Research Guides: Climate Change: Amazon

"Keeping forests standing is the cheapest way to avoid catastrophic climate change and mitigate its impacts" Michael Coe, Woods Hole Research Center Senior Scientist and Director of the Amazon Program

Selected Articles on Amazon Climate Change

'It's really close,: How the Amazon could self-destruct' Climate change and man-made fires could set off a cycle of self-perpetuating deforestation, scientists warn.
Deforestation Intensifies Warming in the Amazon Rain Forest Slash-and-burn farming may actually harm local crops as a result of increased temperatures
What Satellite Imagery Tells Us About the Amazon Rain Forest Fires Scientists studying satellite image data from the fires in the Amazon rain forest said that most of the fires are burning on agricultural land where the forest had already been cleared.
Amazon rainforest fires: Everything you need to know Since January, a staggering 121,000 fires have broken out across Brazil—and more than half of those fires are taking place in the Amazon, according to the country's National Institute for Space Research.

Government Resources

A Recent Systematic Increase in Vapor Pressure Deficit over Tropical South America A new NASA study shows that over the last 20 years, the atmosphere above the Amazon rainforest has been drying out, increasing the demand for water and leaving ecosystems vulnerable to fires and drought. It also shows that this increase in dryness is primarily the result of human activities.

Amazon Data Tools

The Carbon Source (Woods Hole Research Center) Designed to be a leading source for global data analytics on land, carbon, and climate, the site aims to share state-of-the-art datasets for informing climate stabilization efforts and land-use decision making at local to global scales.
The Climate Source (Woods Hole Research Center) These datasets, specific to the Amazon basin, provide an overview of historic trends and potential future changes, but include inherent uncertainties.
Detailed Vegetation Height Estimates Across the Tropics WHRC scientists produced a dataset of below hectare scale estimates of forest heights across the tropics. Based on consistent measurements from satellite RADAR and Lidar instruments, the new dataset is a first-of-its-kind example of how future satellites can provide regular estimates on vertical forest structure.
Above Ground Forest Carbon Stocks in Mexico Mexico was one of the first tropical nations to voluntarily pledge to mitigation actions within the context of the United Nation’s Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) program. To demonstrate the performance of these voluntary mitigation actions, baseline data of carbon stock inventories are essential.
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In collaboration with Mexico’s National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR) and the Mexican Norway Project (MNP), a team of scientists at Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC), led by Josef Kellndorfer and Oliver Cartus, has created a detailed national map of aboveground forest carbon stocks. This map, sponsored by USAID within the framework of Mexico’s REDD+ project led by The Nature Conservancy (TNC), would assist the national government to enhance a robust Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system for national carbon emissions.
Pantatropical National Level Carbon As part of ongoing projects in the pantropical region, Woods Hole Research Center scientists and their collaborators generated a national level aboveground dataset for tropical countries.
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Using a combination of co-located field measurements, LiDAR observations and imagery recorded from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), WHRC researchers produced national level maps showing the amount and spatial distribution of aboveground carbon.
National Carbon Biomass and Dataset
Global Forest Watch An interactive world map to explore forest change related to biodiversity, climate, commodities, water, land cover, forest change, land use.