What exactly this means for the Amazon rainforest isn’t completely clear.
But a new study sheds some light on this mystery.
It finds that droughts will likely be harder on shorter, younger trees than on taller, older ones.
However, while taller forests may be better at securing water in times of drought, the study indicates they may not be as effective at coping with higher temperatures and drier air.
While this doesn’t appear to completely negate their drought-resistance advantage over shorter forests, the researchers say expected temperature increases and droughts may have damaging effects to rainforests regardless of their height and age.
"Although older and taller trees show less sensitivity to precipitation variations (droughts), they are more susceptible to fluctuations in atmospheric heat and aridity, which is going to rise substantially with climate change."
"Our study shows that the Amazon forest is not uniform in response to climate variability and drought," Gentine said, "and illuminates the gradient of responses observable across Amazonian forests to water stress, droughts, land use/land cover changes, and climate change."
But, in general, their results indicate that tall, old, and dense (read: undisturbed) forests will likely fare better if, as scientists expect, climate change brings more droughts to the Amazon.
And if the Amazon does better, the world does better.
"Our study makes it clear that forest height and age directly impact the carbon cycle in the Amazon," Gentine said.