Articles | Volume 22, issue 14
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-3615-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-3615-2025
Research article
 | 
29 Jul 2025
Research article |  | 29 Jul 2025

Soil and biomass carbon storage is much higher in Central American than Andean montane forests

Cecilia M. Prada, Katherine D. Heineman, María J. Pardo, Camille Piponiot, and James W. Dalling

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Short summary
Tropical montane forests (TMFs) are crucial for carbon sequestration and climate regulation. This study assessed carbon stocks in a Panamanian TMF across an elevation gradient (880–2920 m). Aboveground biomass, coarse wood debris, and soil C increased with elevation, with exceptionally high values at upper elevations. Elevation, rather than nutrient availability or ectomycorrhizal-tree dominance, drove C storage. Findings suggest prior lidar estimates may vastly underestimate regional C stocks.
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