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

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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