A new study from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Cornell University reveals that the Amazon rainforest is losing its ability to store carbon for long periods. Increased atmospheric dryness and more frequent convective storms are accelerating biomass turnover, meaning trees are dying and being replaced faster than in the past. Researchers used satellite imagery and machine learning to find that carbon residence time is shrinking across the region. Under a high emissions scenario, this turnover time could drop by 15 percent by the end of the century, potentially weakening the Amazon's role as a critical global carbon sink.
