Deforestation reduces microclimate buffering of African montane forests

Abstract Montane forests are biodiversity hotspots that provide important ecosystem services, including temperature buffering for numerous species underneath forest canopies. In recent decades, montane forests have been under increasing pressure from small-and large-scale deforestation, yet associated spatio-temporal changes in temperature buffering capacity remain unclear. Here, we studied the changes in temperature buffering capacity due to forest loss from 2003 to 2022 in three montane forest ecosystems in Africa (Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Bale, and the Taita Hills). We modeled the temperature buffering changes based on in situ microclimate measurements inside forests and in open areas, climate data, airborne laser scanning data, and satellite observations. We found that during the study period montane forests were lost at a rate of 2–9% across the study areas. This loss led to an annual average microclimate air temperature warming ranging from 2.0 ± 0.8 °C to 5.6 ± 2.1 °C across the three montane forests. The warming reduced the maximum air temperature buffering by an average of 3 ± 1.5 °C. Locally, the temperature buffering disappeared over time and transitioned to a mesoclimate amplification. Our findings demonstrate that microclimate buffering capacity was markedly diminished as a result of microclimate warming driven by recent forest loss.