Tropics at Peril: Changing Climate Redrawing the Map

By: Charles Cooper
Topics: In The News ,; Tech Talk

A Rainbow forms over the Ulu Baram rainforest in the Miri interior, eastern Malaysian Borneo state of Sarawak

(Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

Tropical forests are at risk of losing most of the plants and animals that now comprise their ecosystems, according to a new report from the Carnegie Institution on the effects of climate change and deforestation. In a sober appraisal of the future, the study says that the combined impact of climate change and spreading land use "represents one the greatest global change experiments on Earth today" - and not to our benefit.

Among other things, the report expects deforestation and logging to exact a higher toll on the world's humid tropical forests than previously reported. Carnegie researchers concluded that only 18% to 45% of the plants and animals found in these ecosystems "may remain as we know them today" by the year 2100.

The full study will be published in the August 5, 2010, issue of Conservation Letters.

More than half of all the plants and animal species are found in tropical forests. Greg Asner, who directed the Carnegie study, held out hope that the impact of deforestation could be ameliorated by better land management policies in areas of the world most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. He said that would help many species make the adjustment, or at least keep pace with climate change.

Among their conclusions:

Climate change could alter two-thirds of the tropical forests in Central and South America
Over 80% of the Amazon Basin could suffer changes in its biodiversity
About 70% of Africa's tropical forest biodiversity is at risk
The Congo: Between 35 percent and 74 percent of the forests in the region are threatened by logging and climate change.
In Asia and the central and southern islands of the Pacific may fare better than other regions. Deforestation and logging, the primary drivers of changes in their local ecosystems, are down 22% in the last decade. Still, up to 77% of the area is at risk of biodiversity losses.

Charles Cooper is an executive editor at CNET News. He has covered technology and business for more than 25 years, working at CBSNews.com, the Associated Press, Computer & Software News, Computer Shopper, PC Week, and ZDNet. E-mail Charlie.

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by rf35 August 6, 2010 7:39 AM EDT: "Deforestation and logging, the primary drivers of changes in their local ecosystems..."

Still think there is no population problem?; Reply to this comment

by j_mcdonald-2009 August 6, 2010 4:53 AM EDT

louiville35: Are you referring to the prediction made by the IPCC that was based on a solid scientific study but had the wrong citation? The citation that was then corrected? The one for which critics retracted their complaints once the proper citation was found? That "amazongate"?

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by j_mcdonald-2009 August 6, 2010 5:01 AM EDT: Just to be clear, Johnathon Leake was the journalist who broke the story on "AmazonGate". Here is part of his later retraction and apology:

"In fact, the IPCC?s Amazon statement is supported by peer-reviewed scientific evidence. In the case of the WWF report, the figure had, in error, not been referenced, but was based on research by the respected Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM) which did relate to the impact of climate change. We also understand and accept that Mr Rowell is an experienced environmental journalist and that Dr Moore is an expert in forest management, and apologise for any suggestion to the contrary."

His retraction also includes some other apologies for misstating the opinions of scientists who faulted the IPCC for including a poor citation.