The world's second largest expanse of tropical rainforest is in Central Africa, and it harbours enormous species diversity. Population genetic studies have consistently revealed significant structure across Central African rainforest plants. In particular, previous studies have repeatedly demonstrated a north–south genetic discontinuity around the equatorial line, in a continuous expanse of rainforest where a climatic inversion is documented. Here, we took a phylogeographic approach by sequencing 351 nuclear markers in 112 individuals across the distribution of the African rainforest tree species Annickia affinis (Annonaceae). We showed for the first time that the north–south divide is the result of a single, major colonization event across the climatic inversion from an ancestral population located in Gabon. We suggested that differences in ecological niche of populations located on either side of this inversion may have contributed to this phylogenetic discontinuity. We found evidence for inland dispersal, predominantly in northern areas, and variable demographic histories among genetic clusters, indicating that populations responded differently to past climate change. We show how newly developed genomic tools can provide invaluable insights into our understanding of tropical rainforest evolutionary dynamics.

Plant species providing Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) are economically important across Africa. How this heterogeneous and understudied resource will respond to ongoing climate change remains understudied. Here, we modelled the impact of endof-the-century climate change on the distribution of 40 NTFP plant species distributed across tropical Africa. Occurrence data were extracted from a taxonomically verified database and three different ecological niche modelling algorithms were used. Species distributions were modelled under two end-of-century (2085) climate change models (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) and two dispersal scenarios (limited and expanded). We show that for the 40 NTFP plant species studied here, different responses are modelled with some species gaining in suitable habitats (47.5%-65% under RCP4.5), whereas others will lose in suitable habitats (35%-52.5% under RCP4.5). Nevertheless, we also show that our results vary between the different methods used, such as modelling algorithms, dispersal scenarios and general circulation models. Overall, our results suggest that the response of NTFP species to climate change depends on their distribution, ecology and dispersal ability.