Title
Fire control as a simple means of promoting tropical forest restoration
Author(s)
Omeja, P. A.;Lwanga, J. S.;Obua, J.;Chapman, C. A.
Published
2011
Publisher
Tropical Conservation Science
Abstract
Tropical deforestation is occurring at an alarming rate. The loss of these forests contributes significantly to total global carbon dioxide emissions and accelerating rates of climate change; moreover, many deforested lands lose fertility and are abandoned. Demands to protect biodiversity and reverse climate change call for efforts to reforest such lands, and one method is through fire control, as fire suppresses tree regeneration. Unfortunately, the success of fire control is often not known for tropical regions because research efforts must span decades. We compared above ground biomass in two plots of regenerating forest that were protected from fire for 12 and 32 years in Kibale National Park, Uganda. Tree biomass of the plots was substantial, and while the biomass of the 12- and 32-year plots did not differ significantly, the 12-year plot had a higher biomass in the small diameter classes in comparison to the 32-year plot. Twenty-four tree species were growing in 12-year plot, while 46 grew in the 32-year plot. We conclude that fire exclusion is a promising approach for tropical forest restoration, and we demonstrate that it is cost-effective relative to programs that plant tree seedlings. © Patrick A. Omeja, Jeremiah S. Lwanga, Joseph Obua, and Colin A. Chapman.
Keywords
Kibale national park;Reforestation;Regeneration;Uganda

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PUB14453