Dry, tropical forests are often overshadowed in popular and scientific perception by wet and tall rainforests. They are less obviously charismatic or exotic and so may seem less important. But dry tropical forests are vital ecosystems that support the livelihoods of millions of people.
One type of dry, tropical forest in Africa is miombo woodland. These forests stretch across more than two million hectares in Africa, including Angola, Tanzania, parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Their name comes from the Bemba word (miombo) for the dominant types of trees in the woodland, Brachystegia.
Miombo woodlands – like other forests – absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere during photosynthesis. They store the carbon in trees, shrubs and in the soil, too, making them an important part of the carbon cycle across Africa and the global climate system. Knowing how much carbon these trees absorb and store is crucial for understanding climate change.
