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    • SEOSAW
    A Socio-Ecological Observatory for Studying African Woodlands
    SEOSAW Bitbucket repo

    Publications

    When referencing SEOSAW, please cite as:

    SEOSAW partnership. (2021). A network to understand the changing socio-ecology of the southern African woodlands (SEOSAW): Challenges, benefits, and methods. Plants, People, Planet, 3(3), 249-267. doi: 10.1002/ppp3.10168.

    Peer-reviewed Papers

    1. Gotore, T., Muchawona, A., Benitez, L., Gumbo, S. C., Godlee, J. L., Mograbi, P. J., Murepa, R., Mutete, P., Nyamugadza, E., Tembani, M. C., Ryan, C. M., & Archibald, S. (2026). Tree growth rates and their determinants inform sustainable harvesting of indigenous woodlands in Zimbabwe. Biotropica. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70205
    2. Carreiras, J. M. B., Higginbottom, T., Godlee, J. L., Harrison, S., Benitez, L., Mograbi, P. J., Levesley, A., Melgaco, K., Milodowski, D., Pickavance, G., Wells, G., de Oliveira, E. A., Arroyo, L., Bowers, S., Brienen, R. J. W., Cardoso, D., Castro, A. A. J. F., Chavez, E., Coutinho, I. A. C., … Ryan, C. M. (2026). Determinants of L-band backscatter in dry tropical ecosystems: implications for biomass mapping. Remote Sensing of Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2025.115213
    3. Muledi, J. I., Momo, S. T., Ploton, P., Kamukenge, A. L., Ibey, W. K., Pamavesi, B. M., Mushabaa, B. A., Shutcha, M. N., Mwenze, D. N., Sonke, B., Tshanika, U. M., Bamuninga, B. T., Ndikumagenge, C., & Barbier, N. (2025). Allometric Equations for Aboveground Biomass Estimation in Wet Miombo Forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Using Terrestrial LiDAR. Environments. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3298/12/8/260
    4. Rodriguez-Veiga, P., Carreiras, J. M. B., Quegan, S., Heiskanen, J., Pellikka, P., Adhikari, H., Araza, A., Herold, M., Cartus, O., Smallman, T. L., Williams, M., Nwobi, C. J., Tsutsumida, N., Ryan, C. M., Brade, T., Acil, N., & Balzter, H. (2025). Loss of tropical moist broadleaf forest has turned Africa’s forests from a carbon sink into a source. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-27462-3
    5. Williams, M., Milodowski, D. T., Smallman, T. L., Dexter, K. G., Hegerl, G. C., McNicol, I. M., O’Sullivan, M., Roesch, C. M., Ryan, C. M., Sitch, S., & Valade, A. (2025). Precipitation-fire functional interactions control biomass stocks and carbon exchanges across the world’s largest savanna. Biogeosciences. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1597-2025
    6. Hua, X., Lusk, C. H., Dickie, I. A., Adu-Bredu, S., Allen, K. J., Araus, V., Augusto, L., Barsukov, P., Bauman, D., Bredoire, F., Burslem, D. F. R. P., Dalling, J. W., Depauw, L., Dexter, K. G., Drouet, T., Godlee, J. L., Godoy, R., Gutierrez, R. A., Muledi, J. I., … Wright, I. J. (2025). Site-specific nutrient data reveal the importance of soils in driving the mycorrhizal make-up of woody vegetation. Global Ecology and Biogeography. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/geb.13936
    7. Diesse, H., Godlee, J. L., Knox, N., Muledi, J., Naftal, L., Nkulu, D., Nkomba, B., Uusiku, G., Dexter, K., & De Cauwer, V. (2025). Quantifying unseen woody biomass and diversity in understorey trees and shrubs at the extremes of water availability in the Miombo ecoregion. Forest Ecosystems. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100302
    8. Murhula, S. I., Lokoto, B. M., Tshanika, U. M., Kayumba, J. B., Mwenze, D. N., Kankumbi, F. M., & Muledi, J. I. (2024). Impact of site protection mechanisms on natural regeneration potential along a degradation gradient in Miombo Woodland region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. African Crop Science Journal. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/acsj/article/view/286085
    9. Godlee, J. L., Ryan, C. M., Siampale, A., & Dexter, K. G. (2024). Tree species diversity drives the land surface phenology of seasonally dry tropical woodlands. Journal of Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.14366
    10. Muledi, J., Mograbi, P. J., Gotore, T., Ryan, C. M., Archibald, S. A., Kamoto, J., Ribeiro, N., Godlee, J. L., & Hegerl, G. (2023). African Forests Forum Technical Report: Strengthening the understanding of the dynamics of African forest vegetation under changing climate through permanent sampling plots. African Forests Forum. https://afforum.org/publications
