Effect of riparian land use on contributions of terrestrial invertebrates to streams

Since terrestrial invertebrates are often consumed by stream fishes, land-use practices that influence the input of terrestrial invertebrates to streams are predicted to have consequences for fish production. We studied the effect of riparian land-use regime on terrestrial invertebrate inputs by estimating the biomass, abundance and taxonomic richness of terrestrial invertebrate drift from 15 streams draining catchments with three different riparian land-use regimes and vegetation types: intensive grazing — exotic pasture grasses (4 streams), extensive grazing — native tussock grasses (6 streams), reserve — native forest (5 streams). Terrestrial invertebrate drift was sampled from replicated stream reaches enclosed by two 1 mm mesh drift nets that spanned the entire channel. The mean biomass of terrestrial invertebrates that entered tussock grassland (12 mg ash-free dry mass m^–2 d^–1) and forest streams (6 mg AFDM m^–2 d^–1) was not significantly different (p > 0.05). However, biomass estimated for tussock grassland and forest streams was significantly higher than biomass that entered pasture streams (1 mg AFDM m^–2 d^–1). Mean abundance and richness of drifting terrestrial invertebrates was not significantly different among land-use types. Winged insects contributed more biomass than wingless invertebrates to both pasture and tussock grassland streams. Winged and wingless invertebrates contributed equally to biomass entering forest streams. Land use was a useful variable explaining landscape-level patterns of terrestrial invertebrate input for New Zealand streams. Evidence from this study suggests that riparian land-use regime will have important influences on the availability of terrestrial invertebrates to stream fishes.     

Reciprocal fluxes of stream and riparian invertebrates in a coastal California basin with Mediterranean climate

Stream and riparian food webs are connected by reciprocal fluxes of invertebrates, and a growing number of studies demonstrate strong effects of these subsidies on consumers and food webs in both habitats. However, despite its importance in understanding energy flow between these habitats, seasonality of reciprocal subsidies has been examined only in a single temperate system in Japan. We measured input of terrestrial invertebrates and emergence of adult aquatic insects for 14?months in two adjacent streams in a coastal Mediterranean basin in California to assess seasonal patterns, annual fluxes, and local variation. Fluxes of terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates fluctuated seasonally and were relatively synchronous, although in the fall of 2004, terrestrial inputs peaked 1?C2?months earlier than emergence. Terrestrial inputs were similar in the two streams with annual flux of 7.9?C8.6?g dry mass?m^?2?year^?1. Emergence differed between the streams: annual emergence was 7.8?g?m^?2?year^?1 (similar to terrestrial flux) in one reach but 5.3?g?m^?2?year^?1 from the other. The presence of streambed travertine in the reach with lower emergence was the primary difference in habitat between the streams, suggesting that travertine may reduce emergence and alter net reciprocal flux. Comparison of our results with those from Japan suggests that seasonality and net annual flux of reciprocal stream-riparian subsidies vary among biomes due to differences in climate, vegetation, and geography. Our results also indicate that local factors, such as travertine, may cause reciprocal fluxes to vary at finer spatial scales.     

Changes in satellite‐derived vegetation growth trend in temperate and boreal Eurasia from 1982 to 2006

Monitoring changes in vegetation growth has been the subject of considerable research during the past several decades, because of the important role of vegetation in regulating the terrestrial carbon cycle and the climate system. In this study, we combined datasets of satellite‐derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and climatic factors to analyze spatio‐temporal patterns of changes in vegetation growth and their linkage with changes in temperature and precipitation in temperate and boreal regions of Eurasia (> 23.5°N) from 1982 to 2006. At the continental scale, although a statistically significant positive trend of average growing season NDVI is observed (0.5 × 10^?3 year^?1, P = 0.03) during the entire study period, there are two distinct periods with opposite trends in growing season NDVI. Growing season NDVI has first significantly increased from 1982 to 1997 (1.8 × 10^?3 year^?1, P < 0.001), and then decreased from 1997 to 2006 (?1.3 × 10^?3 year^?1, P = 0.055). This reversal in the growing season NDVI trends over Eurasia are largely contributed by spring and summer NDVI changes. Both spring and summer NDVI significantly increased from 1982 to 1997 (2.1 × 10^?3 year^?1, P = 0.01; 1.6 × 10^?3 year^?1P < 0.001, respectively), but then decreased from 1997 to 2006, particularly summer NDVI which may be related to the remarkable decrease in summer precipitation (?2.7 mm yr^?1, P = 0.009). Further spatial analyses supports the idea that the vegetation greening trend in spring and summer that occurred during the earlier study period 1982–1997 was either stalled or reversed during the following study period 1997–2006. But the turning point of vegetation NDVI is found to vary across different regions.     

