High above-ground carbon stock of African tropical montane forests

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dc.contributor.authorCuni-Sanchez A
dc.contributor.authorSullivan MJP
dc.contributor.authorPlatts PJ
dc.contributor.authorLewis SL
dc.contributor.authorMarchant R
dc.contributor.authorImani G
dc.contributor.authorHubau W
dc.contributor.authorAbiem I
dc.contributor.authorAdhikari H
dc.contributor.authorAlbrecht T
dc.contributor.authorAltman J
dc.contributor.authorAmani C
dc.contributor.authorAneseyee AB
dc.contributor.authorAvitabile V
dc.contributor.authorBanin L
dc.contributor.authorBatumike R
dc.contributor.authorBauters M
dc.contributor.authorBeeckman H
dc.contributor.authorBegne SK
dc.contributor.authorBennett AC
dc.contributor.authorBitariho R
dc.contributor.authorBoeckx P
dc.contributor.authorBogaert J
dc.contributor.authorBräuning A
dc.contributor.authorBulonvu F
dc.contributor.authorBurgess ND
dc.contributor.authorCalders K
dc.contributor.authorChapman C
dc.contributor.authorComiskey J
dc.contributor.authorde Haulleville T
dc.contributor.authorDecuyper M
dc.contributor.authorDeVries B
dc.contributor.authorDolezal J
dc.contributor.authorDroissart V
dc.contributor.authorEwango C
dc.contributor.authorFeyera S
dc.contributor.authorGebrekirstos A
dc.contributor.authorGereau R
dc.contributor.authorGilpin M
dc.contributor.authorHakizimana D
dc.contributor.authorHall J
dc.contributor.authorHamilton A
dc.contributor.authorHardy O
dc.contributor.authorHart T
dc.contributor.authorHeiskanen J
dc.contributor.authorHemp A
dc.contributor.authorHerold M
dc.contributor.authorHiltner U
dc.contributor.authorHorak D
dc.contributor.authorKamdem MN
dc.contributor.authorKayijamahe C
dc.contributor.authorKenfack D
dc.contributor.authorKinyanjui MJ
dc.contributor.authorKlein J
dc.contributor.authorLisingo J
dc.contributor.authorLovett J
dc.contributor.authorLung M
dc.contributor.authorMakana JR
dc.contributor.authorMalhi Y
dc.contributor.authorMarshall A
dc.contributor.authorMartin EH
dc.contributor.authorMitchard ETA
dc.contributor.authorMorel A
dc.contributor.authorMukendi JT
dc.contributor.authorMuller T
dc.contributor.authorNchu F
dc.contributor.authorNyirambangutse B
dc.contributor.authorOkello J
dc.contributor.authorPeh KSH
dc.contributor.authorPellikka P
dc.contributor.authorPhillips OL
dc.contributor.authorPlumptre A
dc.contributor.authorQie L
dc.contributor.authorRovero F
dc.contributor.authorSainge MN
dc.contributor.authorSchmitt CB
dc.contributor.authorSedlacek O
dc.contributor.authorNgute ASK
dc.contributor.authorSheil D
dc.contributor.authorSheleme D
dc.contributor.authorSimegn TY
dc.contributor.authorSimo-Droissart M
dc.contributor.authorSonké B
dc.contributor.authorSoromessa T
dc.contributor.authorSunderland T
dc.contributor.authorSvoboda M
dc.contributor.authorTaedoumg H
dc.contributor.authorTaplin J
dc.contributor.authorTaylor D
dc.contributor.authorThomas SC
dc.contributor.authorTimberlake J
dc.contributor.authorTuagben D
dc.contributor.authorUmunay P
dc.contributor.authorUzabaho E
dc.contributor.authorVerbeeck H
dc.contributor.authorVleminckx J
dc.contributor.authorWallin G
dc.contributor.authorWheeler C
dc.contributor.authorWillcock S
dc.contributor.authorChapman, Hazel
dc.date.accessioned2022-01-31T20:33:41Z
dc.date.available2022-01-31T20:33:41Z
dc.date.issued2021en
dc.date.updated2021-09-27T21:31:38Z
dc.description.abstractTropical 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.en
dc.identifier.citationCuni-Sanchez A, Sullivan MJP, Platts PJ, Lewis SL, Marchant R, Imani G, Hubau W, Abiem I, Adhikari H, Albrecht T, Altman J, Amani C, Aneseyee AB, Avitabile V, Banin L, Batumike R, Bauters M, Beeckman H, Begne SK, Bennett AC, Bitariho R, Boeckx P, Bogaert J, Bräuning A, Bulonvu F, Burgess ND, Calders K, Chapman C, Chapman H, Comiskey J, de Haulleville T, Decuyper M, DeVries B, Dolezal J, Droissart V, Ewango C, Feyera S, Gebrekirstos A, Gereau R, Gilpin M, Hakizimana D, Hall J, Hamilton A, Hardy O, Hart T, Heiskanen J, Hemp A, Herold M, Hiltner U, Horak D, Kamdem MN, Kayijamahe C, Kenfack D, Kinyanjui MJ, Klein J, Lisingo J, Lovett J, Lung M, Makana JR, Malhi Y, Marshall A, Martin EH, Mitchard ETA, Morel A, Mukendi JT, Muller T, Nchu F, Nyirambangutse B, Okello J, Peh KSH, Pellikka P, Phillips OL, Plumptre A, Qie L, Rovero F, Sainge MN, Schmitt CB, Sedlacek O, Ngute ASK, Sheil D, Sheleme D, Simegn TY, Simo-Droissart M, Sonké B, Soromessa T, Sunderland T, Svoboda M, Taedoumg H, Taplin J, Taylor D, Thomas SC, Timberlake J, Tuagben D, Umunay P, Uzabaho E, Verbeeck H, Vleminckx J, Wallin G, Wheeler C, Willcock S (2021). High above-ground carbon stock of African tropical montane forests. Nature. 596(7873). 536-542.en
dc.identifier.doihttp://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03728-4
dc.identifier.issn0028-0836
dc.identifier.issn1476-4687
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10092/103338
dc.languageeng
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLCen
dc.rightsAll rights reserved unless otherwise stateden
dc.rights.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10092/17651en
dc.subject.anzsrcFields of Research::30 - Agricultural, veterinary and food sciences::3007 - Forestry sciencesen
dc.titleHigh above-ground carbon stock of African tropical montane forestsen
dc.typeJournal Articleen
uc.collegeFaculty of Science
uc.departmentSchool of Biological Sciences
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