Colloquium on the Climate, Geologic, & Biologic Evolution of the Amazon

Amazonia hosts the largest rain forest and greatest biodiversity on Earth, but the forest and its biota are at serious risk. One of the most extreme droughts on record is ongoing across the Amazon basin. The current drought is just part of a pattern of hydrologic extremes manifested over the past two decades by record droughts alternating with record floods, a climate pattern with major implications for the forest, its biodiversity, and human well-being. The cause(s) of the drought are uncertain, but anthropogenic global climate change is likely a major culprit. This colloquium brings together natural scientists who are experts on the geology, biology, and climate of the Amazon. Their collective expertise on the long-term biotic, climatic, and geologic evolution of the Amazon/tropical South American region provides important perspective on recent climate change and significant insight into the future of this key region on Earth. Thursdays program will begin with Biologic Evolution of the Amazon at 1:30pm, featuring presentations by Dr. Toby Pennington (University of Exeter), Dr. Chris Dick (University of Michigan), Dr. Miles Silman (Wake Forest U), and Dr. Lucia Lohman (Missouri Botanical Gardens). Sponsored by the Duke-Brazil Initiative and Duke Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Duke Office of Global Affairs, Duke-FAPESP Sprint Program, Latin American Ecological Thought Reading Group and Franklin Humanities Institute, Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, Duke Global Health Institute, Nicholas School of the Environment and the Division of Earth and Climate Sciences, Duke Office of Climate and Sustainability