Distribution of selected timber species of a Central African rain forest in relation to topography and soil heterogeneity: Implications for forest management

Several studies have looked at the relative importance of habitat association of tree species in maintaining tropical tree species diversity at a variety of scales including the importance of edaphic factors. The objective of this study was to test hypotheses on the distribution of important timber species in relation to topographic position and soil chemical parameters. Tree species from a Central African rain forest were selected within a 100-ha plot in southwestern Central Africa Republic. Individuals of Lovoa trichilioides, Nesogordonia papaverifera, Pterocarpus soyauxii, Terminalia superba ≥ 10 cm diameter at breast height (dbh) were inventoried then mapped to topography using a survey laser. A torus translation was performed to test for associations between tree species distribution and topographic position as well as soil mineral nutrients for three of the four species. Trees ≥ 30 cm dbh of all three species showed no association with topographic position. However, the distribution of T. superba was significantly associated with high concentrations of soil mineral nutrients. Evidence from mineral nutrient levels indicates that extrapolating topography to define habitat and soil type can be very misleading. Because many of Central Africa's most important timber species have distributions linked to edaphic factors, it is clear that soils must be considered equally as much as topographic position for management plans of logging concessions within Central African tropical forests. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.