In 100 years, rain forest may turn into grassy savannah

 
Global warming could spell the end of the world's largest remaining tropical rain forest, transforming the Amazon into a grassy savanna before the end of the century, researchers said.
Global warming if left unchecked would reduce rainfall and raise temperatures substantially in the ecologically rich region. According to Jose Antonio Marengo, a meteorologist with Brazil's National Space Research Institute, the temperature would rise by 5 to 8 degree Celsius until 2100, while rainfall will decrease between 15 and 20 percent. This setting will transform the Amazon rainforest into a savanna-like landscape.

The scenario supposes no major steps are taken toward halting global warming and that deforestation continues at its current rate. The more optimistic scenario supposes Governments taking more aggressive actions to halt global warming. It would still have temperatures rising in the Amazon region by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius and rainfall dropping by 5 to 15 percent.
(The Hindu, 31 December 2006)