What are the main effects of global warming in the Brazilian Amazon?

Global warming is a major threat to the world as a whole and Brazil, including the Amazon, is one of the areas predicted to see the most important impacts if greenhouse gas emissions continue unchecked. It is also necessary to reduce absolute global emissions from all sources, whether or not the sources are counted as "direct human-induced emissions" that are the liability of every single nation.

• • Global warming is turning the weather above reasonable limits. Species capable of running quickly enough are likely to attempt to locate a more fitting environment; however, many other species will either be reluctant to travel or will have nowhere to go. 

     

  • Higher temperatures influence temperature-dependent organisms, such as fish, and allow their distribution to change. Few terrestrial animals have now invaded higher altitude ecosystems, but many are predicted to simply vanish from their existing habitats. 

     

  • Increased temperatures and decreased rainfall in some areas can also decrease sufficient habitat during dry, warm months and possibly contribute to a rise in invasive, exotic species, which may then outperform native species.

  • Less rainfall during the dry months will have a significant effect on many Amazon rivers and other freshwater systems, and on people who depend on these resources. 

     

  • One potential catastrophic effect of decreased runoff is a decrease in nitrogen intake into lakes and waterways, which can have a major impact on marine life. 

     

  • Highly complex weather and more intense occurrences are also expected to mean that Amazon fish stocks will more regularly endure high temperatures and potentially lethal environmental conditions.

  • The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggests that floods associated with rising sea levels would have major impacts on lowland regions such as the Amazon River Delta. In fact, the sea-level increase in the last 100 years has been 1.0-2.5 mm per year and this trend could rise to 5 mm per year. 

     

Sea-level rise, increased temperatures, changes in rainfall and drainage are expected to cause significant changes in wildlife environments, such as mangrove ecosystems. These factors may also influence the fisheries in the area, which rely on mangrove habitat as nurseries and refuges