Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1893/24447
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dc.contributor.authorCuni-Sanchez, Aidaen_UK
dc.contributor.authorWhite, Leeen_UK
dc.contributor.authorCalders, Kimen_UK
dc.contributor.authorJeffery, Kathryn Janeen_UK
dc.contributor.authorAbernethy, Katharineen_UK
dc.contributor.authorBurt, Andrewen_UK
dc.contributor.authorDisney, Mathiasen_UK
dc.contributor.authorGilpin, Martinen_UK
dc.contributor.authorGomez-Dans, Jose Len_UK
dc.contributor.authorLewis, Simon Len_UK
dc.date.accessioned2016-10-26T22:48:01Z-
dc.date.available2016-10-26T22:48:01Z-
dc.date.issued2016-06-23en_UK
dc.identifier.othere0156934en_UK
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1893/24447-
dc.description.abstractRecent studies show widespread encroachment of forest into savannas with important consequences for the global carbon cycle and land-atmosphere interactions. However, little research has focused onin situmeasurements of the successional sequence of savanna to forest in Africa. Using long-term inventory plots we quantify changes in vegetation structure, above-ground biomass (AGB) and biodiversity of trees ≥10 cm diameter over 20 years for five vegetation types: savanna; colonising forest (F1), monodominant Okoume forest (F2); young Marantaceae forest (F3); and mixed Marantaceae forest (F4) in Lopé National Park, central Gabon, plus novel 3D terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) measurements to assess forest structure differences. Over 20 years no plot changed to a new stage in the putative succession, but F1 forests strongly moved towards the structure, AGB and diversity of F2 forests. Overall, savanna plots showed no detectable change in structure, AGB or diversity using this method, with zero trees ≥10 cm diameter in 1993 and 2013. F1 and F2 forests increased in AGB, mainly as a result of adding recruited stems (F1) and increased Basal Area (F2), whereas F3 and F4 forests did not change substantially in structure, AGB or diversity. Critically, the stability of the F3 stage implies that this stage may be maintained for long periods. Soil carbon was low, and did not show a successional gradient as for AGB and diversity. TLS vertical plant profiles showed distinctive differences amongst the vegetation types, indicating that this technique can improve ecological understanding. We highlight two points: (i) as forest colonises, changes in biodiversity are much slower than changes in forest structure or AGB; and (ii) all forest types store substantial quantities of carbon. Multi-decadal monitoring is likely to be required to assess the speed of transition between vegetation types.en_UK
dc.language.isoenen_UK
dc.publisherPublic Library of Scienceen_UK
dc.relationCuni-Sanchez A, White L, Calders K, Jeffery KJ, Abernethy K, Burt A, Disney M, Gilpin M, Gomez-Dans JL & Lewis SL (2016) African Savanna-Forest Boundary Dynamics: A 20-Year Study. PLoS ONE, 11 (6), Art. No.: e0156934. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0156934en_UK
dc.rights© 2016 Cuni-Sanchez et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.en_UK
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/en_UK
dc.titleAfrican Savanna-Forest Boundary Dynamics: A 20-Year Studyen_UK
dc.typeJournal Articleen_UK
dc.identifier.doi10.1371/journal.pone.0156934en_UK
dc.identifier.pmid27336632en_UK
dc.citation.jtitlePLoS ONEen_UK
dc.citation.issn1932-6203en_UK
dc.citation.volume11en_UK
dc.citation.issue6en_UK
dc.citation.publicationstatusPublisheden_UK
dc.citation.peerreviewedRefereeden_UK
dc.type.statusVoR - Version of Recorden_UK
dc.author.emailk.a.abernethy@stir.ac.uken_UK
dc.citation.date23/06/2016en_UK
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity College Londonen_UK
dc.contributor.affiliationBiological and Environmental Sciencesen_UK
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity College Londonen_UK
dc.contributor.affiliationBiological and Environmental Sciencesen_UK
dc.contributor.affiliationBiological and Environmental Sciencesen_UK
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity College Londonen_UK
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity College Londonen_UK
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity of Leedsen_UK
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity College Londonen_UK
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity of Leedsen_UK
dc.identifier.isiWOS:000378389200007en_UK
dc.identifier.scopusid2-s2.0-84976641641en_UK
dc.identifier.wtid545984en_UK
dc.contributor.orcid0000-0002-2632-0008en_UK
dc.contributor.orcid0000-0002-0393-9342en_UK
dc.date.accepted2016-05-20en_UK
dcterms.dateAccepted2016-05-20en_UK
dc.date.filedepositdate2016-10-26en_UK
rioxxterms.apcnot requireden_UK
rioxxterms.typeJournal Article/Reviewen_UK
rioxxterms.versionVoRen_UK
local.rioxx.authorCuni-Sanchez, Aida|en_UK
local.rioxx.authorWhite, Lee|en_UK
local.rioxx.authorCalders, Kim|en_UK
local.rioxx.authorJeffery, Kathryn Jane|0000-0002-2632-0008en_UK
local.rioxx.authorAbernethy, Katharine|0000-0002-0393-9342en_UK
local.rioxx.authorBurt, Andrew|en_UK
local.rioxx.authorDisney, Mathias|en_UK
local.rioxx.authorGilpin, Martin|en_UK
local.rioxx.authorGomez-Dans, Jose L|en_UK
local.rioxx.authorLewis, Simon L|en_UK
local.rioxx.projectInternal Project|University of Stirling|https://isni.org/isni/0000000122484331en_UK
local.rioxx.freetoreaddate2016-10-26en_UK
local.rioxx.licencehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/|2016-10-26|en_UK
local.rioxx.filenameCuni-Sanchez et al. - 2016 - African Savanna-Forest Boundary Dynamics A 20-Yea.PDFen_UK
local.rioxx.filecount1en_UK
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