Dr Moses Sainge

I am a seasoned botanist with over two decades of extensive experience across Africa, specializing in forest ecology. My expertise encompasses forest dynamics, tree population structure, taxonomy, sustainable forest resource use, carbon stock assessments, and ecological restoration in African tropical forests.

I am currently a Marie-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow (MSCA), a prestigious scheme at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), UK. Under the mentorship of Dr Martin Sullivan (MMU) and Prof. Aida Cuni-Sanchez (NMBU), I lead a groundbreaking project entitled “Cloud Immersion and the Importance of Tropical Montane Forests.” This innovative research spans West and East Africa.

As a recognized authority in botany, I have a specific plant species named in my honour and have discovered and described a new genus for central Africa. This reflects my significant contributions to plant systematics and taxonomy. I also played a pioneering role in establishing the first-ever 50-hectare Smithsonian permanent forest dynamics monitoring plot in the Korup National Park, Central Africa. My expertise in establishing and monitoring tropical forest plots and assessing carbon stocks is widely acknowledged, with an impressive track record of 90 1-ha Permanent Sample Plots (PSPs) and 282 Temporal Sample Plots (TSPs) across lowland coastal and submontane forests in West and Central Africa. My contributions have bolstered global biodiversity platforms such as ForestPlots.net and GBIF.org, enriching critical forest ecology datasets.

My research interests span plant systematics, forest dynamics, and ecological restoration. Utilizing permanent 1-ha plots, temporal 20x50m plots, and community-focused methodologies, I investigate tree composition, biodiversity, carbon assessments, and community perceptions across diverse ecosystems, including lowland, submontane, and mangrove forests. I am particularly dedicated to understanding forest recovery patterns and translating scientific findings into actionable policies and governance frameworks. My style of research integrates rigorous forest plot mensuration with social assessments, including focus group discussions and household surveys, to address critical questions in ecological degradation, restoration, tree diversity, sustainable forest management, and policy development. This interdisciplinary approach ensures that my work is both scientifically robust and socially relevant.

Recent findings from our research in West Africa have identified key species—ranging from utilitarian to timber species—that hold immense potential for ecological restoration. These species play a vital role in forest recovery, enhancing ecosystem services, and combating climate change. My work underscores the importance of integrating biodiversity conservation with sustainable resource use, ensuring the resilience and functionality of forest ecosystems for future generations. My work contributes significantly to understand the complex relationships between vegetation, biodiversity, and ecosystem health in tropical forests.