This year, roughly a quarter of the vast Pantanal wetland in Brazil, one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, has burned in wildfires worsened by climate change. Pantanal Wetland Fires in 2020 Pantanal Wetland BOLIVIA BRAZIL Fires in 2020 Protected areas and Indigenous territories PARAGUAY BRAZIL Area of detail 50 MILES Pantanal Wetland BOLIVIA Fires in 2020 Protected areas and Indigenous territories PARAGUAY BRAZIL BRAZIL Area of detail 50 MILES Pantanal Wetland BOLIVIA Fires in 2020 Protected areas and Indigenous territories BRAZIL BRAZIL Area of detail PARAGUAY 100 MILES By Scott Reinhard and Blacki Migliozzi · Source: NASA Fire Information for Resource Management System data as of Oct. 12. Like a vast tub, the wetland swells with water during the rainy season and empties out during the dry months. But in the Pantanal, scientists say, fires burn underground too, fueled by dried-out wetland vegetation. Because ecosystems are interconnected, the well-being of the wetland is at the mercy of the booming agriculture in the surrounding highlands.

Source: New York Times October 13, 2020 14:12 UTC