Aboveground biomass and carbon in a South African mistbelt forest and the relationships with tree species diversity and forest structures

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dc.contributor.authorMensah, Sylvanusen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorVeldtman, Ruanen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorDu Toit, Benen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorKakai, Romain Gleleen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorSeifert, Thomasen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2017-08-14T08:03:31Z
dc.date.available2017-08-14T08:03:31Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.descriptionCITATION: Mensah, S., et al. 2016. Aboveground biomass and carbon in a South African mistbelt forest and the relationships with tree species diversity and forest structures. Forests, 7(4):79, doi:10.3390/f7040079.
dc.descriptionThe original publication is available at http://www.mdpi.com
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: Biomass and carbon stocks are key information criteria to understand the role of forests in regulating global climate. However, for a bio-rich continent like Africa, ground-based measurements for accurate estimation of carbon are scarce, and the variables affecting the forest carbon are not well understood. Here, we present the first biomass study conducted in South Africa Mistbelt forests. Using data from a non-destructive sampling of 59 trees of four species, we (1) evaluated the accuracy of multispecies aboveground biomass (AGB) models, using predictors such as diameter at breast height (DBH), total height (H) and wood density; (2) estimated the amount of biomass and carbon stored in the aboveground compartment of Mistbelt forests and (3) explored the variation of aboveground carbon (AGC) in relation to tree species diversity and structural variables. We found significant effects of species on wood density and AGB. Among the candidate models, the model that incorporated DBH and H as a compound variable (DBH2 × H) was the best fitting. AGB and AGC values were highly variable across all plots, with average values of 358.1 Mg·ha−1 and 179.0 Mg·C·ha−1, respectively. Few species contributed 80% of AGC stock, probably as a result of selection effect. Stand basal area, basal area of the ten most important species and basal area of the largest trees were the most influencing variables. Tree species richness was also positively correlated with AGC, but the basal area of smaller trees was not. These results enable insights into the role of biodiversity in maintaining carbon storage and the possibilities for sustainable strategies for timber harvesting without risk of significant biomass decline.en_ZA
dc.description.urihttp://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/7/4/79
dc.description.versionPublisher's version
dc.format.extent17 pages
dc.identifier.citationMensah, S., et al. 2016. Aboveground biomass and carbon in a South African mistbelt forest and the relationships with tree species diversity and forest structures. Forests, 7(4):79, doi:10.3390/f7040079
dc.identifier.issn1999-4907 (online)
dc.identifier.otherdoi:10.3390/f7040079
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/102094
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherMDPI
dc.rights.holderAuthors retain copyright
dc.subjectClimate regulationen_ZA
dc.subjectForest biomassen_ZA
dc.subjectMistbelt foresten_ZA
dc.subjectCarbon -- Densityen_ZA
dc.subjectWood -- Densityen_ZA
dc.titleAboveground biomass and carbon in a South African mistbelt forest and the relationships with tree species diversity and forest structuresen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA
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