Relationships between tree species richness, evenness and aboveground carbon storage in montane forests and miombo woodlands of Tanzania

Understanding how carbon storage and tree diversity are related in forests and woodlands is crucial for a sustainable flow of ecosystem goods and services. The goal of this study was to determine how tree species richness, evenness and environmental factors influence aboveground live tree carbon stocks (AGC) in two tropical vegetation types in Tanzania. We surveyed trees and sampled soil from 222 vegetation plots (20m×40m) in montane forests (n=60) and miombo woodlands (n=162). We used a multimodel inference approach to determine how AGC related to tree species richness, evenness and environmental factors, and linear mixed effect models to test the role of tree sizes on the AGC-richness and evenness associations. AGC were related unimodally to tree species richness and evenness in the montane forest. Likewise, AGC in the miombo woodlands was positively related to tree species richness. AGC from small trees were related unimodally to tree species richness in both vegetation types. Apparently the AGC had both monotonically increasing and decreasing associations with all abiotic environmental factors in both vegetation types. We emphasize that both tree size, number of multi-stemed trees and environmental factors have an important role in determining how AGC are related to richness and evenness. Finally, management of montane forests and miombo woodlands of Tanzania to enhance ecosystem benefit, such as AGC, will require strategies that consider tree sizes, tree species richness, evenness and underlying environmental and disturbance factors. Zu verstehen, in welcher Beziehung Kohlenstoffspeicherung und Baumdiversität in Wäldern und Gehölzen zueinander stehen, ist entscheidend für einen nachhaltigen Fluss von Ökosystemprodukten und -dienstleistungen. Das Ziel dieser Untersuchung war zu bestimmen, wie Baumdiversität und -evenness sowie Umweltfaktoren die oberirdischen Kohlenstoffvorräte in lebenden Bäumen (AGC) in zwei tropischen Vegetationstypen in Tansania beeinflussen. Wir untersuchten Bäume und nahmen Bodenproben auf 222 Probeflächen (20m×40m) in Bergwäldern (n=60) und in Miombo-Baumsavannen (n=162). Wir wählten einen Mehr-Modell-Analyse-Ansatz um zu bestimmen, wie der AGC mit der Baumdiversität und -evenness sowie Umweltfaktoren verknüpft ist, und lineare gemischte-Effekte-Modelle, um den Einfluss der Baumgröße auf die Beziehung zwischen AGC und Artenreichtum bzw. AGC und Evenness zu testen. Der AGC war im Bergwald unimodal mit Baumartenreichtum und -evenn