https://phys.org/news/2018-05-amazon-forests-stabilise-drought.html > This analysis revealed a number of important results, such as the finding that the contribution of the Amazon forest to rainfall increases when conditions become drier. "During dry spells the trees continue to have access to deep groundwater, thus maintaining evaporation," clarifies Stefan Dekker, Associate Professor at Utrecht University and Professor at the Open University, the Netherlands. > This study sheds new light on the significance of the Amazon rainforest for the climate system. "In recent years we have seen increasing droughts in the Amazon, resulting in widespread forest fires. Now we better understand how important the forest is in alleviating these droughts," explains Arie Staal, whose Ph.D. research includes this research.