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Above-ground biomass and structure of 260 African tropical forests

2013; Royal Society; Volume: 368; Issue: 1625 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1098/rstb.2012.0295

1471-2970

Simon L. Lewis, Bonaventure Sonké, Trey Sunderland, Serge K. Begne, Gabriela López‐González, Geertje van der Heijden, Oliver L. Phillips, Kofi Affum‐Baffoe, Timothy R. Baker, Lindsay F. Banin, Jean‐François Bastin, Hans Beeckman, Pascal Boeckx, Jan Bogaert, Charles De Cannière, Éric Chézeaux, Connie J. Clark, Murray Collins, Gloria Djagbletey, Marie Noël Kamdem Djuikouo, Vincent Droissart, Jean‐Louis Doucet, Cornielle E. N. Ewango, Sophie Fauset, Ted R. Feldpausch, Ernest G. Foli, Jean‐François Gillet, Alan Hamilton, David J. Harris, Térese B. Hart, Thalès de Haulleville, Annette Hladik, Koen Hufkens, Dries Huygens, Philippe Jeanmart, Kathryn J. Jeffery, Elizabeth Kearsley, Miguel E. Leal, Jon Lloyd, Jon C. Lovett, Jean‐Remy Makana, Yadvinder Malhi, Andrew R. Marshall, Lucas Ojo, Kelvin S.‐H. Peh, Georgia Pickavance, John R. Poulsen, Jan Reitsma, Douglas Sheil, Murielle Simo, Kathy Steppe, Hermann Taedoumg, Joey Talbot, James R. D. Taplin, David Taylor, Sean C. Thomas, Benjamin Toirambe, Hans Verbeeck, Jason Vleminckx, Lee White, Simon Willcock, Hannsjorg Woell, Lise Zemagho,

Tree-ring climate responses

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.