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High aboveground carbon stock of African tropical montane forests

Author

Listed:
  • Aida Cuni-Sanchez

    (University of York
    Norwegian University of Life Sciences)

  • Martin J. P. Sullivan

    (Manchester Metropolitan University
    University of Leeds)

  • Philip J. Platts

    (University of York
    University of York
    Climate Change Specialist Group, Species Survival Commission, International Union for Conservation of Nature)

  • Simon L. Lewis

    (University of Leeds
    University College London)

  • Rob Marchant

    (University of York)

  • Gérard Imani

    (Université Officielle de Bukavu)

  • Wannes Hubau

    (Service of Wood Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa
    Ghent University)

  • Iveren Abiem

    (University of Jos
    Nigerian Montane Forest Project)

  • Hari Adhikari

    (University of Helsinki)

  • Tomas Albrecht

    (Charles University
    Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences)

  • Jan Altman

    (Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Science)

  • Christian Amani

    (Université Officielle de Bukavu)

  • Abreham B. Aneseyee

    (Addis Ababa University
    Wolkite University)

  • Valerio Avitabile

    (European Commission, Joint Research Centre)

  • Lindsay Banin

    (UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology)

  • Rodrigue Batumike

    (Université du Cinquantenaire Lwiro, Département de sciences de l’environnement)

  • Marijn Bauters

    (Ghent University)

  • Hans Beeckman

    (Service of Wood Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa)

  • Serge K. Begne

    (University of Leeds
    University of Yaoundé I)

  • Amy C. Bennett

    (University of Leeds)

  • Robert Bitariho

    (Mbarara University of Science and Technology)

  • Pascal Boeckx

    (Ghent University)

  • Jan Bogaert

    (Université de Liege)

  • Achim Bräuning

    (Institute for Geography, Friedrich Alexander University)

  • Franklin Bulonvu

    (Institut Supérieur d’Agroforesterie et de Gestion de l’Environnement de Kahuzi-Biega (ISAGE-KB))

  • Neil D. Burgess

    (UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Center (UNEP-WCMC))

  • Kim Calders

    (Ghent University)

  • Colin Chapman

    (George Washington University
    School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal
    Northwest University
    Dali University)

  • Hazel Chapman

    (Nigerian Montane Forest Project
    University of Canterbury)

  • James Comiskey

    (Inventory and Monitoring Program, National Park Service)

  • Thales Haulleville

    (University of Ghent)

  • Mathieu Decuyper

    (World Agroforestry (ICRAF)
    Wageningen University)

  • Ben DeVries

    (University of Guelph, Guelph)

  • Jiri Dolezal

    (Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Science
    University of South Bohemia)

  • Vincent Droissart

    (University of Yaoundé I
    AMAP Lab, Université de Montpellier, IRD, CNRS, INRAE, CIRAD)

  • Corneille Ewango

    (Université de Kisangani)

  • Senbeta Feyera

    (Addis Ababa University)

  • Aster Gebrekirstos

    (Dendrochronology Laboratory, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF))

  • Roy Gereau

    (Missouri Botanical Garden)

  • Martin Gilpin

    (University of Leeds)

  • Dismas Hakizimana

    (University of Burundi)

  • Jefferson Hall

    (Smithsonian Institution Forest Global Earth Observatory (ForestGEO), Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute)

  • Alan Hamilton

    (Kunming Institute of Botany)

  • Olivier Hardy

    (Université Libre de Bruxelles)

  • Terese Hart

    (Division of Vertebrate Zoology, Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History)

  • Janne Heiskanen

    (University of Helsinki
    University of Helsinki)

  • Andreas Hemp

    (University of Bayreuth)

  • Martin Herold

    (Wageningen University
    Helmholtz Center Potsdam GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Section 1.4 Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics)

  • Ulrike Hiltner

    (Institute for Geography, Friedrich Alexander University
    Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ))

  • David Horak

    (Charles University)

  • Marie-Noel Kamdem

    (University of Yaoundé I)

  • Charles Kayijamahe

    (International Gorilla Conservation Programme)

  • David Kenfack

    (Smithsonian Institution Forest Global Earth Observatory (ForestGEO), Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute)

  • Mwangi J. Kinyanjui

    (Karatina University)

  • Julia Klein

    (Colorado State University)

  • Janvier Lisingo

    (Université de Kisangani)

  • Jon Lovett

    (University of Leeds)

  • Mark Lung

    (Eco2librium LLC)

  • Jean-Remy Makana

    (Université de Kisangani)

  • Yadvinder Malhi

    (University of Oxford)

  • Andrew Marshall

    (University of York
    University of the Sunshine Coast
    Flamingo Land Ltd)

  • Emanuel H. Martin

    (College of African Wildlife Management)

  • Edward T. A. Mitchard

    (University of Edinburgh)

  • Alexandra Morel

    (University of Dundee)

