Central African Republic; Biodiversity; Biomass; Africa, Central; Trees; Forests; Tropical Climate; Statistics and Probability; Information Systems; Education; Computer Science Applications; Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty; Library and Information Sciences
Abstract :
[en] A vast silvicultural experiment was set up in 1982 nearby the town of M'Baïki in the Central African Republic to monitor the recovery of tropical forests after disturbance. The M'Baïki experiment consists of ten 4-ha Permanent Sample Plots (PSPs) that were assigned to three silvicultural treatments in 1986 according to a random block design. In each plot, all trees with a girth at breast height greater than 30 cm were spatially located, numbered, measured, and determined botanically. Girth, mortality and newly recruited trees, were monitored almost annually over the 1982-2022 period with inventory campaigns for 35 years. The data were earlier used to fit growth and population models, to study the species composition dynamics, and the effect of silvicultural treatments on tree diversity and aboveground biomass. Here, we present new information on the forest stand structure dynamics and tree demography. The data released from this paper cover the three control plots and constitute a major contribution for further studies about the biodiversity of intact tropical forests.
Bénédet, Fabrice ; Forêts et Sociétés, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, Montpellier, France. fabrice.benedet@cirad.fr ; CIRAD, Forêts et Sociétés, Montpellier, France. fabrice.benedet@cirad.fr
Gourlet-Fleury, Sylvie; Forêts et Sociétés, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, Montpellier, France ; CIRAD, Forêts et Sociétés, Montpellier, France
Allah-Barem, Félix; Institut Centrafricain de la Recherche Agronomique, Bangui, Central African Republic
Baya, Fidèle; Ministère des Eaux, Forêts, Chasse et Pêche, Bangui, Central African Republic
Beina, Denis; Université de Bangui. Faculté des Sciences. Laboratoire de Biodiversité Végétale et Fongique, Bangui, Central African Republic
Cornu, Guillaume ; Forêts et Sociétés, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, Montpellier, France ; CIRAD, Forêts et Sociétés, Montpellier, France
Dimanche, Luc; Fonds de Développement Forestier, Bangui, Central African Republic
Dubiez, Émilien; CIRAD, Forêts et Sociétés, Montpellier, France ; Institut national de Recherche Forestière, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
Forni, Éric; CIRAD, Forêts et Sociétés, Montpellier, France ; Université Marien Ngouabi, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
Freycon, Vincent; Forêts et Sociétés, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, Montpellier, France ; CIRAD, Forêts et Sociétés, Montpellier, France
Mortier, Frédéric ; Forêts et Sociétés, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, Montpellier, France ; CIRAD, Forêts et Sociétés, Montpellier, France
Rossi, Vivien ; CIRAD, Forêts et Sociétés, Montpellier, France ; Université Marien Ngouabi, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
Semboli, Olivia; Université de Bangui. Faculté des Sciences. Laboratoire de Biodiversité Végétale et Fongique, Bangui, Central African Republic ; Centre d'Études et de Recherche en Pharmacopée et Médecine Traditionnelle Africaine, Université de Bangui, Bangui, Central African Republic
Yalibanda, Yves; Ministère des Eaux, Forêts, Chasse et Pêche, Bangui, Central African Republic
Yongo-Bombo, Olga; Université de Bangui. Faculté des Sciences. Laboratoire de Biodiversité Végétale et Fongique, Bangui, Central African Republic
Fayolle, Adeline ; Université de Liège - ULiège > TERRA Research Centre > Gestion des ressources forestières ; Forêts et Sociétés, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, Montpellier, France ; CIRAD, Forêts et Sociétés, Montpellier, France
40 years of forest dynamics and tree demography in an intact tropical forest at M'Baïki in central Africa.
