Implementing permanent observation plots to assess the Albertine Rift ecosystems functioning under a changing environment

Implementing permanent observation plots to assess the Albertine Rift ecosystems functioning under a changing environment

Project brief description

Tropical mountain forests along the Albertine Rift play a great role in biodiversity conservation and biogeochemical cycles. Although this region harbors many major protected areas, it is under increasing climate, land use, and cover change pressure. However, mountain ecosystems present the advantage of acting as a natural laboratory to test the effect of climate change on biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity. Here, we aim to implement 32 permanent observation plots to understand the ecosystems’ functional change along an elevation gradient in the Albertine Rift. Therefore, we will (1) assess the elevation gradient’s effect on species’ functional traits and compare it to the temporal effect of climate change, (2) examine the effect of the elevation gradient on functional composition and diversity, and (3) investigate the effect of the elevation gradient on ecosystem productivity and carbon sink. This will improve our understanding of species’ resilience to the effects of global warming and the prediction of carbon sequestration.