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Above-ground biomass and structure of 260 African tropical forests

Above-ground biomass and structure of 260 African tropical forests
Above-ground biomass and structure of 260 African tropical forests
We report above-ground biomass (AGB), basal area, stem density and wood mass density estimates from 260 sample plots (mean size: 1.2 ha) in intact closed-canopy tropical forests across 12 African countries. Mean AGB is 395.7 Mg dry mass ha?1 (95% CI: 14.3), substantially higher than Amazonian values, with the Congo Basin and contiguous forest region attaining AGB values (429 Mg ha?1) similar to those of Bornean forests, and significantly greater than East or West African forests. AGB therefore appears generally higher in palaeo- compared with neotropical forests. However, mean stem density is low (426 ± 11 stems ha?1 greater than or equal to 100 mm diameter) compared with both Amazonian and Bornean forests (cf. approx. 600) and is the signature structural feature of African tropical forests. While spatial autocorrelation complicates analyses, AGB shows a positive relationship with rainfall in the driest nine months of the year, and an opposite association with the wettest three months of the year; a negative relationship with temperature; positive relationship with clay-rich soils; and negative relationships with C : N ratio (suggesting a positive soil phosphorus–AGB relationship), and soil fertility computed as the sum of base cations. The results indicate that AGB is mediated by both climate and soils, and suggest that the AGB of African closed-canopy tropical forests may be particularly sensitive to future precipitation and temperature changes.

climate, soil, wood density, congo basin, east africa, west africa
0962-8436
20120295-20120295
Lewis, S.L.
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Sonke, B.
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Sunderland, T.
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Begne, S.K.
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Lopez-Gonzalez, G.
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van der Heijden, G.M.F.
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Phillips, O.L.
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Baker, T.R.
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Banin, L.
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Bogaert, J.
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De Canniere, C.
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Chezeaux, E.
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Clark, C.J.
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Collins, M.
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Droissart, V.
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Ewango, C.E.N.
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Fauset, S.
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Feldpausch, T.R.
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Hamilton, A.C.
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Harris, D.J.
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Hart, T.B.
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de Haulleville, T.
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Hladik, A.
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Hufkens, K.
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Huygens, D.
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Jeanmart, P.
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Jeffery, K.J.
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Kearsley, E.
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Makana, J.-R.
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Malhi, Y.
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Peh, K.S.- H.
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Thomas, S.C.
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Willcock, S.
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Woell, H.
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Zemagho, L.
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Lewis, S.L.
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Sonke, B.
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Sunderland, T.
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Begne, S.K.
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Lopez-Gonzalez, G.
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van der Heijden, G.M.F.
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Phillips, O.L.
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Affum-Baffoe, K.
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Baker, T.R.
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Banin, L.
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Bastin, J.-F.
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Beeckman, H.
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Boeckx, P.
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Bogaert, J.
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De Canniere, C.
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Chezeaux, E.
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Clark, C.J.
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Collins, M.
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Djagbletey, G.
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Djuikouo, M.N.K.
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Droissart, V.
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Doucet, J.-L.
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Ewango, C.E.N.
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Fauset, S.
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Feldpausch, T.R.
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Foli, E.G.
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Gillet, J.-F.
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Hamilton, A.C.
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Harris, D.J.
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Hart, T.B.
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de Haulleville, T.
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Hladik, A.
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Hufkens, K.
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Huygens, D.
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Jeanmart, P.
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Jeffery, K.J.
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Kearsley, E.
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Leal, M.E.
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Lloyd, J.
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Makana, J.-R.
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Malhi, Y.
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Marshall, A.R.
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Ojo, L.
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Peh, K.S.- H.
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Pickavance, G.
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Poulsen, J.R.
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Reitsma, J.M.
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Sheil, D.
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Simo, M.
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Steppe, K.
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Taedoumg, H.E.
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Talbot, J.
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Taplin, J.R.D.
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Taylor, D.
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Thomas, S.C.
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Toirambe, B.
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Verbeeck, H.
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Vleminckx, J.
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White, L.J.T.
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Willcock, S.
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Woell, H.
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Zemagho, L.
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Lewis, S.L., Sonke, B., Sunderland, T., Begne, S.K., Lopez-Gonzalez, G., van der Heijden, G.M.F., Phillips, O.L., Affum-Baffoe, K., Baker, T.R., Banin, L., Bastin, J.-F., Beeckman, H., Boeckx, P., Bogaert, J., De Canniere, C., Chezeaux, E., Clark, C.J., Collins, M., Djagbletey, G., Djuikouo, M.N.K., Droissart, V., Doucet, J.-L., Ewango, C.E.N., Fauset, S., Feldpausch, T.R., Foli, E.G., Gillet, J.-F., Hamilton, A.C., Harris, D.J., Hart, T.B., de Haulleville, T., Hladik, A., Hufkens, K., Huygens, D., Jeanmart, P., Jeffery, K.J., Kearsley, E., Leal, M.E., Lloyd, J., Lovett, J.C., Makana, J.-R., Malhi, Y., Marshall, A.R., Ojo, L., Peh, K.S.- H., Pickavance, G., Poulsen, J.R., Reitsma, J.M., Sheil, D., Simo, M., Steppe, K., Taedoumg, H.E., Talbot, J., Taplin, J.R.D., Taylor, D., Thomas, S.C., Toirambe, B., Verbeeck, H., Vleminckx, J., White, L.J.T., Willcock, S., Woell, H. and Zemagho, L. (2013) Above-ground biomass and structure of 260 African tropical forests. Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences, 368 (1625), 20120295-20120295. (doi:10.1098/rstb.2012.0295).

