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This study confirms Mount Cameroon as an unprecedented hotspot for the diversity of many-plumed moths, with the discovery and description of nine new species: Alucita fako Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. nov., Alucita pyrczi Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. nov., Alucita sroczki Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. nov., Alucita potockyi Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. nov., Alucita sedlaceki Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. nov., Alucita tonda Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. nov., Alucita erzayi Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. nov., Alucita sokolovi Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. nov., and Alucita hirsuta Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. nov. Additionally, four additional species are reported from the Mount Cameroon area as new for the country: Alucita agassizi, Alucita dohertyi, Alucita plumigera, and Alucita rhaptica. Of the 89 Alucitidae known from the Afrotropics, the studied area hosts 36 species, most of which are endemic to the area. This unprecedented level of diversity and endemism within this lepidopteran family highlights Mount Cameroon's significance as a stronghold for specialised insect taxa. Efficient conservation efforts are necessary to protect these ecosystems and their associated unique microlepidopteran diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The drivers behind plant‐pollinator interactions still need to be fully understood. Previous research has suggested that observed interactions result from either neutral interaction between species based on their abundance or from niche‐based processes, which are reflected in the adaptations of both plants and pollinators. Furthermore, the importance of both scenarios can differ depending on seasonal dynamics translated into differences in resource availability. Extensive research has been conducted on New‐World hummingbirds (Trochilidae), whereas much less is known about Old World nectar‐feeding sunbirds (Nectariniidae). Our study aimed to explore whether sunbird‐plant interactions are explained by neutral and/or niche‐based processes. Thus, we tested the effects of abundance, morphology, and nectar sugar content on the observed interactions and the link between sunbirds and plant traits. Moreover, we explored the effects of robbing on these mechanisms. Finally, we investigated the partitioning of bird pollination niches, based on floral traits. We used a dataset of sunbird‐plant interactions collected at Mount Cameroon during two seasons (dry and wet seasons). Our study shows that sunbird‐plant interactions are influenced by both neutral and niche‐based processes. Neutral processes and nectar reward were the main mechanisms underlaying the observed interactions in the dry season. However, as more ornithophilous plants bloom during the rainy season, morphological trait‐matching becomes more important. We found a correlation between bill length and floral tube dimensions and observed niche overlap among the sunbird species. Considering this and other research, we suggest that plant‐pollinator interactions are influenced by a combination of both neutral and niche‐based processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding multiple environmental drivers governing tropical organisms' distribution and ecological niches is crucial for predicting their responses to ongoing rapid deforestation. While macroclimatic effects via energy and water availability are well predicted, less is known about locally modulating factors such as canopy structure, light and edaphic conditions. Here we show that minimum temperatures and ambient humidity drive the abundance and richness of leaf‐inhabiting epiphyllous bryophytes across 4‐km elevation gradient on Mount Cameroon, West Africa, separating epiphyll‐rich rainforests (0–2200 m a.s.l.) from epihyll‐poor fire‐driven afromontane savanna (2300–4000 m a.s.l.). However, local factors contribute more than half to the total abundance and richness variation, either directly (light) or indirectly (edaphic conditions) via their effects on host plant composition. The most abundant epiphyllous communities occur in vertically stratified upland rainforests between 600 and 1100 m elevation, where N‐fixing tree legumes dominate. Their canopy is relatively sparse, due to nutrient‐poor soils leached by high rainfall, leaving room for the development of diverse subcanopy tree and understory shrub and herb layers with epiphyll‐rich communities. Vertically homogenous lowland rainforests on fertile soils below 500 m, with dense overstory and shaded and species‐poor understory, have less developed epiphylls, as do seasonally dry montane forests between 2000 and 2300 m, or elephant fragmented forests between 1200 and 1600 m. We conclude that high temperature and humidity together with a vertically stratified canopy support epiphylls, whereas precipitation seasonality, disturbed vegetation with unstable microclimate, or dense, unstratified canopy discourage the development of epiphyllous communities. Our study illustrates that ecological niches of epiphyllous bryophytes are