CEO and President of the Organization for Tropical Studies [OTS], Elizabeth Losos, spoke to the Elon community Monday night about the correlation between climate change, deforestation and carbon emissions.

Losos stated that although climate change is affecting the high altitudes of the world, the tropics deserve more attention than they are getting.

OTS is a non-profit organization of more than 63 universities from three different continents that coordinate research on the tropical areas of the world.

“To understand the fate of the world’s tropical forests, you have to understand what’s happening in the Amazon,” Losos said.

In a detailed slideshow, she depicted the extent of deforestation and development in the Amazon and how it is being affected by, and possibly facilitating, climate change.

This development not only releases carbon through deforestation but also adds to fossil fuel emissions when industrialization occurs in these areas. Losos also said that although tropical areas are not typically susceptible to forest fires, they become vulnerable when developed.

According to Losos, a study done by the La Selva branch of OTS found that ecosystem and climate changes were the most evidenced contributors to a decrease in tree, frog and bird species, though she emphasized that this is correlation, not causation.

She also emphasized that at this point, it is almost impossible to predict what will happen to the world’s rainforests due to a lack of data sets and research. Though OTS has been studying the biology of Costa Rica and its climate for over 40 years, the government of Costa Rica only just began to conduct research in the past 10 years.

Losos gave two recommendations for how the average person can do their part to save and maintain the tropical forests of the world: personal responsibility and awareness.

“[Bring awareness] to friends and neighbors, but also write letters to Congress and tell them that we need to set a global example,” she said.

News Editor: Kaitlin Ugolik - 09/26/07