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Increasing carbon storage in intact African tropical forests
Simon L Lewis1, Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez, Bonaventure Sonké
1Earth and Biosphere Institute, School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. s.l.lewis@leeds.ac.uk
Nature
|February 20, 2009
Summary
African tropical forests are increasing their carbon storage, similar to Amazonian forests. This suggests a pan-tropical phenomenon of old-growth forests acting as a significant carbon sink, potentially due to changing environmental factors.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Climate Science
- Forestry
Background:
- Terrestrial vegetation's response to environmental change is crucial for predicting atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
- Tropical forests are vital carbon sinks due to their high carbon density and productivity.
- The carbon storage dynamics of African tropical forests remain largely unquantified.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess carbon storage changes in African tropical forests.
- To determine if African forests exhibit similar carbon sequestration trends as observed in Amazonia.
- To estimate the continental-scale carbon sink capacity of African tropical forests.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from a ten-country network of long-term monitoring plots in African tropical forests.
- Analyzed above-ground carbon storage in live trees across 79 plots (163 ha) from 1968 to 2007.
- Extrapolated findings to unmeasured forest components and scaled to the continent.
Main Results:
- Above-ground carbon storage in live trees increased by 0.63 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1) in African forests.
- Estimated a total increase of 0.34 Pg C yr(-1) in African tropical forest trees.
- Combined data from Africa, tropical America, and Asia revealed a pan-tropical increase of 0.49 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1), totaling a 1.3 Pg C yr(-1) sink.
Conclusions:
- Increasing carbon storage in old-growth tropical forests is a pan-tropical phenomenon.
- African tropical forests contribute significantly to the global carbon sink.
- Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are a potential driver for increased forest carbon stocks.
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