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Contrasting carbon cycle along tropical forest aridity gradients in West Africa and Amazonia

Author

Listed:
  • Huanyuan Zhang-Zheng

    (University of Oxford
    University of Oxford)

  • Stephen Adu-Bredu

    (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
    CSIR College of Science and Technology)

  • Akwasi Duah-Gyamfi

    (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research)

  • Sam Moore

    (University of Oxford)

  • Shalom D. Addo-Danso

    (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research)

  • Lucy Amissah

    (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research)

  • Riccardo Valentini

    (Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici)

  • Gloria Djagbletey

    (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research)

  • Kelvin Anim-Adjei

    (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research)

  • John Quansah

    (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research)

  • Bernice Sarpong

    (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research)

  • Kennedy Owusu-Afriyie

    (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research)

  • Agne Gvozdevaite

    (University of Oxford)

  • Minxue Tang

    (Imperial College London)

  • Maria C. Ruiz-Jaen

    (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)

  • Forzia Ibrahim

    (Czech University of Life Sciences)

  • Cécile A. J. Girardin

    (University of Oxford)

  • Sami Rifai

    (University of Adelaide)

  • Cecilia A. L. Dahlsjö

    (University of Oxford)

  • Terhi Riutta

    (University of Oxford)

  • Xiongjie Deng

    (University of Oxford)

  • Yuheng Sun

    (University of Groningen)

  • Iain Colin Prentice

    (Imperial College London
    Tsinghua University)

  • Imma Oliveras Menor

    (University of Oxford
    IRD,Université de Montpellier)

  • Yadvinder Malhi

    (University of Oxford
    University of Oxford)

Abstract

Tropical forests cover large areas of equatorial Africa and play a substantial role in the global carbon cycle. However, there has been a lack of biometric measurements to understand the forests’ gross and net primary productivity (GPP, NPP) and their allocation. Here we present a detailed field assessment of the carbon budget of multiple forest sites in Africa, by monitoring 14 one-hectare plots along an aridity gradient in Ghana, West Africa. When compared with an equivalent aridity gradient in Amazonia, the studied West African forests generally had higher productivity and lower carbon use efficiency (CUE). The West African aridity gradient consistently shows the highest NPP, CUE, GPP, and autotrophic respiration at a medium-aridity site, Bobiri. Notably, NPP and GPP of the site are the highest yet reported anywhere for intact forests. Widely used data products substantially underestimate productivity when compared to biometric measurements in Amazonia and Africa. Our analysis suggests that the high productivity of the African forests is linked to their large GPP allocation to canopy and semi-deciduous characteristics.

Suggested Citation

  • Huanyuan Zhang-Zheng & Stephen Adu-Bredu & Akwasi Duah-Gyamfi & Sam Moore & Shalom D. Addo-Danso & Lucy Amissah & Riccardo Valentini & Gloria Djagbletey & Kelvin Anim-Adjei & John Quansah & Bernice Sa, 2024. "Contrasting carbon cycle along tropical forest aridity gradients in West Africa and Amazonia," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-47202-x
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47202-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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