"Green Heart of Africa Turning Brown"

"ALBANY, N.Y. -- Africa’s Congo rainforest, the second-largest tropical rainforest in the world, has lost its much greenness over the past decade, a new analysis of satellite data shows.

The study demonstrates that a persistent drought in the Congo region since 2000 has affected the greenness of an increasing amount of forest area and that the browning trend has intensified over the 13 years of the study.

Scientists use the satellite-derived measurements of forest “greenness” as one indicator of a forest’s health.

ublished Wednesday in the journal “Nature,” the research uses several independent satellite sensors to measure the effects of long-term drought on the Congo rainforest."

Environment News Service had the story April 24, 2014.

SEE ALSO:

"NASA Finds Drought May Take Toll on Congo Rainforest" (NASA)