New Publication: How Land-Use Change Shapes Carbon Storage in African Savannas

In this article, Liana Kindermann, Alexandra Sandhage-Hofmann, Wulf Amelung, Jan Börner, J., Ezequiel Fabiano, Maximilian Meyer and Anja Linstädter (Project A01 Future Carbon Storage) and Magnus Dobler (University of Potsdam) examine how agricultural intensification and wildlife conservation affect carbon storage in an African savanna. Their study finds that land-use change alters disturbance regimes, leading to sharp declines in aboveground carbon but potential increases in soil organic carbon. These results highlight the need for tailored carbon management strategies in dryland ecosystems.




Natural and human disturbances have non-linear effects on whole-ecosystem carbon persistence in an African savanna


By Liana Kindermann, Alexandra Sandhage-Hofmann, Wulf Amelung, Jan Börner, Magnus Dobler, Ezequiel Fabiano, Maximilian Meyer and Anja Linstädter


Abstract
Uncertainties in carbon storage estimates for disturbance-prone dryland ecosystems hinder accurate assessments of their contribution to the global carbon budget. This study examines the effects of land-use change on carbon storage in an African savanna landscape, focusing on two major land-use change pathways: agricultural intensification and wildlife conservation, both of which alter disturbance regimes. By adapting tree inventory and soil sampling methods for dryland conditions, we quantified aboveground and belowground carbon in woody vegetation (AGC and BGC) and soil organic carbon (SOC) across these pathways in two vegetation types (scrub savanna and woodland savanna). We used Generalized Additive Mixed Models to assess the effects of multiple environmental drivers on AGC and whole-ecosystem carbon storage (Ctotal).
Our findings revealed a pronounced variation in the vulnerability of carbon reservoirs to disturbance, depending on land-use change pathway and vegetation type. In scrub savanna vegetation, shrub AGC emerged as the most vulnerable carbon reservoir, declining on average by 56% along the conservation pathway and 90% along the intensification pathway compared to low-disturbance sites. In woodland savanna, tree AGC was most affected, decreasing on average by 95% along the intensification pathway. Unexpectedly, SOC stocks were often higher at greater disturbance levels, particularly under agricultural intensification, likely due to the preferential conversion of naturally carbon-richer soils for agriculture and the redistribution of AGC to SOC through megaherbivore browsing.
Strong unimodal relationships between disturbance agents, such as megaherbivore browsing and woodcutting, and both AGC and Ctotal suggest that intermediate disturbance levels can enhance ecosystem-level carbon storage in disturbance-prone dryland ecosystems. These findings underline the importance of locally tailored management strategies – such as in carbon certification schemes – that reconcile disturbance regimes in drylands with carbon sequestration goals. Moreover, potential trade-offs between land-use objectives and carbon storage goals must be considered.



Reference

Kindermann, L., Sandhage-Hofmann, A., Amelung, W., Börner, J., Dobler, M., Fabiano, E. C., Meyer, M., Linstädter, A. 2024. Natural and human disturbances have non-linear effects on whole-ecosystem carbon persistence in an African savanna (Preprint). Preprint, Biodiversity Research / systematic Botany, University of Potsdam, Potsdam. DOI (accepted at Global Change Biology (2025) titled “Natural and human disturbances have non-linear effects on whole-ecosystem carbon storage in an African savanna”.

More CRC News

photo of albertus magnus platz in cologne

Peter Dannenberg Awarded Funding for Priority Programme Investigating the Sustainable and Crisis-Resilient Design of Supply Chains

Peter Dannenberg (Project C01 Future in Chains) will lead a new Priority Programme at the University of Cologne, funded by the German Research Fundation (DFG). ...
Read More »
picture taken at a workshop

Exploring Platformization in Africa: Insights from a Workshop on Digital Transformation

By Victoria Luxen (Project C01 Future in Chains). From February 24 to 27, 2025, I participated in the workshop “Writing about Platformization from Africa” at ...
Read More »
poster for a public lecture

CRC-TRR Public Lecture: Stefan Ouma

Mon | April 7th, 2025 | 16:00 – 17:30  (CEST) Between the City and the Countryside: Centering Accumulation in African Studies Prof. Dr. Stefan Ouma ...
Read More »
a Picture of the Thwake Dam in Kenya

New Publication: Infrastructural Promises and the Non-Economy of Anticipation – Lessons from the Thwake Dam

In this article, Arne Rieber, Eric Kioko and Theo Aalders (Project C03 Green Futures) examine how the promises of large-scale infrastructure projects shape community aspirations ...
Read More »
the image shows the book "visions for an african valley" by jonathan jackson

New Monograph Explores Over a Century of Development Visions in Tanzania’s Kilombero Valley

Future Rural Africa researcher Jonathan M. Jackson (Project A02 Past Futures) recently expanded on his doctoral research in a monograph titled “Visions for an African ...
Read More »
Scroll to Top