If the current rate of deforestation continues, the world's rain forests will vanish within 100 years- causing unknown effects on global climate and eliminating the majority of plant and animal species on the planet. Deforestation occurs in many ways.

By the year 2126, scientists predict that rainforests will be significantly fragmented and altered due to the long-term effects of the "tipping points" reached in the mid-21st century. Many regions, particularly the southern and eastern Amazon, may have transitioned into dry savannah-like ecosystems (a process known as "savannization") because of decreased rainfall and increased frequency of wildfires. The high biodiversity currently seen in 2026 is expected to be sharply reduced, with only the most resilient or "generalist" species surviving. However, in 2126, "techno-forests" might exist where humans have used advanced biotechnology and large-scale reforestation to preserve genetic diversity in controlled environments. The climate will likely be 2°C to 4°C warmer, meaning the dense, cool, misty canopies we know today will be rare, replaced by hardier, drought-resistant tropical vegetation. Coastal rainforests may also face encroachment from rising sea levels, permanently changing the salinity and soil composition of these vital carbon sinks.