High aboveground carbon stock of African tropical montane forests

Cuni-Sanchez A, Sullivan MJP, Platts PJ, Lewis SL, Marchant R, Imani G, Hubau W, Abiem I, Adhikari H, Albrecht T, Altman J, Amani C, Aneseyee AB, Avitabile V, Banin L, Batumike R, Bauters M, Beeckman H, Begne SK, Bennett AC, Bitariho R, Boeckx P, Bogaert J, Bräuning A, Bulonvu F, Burgess ND, Calders K, Chapman C, Chapman H, Comiskey J, De Haulleville T, Decuyper M, Devries B, Dolezal J, Droissart V, Ewango C, Feyera S, Gebrekirstos A, Gereau R, Gilpin M, Hakizimana D, Hall J, Hamilton A, Hardy O, Hart T, Heiskanen J, Hemp A, Herold M, Hiltner U, Horak D, Kamdem MN, Kayijamahe C, Kenfack D, Kinyanjui MJ, Klein J, Lisingo J, Lovett J, Lung M, Makana JR, Malhi Y, Marshall A, Martin EH, Mitchard ETA, Morel A, Mukendi JT, Muller T, Nchu F, Nyirambangutse B, Okello J, Peh KSH, Pellikka P, Phillips OL, Plumptre A, Qie L, Rovero F, Sainge MN, Schmitt CB, Sedlacek O, Ngute ASK, Sheil D, Sheleme D, Simegn TY, Simo-Droissart M, Sonke B, Soromessa T, Sunderland T, Svoboda M, Taedoumg H, Taplin J, Taylor D, Thomas SC, Timberlake J, Tuagben D, Umunay P, Uzabaho E, Verbeeck H, Vleminckx J, Wallin G, Wheeler C, Willcock S, Woods JT, Zibera E (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

Book Volume: 596

Pages Range: 536-+

Journal Issue: 7873

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03728-4

Abstract

Tropical forests store 40-50 per cent of terrestrial vegetation carbon(1). However, spatial variations in aboveground live tree biomass carbon (AGC) stocks remain poorly understood, in particular in tropical montane forests(2). Owing to climatic and soil changes with increasing elevation(3), AGC stocks are lower in tropical montane forests compared with lowland forests(2). Here we assemble and analyse a dataset of structurally intact old-growth forests (AfriMont) spanning 44 montane sites in 12 African countries. We find that montane sites in the AfriMont plot network have a mean AGC stock of 149.4 megagrams of carbon per hectare (95% confidence interval 137.1-164.2), which is comparable to lowland forests in the African Tropical Rainforest Observation Network(4) and about 70 per cent and 32 per cent higher than averages from plot networks in montane(2,5,6) and lowland(7) forests in the Neotropics, respectively. Notably, our results are two-thirds higher than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change default values for these forests in Africa(8). We find that the low stem density and high abundance of large trees of African lowland forests(4) is mirrored in the montane forests sampled. This carbon store is endangered: we estimate that 0.8 million hectares of old-growth African montane forest have been lost since 2000. We provide country-specific montane forest AGC stock estimates modelled from our plot network to help to guide forest conservation and reforestation interventions. Our findings highlight the need for conserving these biodiverse(9,10) and carbon-rich ecosystems.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

University of York United Kingdom (GB) Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ASCR) / Akademie věd České republiky (AVČR) Czech Republic (CZ) Official University of Bukavu / Université officielle de Bukavu Congo, The Democratic Republic of The (CD) UK Centre For Ecology & Hydrology United Kingdom (GB) University of Leeds United Kingdom (GB) Eco2librium LLC United States (USA) (US) University of Oxford United Kingdom (GB) College of African Wildlife Management (CAWM) Tanzania, United Republic of (TZ) University of Edinburgh United Kingdom (GB) University of Dundee United Kingdom (GB) Königliches Museum für Zentral-Afrika / Koninklijk Museum voor Midden-Afrika / Musée royal de l’Afrique centrale Belgium (BE) Universiteit Gent (UGent) / Ghent University Belgium (BE) University of Southampton United Kingdom (GB) Tropical Plant Exploration Group (TroPEG) Cameroon (CM) Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn Germany (DE) Addis Ababa University (AAU) Ethiopia (ET) African Wildlife Foundation Kenya (KE) Université de Yaoundé I Cameroon (CM) Unep - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) United Kingdom (GB) University of Canterbury New Zealand (NZ) U.S. National Park Service (NPS) United States (USA) (US) World Agroforestry Centre Kenya (KE) Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Panama (PA) Kunming Institute of Botany (KIB, KIBCAS) / 昆明植物研究所 China (CN) UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) United Kingdom (GB) Forestry Development Authority (FDA) Liberia (LR) University of British Columbia Canada (CA) Université du Cinquantenaire de Lwiro Congo (CG) Université du Burundi Burundi (BI) University of Toronto Canada (CA) International Gorilla Conservation Programme Rwanda (RW) University of Rwanda / Kaminuza y’u Rwanda Rwanda (RW) Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) United Kingdom (GB) Univerzita Karlova v Praze / Charles University in Prague Czech Republic (CZ) Università degli Studi di Firenze / University of Florence Italy (IT) Bangor University United Kingdom (GB) University of Liberia Liberia (LR) Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CULS) / Česká zemědělská univerzita v Praze Czech Republic (CZ) International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Switzerland (CH) University of the Sunshine Coast Australia (AU) Wageningen University & Research Netherlands (NL) George Washington University (GWU) United States (USA) (US) University of Guelph (U of G) Canada (CA) University of Kisangani / Université de Kisangani (UNIKIS) Congo, The Democratic Republic of The (CD) Missouri Botanical Garden United States (USA) (US) Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) / Free University of Brussels Belgium (BE) Yale University United States (USA) (US) Helsingin yliopisto / University of Helsinki Finland (FI) Universität Bayreuth Germany (DE) Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) Uganda (UG) University of Liège (ULg) / Université de Liège Belgium (BE) Karatina University Kenya (KE) Colorado State University United States (USA) (US) Cape Peninsula University of Technology South Africa (ZA) National University of Singapore (NUS) Singapore (SG) Biodiversity Foundation for Africa Zimbabwe (ZW) University of Jos / Yunifásítì ìlú Jos Nigeria (NG) European Commission - Joint Research Centre (JRC) Netherlands (NL) BirdLife International United Kingdom (GB) University of Lincoln United Kingdom (GB) University of Gothenburg / Göteborgs universitet Sweden (SE)

How to cite

APA:

Cuni-Sanchez, A., Sullivan, M.J.P., Platts, P.J., Lewis, S.L., Marchant, R., Imani, G.,... Zibera, E. (2021). High aboveground carbon stock of African tropical montane forests. Nature, 596(7873), 536-+. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03728-4

MLA:

Cuni-Sanchez, Aida, et al. "High aboveground carbon stock of African tropical montane forests." Nature 596.7873 (2021): 536-+.

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