Login / Signup

Deforestation amplifies climate change effects on warming and cloud level rise in African montane forests.

Temesgen Alemayehu AberaJanne HeiskanenEduardo Eiji MaedaMohammed Ahmed MuhammedNetra BhandariVille VakkariBinyam Tesfaw HailuPetri K E PellikkaAndreas HempPieter G van ZylDirk Zeuss
Published in: Nature communications (2024)
Tropical montane forest ecosystems are pivotal for sustaining biodiversity and essential terrestrial ecosystem services, including the provision of high-quality fresh water. Nonetheless, the impact of montane deforestation and climate change on the capacity of forests to deliver ecosystem services is yet to be fully understood. In this study, we offer observational evidence demonstrating the response of air temperature and cloud base height to deforestation in African montane forests over the last two decades. Our findings reveal that approximately 18% (7.4 ± 0.5 million hectares) of Africa's montane forests were lost between 2003 and 2022. This deforestation has led to a notable increase in maximum air temperature (1.37 ± 0.58 °C) and cloud base height (236 ± 87 metres), surpassing shifts attributed solely to climate change. Our results call for urgent attention to montane deforestation, as it poses serious threats to biodiversity, water supply, and ecosystem services in the tropics.
Keyphrases
  • climate change
  • healthcare
  • human health
  • primary care
  • body mass index
  • mental health
  • palliative care
  • physical activity
  • dna methylation
  • risk assessment
  • cross sectional
  • health insurance
  • infectious diseases