shaped by a complex interplay of multiple drivers, knowledge of which is essential for more realistic predictions of the impacts of current accelerated habitat loss on species distribution and diversity changes in the tropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activity in African tropical rainforests continues to threaten wild mammals. Many rural communities are dependent on hunting, yet there is a widespread lack of baseline data on ecology and the sustainability of hunting. We investigated the impacts of human activity on mammal species composition and distributions within a community forest surrounding a village in the buffer zone of the Dja Biosphere Reserve in south-east Cameroon. We conducted a camera-trap survey in August–November 2017 and detected 24 mammal species, including Critically Endangered western lowland gorilla Gorilla gorilla gorilla , Endangered central African chimpanzee Pan troglodytes troglodytes and Endangered tree pangolin Phataginus tricuspis. We used occupancy analysis to explore relationships between indicators of human activity (distance to a road and the Reserve), habitat quality (distance to the river and tree cover) and the distributions of species. We found that the local distribution of threatened mammals was not apparently limited by human activity, and proximity to the road did not negatively influence occupancy for any species. However, most of the Reserve's large species were not detected, including the African forest elephant Loxodonta cyclotis and the largest ungulates, and the occupancy of two species commonly hunted for wild meat was positively correlated with distance from the village, indicating hunting may be unsustainable. Our results show that the community forest provides habitat for threatened species outside the Reserve and in close proximity to people. However, effective conservation management will require continued monitoring and research to determine whether current rates of hunting are sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As environmental change and degradation accelerate, perturbing insect populations, we need to better understand the resource use dynamics of diverse wild pollinators. Most tropical trees are adapted for biotic pollination, yet we still know little about plant–pollinator interactions in African rainforests.We addressed this gap from a community perspective, identifying what floral traits – colour, scent, reward accessibility and visibility – structure visitation patterns among insect functional groups to tree species flowering in the understory of Korup National Park, Cameroon. To understand how visitor groups share resources, we used joint modelling that explicitly considers zero‐inflation in visitation rates and correlation among visitor groups.Most tree species had exposed floral rewards, and all were visited by multiple insect groups among which ants, bees, beetles, and flies were most abundant. Visitation rates varied more among tree species than among individual trees. Floral scent differences were important for structuring visits, particularly for flies, bees, and ants. Ant and bee visitation rates decreased while fly visits increased marginally throughout the season, correlated with the dry to wet season transition.Comparison with other lowland tropical understories suggests flies may be uniquely diverse and important to this system, and differences in seasonality and forest structure may be drivers of community differences. Floral scent is likely a key functional trait structuring flower–insect interactions in tropical forest environments and should be emphasised in future studies. Lastly, a joint modelling approach can elucidate community structure, particularly in communities with ecologically generalised interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mount Cameroon, SW Cameroon, has already been described as a unique hotspot of the many-plumed moth (Lepidoptera, Alucitidae), with their local diversity unrivalled in the entire Afrotropics. We confirm its importance with description of seven new species: Alucita bakweri Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. nov., Alucita jana Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. nov., Alucita bakingili Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. nov., Alucita tatjana Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. nov., Alucita zuza Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. nov., Alucita deja Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. nov., and Alucita bokwango Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. nov. These descriptions have raised the known local diversity of many-plumed moth species on Mount Cameroon to 22, i.e., over a quarter of the known Afrotropical biodiversity of this group. This study also emphasises the great conservation importance of the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Temporal dynamics of biodiversity along tropical elevational gradients are unknown. We studied seasonal changes of Lepidoptera biodiversity along the only complete forest elevational gradient in the Afrotropics. We focused on shifts of species richness patterns, seasonal turnover of communities and seasonal shifts of species' elevational ranges, the latter often