2018_Loubota Panzou et al_What controls local-scale aboveground biomass variation in central Africa, testing structural, composition and architectural attributes.pdf
Tree allometry; AGB estimation; Basal area; Wood density; Total height; Crown size; Central Africa
Abstract :
[en] Tropical forests play a key role in regulating the terrestrial carbon cycle and climate change by storing a large amount of carbon. Yet, there is considerable uncertainty about the amount and spatial variation of aboveground biomass (AGB), especially in the relatively less studied African tropical forests. In this study, we explore the local-scale variation and determinants of plot-level AGB, between and within two types of forests, the Celtis and Manilkara forests, growing under the same climate but on different geological substrates in the northern Republic of Congo. In each forest site, all trees ≥10 cm diameter were censured in 36 × 1-ha plots and we measured tree height and crown size using a subsample of 18 × 1-ha of these plots. We developed height-diameter and crown-diameter allometric relationships and tested whether they differed between the two sites. For each 1-ha plot, we further estimated the AGB and calculated structural attributes (stem density and basal area), composition attributes (wood density) and architectural attributes (tree height and crown size), the latter being derived from site-specific allometric relationships. We found strong between-site differences in height-diameter and crown-diameter allometries. For a given diameter, trees were taller in the Celtis forest while they had larger crown in the Manilkara forest. Similar trends were found for the sixteen species present in both forest sites, suggesting an environmental control of tree allometry. Although there were some between-site differences in forest structure, composition and architecture, we did not detect any significant difference in mean AGB between the Celtis and the Manilkara forests. The AGB variation was related to the heterogeneous distribution of large trees, and influenced by basal area, height and crown dimensions, and to a lesser extent wood density. These forest attributes have strong practical implications on emerging remote-sensing technologies for carbon monitoring in tropical forests.
Fayolle, Adeline ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Ingénierie des biosystèmes (Biose) > Gestion des ressources forestières et des milieux naturels
Feldpausch, Ted R.; University of Exeter > Geography
Ligot, Gauthier ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Ingénierie des biosystèmes (Biose) > Laboratoire de Foresterie des régions trop. et subtropicales
Doucet, Jean-Louis ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Ingénierie des biosystèmes (Biose) > Laboratoire de Foresterie des régions trop. et subtropicales
Forni, Eric; CIRAD
Zombo, Isaac; CIB-OLAM
Mazengue, Mathurin; Mokabi SA
Loumeto, Jean-Joel; Université Marien Ngouabi > Faculté des Sciences et Techniques > Laboratoire de botanique et d'écologie
Gourlet-Fleury, Sylvie; CIRAD
Language :
English
Title :
What controls local-scale aboveground biomass variation in central Africa? Testing structural, composition and architectural attributes
Publication date :
July 2018
Journal title :
Forest Ecology and Management
ISSN :
0378-1127
eISSN :
1872-7042
Publisher :
Elsevier, Netherlands
Volume :
429
Pages :
570-578
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Name of the research project :
Variations de l'allométrie des arbres et ses conséquences sur l'estimation de la biomasse et des stocks de carbone en Afrique centrale
Funders :
IFS - International Foundation for Science F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique Nature+ Republic of Congo (OGES-Congo)
Funding text :
This work was supported by the DynAfFor project supported by a
French Fund for the Global Environment (grant numbers Nos.
CZZ1636.01D and CZZ1636.02D); International Foundation for Science
(grant number D/5822-1); F.R.S-FNRS (grant number 2017/v3/5/332 –
IB/JN – 9500), Nature+ (asbl, Belgium) and the Republic of Congo
(OGES-Congo). The fieldwork of this study was conducted in the permanent
design of DynAfFor and P3FAC projects, supported by the
French Fund for the Global Environment, implemented by ATIBT/
COMIFAC/Nature+/CIRAD/Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech/CIB-Olam and
Mokabi SA logging companies. We thank the team members of CIBOlam
and MOKABI SA logging companies. The authors are specifically
thankful to Mercier Mayinga (CIB-Olam) and Arnaud N'Gokaka
(Mokabi SA) for facilitating field measurements. We are grateful to Dr.
Jean-François Gillet for help with plant identification. We are deeply
grateful to Ecology group of the School of Geography during our research
visit at the University of Exeter (UK).
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