Amazon rainforest birds' bodies are transforming due to climate change. Credit: Philip Stouffer/LSU
Changes reach most pristine parts of the Amazon rainforest
The most pristine parts of the Amazon rainforest, those devoid of direct human contact, are being impacted by human-induced climate change, according to U.S. National Science Foundation-supported research by Louisiana State University scientists.
Analyses of data collected over the past four decades show that not only has the number of resident birds throughout the Amazon rainforest declined, but the body size and wing length have changed for most studied species. These physical changes in the birds track increasingly hot and dry conditions in the dry season from June to November.
