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Co-variation in biomass and environment at the scale of a forest concession in central Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 July 2017

Géraud Sidoine Mankou ,
Nicolas Picard ,
Alfred Ngomanda  and
Jean Joël Loumeto
Géraud Sidoine Mankou
Affiliation:
Université Marien Ngouabi, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Laboratoire de Botanique et Écologie, BP 69, Brazzaville, Congo
Nicolas Picard*
Affiliation:
CIRAD, UPR Bsef, BP 2572 Yaounde, Cameroon
Alfred Ngomanda
Affiliation:
IRET, BP 13354, Libreville, Gabon
Jean Joël Loumeto
Affiliation:
Université Marien Ngouabi, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Laboratoire de Botanique et Écologie, BP 69, Brazzaville, Congo
*
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract:

Drivers of forest structure in central African rain forests are largely unknown. Using forest inventory data (3024 0.4-ha plots) in a forest concession of 154 456 ha in north-eastern Gabon covering an altitudinal gradient (from 485 to 1009 m asl), relationships between above-ground plot biomass and environmental variables (soil type, altitude, slope, aspect) and floristic composition (score given by an ordination method) were tested. After controlling for confounding variables, biomass was significantly related to altitude (with a modal response peaking at 346 Mg ha–1 on western slopes at an altitude of 707 m asl) and to aspect (additional 18.3 Mg ha–1 on eastern slopes) but not to floristic composition. Biomass and basal area responded differentially to the environment. Mean wood density was significantly related to soil, altitude and floristic composition, with a predicted minimum of 0.60 g cm–3 at an altitude of 1009 m asl in stands characterized by Scorodophloeus zenkeri and a maximum of 0.69 g cm–3 at an altitude of 458 m asl in monodominant Gilbertiodendron dewevrei stands. Variation in forest structure in the concession was primarily driven by altitude while floristic composition played a role in differentiating the variation in biomass and basal area.

Keywords

above-ground biomasscentral Africaenvironmental filterfloristic compositionforest structureinventory datatropical forest
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 33 , Issue 4 , July 2017 , pp. 249 - 260
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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References

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