Amazonian forests are vulnerable to repeated and coupled perturbations
Wednesday, September 2, 2015 - 11:30
in Earth & Climate
Intentional burning in tropical forests has accounted for nearly 20% of all greenhouse-gas emissions since preindustrial times and will have major implications for Earth's climate and biodiversity in years to come. To better understand the complex dynamics surrounding these fires, a team of researchers led by Jennifer K. Balch, of the University of Colorado-Boulder, conducted a six-year controlled burn experiment in an Amazonian rainforest block located in Mato Grasso, Brazil. The results are described in an article that is part of BioScience's just-released Special Section on Tropical Forest Responses to Large-Scale Experiments, in the September 2015 issue.