Humidity threatens vital tropical forests, climate change and climate change in global efforts to curb rising temperatures.

Now NASA researchers They published In the journal Science A land Of the group Cell Developed a new way to monitor the risk of these forests globally using satellite data.

Called Tropical Forest Weakness Index (TFVI), It is hoped that this method will serve as a warning to the most endangered areas, to allow for measures to protect these forests before it is too late..

“Tropical forests have been on the verge of a tipping point for the past two decades, with intermittent droughts, rising temperatures, prolonged dry seasons, and pressures from deforestation and deforestation.Said Sassan Sachi of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

“We are monitoring on the ground what we predicted using climate models a decade ago,” he added. Now is the time to do something, not later”. This book utilizes a series of satellite observations made over the past decade to show how and where tipping points can be reached, and to help policy makers plan for the conservation and restoration of these forests. ”

There are other ways to estimate the risk of tropical forests. However, most of them were based on local studies and could not be easily extended to large areas or the world. This lack of harmony and the ability to compare from one area to another led to confusion and inaction..

Sachi and team up to overcome these dangers Climate and vegetation set out to develop a tropical forest vulnerability index that can operate in all tropical forests from satellite observations..

The new index integrates a number of measurements and indicators of forest ecological activities and services, including carbon, water flow, and biodiversity.. It provides spatial information along with monthly updates and enables researchers to identify and monitor the greatest risk or potential threats before it is too late.

Their studies show that different regions of the tropics respond differently to climate threats, and some regions are more sensitive than others.. For example, forests in the United States appear to be more susceptible to stress than forests in Africa, which are relatively resistant to climate change. In Asia, tropical forests are increasingly vulnerable to land use and fragmentation.

Individual tropical forests show significant differences in response to climate and land use pressures.. For example, the Amazon Basin is affected by the arid climate, with occasional droughts and large-scale land use variations. Due to the historical effects of drought, the general state of drought, changes in land use, and minor fragmentation, the Congo Basin appears to be more illogical.

The researchers also found strong interactions between climate, land use and biodiversity, which define the risk and resistance of forests.. The new index allowed them to identify the nature of these interventions in all tropical forests of the world.

“The findings show that the risk of tropical rainforests is much higher than previously thought, and that restless or fragmented areas may not be able to recover from hot climates and droughts.Sachi pointed out.

“What’s more, Our study suggests that tropical forests are losing their ability to cycle carbon and water as before. She continues. This is happening on a continental scale and more rapidly at the local level, with significant impacts on global carbon zinc and climate. ”

TFVI was developed by a number of scientists and conservationists brought together by the National Geographic Society and therefore represents the consensus approach of the wider community, Sachi commented.

Studies show that tropical forests lose their ability to cycle carbon and water as before

It is hoped that the wider global community of scientists and policy makers, especially in the tropics, will now use the index to systematically assess the vulnerability of rainforest resources and develop nature-based solutions to meet their commitments. With the Paris Agreement.. Researchers say the new index will continue to update itself over time to keep a close eye on future changes and threats to global tropical forests.

With information from Europe Press

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