{"id":2786,"date":"2011-12-06T11:01:31","date_gmt":"2011-12-06T17:01:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/?p=2786"},"modified":"2011-12-06T11:02:02","modified_gmt":"2011-12-06T17:02:02","slug":"looking-to-the-distant-past-to-understand-future-droughts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2011\/12\/06\/looking-to-the-distant-past-to-understand-future-droughts\/","title":{"rendered":"Looking to the Distant Past to Understand Future Droughts"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"map<\/a>\u00a0(NASA\u2019s Goddard Institute for Space Studies)
\n<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

This map shows rainfall declines during the Mayan civilization as a result of converting forest to farmland. \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

New research by NASA of early droughts in Central America shows that deforestation can lead to droughts<\/a>. A climatologist at the agency found that ancient civilizations like the Mayans and Aztecs made droughts worse “by clearing rainforests to make room for pastures and farmland.”<\/p>\n

The research shows that when forests are replaced with farmland, it essentially makes the surface more reflective, and that affects rainfall.\u00a0“Farmland and pastures absorb slightly less energy from the sun than the rainforest because their surfaces tend to be lighter and more reflective,” Ben Cook, the climatologist who authored the report, said in the report. “This means that there\u2019s less energy available for convection and precipitation.”<\/p>\n

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