Peru’s Pacific Slope Experiences Greening, Yet Alarming Consequences Arise

Peru’s Pacific Slope Experiences Greening, Yet Alarming Consequences Arise

Research⁣ led by​ physicists⁤ and​ geographers at the University of Cambridge⁣ has ⁢unveiled​ some large-scale⁣ changes in the vegetation in the South⁤ American Andes ​which may ⁣have⁢ a dramatic ​impact on the‌ environment‍ and ⁣ecosystems ⁣of the region.

Analyzing satellite data ​spanning the past 20 years, the ​research team based at the⁣ Cavendish‌ Laboratory in​ Cambridge examined ‍how ⁣vegetation has ⁤been changing ​along the Pacific⁢ coast of ⁤Peru ⁢and northern⁢ Chile. This ‌area is ⁤known for ⁢its ⁣unique‌ and delicate⁣ arid and semi-arid environments.

The analysis revealed that ⁤certain​ areas experienced positive vegetation growth, known as greening, while ​others displayed ⁢negative⁤ trends, referred to as⁤ browning. ⁤Unsurprisingly, the changes in​ vegetation are ​influenced⁤ by things‍ like farming and urban‍ development⁢ or⁤ change ‌in land use practices.

But more interestingly ‌this study,‍ published in Remote Sensing, revealed the discovery of a‍ huge⁢ section ‌of the ‌West​ Slope of the‍ Andes undergoing significant​ greening⁢ in ⁤the past ⁤20‌ years. This‌ section, which extends‌ from ⁤Northern‌ Peru​ to Northern ‍Chile, ⁤spanning a ⁢length of about ‌2000km, has seen​ its vegetation ⁣growing ‌significantly over time. This greening trend varies with ‍altitude, ⁣with ‌different vegetation types at⁤ different​ elevations.

The⁤ research ‍team, consisting⁣ of‍ mathematicians, ‌geographers, ‌biologists, and earth⁢ scientists, used satellite images from 2000 to 2020 to observe changes in vegetation over time ‍in this area. They ⁢plotted ‍450 ⁣data ‌points⁣ and‍ developed⁤ a mathematical⁣ model⁣ to remove artificial variations (such ⁢as ⁢cloudy days) and‌ seasonality, ⁢and used ‌statistical analysis to ensure that they ​were⁣ only analyzing ⁢areas ​with​ a ⁣significant trend.

2023-07-23​ 10:48:02
Source‍ from ⁢phys.org

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