Whether tropical forests in central Africa will be sensitive to drier conditions –because they are already limited by water availability– or resistant –because they are adapted to seasonal drought– is the ambitious challenge CANOPI aims to tackle. To resolve the major uncertainties on tropical forest resilience to climate change, we propose a transdisciplinary approach. In WP1 we will assess to what extent climate, and specifically seasonal drought, do and will limit tropical tree species distribution, applying niche models to georeferenced herbarium records across the continent and to existing environmental layers. In WP2 we will determine which forests show important stocks and are carbon sinks or sources using our plot network across central Africa. The 2010-20 decade will be covered for the first time allowing us to detect ongoing changes in structure andcomposition. In WP3 we will quantify how drought affects forest and tree functioning using long-termmonitoring of phenology (leafing, flowering and fruiting) and newly installed phenological cameras and dendrometers in key sites. In WP4 we will determine how African canopy species handle the dry season,specifically investigating the potential role of green tissues for local production of sugars through bark photosynthesis when leaves are shed, and the role of foliar water uptake. Finally, in WP5 ground data will be used to upscale trends and produce the first maps of forest seasonal functioning in central Africa.