serving as an indicator of the global change effects on mountain ecosystems. Location: Mount Cameroon, Cameroon. Taxon: Butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera). Methods: We quantitatively sampled nine groups of Lepidoptera by bait‐trapping (16,800 trap‐days) and light‐catching (126 nights) at seven elevations evenly distributed along the elevational gradient from sea level (30 m a.s.l.) to timberline (2,200 m a.s.l.). Sampling was repeated in three seasons. Results: Altogether, 42,936 specimens of 1,099 species were recorded. A mid‐elevation peak of species richness was detected for all groups but Eupterotidae. This peak shifted seasonally for five groups, most of them ascending during the dry season. Seasonal shifts of species' elevational ranges were mostly responsible for these diversity pattern shifts along elevation: we found general upward shifts in fruit‐feeding butterflies, fruit‐feeding moths and Lymantriinae from beginning to end of the dry season. Contrarily, Arctiinae shifted upwards during the wet season. The average seasonal shifts of elevational ranges often exceeded 100 m and were even several times higher for numerous species. Main conclusions: We report seasonal uphill and downhill shifts of several lepidopteran groups. The reported shifts can be driven by both delay in weather seasonality and shifts in resource availability, causing phenological delay of adult hatching and/or adult migrations. Such shifts may lead to misinterpretations of diversity patterns along elevation if seasonality is ignored. More importantly, considering the surprising extent of seasonal elevational shifts of species, we encourage taking account of such natural temporal dynamics while investigating the global climate change impact on communities of Lepidoptera in tropical mountains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grasshoppers are highly diversified in tropical rainforests and considered of both ecological and conservation importance. The population dynamics of central African grasshoppers, however, and the structure of their communities remain poorly studied. We report here on the impact of human activities on the diversity of grasshopper species from three localities in southern Cameroon: Ongot, more anthropized forest; Zamakoe, moderately anthropized forest; and Ngutadjap, less anthropized forest. Data were collected using sweep nets, quadrats, and pitfall traps. We analyzed how pressures from human activities affected the grasshopper species compositions using five statistical methods: (1) two non-parametric estimators for specific richness, (2) abundance, (3) abundance distribution model, (4) a diversity index, and (5) ß diversity index. The results showed no significant differences in species richness between the sites (nine species at Zamakoe, seven each at Ongot and Ngutadjap). Among these species, one was specific to Ongot and Zamakoe, while one, two, and three species, respectively, were found only in Ongot, Ngutadjap, and Zamakoe. Abundance and species diversity of grasshoppers increased with anthropogenic pressure on the forests. We noticed a great similarity between the grasshopper communities of the two localities under the greatest anthropogenic pressure (Ongot and Zamakoe) compared to that of the less anthropized locality of Ngutadjap. The most common grasshopper species, Mazea granulosa, was most abundant where deforestation was highest. Species diversity was highest in the more and moderately anthropized forests, and the diversity index showed greater similarity between these two grasshopper communities compared with that of the less anthropized forest. This work enables us to better understand how the parameters of these insect communities reflect the degree of forest degradation in southern Cameroon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of toeslope ferricretes under humid tropical rainforest is common. However, no specific work has been devoted to the toeslope ferricretes to determine the mechanism of formation and the exact time. The study pointed out the internal properties (petrology, mineralogy and geochemistry) of southern Cameroon toeslope ferricretes, their spatial distribution in relation to the landscape morphology, and the mechanisms and conditions of their genesis. Fieldwork included the study of the soil properties and patterns, as well as of their geometric relationships. Laboratory analysis included X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS), X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP-AES). The main results revealed that, at the bottom of the studied toeslope soil profiles, iron oxides (Al-goethite and hematite) accumulate in situ, starting from domains in which the parental granodiorite rock structure is still preserved. This relative accumulation is relayed towards the top of the profiles by an absolute accumulation of Fe from the upslope ferricrete dismantling. New ferruginous accumulation patterns occur in varying degrees of rubification and show various degree of hardness from soft soil patterns to carapace, as precursor of two types of toeslope ferricrete genesis: spotted massive carapace (with a continuous framework) on the moderate slope and variegated vesicular carapace (ferruginous network