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African Savanna-Forest Boundary Dynamics: A 20-Year Study
Aida Cuni-Sanchez1,2, Lee J T White3,4,5, Kim Calders1,6,7
1Department of Geography, University College London, Gower Street, WC1E 6BT, London, United Kingdom.
Plos One
|June 24, 2016
Summary
Forest expansion into savannas is slow, with biodiversity changes lagging behind structural and biomass gains. Long-term monitoring is crucial for understanding forest succession and carbon storage in African ecosystems.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Forestry
- Climate Science
Background:
- Savanna-to-forest transitions are occurring globally, impacting carbon cycles and land-atmosphere interactions.
- In situ data on African savanna-to-forest succession, particularly concerning vegetation structure, biomass, and biodiversity, are limited.
- Understanding these transitions is vital for predicting ecosystem responses to climate change.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify changes in vegetation structure, above-ground biomass (AGB), and tree biodiversity over 20 years in five distinct vegetation types in Lopé National Park, Gabon.
- To assess the successional sequence from savanna to forest using long-term inventory plots and novel 3D terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) techniques.
- To evaluate the rate of change and stability of different vegetation stages, including savanna, colonizing forest (F1), Okoume forest (F2), and Marantaceae forests (F3, F4).
Main Methods:
- Utilized 20-year (1993-2013) data from long-term inventory plots in Lopé National Park, Gabon.
- Quantified changes in vegetation structure, above-ground biomass (AGB), and tree biodiversity (stems ≥10 cm diameter).
- Employed 3D terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) to provide detailed vertical plant profiles and assess forest structure differences.
Main Results:
- No plots transitioned to a new successional stage within the 20-year study period.
- Colonizing forests (F1) showed significant shifts towards the structure, AGB, and diversity of Okoume forests (F2).
- Savanna plots exhibited no detectable changes in structure, AGB, or diversity; F3 and F4 forests remained largely stable, suggesting potential long-term persistence of the F3 stage. Biodiversity changes lagged behind structural and AGB alterations.
Conclusions:
- Forest colonization into savannas is a slow process, with vegetation structure and AGB changing more rapidly than biodiversity.
- All forest types studied store substantial carbon, highlighting their importance in the global carbon cycle.
- Multi-decadal monitoring is essential to accurately determine the rate and dynamics of vegetation transitions between savanna and forest ecosystems.
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