The local and global effects of African deforestation

[ 1] Using a global climate model ( GCM), we simulate the effects of the total deforestation of equatorial Africa, looking specifically at the local and remote precipitation changes caused by such a land-use change. We observe a strong local effect, with a large reduction in African precipitation during the dry season, and little change during either of the two rainy seasons. The effects of African deforestation extend throughout the Tropics and also reach into the midlatitudes. The remote effect is caused by the African geopotential changes being spread beyond the deforested area by the large-scale winds.