  • John T. Mukendi

    (Service of Wood Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa)

  • Tom Muller

    (Independent Botanist)

  • Felix Nchu

    (Cape Peninsula University of Technology)

  • Brigitte Nyirambangutse

    (University of Rwanda
    University of Gothenburg)

  • Joseph Okello

    (Ghent University
    Mountains of the Moon University
    National Agricultural Research Organisation, Mbarara Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute)

  • Kelvin S.-H. Peh

    (University of Southampton
    University of Cambridge)

  • Petri Pellikka

    (University of Helsinki
    Wuhan University)

  • Oliver L. Phillips

    (University of Leeds)

  • Andrew Plumptre

    (BirdLife International)

  • Lan Qie

    (University of Lincoln)

  • Francesco Rovero

    (University of Florence
    Tropical Biodiversity Section, Museo delle Scienze)

  • Moses N. Sainge

    (Tropical Plant Exploration Group (TroPEG))

  • Christine B. Schmitt

    (University of Bonn
    University of Freiburg)

  • Ondrej Sedlacek

    (Charles University)

  • Alain S. K. Ngute

    (University of the Sunshine Coast
    University of Dschang)

  • Douglas Sheil

    (Wageningen University)

  • Demisse Sheleme

    (Addis Ababa University)

  • Tibebu Y. Simegn

    (African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), Biodiversity Conservation and Landscape Management Program, Simien Mountains National Park)

  • Murielle Simo-Droissart

    (University of Yaoundé I)

  • Bonaventure Sonké

    (University of Yaoundé I)

  • Teshome Soromessa

    (Addis Ababa University)

  • Terry Sunderland

    (University of British Columbia
    Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR))

  • Miroslav Svoboda

    (Czech University of Life Sciences)

  • Hermann Taedoumg

    (University of Yaoundé I
    Bioversity International)

  • James Taplin

    (UK Research and Innovation)

  • David Taylor

    (National University of Singapore)

  • Sean C. Thomas

    (University of Toronto)

  • Jonathan Timberlake

    (Biodiversity Foundation for Africa)

  • Darlington Tuagben

    (Forestry Development Authority of the Government of Liberia (FDA))

  • Peter Umunay

    (Yale University)

  • Eustrate Uzabaho

    (International Gorilla Conservation Programme)

  • Hans Verbeeck

    (Ghent University)

  • Jason Vleminckx

    (Florida International University)

  • Göran Wallin

    (University of Gothenburg)

  • Charlotte Wheeler

    (University of Edinburgh)

  • Simon Willcock

    (University of Bangor
    Rothamsted Research)

  • John T. Woods

    (University of Liberia)

  • Etienne Zibera

    (University of Rwanda)

Abstract

Tropical forests store 40–50 per cent of terrestrial vegetation carbon1. However, spatial variations in aboveground live tree biomass carbon (AGC) stocks remain poorly understood, in particular in tropical montane forests2. Owing to climatic and soil changes with increasing elevation3, AGC stocks are lower in tropical montane forests compared with lowland forests2. 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 Network4 and about 70 per cent and 32 per cent higher than averages from plot networks in montane2,5,6 and lowland7 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 Africa8. We find that the low stem density and high abundance of large trees of African lowland forests4 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 biodiverse9,10 and carbon-rich ecosystems.

Suggested Citation

  • Aida Cuni-Sanchez & Martin J. P. Sullivan & Philip J. Platts & Simon L. Lewis & Rob Marchant & Gérard Imani & Wannes Hubau & Iveren Abiem & Hari Adhikari & Tomas Albrecht & Jan Altman & Christian Aman, 2021. "High aboveground carbon stock of African tropical montane forests," Nature, Nature, vol. 596(7873), pages 536-542, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:596:y:2021:i:7873:d:10.1038_s41586-021-03728-4
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03728-4
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. 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.
    2. Robert A. Marchant & Aida Cuni-Sanchez, 2022. "Special Issue Editorial: Mountains under Pressure," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-5, August.
    3. Qiming Zheng & Tim Ha & Alexander V. Prishchepov & Yiwen Zeng & He Yin & Lian Pin Koh, 2023. "The neglected role of abandoned cropland in supporting both food security and climate change mitigation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Aida Cuni-Sanchez & Emanuel H. Martin & Eustrate Uzabaho & Alain S. K. Ngute & Robert Bitariho & Charles Kayijamahe & Andrew R. Marshall & Nassoro A. Mohamed & Gideon A. Mseja & Aventino Nkwasibwe & F, 2024. "Evidence of thermophilization in Afromontane forests," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    5. Lucas Theodori Ntukey & Linus Kasian Munishi & Anna Christina Treydte, 2022. "Land Use Land/Cover Change Reduces Woody Plant Diversity and Carbon Stocks in a Lowland Coastal Forest Ecosystem, Tanzania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-19, July.

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