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Amazon deforestation reduces precipitation and soybean yields across Southern Brazil
Hao Li1,2, Corey S Lesk3,4, Lei Zhu5
1Department of Geography, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China.
Summary
Amazon deforestation significantly reduces rainfall and soybean yields across Brazil. This agricultural expansion creates a harmful feedback loop, threatening future crop production and driving further forest clearing.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Agricultural Science
- Climate Science
Background:
- Agricultural expansion is a primary driver of global forest loss.
- Deforestation impacts evapotranspiration, potentially reducing precipitation and crop yields regionally and even globally.
- Understanding these teleconnections is crucial for sustainable agriculture and forest conservation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the impacts of Amazon deforestation on precipitation and soybean yields in Brazil from 1982 to 2018.
- To assess the role of tree evaporation in regional precipitation patterns.
- To investigate the feedback loop between yield losses and further deforestation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a Lagrangian moisture tracking model to analyze precipitation teleconnections.
- Quantified changes in seasonal precipitation across Brazilian soybean-producing regions.
- Estimated soybean yield reductions attributable to deforestation-induced precipitation declines.
Main Results:
- Tree evaporation contributes approximately one-third of growing-season precipitation.
- Recent deforestation decreased seasonal precipitation by 6% to 30% in Brazilian soybean states.
- Significant soybean yield losses occurred, particularly in Rio Grande do Sul, totaling an estimated 700 kton reduction in production.
Conclusions:
- Deforestation-driven precipitation declines undermine yields in established agricultural areas, creating a detrimental feedback loop.
- This feedback loop, where yield losses incentivize further forest clearing, is likely to intensify with continued deforestation and climate change.
- Brazilian rainfed agriculture faces significant future threats due to these ongoing environmental changes.
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