High aboveground carbon stock of African tropical montane forests (2024)

Cuni-Sanchez, A., Sullivan, M. J. P., Platts, P. J., Lewis, S. L., Marchant, R., Imani, G., Hubau, W., Abiem, I., Adhikari, H., Albrecht, T., Altman, J., Amani, C., Aneseyee, A. B., Avitabile, V., Banin, L., Batumike, R., Bauters, M., Beeckman, H., Begne, S. K., ... Zibera, E. (2021). High aboveground carbon stock of African tropical montane forests. Nature, 596(7873), 536-542. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03728-4

Cuni-Sanchez, Aida ; Sullivan, Martin J.P. ; Platts, Philip J. et al. / High aboveground carbon stock of African tropical montane forests. In: Nature. 2021 ; Vol. 596, No. 7873. pp. 536-542.

@article{fc6e1fadc51d4f6a8a124f7d5193aa79,

title = "High aboveground carbon stock of African tropical montane forests",

abstract = "Tropical forests store 40–50per 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 149.4megagrams 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 70per cent and 32per 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 helpto guide forest conservation and reforestation interventions. Our findings highlight the need for conserving these biodiverse9,10 and carbon-rich ecosystems.",

author = "Aida Cuni-Sanchez and Sullivan, {Martin J.P.} and Platts, {Philip J.} and Lewis, {Simon L.} and Rob Marchant and G{\'e}rard Imani and Wannes Hubau and Iveren Abiem and Hari Adhikari and Tomas Albrecht and Jan Altman and Christian Amani and Aneseyee, {Abreham B.} and Valerio Avitabile and Lindsay Banin and Rodrigue Batumike and Marijn Bauters and Hans Beeckman and Begne, {Serge K.} and Bennett, {Amy C.} and Robert Bitariho and Pascal Boeckx and Jan Bogaert and Achim Br{\"a}uning and Franklin Bulonvu and Burgess, {Neil D.} and Kim Calders and Colin Chapman and Hazel Chapman and James Comiskey and {de Haulleville}, Thales and Mathieu Decuyper and Ben DeVries and Jiri Dolezal and Vincent Droissart and Corneille Ewango and Senbeta Feyera and Aster Gebrekirstos and Roy Gereau and Martin Gilpin and Dismas Hakizimana and Jefferson Hall and Alan Hamilton and Olivier Hardy and Terese Hart and Janne Heiskanen and Andreas Hemp and Martin Herold and Ulrike Hiltner and David Horak and Kamdem, {Marie Noel} and Charles Kayijamahe and David Kenfack and Kinyanjui, {Mwangi J.} and Julia Klein and Janvier Lisingo and Jon Lovett and Mark Lung and Makana, {Jean Remy} and Yadvinder Malhi and Andrew Marshall and Martin, {Emanuel H.} and Mitchard, {Edward T.A.} and Alexandra Morel and Mukendi, {John T.} and Tom Muller and Felix Nchu and Brigitte Nyirambangutse and Joseph Okello and Peh, {Kelvin S.H.} and Petri Pellikka and Phillips, {Oliver L.} and Andrew Plumptre and Lan Qie and Francesco Rovero and Sainge, {Moses N.} and Schmitt, {Christine B.} and Ondrej Sedlacek and Ngute, {Alain S.K.} and Douglas Sheil and Demisse Sheleme and Simegn, {Tibebu Y.} and Murielle Simo-Droissart and Bonaventure Sonk{\'e} and Teshome Soromessa and Terry Sunderland and Miroslav Svoboda and Hermann Taedoumg and James Taplin and David Taylor and Thomas, {Sean C.} and Jonathan Timberlake and Darlington Tuagben and Peter Umunay and Eustrate Uzabaho and Hans Verbeeck and Jason Vleminckx and G{\"o}ran Wallin and Charlotte Wheeler and Simon Willco*ck and Woods, {John T.} and Etienne Zibera",

year = "2021",

month = aug,

day = "25",

doi = "10.1038/s41586-021-03728-4",

language = "English",

volume = "596",

pages = "536--542",

journal = "Nature",

issn = "0028-0836",

publisher = "Nature",

number = "7873",

}

High aboveground carbon stock of African tropical montane forests. / Cuni-Sanchez, Aida; Sullivan, Martin J.P.; Platts, Philip J. et al.
In: Nature, Vol. 596, No. 7873, 25.08.2021, p. 536-542.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - High aboveground carbon stock of African tropical montane forests

AU - Cuni-Sanchez, Aida

AU - Sullivan, Martin J.P.

