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  • Runaway Environmental Collapse

  • Climate Change Amplification through Positive Feedback

Amazon Deforestation as an Example of Positive Feedback

In the Amazon rainforest, deforestation exemplifies a positive feedback loop. The initial clearing of forests for agriculture reduces local rainfall, which creates drier conditions and increases the forest's susceptibility to fires. These fires cause further deforestation, perpetuating a self-reinforcing 'vicious cycle' of forest loss and conversion to dry grassland. Beyond a certain tipping point, this process can become self-sustaining, continuing even if the initial agricultural expansion stops.

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