Long-term drought could cause ‘profound change’ in Amazon rainforest – study

An area of the Amazon was subjected to drought conditions for the research (Paulo Bittencourt/PA)

The Amazon rainforest may be able to survive long-term drought caused by climate change but could experience “profound changes” including the death of large trees and a diminished ability to absorb carbon, researchers have warned.

A study by the University of Edinburgh and the Universidade Federal do Para in Brazil suggests adjusting to a drier, warmer climate will have major consequences for the tropical rainforest which spans more than two million square miles.