If the Amazon were to die, the consequences for the climate would be felt globally. The geo-ecologist Kirsten Thonicke says it still has sophisticated defences – but those won't protect it from humans. If the Amazon rainforest is thrown out of balance, the effects are likely to be felt across the entire planet. A healthy forest slows down climate change. But if it is severely damaged, chain reactions can be set in motion from which the ecosystem may never recover. That threshold has not yet been reached, says geo-ecologist and Earth system researcher Kirsten Thonicke. But the rainforest is sending clear warning signals. In this interview, Thonicke talks about how fragile the system is, and what needs to happen now to better protect it.

Read the interview with Kirsten Thonicke (Deputy Head of the Earth System Analysis Department at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research - PIK) on zeit.de