The drought was the worst on record, with some areas receiving less than 10 percent of their normal rainfall. The drought damaged crops, caused wildfires, and killed livestock.
The new data, published in the journal Science Advances, shows the drought affected more than 1.5 million square kilometers (580,000 square miles) of forest. The scientists estimate the drought caused more than 10 billion trees to die.
The die-off was concentrated in the eastern and southern parts of the Amazon rainforest, which is home to some of the most biodiverse forests on Earth. The loss of so many trees could have a significant impact on the rainforest ecosystem, as well as the global carbon cycle.
The study's lead author, Dr. Luciana Vanni of the University of Campinas in Brazil, said the findings highlight the vulnerability of the Amazon rainforest to climate change. "The 2010 drought was a natural event, but it was also exacerbated by climate change," she said. "We expect to see more frequent and severe droughts in the future, which could have a devastating impact on the Amazon rainforest."
The findings could also have implications for efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), a United Nations program that aims to provide financial incentives to developing countries to reduce deforestation. The study suggests that the 2010 drought could have caused a significant amount of forest damage that was not accounted for under REDD+, which could lead to overestimating the program's effectiveness.
