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dylan604 • today at 2:10 PM • 1 reply • view on HN

If the Sahara wasn't dry, what would be the knock on effects of losing the dust from it that lands in South America?


Replies

corps_and_code • today at 3:41 PM

The dust, sand, and soil from the Sahara that lands in South American is an enormous source of nutrients and fertilizer for the Amazon rainforest. It would certainly cause vast changes in how that whole ecosystem operates and the impact it makes in other parts of the world.

The knock on effects of those changes to one of the most important and diverse ecosystems on the planet cannot possibly be completely predicted beforehand.