SUPPORTING INFORMATION

Predictive mapping of tree species assemblages in an African montane

rainforest

Dennis Babaasa1,2 | John T. Finn2 | Charles M. Schweik2 | Todd K. Fuller2 | and Douglas

Sheil3

1
Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, P.O.

Box 44, Kabale, Uganda

2
Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003

USA
3
Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University and Research,

Wageningen, The Netherlands

Correspondence:

Dennis Babaasa, Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation, Mbarara University of Science and

Technology, PO Box 44, Kabale, Uganda. Email: dbabaasa@must.ac.ug

Table S1. A full list of potential explanatory variable names and descriptions for floristic gradient modeling in Bwindi Impenetrable
National Park, Uganda
Biophysical variable name Code in the Retained after Reference

model collinearity

analysis?

BIO1 = Annual Mean Temperature temp_mean No Fick & Hijmans (2017)

BIO2 = Mean Diurnal Range (Mean of monthly (max temp-min temp)) temp_mdr No Fick & Hijmans (2017)

BIO3 = Isothermality (bio02/bio07)(*100) temp_iso Yes Fick & Hijmans (2017)

BIO4 = Temperature Seasonality (standard deviation*100) temp_seas Yes Fick & Hijmans (2017

BIO5 = Max Temperature of Warmest Month temp_max No Fick & Hijmans (2017)

BIO6 = Min Temperature of Coldest Month temp_min No Fick & Hijmans (2017)

BIO7 = Temperature Annual Range (bio05-bio06) temp_rang No Fick & Hijmans (2017)

BIO8 = Mean Temperature of Wettest Quarter temp_wetq No Fick & Hijmans (2017)

BIO9 = Mean Temperature of Driest Quarter temp_drq No Fick & Hijmans (2017)

BIO10 = Mean Temperature of Warmest Quarter temp_waq No Fick & Hijmans (2017)

BIO11 = Mean Temperature of Coldest Quarter temp_coq No Fick & Hijmans (2017)

BIO12 = Annual Precipitation prec_ann Yes Fick & Hijmans (2017)

BIO13 = Precipitation of Wettest Month prec_max No Fick & Hijmans (2017)

BIO14 = Precipitation of Driest Month prec_min No Fick & Hijmans (2017)

BIO15 = Precipitation Seasonality (Coefficient of Variation) prec_seas Yes Fick & Hijmans (2017)

BIO16 = Precipitation of Wettest Quarter prec_wetq No Fick & Hijmans (2017)

BIO17 = Precipitation of Driest Quarter prec_drq No Fick & Hijmans (2017)

BIO18 = Precipitation of Warmest Quarter prec_waq No Fick & Hijmans (2017)

BIO19 = Precipitation of Coldest Quarter prec_coq Yes Fick & Hijmans (2017)

30 m Digital Elevation Model Elevation Yes NASA & METI (2011)

Human disturbance disturbance Yes McNeilage et al., (1998)

Steepness of the slope Slope Yes Field measurement

Aspect Aspect Yes Field measurement

Ridge tops Ridge Yes Field measurement

Valley Valley No Field measurement

Gully Gully No Field measurement

Hillside Hillside No Field measurement

Latitude Latitude No Field measurement

Longitude Longitude Yes Field measurement

Table S2. Indicator tree species for the clusters in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda. The cluster number corresponds to
those in Tables 3 and 4, Figures 2, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b and 6. Early-successional (pioneer) species and mid-successional or non-pioneer light
demanders (NPLDs) species follow Kalema and Hamilton (2020)
Cluster No. of Elevation range; mean elevation (m Indicator tree species Successional Indicator p-value

