Antonio Donato Nobre sees nature as a well-orchestrated symphony. A visiting scientist at Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) and a senior researcher at the National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA), he studies the soil, hydrology and biochemistry of the Amazon, to learn more about the complex, interlocking systems of this geographical marvel. He seeks to understand the interactions between the forest and the atmosphere, and how "the sweat of the forest" runs in a stream overhead that carries moisture to other parts of South America and the world, playing a large role in climate stability. His study “El Futuro Climático de la Amazonía” synthesizes research on how human beings are affecting the delicate balance of this region, and the huge risk we run if we lose it.
On a typical sunny day in the Amazon, 20 billion metric tons of water pass through the trees and into the air. This is more than just a feat of Nature -- it’s at the heart of South America’s economy, as researcher Antonio Donato Nobre explains.
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