The African tropical rainforest has been least studied, and information is lacking regarding tree species diversity and the distribution of structural elements responsible for carbon storage and other ecosystem functions. The tropical forest biome extends across three floristic regions-Central and South America, the southeastern Asian-Pacific, and equatorial Africa, all with high biodiversity. Tropical forests have long been recognized for their biodiversity and ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, habitat provision for vertebrates and invertebrates, and non-timber resources. The high levels of diversity within small-diameter classes may give these forests high levels of structural resilience to anthropogenic/natural disturbance and a changing climate. Although the relative contribution of small-diameter trees to biomass was comparable to other forests globally, their contribution to forest density, and diversity was disproportionately higher. They also had diversity 18% higher at family level, 34% higher at genus level, and 42% higher at species level than trees ≥10 cm dbh. Small-diameter trees (1 cm ≥ dbh <10 cm) comprised 93.7% of the total tree population, 16.5% of basal area, and 4.8% of the above-ground biomass. Fabaceae, Ebenaceae and Euphorbiaceae were the most important families by basal area, density and above-ground biomass. Average tree density was 7,026 trees/ha, basal area 31.64 m 2/ha, and above-ground biomass 369.40 Mg/ha. Within the plot, we censused 175,830 trees ≥1 cm dbh from 54 families, 192 genera, and 345 species. To determine the ecological importance of small-diameter trees in central African forests, we used data from a 25-ha permanent plot that we established in the rainforest of Gabon to study the diversity and dynamics of these forests. Until recently, most forest inventories in Central Africa have focused on trees ≥10 cm in diameter, even though several studies have shown that small-diameter tree population may be important to demographic rates and nutrient cycling. Despite their importance, tropical forests, and particularly those of central Africa, remain understudied. Tropical forests have long been recognized for their biodiversity and ecosystem services.
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