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Increasing carbon storage in intact African tropical forests

Increasing carbon storage in intact African tropical forests
Increasing carbon storage in intact African tropical forests
The response of terrestrial vegetation to a globally changing environment is central to predictions of future levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide(1,2). The role of tropical forests is critical because they are carbon- dense and highly productive(3,4). Inventory plots across Amazonia show that old- growth forests have increased in carbon storage over recent decades(5-7), but the response of one- third of the world's tropical forests in Africa(8) is largely unknown owing to an absence of spatially extensive observation networks(9,10). Here we report data from a ten- country network of long- term monitoring plots in African tropical forests. We find that across 79 plots ( 163 ha) above- ground carbon storage in live trees increased by 0.63 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1) between 1968 and 2007 ( 95% confidence interval ( CI), 0.22 - 0.94; mean interval, 1987 - 96). Extrapolation to unmeasured forest components ( live roots, small trees, necromass) and scaling to the continent implies a total increase in carbon storage in African tropical forest trees of 0.34 Pg C yr(-1) ( CI, 0.15 - 0.43). These reported changes in carbon storage are similar to those reported for Amazonian forests per unit area(6,7), providing evidence that increasing carbon storage in old- growth forests is a pan- tropical phenomenon. Indeed, combining all standardized inventory data from this study and from tropical America and Asia(5,6,11) together yields a comparable figure of 0.49 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1) (n = 156; 562 ha; CI, 0.29 - 0.66; mean interval, 1987 - 97). This indicates a carbon sink of 1.3 Pg C yr(-1) ( CI, 0.8 - 1.6) across all tropical forests during recent decades. Taxon- specific analyses of African inventory and other data(12) suggest that widespread changes in resource availability, such as increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, may be the cause of the increase in carbon stocks(13), as some theory(14) and models(2,10,15) predict.
0028-0836
1003-1006
Lewis, Simon L.
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Lopez-Gonzalez, Gabriela
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Sonké, Bonaventure
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Affum-Baffoe, Kofi
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Baker, Timothy R.
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Ojo, Lucas O.
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Phillips, Oliver L.
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Reitsma, Jan M.
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White, Lee
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Comiskey, James A.
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Marie-Noël, Djuikouo K
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Ewango, Corneille E.N.
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Feldpausch, Ted R.
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Hamilton, Alan C.
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Gloor, Manuel
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Hart, Terese
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Hladik, Annette
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Lloyd, Jon
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Lovett, Jon C.
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Makana, Jean-Remy
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Malhi, Yadvinder
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Mbago, Frank M.
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Ndangalasi, Henry J.
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Peacock, Julie
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Peh, Kelvin S.-H.
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Sheil, Douglas
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Sunderland, Terry
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Swaine, Michael D.
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Taplin, James
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Taylor, David
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Thomas, Sean C.
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Votere, Raymond
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Wöll, Hannsjörg
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Lewis, Simon L.
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Lopez-Gonzalez, Gabriela
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Sonké, Bonaventure
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Affum-Baffoe, Kofi
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Baker, Timothy R.
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Ojo, Lucas O.
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Phillips, Oliver L.
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Reitsma, Jan M.
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White, Lee
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Comiskey, James A.
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Marie-Noël, Djuikouo K
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Ewango, Corneille E.N.
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Feldpausch, Ted R.
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Hamilton, Alan C.
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Gloor, Manuel
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Hart, Terese
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Hladik, Annette
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Lloyd, Jon
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Lovett, Jon C.
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Makana, Jean-Remy
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Malhi, Yadvinder
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Mbago, Frank M.
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Ndangalasi, Henry J.
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Peacock, Julie
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Peh, Kelvin S.-H.
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Sheil, Douglas
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Sunderland, Terry
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Swaine, Michael D.
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Taplin, James
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Taylor, David
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Thomas, Sean C.
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Votere, Raymond
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Wöll, Hannsjörg
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Lewis, Simon L., Lopez-Gonzalez, Gabriela, Sonké, Bonaventure, Affum-Baffoe, Kofi, Baker, Timothy R., Ojo, Lucas O., Phillips, Oliver L., Reitsma, Jan M., White, Lee, Comiskey, James A., Marie-Noël, Djuikouo K, Ewango, Corneille E.N., Feldpausch, Ted R., Hamilton, Alan C., Gloor, Manuel, Hart, Terese, Hladik, Annette, Lloyd, Jon, Lovett, Jon C., Makana, Jean-Remy, Malhi, Yadvinder, Mbago, Frank M., Ndangalasi, Henry J., Peacock, Julie, Peh, Kelvin S.-H., Sheil, Douglas, Sunderland, Terry, Swaine, Michael D., Taplin, James, Taylor, David, Thomas, Sean C., Votere, Raymond and Wöll, Hannsjörg (2009) Increasing carbon storage in intact African tropical forests. Nature, 457 (7232), 1003-1006. (doi:10.1038/nature07771).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The response of terrestrial vegetation to a globally changing environment is central to predictions of future levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide(1,2). The role of tropical forests is critical because they are carbon- dense and highly productive(3,4). Inventory plots across Amazonia show that old- growth forests have increased in carbon storage over recent decades(5-7), but the response of one- third of the world's tropical forests in Africa(8) is largely unknown owing to an absence of spatially extensive observation networks(9,10). Here we report data from a ten- country network of long- term monitoring plots in African tropical forests. We find that across 79 plots ( 163 ha) above- ground carbon storage in live trees increased by 0.63 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1) between 1968 and 2007 ( 95% confidence interval ( CI), 0.22 - 0.94; mean interval, 1987 - 96). Extrapolation to unmeasured forest components ( live roots, small trees, necromass) and scaling to the continent implies a total increase in carbon storage in African tropical forest trees of 0.34 Pg C yr(-1) ( CI, 0.15 - 0.43). These reported changes in carbon storage are similar to those reported for Amazonian forests per unit area(6,7), providing evidence that increasing carbon storage in old- growth forests is a pan- tropical phenomenon. Indeed, combining all standardized inventory data from this study and from tropical America and Asia(5,6,11) together yields a comparable figure of 0.49 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1) (n = 156; 562 ha; CI, 0.29 - 0.66; mean interval, 1987 - 97). This indicates a carbon sink of 1.3 Pg C yr(-1) ( CI, 0.8 - 1.6) across all tropical forests during recent decades. Taxon- specific analyses of African inventory and other data(12) suggest that widespread changes in resource availability, such as increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, may be the cause of the increase in carbon stocks(13), as some theory(14) and models(2,10,15) predict.

