilience of these forests. This is an important point to consider because a loss in biodiversity and an effect on both food chains and webs which is further considered as problematic because the Amazon is known to be home to 427 mammal species, 1,300 bird species, 378 species of reptiles, more than 400 species amphibians and more species are being discovered each year. If weather patterns change over a long period of time this will have a negative effect on these species causing them to be extinct, endangered and some undiscovered.

The decrease in species richness and evenness has negative environmental impacts but also socio-economic impacts due to the tropical rainforest providing humans with medicines to improve ill-health and provides factories with resources for buildings, furniture, and medicine. Thus, illustrating the instant and long- term negative environmental, social, and economic impacts of extreme weather events driven by climate change are a formidable threat to the integrity of tropical rainforests.

In conclusion, climate change poses a severe threat to tropical rainforests through altered weather patterns, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and disruptions in biodiversity. These factors collectively undermine the health and stability of these vital ecosystems, which play a crucial role in regulating the Earth's climate and supporting a vast array of life forms. Protecting tropical rainforests from the impacts of climate change is essential for maintaining global ecological balance and ensuring the survival of countless species. Immediate and sustained action is required to mitigate climate change and preserve these irreplaceable natural treasures.

This is a topic covered in GCSE geography. The rainforests in Malaysia and Brazil are at risk from climate change because the biodiversity is reducing as deforestation occurs and animals migrate. Also with the weather changing, heavy rainfall and low sunlight, this reduces their growth and impact on the rainforest negatively

Hi Suryanshu, I have an answer for you. Climate change is severely impacting tropical rainforests by altering their structure, reducing their functioning, and threatening biodiversity. Rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns increase tree mortality, leading to forest fragmentation and weakened carbon sequestration. These changes disrupt the water cycle, making the forests less resilient. Biodiversity is at risk as species struggle to adapt, face extinction, or fall victim to invasive species. The degradation of these ecosystems not only threatens countless species but also worsens climate change, creating a harmful feedback loop with global consequences. I hope this helped :)

Climate change over the years has been fluctuating and the overall trend is that the earth temperature is increasing dramatically due to increased greenhouse gases. As a result of climate change, it has led to tropical forest being threatened. Due to abnormal and haphazard weather in the tropical rainforest it would lead to plants not receiving sufficient water in order to flourish in the rainforest. As we know plants and trees are essential to earth . Some people would refer to the rainforest as being the lungs if earth. Therefore if climate change leads to abnormal weather it would lead to decrease plants and trees which would affect earth.

Climate change threatens tropical rainforests by causing rising temperatures, altered rainfall patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events, which collectively disrupt the delicate balance of these ecosystems. Higher temperatures and prolonged droughts stress plants and animals, while increased rainfall and flooding can lead to soil erosion and damage to the forest structure. These changes affect the rainforest's ability to function as a vital carbon sink, thereby reducing its capacity to mitigate global warming. Additionally, shifting species distributions and the loss of biodiversity are significant concerns as some species may not adapt or migrate, leading to extinctions and altered ecosystem dynamics. The increased risk of forest fires, fueled by drier conditions, further threatens the integrity and biodiversity of tropical rainforests. As these impacts compound, they not only degrade the health of rainforests but also weaken their role in global climate regulation, highlighting the urgent need for conservation and climate mitigation efforts.

Climate change is having a big impact on tropical rainforests, affecting their structure, functioning, and biodiversity. Here’s how:

1. Rising Temperatures:

As global temperatures increase, tropical rainforests experience higher temperatures. This can stress the trees and plants, making it harder for them to grow. It can also increase the likelihood of forest fires, which can destroy large areas of the rainforest.

2. Changes in Rainfall:

Climate change is causing changes in rainfall patterns. Tropical rainforests need regular rainfall to stay healthy. If there is too little rain, the forest can become dry and more prone to fires. If there is too much rain, it can lead to flooding and soil erosion, both of which can damage the forest.

3. More Carbon Dioxide (CO2):

Higher levels of CO2 in the atmosphere can initially help plants grow faster. However, this benefit is often outweighed by other problems caused by climate change, such as changes in temperature and rainfall. Increased CO2 can also affect the quality of the plants, which can impact animals that eat them.

4. Loss of Species:

Many animals and plants in tropical rainforests are very sensitive to changes in their environment. If the rainforest changes too quickly, some species may not be able to survive. This can lead to a loss of biodiversity, which means fewer different types of plants and animals in the forest.

5. Disruption of Ecological Balance:

Tropical rainforests help regulate the global climate by storing carbon and recycling nutrients and water. Climate change can disrupt these processes. For example, if rainforests are damaged and can’t store as much carbon, it can lead to more global warming.

In summary, climate change is threatening tropical rainforests by increasing temperatures, altering rainfall patterns, and affecting the plants and animals that live there. These changes can harm the rainforest ecosystem and have wider effects on the planet.

How does Climate change threaten Rainforests?

The main impacts of climate change on tropical rainforests are more droughts and fires. Climate change is threatening rainforests as it is changing weather patterns and causing droughts to occur. From June to November 2023, the Amazon rainforest had its worst recorded drought and scientists say that a drought this severe is 30 times more likely because of climate change.

Tropical Rainforest Structure

The structure of the rainforest is that it has 5 layers. The emergent are the tallest trees at 40-50m tall. The canopy is a thick layer of vegetation, about 30m above the ground, where most species live. The under canopy has smaller trees, below this is a layer of shrubs and the ground layer where some of the animals and millions of decomposers live.

When droughts occur in the rainforest, trees don’t receive enough water and begin to die off. This affects the structure of the rainforest as trees in the emergent layer and canopy die first, leaving plants and creatures in the canopy, understorey and forest floor without food and shade, so they also die off. 

Fires occur more often due to the hot dry conditions, killing plants and animals. There were several megafires (over 100 square km) in the Amazon in late 2023 and early 2024 following the 2023 drought. Rainforest trees have thin bark, and they’re not adapted to fire, so they don’t regenerate after fires and many species suffer.

Forest Functioning

Climate change affects the functioning of the rainforest in the longer term because droughts stop the natural weather cycle. 

Normally water evaporated from the leaves of trees rises and condenses to form cumulonimbus clouds and heavy rainfall. If trees die, this can happen less, so the amount of rainfall reduces and so does the rainfall, making it difficult for species which are adapted to tropical rainforest climates to survive. This can cause a vicious cycle or positive feedback system where climate change causes drought, drought kills trees, trees take up less carbon-dioxide, more climate change and drought occur.

Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the number of different species in an area. The Amazon is one of the most biodiverse places in the world. Over 3 million species live there, including sloths, monkeys, toucans, snakes, bats and 1000s of flowering plants.

The biodiversity of tropical rainforests is affected by climate change as many plants and animals are killed by drought and fire. Many fish died in the 2023 drought and more than 100 Amazon River dolphins were found dead in a lake in Amazonas State