with vacuoles) on the gentle slope. Ferricretes on the moderate slope are thick, with limited lateral extension and light induration, while those on gentle slope are thinner, but more hardened and more extended on the slope. Such processes are clearly linked to the present-day humid climate with flattening of landscapes and rising of groundwater table. • The successive stages of iron crusting occur on the toeslope of the tropical rain forest zone. • The toeslope iron accumulations are controlled both by bedrock and old ferricrete alterations. • The iron crust-building process occurs just above the average water table. • The toeslope ferricrete is less developed at the steep slope, confined by the abrupt transition to the hill top. • The ferruginous accumulation moves upstream and becomes hard in the upper part of the profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Habitat-species associations among growth form in semi-deciduous tropical forest are discussed. • Soil variables combined to topographic factors are important for shaping species composition. • The influence and the preeminence of environmental factors are linked to the species growth form. • The discrimination for habitat-species associations was decisively affected by soil variables. Tropical forests are hyperdiverse, and although broad-scale variation in diversity can be reasonably well explained, local-scale variation in diversity is harder to understand. It has been revealed that species may show species-habitats associations. However, how the assembled species are associated with local habitats and how community-habitat associations vary regarding species abundance and class size remains unclear. Here, we analyzed the community-habitat associations by applying the multivariate regression trees (MRT) technique on data of 22,064 trees distributed across 30 1-ha plots varying in topography and soil conditions in a semi-deciduous tropical rainforest of Cameroon. Further, the indicator species analysis was used to determine the most important species for structuring assemblages. The MRT divides the whole tree community inventoried into four habitats types: Habitat 1 (H1) sandy loamy, acidic soil with a low Na concentration (pH ≤ 6.245 and [Na] < 4.535 cmol kg−1); H2 equal to neutral sandy soil with a small Na concentration (7 ≤ pH > 6.245 and [Na] < 4.535 cmol kg−1); H3 equal to Loamy sandy soil with average Na concentration (4.535 ≤ [Na] < 6.243 cmol kg−1) and; H4 equal to Loamy sandy soil with high nutrients concentration ([Na] ≥ 6.243 cmol kg−1). Coincidentally, the same habitat types were also generated for the understorey and large trees classes taken separately, although a difference was somehow recorded for the small stems class. Among investigated environmental variables, soil Na content and, to a lesser extent, soil pH were identified as the primary responsible for the first split for habitat types for understorey and large trees classes. By contrast, the most determinant for discrimination habitat types for small stems was soil cation exchange capacity, followed by soil moisture content. Overall, 29 species were found as indicators characterizing the four habitat types for the whole tree community, with index values varying between 33% and 99 %. But specifically, the number of indicators species for large trees was 28. Intriguingly, some indicator species within the large trees class changed to either non-indicator or intermediate indicator species in the understorey trees class that was best represented by as less as 16 species. A comparable species richness was recorded across all plots of the studied area; however, significant variability was found regarding species abundance, with habitats H1 and H4 with higher average abundance values. This study highlights that soil variables adding to topographical habitat filtering were important in shaping the composition of local species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 21,180 trees have been monitored for 1–7 years in eight sites in Central Africa. • Diameter increments and mortality rates of 42 commercial tree species were estimated. • Trees that are close to the minimum harvestable size tend to show the fastest growth. • Selective logging may stimulate tree growth but it may start 1–2 years after logging. • Tree growth factors are identified; ignoring them can lead to poor projection. Tree growth and mortality are two central processes in mixed and structurally complex moist tropical forests, yet accurate estimates of the variables needed to model them remain sparse and scattered. It is thus still difficult to predict forest evolution at a local scale and build reliable management plans. To help fill this gap, for 1–7 years we annually monitored 21,180 trees belonging to 42 species exploited for timber production in Central Africa. We made new species-specific estimates of diameter increments and mortality rates, and investigated how tree growth varied with tree size and logging history. We compared our results with the legal values of diameter increments, mortality rates, and minimum cutting diameters used to build forest management plans in Cameroon. Diameter increment was found to vary with tree size for most of the species studied. The relationships