AU - Platts, Philip J.

AU - Lewis, Simon L.

AU - Marchant, Rob

AU - Imani, Gérard

AU - Hubau, Wannes

AU - Abiem, Iveren

AU - Adhikari, Hari

AU - Albrecht, Tomas

AU - Altman, Jan

AU - Amani, Christian

AU - Aneseyee, Abreham B.

AU - Avitabile, Valerio

AU - Banin, Lindsay

AU - Batumike, Rodrigue

AU - Bauters, Marijn

AU - Beeckman, Hans

AU - Begne, Serge K.

AU - Bennett, Amy C.

AU - Bitariho, Robert

AU - Boeckx, Pascal

AU - Bogaert, Jan

AU - Bräuning, Achim

AU - Bulonvu, Franklin

AU - Burgess, Neil D.

AU - Calders, Kim

AU - Chapman, Colin

AU - Chapman, Hazel

AU - Comiskey, James

AU - de Haulleville, Thales

AU - Decuyper, Mathieu

AU - DeVries, Ben

AU - Dolezal, Jiri

AU - Droissart, Vincent

AU - Ewango, Corneille

AU - Feyera, Senbeta

AU - Gebrekirstos, Aster

AU - Gereau, Roy

AU - Gilpin, Martin

AU - Hakizimana, Dismas

AU - Hall, Jefferson

AU - Hamilton, Alan

AU - Hardy, Olivier

AU - Hart, Terese

AU - Heiskanen, Janne

AU - Hemp, Andreas

AU - Herold, Martin

AU - Hiltner, Ulrike

AU - Horak, David

AU - Kamdem, Marie Noel

AU - Kayijamahe, Charles

AU - Kenfack, David

AU - Kinyanjui, Mwangi J.

AU - Klein, Julia

AU - Lisingo, Janvier

AU - Lovett, Jon

AU - Lung, Mark

AU - Makana, Jean Remy

AU - Malhi, Yadvinder

AU - Marshall, Andrew

AU - Martin, Emanuel H.

AU - Mitchard, Edward T.A.

AU - Morel, Alexandra

AU - Mukendi, John T.

AU - Muller, Tom

AU - Nchu, Felix

AU - Nyirambangutse, Brigitte

AU - Okello, Joseph

AU - Peh, Kelvin S.H.

AU - Pellikka, Petri

AU - Phillips, Oliver L.

AU - Plumptre, Andrew

AU - Qie, Lan

AU - Rovero, Francesco

AU - Sainge, Moses N.

AU - Schmitt, Christine B.

AU - Sedlacek, Ondrej

AU - Ngute, Alain S.K.

AU - Sheil, Douglas

AU - Sheleme, Demisse

AU - Simegn, Tibebu Y.

AU - Simo-Droissart, Murielle

AU - Sonké, Bonaventure

AU - Soromessa, Teshome

AU - Sunderland, Terry

AU - Svoboda, Miroslav

AU - Taedoumg, Hermann

AU - Taplin, James

AU - Taylor, David

AU - Thomas, Sean C.

AU - Timberlake, Jonathan

AU - Tuagben, Darlington

AU - Umunay, Peter

AU - Uzabaho, Eustrate

AU - Verbeeck, Hans

AU - Vleminckx, Jason

AU - Wallin, Göran

AU - Wheeler, Charlotte

AU - Willco*ck, Simon

AU - Woods, John T.

AU - Zibera, Etienne

PY - 2021/8/25

Y1 - 2021/8/25

N2 - Tropical forests store 40–50per 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 149.4megagrams 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 70per cent and 32per 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 helpto guide forest conservation and reforestation interventions. Our findings highlight the need for conserving these biodiverse9,10 and carbon-rich ecosystems.

AB - Tropical forests store 40–50per 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 149.4megagrams 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 70per cent and 32per 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 helpto guide forest conservation and reforestation interventions. Our findings highlight the need for conserving these biodiverse9,10 and carbon-rich ecosystems.

U2 - 10.1038/s41586-021-03728-4

DO - 10.1038/s41586-021-03728-4

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85113372577

SN - 0028-0836

VL - 596

SP - 536

EP - 542

JO - Nature

JF - Nature

IS - 7873

ER -

Cuni-Sanchez A, Sullivan MJP, Platts PJ, Lewis SL, Marchant R, Imani G et al. High aboveground carbon stock of African tropical montane forests. Nature. 2021 Aug 25;596(7873):536-542. doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03728-4