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Resistance of African tropical forests to an extreme climate anomaly.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Bennett, AC; Dargie, GC; Cuni-Sanchez, A; Tshibamba Mukendi, J; Hubau, W; Mukinzi, JM; Phillips, OL; Malhi, Y; Sullivan, MJP; Cooper, DLM ...
Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
May 2021

The responses of tropical forests to environmental change are critical uncertainties in predicting the future impacts of climate change. The positive phase of the 2015-2016 El Niño Southern Oscillation resulted in unprecedented heat and low precipitation in the tropics with substantial impacts on the global carbon cycle. The role of African tropical forests is uncertain as their responses to short-term drought and temperature anomalies have yet to be determined using on-the-ground measurements. African tropical forests may be particularly sensitive because they exist in relatively dry conditions compared with Amazonian or Asian forests, or they may be more resistant because of an abundance of drought-adapted species. Here, we report responses of structurally intact old-growth lowland tropical forests inventoried within the African Tropical Rainforest Observatory Network (AfriTRON). We use 100 long-term inventory plots from six countries each measured at least twice prior to and once following the 2015-2016 El Niño event. These plots experienced the highest temperatures and driest conditions on record. The record temperature did not significantly reduce carbon gains from tree growth or significantly increase carbon losses from tree mortality, but the record drought did significantly decrease net carbon uptake. Overall, the long-term biomass increase of these forests was reduced due to the El Niño event, but these plots remained a live biomass carbon sink (0.51 ± 0.40 Mg C ha-1 y-1) despite extreme environmental conditions. Our analyses, while limited to African tropical forests, suggest they may be more resistant to climatic extremes than Amazonian and Asian forests.

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Published In

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

DOI

EISSN

1091-6490

ISSN

0027-8424

Publication Date

May 2021

Volume

118

Issue

21

Start / End Page

e2003169118

Related Subject Headings

  • Tropical Climate
  • Trees
  • Seasons
  • Rainforest
  • Humans
  • Hot Temperature
  • El Nino-Southern Oscillation
  • Droughts
  • Climate Change
  • Carbon Cycle
 

Citation

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Bennett, A. C., Dargie, G. C., Cuni-Sanchez, A., Tshibamba Mukendi, J., Hubau, W., Mukinzi, J. M., … Lewis, S. L. (2021). Resistance of African tropical forests to an extreme climate anomaly. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 118(21), e2003169118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2003169118
Bennett, Amy C., Greta C. Dargie, Aida Cuni-Sanchez, John Tshibamba Mukendi, Wannes Hubau, Jacques M. Mukinzi, Oliver L. Phillips, et al. “Resistance of African tropical forests to an extreme climate anomaly.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 118, no. 21 (May 2021): e2003169118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2003169118.
Bennett AC, Dargie GC, Cuni-Sanchez A, Tshibamba Mukendi J, Hubau W, Mukinzi JM, et al. Resistance of African tropical forests to an extreme climate anomaly. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2021 May;118(21):e2003169118.
Bennett, Amy C., et al. “Resistance of African tropical forests to an extreme climate anomaly.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 118, no. 21, May 2021, p. e2003169118. Epmc, doi:10.1073/pnas.2003169118.
Bennett AC, Dargie GC, Cuni-Sanchez A, Tshibamba Mukendi J, Hubau W, Mukinzi JM, Phillips OL, Malhi Y, Sullivan MJP, Cooper DLM, Adu-Bredu S, Affum-Baffoe K, Amani CA, Banin LF, Beeckman H, Begne SK, Bocko YE, Boeckx P, Bogaert J, Brncic T, Chezeaux E, Clark CJ, Daniels AK, de Haulleville T, Djuikouo Kamdem M-N, Doucet J-L, Evouna Ondo F, Ewango CEN, Feldpausch TR, Foli EG, Gonmadje C, Hall JS, Hardy OJ, Harris DJ, Ifo SA, Jeffery KJ, Kearsley E, Leal M, Levesley A, Makana J-R, Mbayu Lukasu F, Medjibe VP, Mihindu V, Moore S, Nssi Begone N, Pickavance GC, Poulsen JR, Reitsma J, Sonké B, Sunderland TCH, Taedoumg H, Talbot J, Tuagben DS, Umunay PM, Verbeeck H, Vleminckx J, White LJT, Woell H, Woods JT, Zemagho L, Lewis SL. Resistance of African tropical forests to an extreme climate anomaly. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2021 May;118(21):e2003169118.
Journal cover image

Published In

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

DOI

EISSN

1091-6490

ISSN

0027-8424

Publication Date

May 2021

Volume

118

Issue

21

Start / End Page

e2003169118

Related Subject Headings

  • Tropical Climate
  • Trees
  • Seasons
  • Rainforest
  • Humans
  • Hot Temperature
  • El Nino-Southern Oscillation
  • Droughts
  • Climate Change
  • Carbon Cycle