How Sahara Sands Sustain Life in the Amazon Jungle
The soils of the Amazon are poor in nutrients, but each year winds carry millions of tons of mineral dust from the Sahara, replenishing phosphorus reserves. Refined data show the actual dust volume is 8-10 million tons per year, not 27.7 million as previously thought. Scientists warn that climate change could disrupt this natural mechanism.
The soils of the Amazon are naturally poor in nutrients, with most reserves stored in the living biomass of the forest. Each year, winds carry millions of tons of mineral dust from the Sahara across the Atlantic Ocean, some of which settles in the Amazon basin, replenishing phosphorus supplies. Initial estimates suggested 27.7 million tons of dust and 22,000 tons of phosphorus, but later studies using NASA's MERRA-2 model adjusted the figures to 8-10 million tons. The lion's share of dust reaches the northern and northeastern regions of South America, while the forest's center receives less nourishment. Scientists emphasize that the true significance of the discovery lies in the existence of a natural mechanism linking the ecosystems of Africa and South America. They warn that dust volumes depend on weather conditions and the state of vegetation cover in the Sahara, and climate change could affect this process.