Climate and soil effects on tree species diversity and aboveground carbon patterns in semi-arid tree savannas
Abstract Climatic and edaphic effects are increasingly being discussed in the context of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning. Here we use data from West African semi-arid tree savannas and contrasting climatic conditions (lower vs. higher mean annual precipitation-MAP and mean annual temperature-MAT)...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-38225-3 |
| _version_ | 1797774241348714496 |
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| author | Sylvanus Mensah Florent Noulèkoun Kangbéni Dimobe Thomas Seifert Romain Glèlè Kakaï |
| author_facet | Sylvanus Mensah Florent Noulèkoun Kangbéni Dimobe Thomas Seifert Romain Glèlè Kakaï |
| author_sort | Sylvanus Mensah |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Climatic and edaphic effects are increasingly being discussed in the context of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning. Here we use data from West African semi-arid tree savannas and contrasting climatic conditions (lower vs. higher mean annual precipitation-MAP and mean annual temperature-MAT) to (1) determine how climate modulates the effects of species richness on aboveground carbon (AGC); (2) explore how species richness and AGC relate with soil variables in these contrasting climatic conditions; and (3) assess how climate and soil influence directly, and/or indirectly AGC through species richness and stand structural attributes such as tree density and size variation. We find that greater species richness is generally associated with higher AGC, but more strongly in areas with higher MAP, which also have greater stem density. There is a climate-related influence of soils on AGC, which decreases from lower to higher MAP conditions. Variance partitioning analyses and structural equation modelling show that, across all sites, MAP, relative to soils, has smaller effect on AGC, mediated by stand structural attributes whereas soil texture and fertility explain 14% of variations in AGC and influence AGC directly and indirectly via species richness and stand structural attributes. Our results highlight coordinated effects of climate and soils on AGC, which operated primarily via the mediation role of species diversity and stand structures. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T22:18:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b55afe98eafb4f178e90f71668b59bf2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T22:18:09Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-b55afe98eafb4f178e90f71668b59bf22023-07-23T11:12:43ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-07-0113111310.1038/s41598-023-38225-3Climate and soil effects on tree species diversity and aboveground carbon patterns in semi-arid tree savannasSylvanus Mensah0Florent Noulèkoun1Kangbéni Dimobe2Thomas Seifert3Romain Glèlè Kakaï4Laboratoire de Biomathématiques et d’Estimations Forestières, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, Université d’Abomey CalaviDepartment of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea UniversityInstitut des Sciences de l’Environnement et du Développement Rural, Université de DédougouChair of Forest Growth, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität FreiburgLaboratoire de Biomathématiques et d’Estimations Forestières, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, Université d’Abomey CalaviAbstract Climatic and edaphic effects are increasingly being discussed in the context of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning. Here we use data from West African semi-arid tree savannas and contrasting climatic conditions (lower vs. higher mean annual precipitation-MAP and mean annual temperature-MAT) to (1) determine how climate modulates the effects of species richness on aboveground carbon (AGC); (2) explore how species richness and AGC relate with soil variables in these contrasting climatic conditions; and (3) assess how climate and soil influence directly, and/or indirectly AGC through species richness and stand structural attributes such as tree density and size variation. We find that greater species richness is generally associated with higher AGC, but more strongly in areas with higher MAP, which also have greater stem density. There is a climate-related influence of soils on AGC, which decreases from lower to higher MAP conditions. Variance partitioning analyses and structural equation modelling show that, across all sites, MAP, relative to soils, has smaller effect on AGC, mediated by stand structural attributes whereas soil texture and fertility explain 14% of variations in AGC and influence AGC directly and indirectly via species richness and stand structural attributes. Our results highlight coordinated effects of climate and soils on AGC, which operated primarily via the mediation role of species diversity and stand structures.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-38225-3 |
| spellingShingle | Sylvanus Mensah Florent Noulèkoun Kangbéni Dimobe Thomas Seifert Romain Glèlè Kakaï Climate and soil effects on tree species diversity and aboveground carbon patterns in semi-arid tree savannas Scientific Reports |
| title | Climate and soil effects on tree species diversity and aboveground carbon patterns in semi-arid tree savannas |
| title_full | Climate and soil effects on tree species diversity and aboveground carbon patterns in semi-arid tree savannas |
| title_fullStr | Climate and soil effects on tree species diversity and aboveground carbon patterns in semi-arid tree savannas |
| title_full_unstemmed | Climate and soil effects on tree species diversity and aboveground carbon patterns in semi-arid tree savannas |
| title_short | Climate and soil effects on tree species diversity and aboveground carbon patterns in semi-arid tree savannas |
| title_sort | climate and soil effects on tree species diversity and aboveground carbon patterns in semi arid tree savannas |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-38225-3 |
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