    11. Davies, R. W., Ryan, C. M., Harrison, R. D., Dexter, K. G., Ahrends, A., te Beest, M., Benitez, L., Brade, T. K., Carreiras, J. M. B., Druce, D. J., Fayolle, A., Finckh, M., Godlee, J. L., Goncalves, F. M., Grundy, I. M., Hoche, T., Holdo, R. M., Makungwa, S., McNicol, I. M., … Edwards, D. P. (2023). Precipitation gradients drive high tree species turnover in the woodlands of eastern and southern Africa. Ecography. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.06720
    12. Mogonong, B., van der Merwe, H., Ramaswiela, T., Maluleke, A., & Feig, G. (2023). Vegetation description around the savanna flux measurement site at Benfontein Nature Reserve, South Africa. South African Journal of Botany. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2023.09.010
    13. Godlee, J. L., Ryan, C. M., Bauman, D., Bowers, S. J., Carreiras, J. M. B., Chisingui, A. V., Cromsigt, J. P. G. M., Druce, D. J., Finckh, M., Goncalves, F. M., Holdo, R. M., Makungwa, S., McNicol, I. M., Mitchard, E. T. A., Muchawona, A., Revermann, R., Ribeiro, N. S., Siampale, A., Syampungani, S., … Dexter, K. G. (2021). Structural diversity and tree density drives variation in the biodiversity-ecosystem function relationship of woodlands and savannas. New Phytologist. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.17639
    14. Ribeiro, N. S., Silva de Miranda, P. L. S., & Timberlake, J. (2020). Biogeography and Ecology of Miombo Woodlands. In N. S. Ribeiro, Y. Katerere, P. W. Chirwa, & I. M. Grundy (Eds.), Miombo Woodlands in a Changing Environment: Securing the Resilience and Sustainability of People and Woodlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50104-4_2
    15. The SEOSAW Partnership. (2020). A network to understand the changing socioecology of the southern African woodlands (SEOSAW): Challenges, benefits, and methods. Plants, People, Planet. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10168
    16. Aleman, J. C., Fayolle, A., Favier, C., Staver, A. C., Dexter, K. G., Ryan, C. M., Azihou, A. F., Bauman, D., te Beest, M., Chidumayo, E. N., Comiskey, J. A., Cromsigt, J. P. G. M., Dessard, H., Doucet, J.-L., Finckh, M., Gillet, J.-F., Gourlet-Fleury, S., Hempson, G. P., Holdo, R. M., … Swaine, M. D. (2020). Floristic evidence for alternative biome states in tropical Africa. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2011515117
    17. Godlee, J. L., Goncalves, F. M., Tchamba, J. J., Chisingui, A. V., Muledi, J. I., Shutcha, M. N., Ryan, C. M., Brade, T. K., & Dexter, K. G. (2020). Diversity and structure of an arid woodland in southwest Angola, with comparison to the wider miombo ecoregion. Diversity. https://doi.org/10.3390/d12040140
    18. Da Silva, D. F., Cahali, A. E., Gomes, F. A., Tchamba, J. J., & Goncalves, F. M. (2020). Characterization of species diversity in the Bicuar National Park and implications for the management and conservation of biodiversity. Revista Internacional De Educacao Saude e Ambiente. https://riesa.mundis.pt/index.php/riesa/article/view/26/23
    19. McNicol, I. M., Ryan, C. M., & Mitchard, E. T. A. (2018). Carbon losses from deforestation and widespread degradation offset by extensive growth in African woodlands. Nature Communications. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-05386-z
    20. Nieto-Quintano, P., Mitchard, E. T. A., Odende, R., Mouwembe, M. A. B., Rayden, T., & Ryan, C. M. (2018). The mesic savannas of the Bateke Plateau: carbon stocks and floristic composition. Biotropica. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12606
    21. Fayolle, A., Swaine, M. D., Aleman, J., Azihou, A. F., Bauman, D., te Beest, M., Chidumayo, E. N., Cromsigt, J. P. G. M., Dessard, H., Finckh, M., Goncalves, F. M. P., Gillet, J., Gorel, A., Hick, A., Holdo, R., Kirunda, B., Mahy, G., McNicol, I., Ryan, C. M., … Woollen, E. (2018). A sharp floristic discontinuity revealed by the biogeographic regionalization of African savannas. Journal of Biogeography. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13475

    Working Papers

    1. Gotore, T., Archibald, S., & Ryan, C. M. (2022). Predicting diameter at breast height from 0.3m diameter measurements in miombo woodlands. https://bitbucket.org/miombo/seosaw/raw/master/doc/reports/Gotore%20et%20al_2022_diameter_relationship_latest.pdf