Deforestation will have ’drastic impact’ on South America

Deforestation of the 'overlooked' Guiana rainforests will have drastic impact on the rainfall patterns that support ecosystems and livelihoods across South America, warn scientists from Durham and other UK universities in a new report. The Guiana Shield rainforests are at the northern boundary of the Amazon rainforest and cover parts of northern Brazil, southern Venezuela, eastern Colombia and all of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. Realistic scenario Despite its size - 1.3 million sq km of near continuous tropical forest - Guiana Shield has been largely overlooked by climate researchers in favour of the Amazon Basin. As a result, little climate data exists for the region. Now, scientists from across the UK have quantified the likely impact that deforesting less than a third of the Guiana Shield, in areas under threat from mining, logging and agriculture, would have on the climate of South America. The researchers describe the scenario as realistic, given the extensive deforestation that has already occurred along the Amazon's southern margin. Sensitive hotspot Dr Isabella Bovolo , a climate modelling expert in the Department of Geography at Durham University, said: "The Guiana Shield, at the northern boundary of the Amazon, is located at the start of two atmospheric rivers that carry moisture across South America.