Tropical Forests in African Mountain Stores More Carbon Than We Thought; But It's Disappearing Fast

Scientists researching tropical forests in Africa's mountains were astounded to learn how much carbon they store and how quickly some of these woods are destroyed.

Under the Bonn Challenge, most African countries have committed substantial quantities of land to forest restoration. Forest restoration is crucial for mitigating climate change, but preventing deforestation is a higher priority.

"Previous carbon estimates for tropical mountain forests in Africa were significantly lower than the levels we describe in our work," said co-author Dr. Martin Sullivan of Manchester Metropolitan University's Department of Natural Sciences.

"We expect that these new statistics will stimulate carbon financing methods that will help to prevent deforestation in tropical highlands." Reduced tropical deforestation in both lowland and mountain forests must be a priority, as stated in the Paris Agreement."

"Carbon finance mechanisms could help improve conservation interventions on the ground," said co-author Dr. Gerard Imani of the Department of Biology at Université Officielle de Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. "Even within protected areas, deforestation, forest degradation, and defaunation remain a challenge."

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