Anthropogenic disturbance regimes reduce biomass and alter floristic composition in montane forests of Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

Anthropogenic disturbances, despite Kahuzi-Biega National Park's protected status, significantly reduce aboveground biomass by 51% and alter floristic composition in its montane forests. These disturbances form non-random spatial regimes, often co-occurring as logging, charcoal production, and agriculture, leading to reductions in tree density (42%) and basal area (54%). The study, using a disturbance gradient across 63 plots, found that such cumulative pressures can durably reshape tropical montane forest ecosystems. Disturbances independently explained 10% of floristic variation, while the full model accounted for 31%, indicating both structural changes and direct ecological filtering effects.

Cirezi, N. C., Mushagalusa, P. B., Mangaza, L., Pika, L. M., Jesuka, R., Balezi, A. Z., Karume, K., Lumbuenamo, R. S., Rakotondrasoa, O. L., Bastin, J.-F., Fayolle, A., & Bogaert, J. (2026). Anthropogenic disturbance regimes reduce biomass and alter floristic composition in montane forests of Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Trees, Forests and People, 26, 101399. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tfp.2026.101399