Old growth Afrotropical forests critical for maintaining forest carbon

Poulsen, J. R.; Medjibe, V. P.; White, L. J. T.; Miao, Z.; Banak-Ngok, L.; Beirne, C.; Clark, C. J.; Cuni-Sanchez, A.; Disney, M.; Doucet, Jean-Louis; Lee, M. E.; Lewis, S. L.; Mitchard, E.; Nuñez, C. L.; Reitsma, J.; Saatchi, S.; Scott, C. T.

doi:10.1111/geb.13150

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Old growth Afrotropical forests critical for maintaining forest carbon

Poulsen, J. R.; Medjibe, V. P.; White, L. J. T. et al.

2020 • In Global Ecology and Biogeography, 29, p. 1785-1798

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https://hdl.handle.net/2268/251169

DOI
10.1111/geb.13150

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Keywords :

Aboveground biomass; Carbon; Central Africa; Climate change; Gabon; Large trees; Tree height; Tropical forest; Wood density

Abstract :

[en] Aim: Large trees [≥ 70 cm diameter at breast height (DBH)] contribute disproportionately to aboveground carbon stock (AGC) across the tropics but may be vulnerable to changing climate and human activities. Here we determine the distribution, drivers and threats to large trees and high carbon forest. Location: Central Africa. Time period: Current. Major taxa studied: Trees. Methods: Using Gabon's new National Resource Inventory of 104 field sites, AGC was calculated from 67,466 trees from 578 species and 97 genera. Power and Michaelis–Menten models assessed the contribution of large trees to AGC. Environmental and anthropogenic drivers of AGC, large trees, and stand variables were modelled using Akaike’s information criterion (AIC) weights to calculate average regression coefficients for all p. ossible models. Results: Mean AGC for trees ≥ 10 cm DBH in Gabonese forestlands was 141.7 Mg C/ha, with averages of 166.6, 171.3 and 96.6 Mg C/ha in old growth, concession and secondary forest. High carbon forests occurred where large trees are most abundant: 31% of AGC was stored in large trees (2.3% of all stems). Human activities largely drove variation in AGC and large trees, but climate and edaphic conditions also determined stand variables (basal area, tree height, wood density, stem density). AGC and large trees increased with distance from human settlements; AGC was 40% lower in secondary than primary and concession forests and 33% higher in protected than non-managed areas. Main conclusions: AGC and large trees were negatively associated with human activities, highlighting the importance of forest management. Redefining large trees as ≥ 50 cm DBH (4.3% more stems) would account for 20% more AGC. This study demonstrates that protecting relatively undisturbed forests can be disproportionately effective in conserving carbon and suggests that including sustainable forestry in programs like reduced emissions for deforestation and forest degradation could maintain carbon dense forests in logging concessions that are a large proportion of remaining Central African forests. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Disciplines :

Phytobiology (plant sciences, forestry, mycology...)
Environmental sciences & ecology

Author, co-author :

Poulsen, J. R.; Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States, Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Libreville, Gabon

Medjibe, V. P.; Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States, Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Libreville, Gabon

White, L. J. T.; Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Libreville, Gabon, Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale, Libreville, Gabon, African Forest Ecology Group, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom

Miao, Z.; Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States

Banak-Ngok, L.; Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale, Libreville, Gabon

Beirne, C.; Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States

Clark, C. J.; Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States, Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Libreville, Gabon

Cuni-Sanchez, A.; Department of Geography, University College London, London, United Kingdom

Disney, M.; Department of Geography, University College London, London, United Kingdom, NERC National Centre for Earth Observation, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom

Doucet, Jean-Louis ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département GxABT > Laboratoire de Foresterie des régions trop. et subtropicales

More authors (7 more)

Language :

English

Title :

Old growth Afrotropical forests critical for maintaining forest carbon

Publication date :

16 July 2020

Journal title :

Global Ecology and Biogeography

ISSN :

1466-822X

eISSN :

1466-8238

Publisher :

Wiley

Volume :

Pages :

1785-1798

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Available on ORBi :

since 29 September 2020

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