Record type: Article

Abstract

We report above-ground biomass (AGB), basal area, stem density and wood mass density estimates from 260 sample plots (mean size: 1.2 ha) in intact closed-canopy tropical forests across 12 African countries. Mean AGB is 395.7 Mg dry mass ha?1 (95% CI: 14.3), substantially higher than Amazonian values, with the Congo Basin and contiguous forest region attaining AGB values (429 Mg ha?1) similar to those of Bornean forests, and significantly greater than East or West African forests. AGB therefore appears generally higher in palaeo- compared with neotropical forests. However, mean stem density is low (426 ± 11 stems ha?1 greater than or equal to 100 mm diameter) compared with both Amazonian and Bornean forests (cf. approx. 600) and is the signature structural feature of African tropical forests. While spatial autocorrelation complicates analyses, AGB shows a positive relationship with rainfall in the driest nine months of the year, and an opposite association with the wettest three months of the year; a negative relationship with temperature; positive relationship with clay-rich soils; and negative relationships with C : N ratio (suggesting a positive soil phosphorus–AGB relationship), and soil fertility computed as the sum of base cations. The results indicate that AGB is mediated by both climate and soils, and suggest that the AGB of African closed-canopy tropical forests may be particularly sensitive to future precipitation and temperature changes.

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More information

Published date: 22 July 2013
Keywords: climate, soil, wood density, congo basin, east africa, west africa
Organisations: Environmental

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 355877
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/355877
ISSN: 0962-8436
PURE UUID: 67f34096-1452-483b-9b50-b2a8586051b2
ORCID for K.S.- H. Peh: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2921-1341

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Date deposited: 09 Sep 2013 11:05
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:44

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Contributors

Author: S.L. Lewis
Author: B. Sonke
Author: T. Sunderland
Author: S.K. Begne
Author: G. Lopez-Gonzalez
Author: G.M.F. van der Heijden
Author: O.L. Phillips
Author: K. Affum-Baffoe
Author: T.R. Baker
Author: L. Banin
Author: J.-F. Bastin
Author: H. Beeckman
Author: P. Boeckx
Author: J. Bogaert
Author: C. De Canniere
Author: E. Chezeaux
Author: C.J. Clark
Author: M. Collins
Author: G. Djagbletey
Author: M.N.K. Djuikouo
Author: V. Droissart
Author: J.-L. Doucet
Author: C.E.N. Ewango
Author: S. Fauset
Author: T.R. Feldpausch
Author: E.G. Foli
Author: J.-F. Gillet
Author: A.C. Hamilton
Author: D.J. Harris
Author: T.B. Hart
Author: T. de Haulleville
Author: A. Hladik
Author: K. Hufkens
Author: D. Huygens
Author: P. Jeanmart
Author: K.J. Jeffery
Author: E. Kearsley
Author: M.E. Leal
Author: J. Lloyd
Author: J.C. Lovett
Author: J.-R. Makana
Author: Y. Malhi
Author: A.R. Marshall
Author: L. Ojo
Author: K.S.- H. Peh ORCID iD
Author: G. Pickavance
Author: J.R. Poulsen
Author: J.M. Reitsma
Author: D. Sheil
Author: M. Simo
Author: K. Steppe
Author: H.E. Taedoumg
Author: J. Talbot
Author: J.R.D. Taplin
Author: D. Taylor
Author: S.C. Thomas
Author: B. Toirambe
Author: H. Verbeeck
Author: J. Vleminckx
Author: L.J.T. White
Author: S. Willcock
Author: H. Woell
Author: L. Zemagho

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