between diameter increment and tree size were mostly humpback-shaped. The trees with diameters close to or lower than the reference minimum cutting diameter generally grew faster than the average. We also found that tree growth could slow for 1–2 years after timber exploitation and was then spurred for at least 5 years. The tree growth response to logging was nevertheless species-specific. This study provides new estimates of tree diameter increments and mortality rates that could help make more accurate forest projections and draw up sustainable management plans in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ngovayang Massif of southern Cameroon is a range of small hills near the Atlantic coast, in the Lower Guinea floristic region. This region is known to harbor forests with high levels of biodiversity and endemism, but this Massif is botanically poorly known. We assessed tree species diversity, floristic composition and level of endemism of the Ngovayang forest, comparing it with other sites in Central Africa. Five 1-ha permanent plots within old-growth lowland forests of the Ngovayang Massif were censused. A total of 2,658 individuals with dbh ≥ 10 cm were recorded, belonging to 293 species, 170 genera and 60 families. The mean number of stems was 532 ± 75 stems ha. Taking into account other data available, the list of vascular plants known in the Massif reaches a total of 450 species. We found 47 species of high conservation value, including Cameroon endemics and other rare and threatened species. Species richness and endemism are comparable to those of the richest known sites in Central African forests. The forests of Ngovayang were found to be particularly rich in Fabaceae-Caesalpinioideae. Topographic heterogeneity, high precipitation and atmospheric humidity owing to the proximity of the ocean, and permanence of a forest cover during past geological times probably all contribute to explaining the Massif's high tree diversity and endemism. This study highlights the botanical importance of the poorly studied Ngovayang forest within the Lower Guinea region, justifying efforts for improved assessment of this value and for the development of suitable national conservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little information on fine roots that play an important role in nutrient cycling was available in tropical rainforests. Distribution of fine root production and effects of selective logging on root biomass and nutrient content change were studied in the tropical rainforests of south-western Cameroon. Twenty five root samples were excavated in each of two soil depths (0-10 and 10-25 cm) and in each of three undisturbed forests (Ebom, Ebimimbang and Nyangong) and one disturbed forest by logging, using a square metallic frame of 25 x 25 cm and 30 cm high. Root samples were categorized in three diameter classes: fine (<2 mm), small (2-5 mm) and medium roots (5-20 mm). Root biomass of three diameter classes and nutrients (N, Ca, Mg, K, Na and P) of the two first diameter classes were determined. Results have shown that total root biomass varied from 9.62 (Ebom) to 29.88 t ha-1 (Ebimimbang); those of fine roots decreased from Nyangong (7.43 t ha-1) to Ebom (1.74 t ha-1). In the top soil, the fine root biomass was 2 to 4 time lower in Ebom (1.43 t ha-1) than in other undisturbed forests (3.28 and 5.87 t ha-1). From 70 to 80% of fine root biomass were produced in the first 10 centimeters of soil depth. Nutrient amount in fine root biomass were also lower in Ebom than in Ebimimbang and Nyangong, except the P amount (kg ha-1) which remained high in Ebom. On the contrary, no pattern of nutrient content (g kg-1) changes among forest were found, except N and P that decreased from Ebom to Nyangong. Six years after logging, its effects on root biomass and nutrient changes were not significant and during this period, root production of disturbed forest was high due to rapid regeneration of forest particularly heliophilous tree species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation surveys were carried out at 24 sampling stations distributed over four land use types, namely near-primary forest, secondary forest, agroforestry systems and annual crop lands in the northeastern part of the Korup region, Cameroon, to assess the impact of forest conversion on trees and understorey plants. Tree species richness decreased significantly with increasing level of habitat modification, being highest and almost equal in secondary and near-primary forests. Understorey plant species richness was significantly higher in annual crop lands than in other land use types. The four land use types differed in tree and understorey plant species composition, the difference being smaller among natural forests. Tree and understorey plant density differed significantly between habitat types. Density was strongly correlated with species richness, both for trees and understorey plants. Five tree and 15 understorey plant species showed significant responses to habitat. A 90% average drop in tree basal area from forest to farmland was registered. Our findings support the view that agroforestry systems with natural shade trees can serve to protect many forest species, but that especially annual crop lands could be