Publication date :
2024
Journal title :
Scientific Data
eISSN :
2052-4463
Publisher :
Nature, England
Volume :
11
Issue :
1
Pages :
734
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Tags :
ForestIsLife
Funding text :
The maintenance of the M\u2019Ba\u00EFki PSPs over the long-term and the regular collection of data were made possible thanks to a consortium composed of six institutions: (1) the \u201CMinist\u00E8re des Eaux, For\u00EAts, Chasse et P\u00EAche\u201D (MEFCP) of the Central African Republic, (2) the \u201CInstitut Centrafricain de Recherche Agronomique\u201D (ICRA), (3) the \u201CService de Coop\u00E9ration et d\u2019Actions Culturelles\u201D (SCAC/MAE) in the Central African Republic, (4) the University of Bangui and specifically the \u201CInstitut Sup\u00E9rieur du D\u00E9veloppement Rural\u201D (ISDR) for hosting the \u201CProjet d\u2019Appui \u00E0 la Recherche Foresti\u00E8re\u201D (ARF); (5) the \u201CSoci\u00E9t\u00E9 Centrafricaine de D\u00E9roulage\u201D (SCAD), (6) the \u201CCentre de coop\u00E9ration internationale en recherche agronomique pour le d\u00E9veloppement\u201D (CIRAD). The M\u2019Ba\u00EFki PSPs were supported by numerous grants over the 1982\u20132022 but the authors wanted to thank the \u201CFonds de D\u00E9veloppement Forestier\u201D of the Central African Republic, the \u201CProjet de D\u00E9veloppement de la R\u00E9gion Sud Ouest\u201D (PDRSO) implemented by the consultant Forest Resource Management international (FRM) and founded by the \u201CAgence fran\u00E7aise de d\u00E9veloppement\u201D (AFD) with the support of the Commission of Central African Forests (COMIFAC). Numerous people were involved in the inventory campaigns, and the authors thank all the field assistants whose expertise and enthusiasm were indispensable to successful fieldwork, including: J-M. Bango, T. Dellet, B. Didaboy, J-B. Doingama, C. Dongale, P. Feikoumon, A. Gobomou, A. Kobou, E. Kounda, J-A. Libengue, J. Mazengue, P. Mbilo, A. Mbomba, A. Monzembe, B. Mossembo, M. Mossembo, G. Moussa, A. Ndimba, L. Ngappe, M. N\u2019Zonou, D. Ouapoutou, B. Payombo, M. Pingba, J. Redandazoui, G. Siguigui, R. Songuele, P. Souka, M. P. Yabio, J. Yela, F. Wanza, D. Waputu, and field botanists: J-B. B\u00E9l\u00E9 and E. Dobo, and all the international volunteers: M. Brevet, S. Claude, L. Cerbonney, R. Commer\u00E7on, G. De Chatelperron, J. M. Decoud, F. Freytet, B. Jung-Muller, F. Lanckriet, C. Le Bloas, F. Lehmann, H. Moinecourt, P-J. Morel, J. Obstencias, Y. Petrucci, L. Schmitt, A. Sergent, B. Teyssendier De La Serve, and L. Valliergue, and forest scientists, J-G. Bertault, H-F. Ma\u00EEtre, A. Tran-Hoang, who coordinated the ARF project and the sequential IT scientists who were involved in the data curation at CIRAD, and notably P. Narboni, B. Rosset, and S. Vrot. A special thought is dedicated to C. Fargeot from CIRAD and to H. F. Mokoss\u00E9ss\u00E9 for their support to the ARF project and the M\u2019Ba\u00EFki PSPs, to Prof. G. Decocq from the University of Picardie Jules Verne in France for the acquisition of additionnal floristic data (beyond the trees) in the M\u2019Ba\u00EFki PSPs in the frame of PhD projects, and to M. R\u00E9jou-M\u00E9chain from IRD and to A. Kpolita from the University of Bangui for a field campaign dedicated to the collection of genetic samples. The authors also thank the local people from the villages nearby the PSPs who often welcomed our field and scientific teams, and specifically J. G. Kiki and N. Ndimba for incredible skills, notably in species identification. Finally the authors thanks L. Dedieu-Engelmann from CIRAD for her help and advises when initiating the data paper project. iIn 1982, the Technical Center for Tropical Forests (CTFT, now part of the International Center for Agronomic Research \u2013 CIRAD) established a vast silvicultural experiment in the forested part of the Central African Republic, near the town of M\u2019Ba\u00EFki. The so called M\u2019Ba\u00EFki experiment was part of the project \u201CApplication de la Recherche \u00E0 la mise en valeur des Ressources Foresti\u00E8res et Cyn\u00E9g\u00E9tiques \u2013 1978/1985\u201D funded by the \u201CFonds d\u2019Aide et de Coop\u00E9ration\u201D. This project aimed to develop management methods for natural forests and addressed the following main questions. (1) What is the future of tropical logged forests? (2) Will the logged forests recover enough valuable trees to allow a sustainable timber tree production?
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