The Amazon rainforest, Earth's largest tropical forest, sustains unparalleled biodiversity fueled by its vast expanse encompassing more than half of all tropical rainforests and towering with over 390 billion trees across 16,000 species. Its dense canopy hinders sunlight from reaching the forest floor on a sunny day, less than 1% of light filters through, reflecting its unique layered structure. This forest not only regulates global oxygen and carbon cycles absorbing over a billion metric tons of carbon annually but also benefits from intercontinental nutrient dynamics, such as phosphorus-rich winds from the Sahara.

However, alarm bells are sounding. Nearly 20–26% of the Amazon is deforested or significantly degraded, primarily due to cattle ranching, agriculture, and logging. This has pushed parts of the region into a dangerous state: some sectors now emit more carbon than they absorb. With increasing droughts and climate change pressures, experts warn that the Amazon could reach a tipping point by 2050 transforming into a savannah-like ecosystem with dire consequences for regional climate and biodiversity.