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Published date: 19 February 2009
Organisations: Centre for Biological Sciences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 350987
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/350987
ISSN: 0028-0836
PURE UUID: 5343bf22-adaf-4703-bbbd-5b096b3b8eb0
ORCID for Kelvin S.-H. Peh: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2921-1341

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Date deposited: 15 Apr 2013 08:28
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:44

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Contributors

Author: Simon L. Lewis
Author: Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez
Author: Bonaventure Sonké
Author: Kofi Affum-Baffoe
Author: Timothy R. Baker
Author: Lucas O. Ojo
Author: Oliver L. Phillips
Author: Jan M. Reitsma
Author: Lee White
Author: James A. Comiskey
Author: Djuikouo K Marie-Noël
Author: Corneille E.N. Ewango
Author: Ted R. Feldpausch
Author: Alan C. Hamilton
Author: Manuel Gloor
Author: Terese Hart
Author: Annette Hladik
Author: Jon Lloyd
Author: Jon C. Lovett
Author: Jean-Remy Makana
Author: Yadvinder Malhi
Author: Frank M. Mbago
Author: Henry J. Ndangalasi
Author: Julie Peacock
Author: Douglas Sheil
Author: Terry Sunderland
Author: Michael D. Swaine
Author: James Taplin
Author: David Taylor
Author: Sean C. Thomas
Author: Raymond Votere
Author: Hannsjörg Wöll

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