Amazonia: The sensitivity of the habitat to weather extremes: The Amazon region probably experienced the most severe drought in its history between June-November 2023. Rio Negro - a very important tributary of the Amazon - showed in mid-October, the lowest level since observations began more than 120 years ago. El Niño is partly responsible for this. El Niño 2023 reduced the amount of precipitation in the region; the strong drought trend is primarily related to global warming. In recent times, the average global temperature has reached a new record high almost every year. Without global warming, this exceptional drought would not be so extreme. The effects of weather extremes on the Amazon rainforest are varied and complex. Fig. 3.2-1 shows which factors play a role in addition to the weather extremes and what the consequences can be.