Tropical forests in Latin America are disappearing at a rate higher than in any other region of the world. The causes of deforestation vary with local conditions, but include conversion of forest to agriculture or pasture lands, logging, and the expansion of human settlements. One argument for preservation of tropical forests is that local, regional, and global climates may be altered by the loss of forest cover. Forests act as climate regulators, influencing the nature and pattern of temperature and precipitation. Deforestation changes the radiation budget and microclimate of a local area, but the magnitude and spatial extent of the change is poorly known. It is even less clear how precipitation regimes may be affected. Also, little research has been conducted on the influence of tropical forests on local and regional climates outside of the Amazon Basin, although the rate of deforestation is greater in Mexico and Central America. This project will examine the microclimatic, local, and regional effects of deforestation in the Lancandon Forest of Chiapas, Mexico. It will involve an analysis of historical climate data for the region, a synoptic-scale analysis of the regional climate, and a micro level study of local meteorology in forest and cleared areas to document the effects of deforestation. This project will contribute to an understanding of how tropical forests and climate interact, the geographical scale over which these interactions are important, and it will assess the implication of deforestation for agricultural and conservation policies in environmentally sensitive areas.
