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Climate and Environment

Rainforests are resilient, but it may be too late for the Amazon

Published: 

Dan Riskin on the resilience of rainforests Dan Riskin reports on two papers looking at whether or not the world's tropical rainforests are heading towards a total collapse.

The world's most famous tropical rainforest seems to be on a slow march to its doom.

The last two months featured the most deforestation on record for the Amazon, which helps explain why it may be closer than ever to losing its status as a rainforest.

But while one new study suggests trouble on the horizon for the Amazon, another finds that rainforests can recover from even large disturbances as long as we leave them alone.

In other words, like so much of our planet, it's complicated. CTV News Science and Technology Specialist Dan Riskin explains how both can be true in this week's Riskin Report.

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