Amazon rainforest faces unprecedented “hypertropical” climate shift

A new study of the Amazon rainforest shows the region is moving toward a "hypertropical" state, with droughts becoming longer, hotter, and more frequent.

TREES UNDER UNPRECEDENTED STRESS

Data collected over more than 30 years reveal how trees and soil respond to extreme heat and drought. The hypertropical conditions extend far beyond current tropical limits, creating stress that significantly reduces the forest's carbon absorption capacity.

RISK OF HYDRAULIC COLLAPSE AND CARBON STARVATION

Models predict that by 2100, hot droughts will persist year-round, even during rainy seasons. Reduced soil moisture may trigger hydraulic collapse, where air bubbles block water transport in tree trunks, and carbon starvation, where trees close leaf pores to conserve water, halting photosynthesis. Tree mortality could rise by 55%.

FROM CARBON SINK TO CARBON SOURCE

Fast-growing, low-density wood trees are most vulnerable, threatening the Amazon's role as a carbon sink. Dying trees could release more carbon into the atmosphere, turning the forest into a carbon source.

FUTURE DEPENDS ON HUMAN ACTIVITY

Scientists expect hypertropical conditions mainly in the Amazon, but similar shifts could occur in parts of Africa and Asia. The severity of this climate transformation depends directly on human activity and the control of greenhouse gas emissions.