From 2022 to 2024 Rolex and National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Amazon Expedition more than 2,700 kilometers long Amazon. The expedition was divided into seven projects. The overarching key question was: what is the impact of climate change, deforestation, pollution and biodiversity loss on the water and ecosystems of the Amazon? Seven groups of researchers worked together with local communities. Their decisions are groundbreaking.
Amzone through the lens of Thomas Peschak
Photographer Peschak followed Rolex and National Geographic Perpetual Planet Amazon Expedition From the glaciers of the Andes to the river mouth of the Atlantic Ocean. He shared his photos with the whole world. “We’ve never seen the Amazon in underwater photography,” says Peschak. “Logically, the stream is dangerous and impenetrable. Capturing the underwater life of the Amazon was one of the most complex tasks of my life. They are amazing ecosystems.”
Photojournalism, along with the conclusions of the seven groups, can help shape our view of the Amazon. “We need not just scientists, but everyone to take care of the Amazon basin,” says Peschak. “We need scientific documents, but we need to combine all the wisdom they contain with popular storytelling to reach the widest possible audience.”
Mamiraua expedition in the flooded Amazon rainforest
One of seven projects Rolex and National Geographic Perpetual Planet Amazon Expedition was the Mamiraua expedition of Brazilian scientists Thiago Silva and Julia Tavares. They study the seasonal flooding of the Brazilian region.
A unique ecosystem has emerged in the huge swamp forests of the Amazon basin. When the rainy season begins in May, the Amazon and its tributaries flood. The water can rise to a height of up to 12 meters. The water level drops again in September.
Flood cycles promote the development of certain fauna and flora adapted to life both above and below water. It is full of biodiversity. Today, this unstable environment is under pressure as climate change, deforestation and hydropower plants affect water levels.
Thiago Silva and Julia Tavares still want to learn a lot about the flooded forests of the Amazon
While Thiago Silva opts for a more global approach, Julia Tavares opts for detailed research. Both use the extensive and specific knowledge of local communities. Together, they want to find out why the flooded forests of the Amazon adapt so easily and what threats they face.
“We still have a lot to learn about this ecosystem and quickly because it’s evolving quickly,” Silva explains. By combining their findings, the two researchers hope to develop models that can predict threats and lead to measures to better protect the area.
Scientist Thiago Silva maps the Amazon region very quickly and in detail
Thiago Silva describes himself as a digital biologist. He combines ecology with computer science and holds conferences on the subject at the University of Stirling in Scotland. He uses LiDAR technology to study floodplain forests and wetlands in the Amazon region (Light Detection An.d Rmad). LiDAR scanners use lasers to map a zone. This happens with great precision and great pace. The scanners are attached to the drone. In twenty minutes, they create a detailed map of a square kilometer of forest. Classic mapping methods require the efforts of many people and a whole day to map a 50 x 50 meter plot.
“I have every tree, every branch with me here,” beams Thiago Silva. “Next year I will make a new map in 3D. Then I will know which tree has grown, which has fallen and which has lost its branches. I can see the temperature change under and above the canopy. Thanks to his observations, he can identify areas that urgently need to be protected before damage is irreversible.
The flooded forests of the Amazon are under threat
Julia Tavares practices phytobiology, also called plant physiology: the study of plant function. He studies trees near the flooded Amazon forests. Tavares measures the thickness of branches and leaves as well as the pressure, quality and quantity of the water in them. From this, he concludes how well or poorly the trees tolerate changes in meteorological cycles.
“We know that these trees are endangered, but not yet why and to what extent,” says Julia Tavares. He fears that extreme weather events threaten the survival of flooded forests. It can have serious consequences. The Amazon is the world’s largest and most diverse freshwater system.
Julia Tavares ventures into the flooded Amazon forests in the evening
Tavares has set up a temporary, mobile laboratory in the floodplain forests. His team members climb 25-30 meters into the treetops to collect research objects (read: branches and leaves). This must be done in the middle of the night. Before three o’clock in the morning, anyway, because that’s when trees begin photosynthesis, the biochemical process in which they use sunlight as an energy source to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugar. This causes the presence of water in the leaves to change disproportionately. As soon as the hot equatorial sun shines, the trees lose water.
Some samples of twigs and leaves are kept on ice to stop the metabolic process so that the researchers can measure the sugar and starch content. And they cause water loss in the branches to determine how many air bubbles they produce during drying. The experiments revealed significant differences between the trees in drought sensitivity.
Thiago Silva and Julia Tavares gather evidence to better protect the Amazon’s flooded forests
Thiago Silva and Julia Tavares’ approach is different but complementary. The combination of those results gives a comprehensive picture of the area. Their research doesn’t come a moment too soon. Extreme weather events occurred here every seven or eight years; now every other year or every other year,” says Silva. “The weather is becoming more erratic and unpredictable every year. This is problematic for an ecosystem that is so closely tied to the seasons.
With the support of Rolex’s Perpetual Planet Initiative and the National Geographic Society, they not only showcase the beauty of this unique ecosystem, but also collect evidence of both the importance and fragility of the flooded Amazon forests.
By better understanding how climate change is affecting the region, Silva and Tavares can better inform and advise governments and organizations on how to protect the Amazon’s flooded forests. For everyone’s sake.
All photos and images courtesy of the National Geographic Society.
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