Amazon Scientists Are Pumping CO2 Into the Jungle to See If It Survives — and the Answer Could Decide Our Future
Scientists are running a bold experiment in the Amazon rainforest, pumping extra carbon dioxide into sealed forest plots to see whether the "lungs of the Earth" can survive the hotter, drier future that climate change is bringing.
The Amazon stores vast amounts of carbon and absorbs more than a quarter of human-caused carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions each year — over 11 billion metric tons [257582]. But scientists warn that the forest is losing its ability to absorb CO2 as fires, extreme heat, and drought take a growing toll [257582]. In Brazil, the government says the wildfires burning through the rainforest were started deliberately, not by natural events [261393].
To understand what happens next, researchers are running a huge climate experiment known as AmazonFACE. They are pumping extra CO2 into small sections of the forest to mimic the conditions expected in the future [261947]. Towers surround each plot, releasing gas that copies future conditions, while sensors track how trees grow, breathe, and use water [258778].
The goal is simple: see how the forest reacts to higher CO2 levels. Will the trees grow faster? Will they survive? [261947]
This matters for the entire planet. The Amazon produces a large amount of the oxygen we breathe and absorbs massive amounts of CO2 [261947]. Higher levels of CO2 can sometimes help plants grow — but only if they have enough water and nutrients [258778]. Researchers want to know whether the Amazon can keep absorbing CO2, or whether it will start releasing it instead. If the forest dies back, the release could speed up climate change worldwide [258778].
Researchers say this is one of the only ways to understand what happens next. The results could shape global climate policy for decades [261947]. The experiment is still running, but its early images offer a rare, striking look at a forest facing its own future [258778].