Tropical forests stop absorbing carbon during El Nino events: what this year could mean

A new report from Live Science explains that tropical forests effectively stop absorbing carbon dioxide during El Nino events. The warmer and drier conditions stress trees and reduce photosynthesis, turning these forests from carbon sinks into net emitters. This year's El Nino could be one of the strongest on record, which means a larger pulse of CO2 entering the atmosphere from natural systems that usually help offset emissions. For anyone tracking carbon budgets or natural climate solutions, this matters. If tropical forests flip from sink to source during strong El Nino years, the math on how much CO2 we can afford to emit changes. The article points out that even a small shift in these ecosystems has a measurable impact on global atmospheric CO2 levels. It is a reminder that natural carbon sinks are not stable and that climate models need to account for these periodic reversals.