Out to Grass

It was thought to be a remote possibility that might take decades. It appears, however, that much of the Amazon rainforest (perhaps as much as 40%) is near a 'tipping point' of becoming savannah (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/05/amazon-near-tipping-point-of-switching-from-rainforest-to-savannah-study). The change can happen, it is now thought in just a few years. Grassland only supports a tiny fraction of the biodiversity seen in a rainforest. Savannah is also ill-suited to act as 'the lungs of our planet'. As the name suggests, rainforests are naturally created by a combination of rainfall and ambient temperature. Rainfall as declined in the Amazon as temperatures rise. There have also been record numbers of wild fires (often human caused) in the area. Once the majority of trees go from a zone (often via illegal logging and/or clearance to expand agricultural land), they are not coming back.