Great ape abundance and per capita carbon storage in their habitats

Abstract

The ecological importance of great apes is widely recognised, yet few studies have highlighted the role of protecting great apes’ habitats in mitigating climate change, particularly through carbon sequestration. This study used GIS tools to extract data from various sources, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature database, to examine carbon quantity and great ape abundance in African great ape habitats. Subsequently, we employed a generalised linear model to assess the relationship between locally measured great ape populations abundance and carbon storage across areas with different levels of protection. Our findings showed a positive relationship between the abundance of great apes in their habitats and carbon storage, likely since conservation efforts in great apes habitats may be strengthened with higher great ape populations. The results reveal that gorilla habitats exhibited higher carbon storage than chimpanzee habitats. Specifically, the areas inhabited by gorillas are associated with a mean increase of 27.47 t/ha in carbon storage. Additionally, we observed a positive association between highly protected areas and carbon storage within great ape habitats. Our model indicates that highly protected areas increase the mean carbon stored by 1.13 t/ha compared to medium protected areas, which show a reduction of 15.49 t/ha. This highlights the critical role that protected areas play in both species conservation and carbon sequestration, contributing significantly to climate mitigation efforts. Furthermore, our study underscores the significant contribution of great ape habitats, extending beyond protected areas, to carbon storage, highlighting the potential for synergistic conservation strategies targeting both great apes and carbon sequestration. Protecting great apes is vital for reducing carbon emissions from deforestation and boosting tropical forest carbon sinks. Since nearly 90% of great apes live outside protected areas, targeted conservation in these low-protected areas is also crucial.