West Africa forest biomass 'on rise despite drought'

The findings widen the current thinking on how
droughts affect forests and carbon storage

The carbon storage capacity of protected forests in West Africa has increased despite the region suffering a 40-year drought, a study suggests.

A team of UK and Ghanaian researchers found that the tree composition in these areas favoured species that were able to cope with drier conditions.

Previous studies suggested that drought conditions resulted in less carbon being stored as vegetation died.

The findings have been published in the journal Ecology Letters.

"Despite the long-term drought, there was no biomass loss in the forests. In fact, the biomass actually increased during that period," explained co-author Sophie Fauset from the University of Leeds.

Biomass is a vital component in the global carbon cycle. When plants grow, they absorb carbon dioxide and water in the photosynthesis process.

While oxygen is released into the atmosphere as a waste product of this process, the absorbed carbon primarily remains locked in the plant until it dies.

"We think it is the result of a shift in species composition," Dr Fauset said, explaining why the study showed an increase in biomass.

"Because you have got this long-term environmental shift, it is possible for the species composition of the forests to reshuffle slightly, so the species that can survive under those conditions are favoured.

"This means you are getting less negative impacts of the drought."

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