A groundbreaking new study warns that climate change threatens the rich ethnobotanical heritage of the Amazon, home to knowledge spanning nearly 5,800 native plant species. Researchers reveal that up to a third of these culturally utilized plants could face local extinction by 2060–2080, putting traditional practices and ecosystem services at grave risk.
The report underscores divergent climate trajectories between plants used by Indigenous peoples and those that are not, indicating an uneven reshaping of Amazonian flora. Although the projections represent conservative estimates—excluding impacts from deforestation, fire, mining, and extreme climate events—the findings highlight a looming crisis for the rainforest’s biocultural fabric.
One stark example is the catastrophic drought in 2024, which triggered sharp declines in Brazil nut harvests the following year. This event reverberated across Indigenous lands and extractivist reserves, emphasizing how sensitive food security is to climatic disruptions. The authors caution that models used lack fine-scale microclimate data and detailed vegetation maps crucial for refining forecasts in this ecologically complex region.
Moreover, the study points out limitations in relying on a single species distribution model (Maxent), acknowledging uncertainties in projected range shifts. While human interventions such as assisted translocations might help some species, such efforts remain implausible for the vast majority of Amazonia’s diverse and understudied plants.
Beyond ecological concerns, the findings raise urgent cultural alarms. The loss of indigenous languages—many already extinct with scant documentation—has silenced invaluable botanical knowledge. As linguistic erosion proceeds, the transmission of ethnobotanical wisdom erodes in tandem, threatening the very survival of these cultural traditions.
This cascade of biological and cultural vulnerability could catalyze a climate tipping point with repercussions far beyond biodiversity loss—potentially destabilizing the social and linguistic heritage integral to Amazonian identity. The researchers emphasize the necessity of integrating natural and social sciences to address these intertwined challenges holistically.
Policy implications are profound. The study advocates for coordinated pan-Amazonian strategies that recognize the inseparability of ecological and cultural systems. Multidisciplinary platforms, such as the Science Panel for the Amazon, which synthesize Indigenous knowledge with Western science, present promising avenues for evidence-based conservation and development.
Furthermore, preserving Amazonian primary forests is paramount, not only for carbon storage but also to sustain the sociobioeconomic fabric rooted in diverse plant use. The authors call for long-term global financial and political commitments aligned with equity and justice principles to bolster these efforts.
Ultimately, this research offers a crucial roadmap for safeguarding one of Earth’s most biodiverse and culturally rich ecosystems. As climate change accelerates, the intricate bonds between people, plants, and languages in the Amazon face an unprecedented test—one that demands urgent, integrative, and respectful action.
Article Title: The forest of knowledge under global change
Article References:
Cámara-Leret, R., Roehrdanz, P.R. & Bascompte, J. The forest of knowledge under global change. Nature (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10741-y
Image Credits: AI Generated
