Size‐Based Effects of Anthropogenic Pressures and Elephant Activity on Tropical Forest Carbon Stocks

Abstract

Aim To evaluate how elephant activity and anthropogenic disturbances (logging, secondary forest conversion, and proximity to villages) influence aboveground carbon (AGC) stocks in tropical forests and how their effects vary across tree size classes. Location Gabon. Time Period 2013–2023. Major Taxa Studied Gymnosperms and angiosperms. Methods Using 260 one‐hectare forest plots across Gabon, we employed Bayesian modelling to quantify the effects of elephant activity and disturbances on AGC through changes in stand structure—that is, basal area (), tree height (), and wood density ()—across three tree diameter () classes: small (10 cm ≤ 30 cm), medium (30 cm 70 cm) and large ( 70 cm). Environmental covariates (temperature, precipitation, and soil characteristics) were also incorporated in our models to account for broader climatic influences and to isolate disturbance effects. Results Anthropogenic disturbances, particularly secondary forest conversion and proximity to villages, were strongly associated with reductions in AGC, driven by declines in , , and . By contrast, elephant activity increased in small and medium trees, suggesting long‐term contributions to forest compositional shifts and carbon storage potential. Size‐based analysis revealed divergent disturbance impacts across tree size classes that were not evident in whole‐plot summaries. Main Conclusions Elephant activity and anthropogenic disturbances influence AGC through distinct, size‐based pathways. While human activities reduce carbon stocks by altering forest structure, forest elephants enhance traits associated with carbon‐dense composition. Conservation strategies that integrate faunal interactions with forest management are essential to maintaining tropical carbon stocks under ongoing environmental change.

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