THE IMPACT OF AFRICAN AND AMAZONIAN DEFORESTATION ON TROPICAL CLIMATE

This paper presents results of a deforestation experiment carried out with the general circulation model of the Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique coupled to the Schematisation des Echanges Hydriques a l'Intertace entre le Biosphere et l'Atmosphere (SECHIBA) vegetation model. An integration of 1 year was carried out in which the tropical forests of Amazonia, Africa and Indonesia were replaced by grassland. It was found that the model produces a reduction in evaporation and an increase in soil temperature. In contrast to similar experiments, a significant increase in moisture convergence was obtained; this increase is attributed to an enhancement of the convective activity of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).