redesigned to improve biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes of tropical rainforest regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, tropical landscapes are increasingly dominated by human land use systems and natural forest cover is decreasing rapidly. We studied frugivorous butterflies and several vegetation parameters in 24 sampling stations distributed over near-primary forest (NF), secondary forest (SF), agroforestry and annual culture sites in the Northeastern part of the Korup region, SW Cameroon. As in other studies, both butterfly species richness and abundance were significantly affected by habitat modification. Butterfly richness and abundance were highest in SF and agroforestry sites and significantly lower in NF and annual crop sites. Butterfly species richness increased significantly with increasing tree density, but seemed to decrease with increasing herb diversity and density in annual crop farms. A significant negative correlation was found between butterfly geographic range and their preference for NF sites. Our results also showed that agroforestry systems, containing remnants of natural forest, can help to sustain high site richness, but appear to have low complementarity through loss of endemic species confined to more undisturbed habitats. Our study also indicated that the abundance of selected restricted-range butterflies, particularly in the family Nymphalidae, appears to be a good indicator to assess and monitor forest disturbance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regions under tropical rainforest cover, such as central Africa and Brazil are characterised by degradation and dismantling of old ferricrete structures. In southern Cameroon, these processes are relayed by present-day ferruginous accumulation soil facies, situated on the middle and the lower part of hill slopes. These facies become progressively harder towards the surface, containing from bottom to top, mainly kaolinite, kaolinite–goethite and Al-rich goethite–hematite, and are discontinuous to the relictic hematite-dominated ferricrete that exist in the upper part of the hill slope. These features were investigated in terms of geochemical differentiation of trace elements. It appears that, in contrast to the old ferricrete facies, the current ferruginous accumulations are enriched in transitional trace elements (V, Cr, Co, Y, Sc) and Pb, while alkali-earth elements are less differentiated. This recent chemical accumulation is controlled both by intense weathering of the granodiorite bedrock and by mobilisation of elements previously accumulated in the old ferricrete. The observed processes are clearly linked to the present-day humid climate with rising groundwater tables. They slowly replace the old ferricretes formed during Cretaceous time under more seasonal climatic conditions, representing an instructive case of continuos global change. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• We assess the total carbon partitioning among carbon pools in a semi-deciduous tropical forest. • Interactions of above- and belowground carbon pools mostly explained the variation of total carbon stock. • Carbon in large trees is the best predictor of aboveground carbon and total carbon. • Uncertainty estimations of carbon pools and components are described. Tropical forests contribute to climate change mitigation by absorbing carbon from the atmosphere and storing this in biomass and soil organic matter. However, there is still considerable uncertainty about the above- and belowground quantity and distribution of carbon stocks in African forests. Here, we evaluate how different carbon pools (aboveground live biomass, aboveground dead biomass, belowground biomass) contribute to total carbon stocks, and how different carbon components (e.g. large trees, understorey trees, coarse woody debris, roots, soil organic carbon etc.) contribute to carbon pools and total carbon stocks. We evaluated data of extensive inventories within 30 1-ha plots spanning the terra-firme semi-deciduous forest in eastern Cameroon. Hence, the plots were placed at a mean distance of 1 km from the nearest plot and we analyzed the data using variation partitioning, linear regressions and correlation tests. We found that the terra-firme semi-deciduous forests store 283.97 ± 51.42 Mg C ha−1. The aboveground biomass pool, with a carbon stock of 180.99 ± 25.8 Mg C ha−1, mostly explained variation in total carbon stocks (R2 = 0.79). From all aboveground biomass components, carbon in large trees was most strongly correlated with total carbon stocks. The second most important carbon pool was belowground carbon (on average 85.06 ± 16.86 Mg C ha−1; R2 = 0.78), mainly explained by coarse root carbon. Carbon in dead biomass had only a small contribution to total carbon stocks (R2 = 0.04). Hence, our results indicate that aboveground live biomass is a good predictor for variation in total carbon storage within this semi-deciduous terra-firme forest. However, aboveground live carbon and belowground carbon and their interactions explained most of the variation in total carbon stock, indicating that a whole-ecosystem approach is necessary for a full understanding of the carbon cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]