number sample a.s.l.); and location of cluster guild value

sites

1 58 1,372 – 2,350; 1,956 Strombosia scheffleri NPLD 0.3108 0.001

Mid-elevation transitional forest in the Cassipourea congoensis 0.1535 0.002

centre and west of the park Entandrophragma excelsum (VU) NPLD 0.1135 0.003

E. cylindricum (VU) NPLD 0.0944 0.004

Trilepisium madagascariense 0.0924 0.012

Leplaea mayombensis (VU) 0.0623 0.043

2 35 1,778 – 2,407; 2,195 Prunus africana (VU) 0.2174 0.001

Submontane forest on ridge-tops in the Alangium chinense Pioneer 0.4070 0.001

centre-south of the park Neoboutonia macrocalyx Pioneer 0.2706 0.001

Croton macrostachyus NPLD 0.2669 0.001

Maesa lanceolate Pioneer 0.2004 0.001

Dombeya torrida Pioneer 0.1882 0.001

Allophylus ferrugineus 0.1643 0.001

 Bersama abyssinica NPLD 0.1358 0.001

Tabernaemontana pachysiphon 0.1358 0.001

Zanthoxylum rubescens 0.1329 0.001

Myriathus holstii NPLD 0.0895 0.025

Croton megalocarpus 0.0749 0.019

Zanthoxylum gilletti 0.0677 0.037

Casearia battiscombei 0.0665 0.007

3 45 1,479 – 2,217; 2023 Ficalhoa laurifolia Pioneer 0.4209 0.001

Mid-elevation forest in the centre-south of Syzygium guineense Pioneer 0.3842 0.001

the park Symphonia globulifera 0.1714 0.002

Ilex mitis 0.1323 0.006

Albizia gummifera 0.0661 0.050

Synsepalum brevipes 0.0654 0.013

Syzygium cordatum 0.0520 0.042

4 33 1,773 – 2,311; 2,188 Gambeya albida NPLD 0.6552 0.001

Sub-montane forest in the centre-south of Cassipourea gummiflua 0.2547 0.001

the park Drypetes gerrardii 0.2547 0.001

Newtonia buchananii NPLD 0.1280 0.005

5 75 1,320 – 2,131; 1,696 Leptonychia mildbraedii 0.3913 0.001

 Low-elevation forest in the north, forest Shirakiopsis elliptica Pioneer 0.3170 0.001

corridor and west of the park Parinari excelsa 0.3152 0.001

Carapa grandiflora NPLD 0.1443 0.003

Funtumia africana 0.1366 0.001

Maesopsis eminii Pioneer 0.1253 0.002

Macaranga barteri Pioneer 0.1233 0.001

Ocotea kenyensis (VU) 0.0875 0.016

Tetrorchidium didymostemon 0.0751 0.022

Allanblackia kimbiliensis 0.0674 0.024

Trichilia dregeana 0.0667 0.010

Millettia dura Pioneer 0.0586 0.047

Strombosiopsis tetrandra 0.0569 0.044

Celtis philippensis 0.0533 0.031

6 43 1,416 – 2,467; 2,203 Olinia rochetiana 0.3882 0.001

High elevation montane forest to the Macaranga capensis Pioneer 0.2806 0.001

southeast of the park Agarista salicifolia 0.2791 0.001

Rapenea melanophloeos 0.2291 0.001

Nuxia congesta 0.2208 0.001

Pittosporum viridiflorum Pioneer 0.2046 0.001

Faurea wentzeliana 0.2032 0.001

Olea capensis NPLD 0.1992 0.001

Xymalos monospora 0.1311 0.006

Polyscias fulva Pioneer 0.1259 0.005

Podocarpus latifolius 0.1092 0.005

Harungana madagascariensis Pioneer 0.0854 0.024

Ekebergia capensis 0.0806 0.015

Vepris nobilis 0.0783 0.031

Morella salicifolia 0.0639 0.032

Mystroxylon aethiopicum 0.0604 0.036

Anthocleista vogelii 0.0560 0.022

Pauridiantha callicarpoides 0.0554 0.033

Figure S1
A) NMDS ordination diagram showing the distribution of the clusters and sample sites on axes 1
and 2. The numbers correspond to the clusters in Table 3; Figures 2, and 4; Appendix 2 and 4
B) NMDS ordination diagram showing the distribution of the clusters and sample sites on axes 1
and 3. The numbers correspond to the clusters in Table 3; Figures 2, and 4; Appendix 2 and 4
A)
B)

Figure S2:
A) NMDS ordination diagram showing the distribution of the clusters in relation to
statistically significant (p<0.001) environmental variables in influencing tree species
composition on axes 1 and 2. The numbers correspond to the clusters in Table 3; Figures 2, and
4; Appendix 2 and 3
B) NMDS ordination diagram showing the distribution of the clusters in relation to statistically
significant (p<0.001) environmental variables in influencing tree species composition on axes 1
and 3. The numbers correspond to the clusters in Table 3; Figures 2, and 4; Appendix 2 and 3
A)
B)