Export of invertebrates and detritus from fishless headwater streams in southeastern Alaska: implications for downstream salmonid production

1. We examined the export of invertebrates (aquatic and terrestrial) and coarse organic detritus from forested headwaters to aquatic habitats downstream in the coastal mountains of southeast Alaska, U.S.A. Fifty‐two small streams (mean discharge range: 1.2–3.6 L s^?1), representing a geographic range throughout southeast Alaska, were sampled with 250‐μm nets either seasonally (April, July, September) or every 2 weeks throughout the year. Samples were used to assess the potential subsidy of energy from fishless headwaters to downstream systems containing fish. 2. Invertebrates of aquatic and terrestrial origin were both captured, with aquatic taxa making up 65–92% of the total. Baetidae, Chironomidae and Ostracoda were most numerous of the aquatic taxa (34, 16 and 8%, respectively), although Coleoptera (mostly Amphizoidae) contributed the greatest biomass (30%). Mites (Acarina) were the most numerous terrestrial taxon, while terrestrial Coleoptera accounted for most of the terrestrial invertebrate biomass. 3. Invertebrates and detritus were exported from headwaters throughout the year, averaging 163 mg invertebrate dry mass stream^?1 day^?1 and 10.4 g detritus stream^?1 day^?1, respectively. The amount of export was highly variable among streams and seasons (5–6000 individuals stream^?1 day^?1 and <1–22 individuals m^?3 water; <1–286 g detritus stream^?1 day^?1 and <0.1–1.7 g detritus m^?3 water). Delivery of invertebrates from headwaters to habitats with fish was estimated at 0.44 g dry mass m^?2 year^?1. We estimate that every kilometre of salmonid‐bearing stream could receive enough energy (prey and detritus) from fishless headwaters to support 100–2000 young‐of‐the‐year (YOY) salmonids. These results illustrate that headwaters are source areas of aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates and detritus, linking upland ecosystems with habitats lower in the catchment.     

The European carbon balance. Part 3: forests

We present a new synthesis, based on a suite of complementary approaches, of the primary production and carbon sink in forests of the 25 member states of the European Union (EU‐25) during 1990–2005. Upscaled terrestrial observations and model‐based approaches agree within 25% on the mean net primary production (NPP) of forests, i.e. 520±75 g C m^?2 yr^?1 over a forest area of 1.32 × 10⁶ km² to 1.55 × 10⁶ km² (EU‐25). New estimates of the mean long‐term carbon forest sink (net biome production, NBP) of EU‐25 forests amounts 75±20 g C m^?2 yr^?1. The ratio of NBP to NPP is 0.15±0.05. Estimates of the fate of the carbon inputs via NPP in wood harvests, forest fires, losses to lakes and rivers and heterotrophic respiration remain uncertain, which explains the considerable uncertainty of NBP. Inventory‐based assessments and assumptions suggest that 29±15% of the NBP (i.e., 22 g C m^?2 yr^?1) is sequestered in the forest soil, but large uncertainty remains concerning the drivers and future of the soil organic carbon. The remaining 71±15% of the NBP (i.e., 53 g C m^?2 yr^?1) is realized as woody biomass increments. In the EU‐25, the relatively large forest NBP is thought to be the result of a sustained difference between NPP, which increased during the past decades, and carbon losses primarily by harvest and heterotrophic respiration, which increased less over the same period.     

Simulating seasonal and inter-annual variations in energy and carbon exchanges and forest dynamics using a process-based atmosphere�Cvegetation dynamics model

The present paper shows simulated results of seasonal and inter-annual variations in energy and carbon exchanges and forest dynamics in a sub-boreal deciduous forest using a fully coupled atmosphere?Cvegetation interaction model [multilayered integrated numerical model of surface physics-growing plants interaction (MINoSGI)]. With careful adjustment of site-specific eco-physiological parameters, MINoSGI reproduced successfully stand biomass?Ctree density relationship based on the forest inventory data for 7 years (1999?C2005) and seasonal and inter-annual variations in energy and CO₂ fluxes measured by means of eddy covariance technique for 3 years (2003?C2005) in the sub-boreal forest, northern Japan. In addition, MINoSGI estimated annual evapotranspiration (E _vt) at 328.6 ± 25.8 mm year^?1, net primary production (NPP) at 372.1 ± 31.5 gC m^?2 year^?1 and net ecosystem exchange (NEE) at ?224.2 ± 32.2 gC m^?2 year^?1. We found the estimate of annual NEE in our site lies among the estimates at other forest stands with the almost same climatic conditions in northern Japan, although the tree species and stand age of these forests are different from those of our site. Overall, MINoSGI was found useful to present simultaneous simulations of forest dynamics, surface energy, and carbon exchanges of a forest stand in the future from micro-meteorological and ecophysiological points of view.     

Fine-root seasonal pattern,production and turnover rate of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) stands in Italy Prealps: Possible implications of coppice conversion to high forest

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible effects of coppice conversion to high forest on the beech fine-root systems. We compared the seasonal pattern of live and dead fine-root mass (d < 2 mm), production and turnover in three beech stands that differed in management practices. Tree density was higher in the 40-year-old coppice stand than in the stands that were converted from coppice to high forest in 1994 and 2004, respectively. We found that a reduction in tree density reduced the total fine-root biomass (Coppice stand, 353.8 g m^?2; Conversion 1994 stand, 203.6 g m^?2; Conversion 2004 stand, 176.2 g m^?2) which continued to be characterised by a bimodal pattern with two major peaks, one in spring and one in early fall. Conversion to high forest may also affect the fine-root soil depth distribution. Both fine-root production and turnover rate were sensitive to management practices. They were lower in the Coppice stand (production 131.5 g m^?2 year^?1; turnover rate 0.41 year^?1) than in the converted stands (1994 Conversion stand: production 232 g m^?2 year^?1, turnover rate 1.06 year^?1; 2004 Conversion stand: production 164.2 g m^?2 year^?1, turnover rate 0.79 year^?1).     

Role of coarse woody debris in the carbon cycle of Takayama forest,central Japan

Coarse woody debris (CWD) is an important component of the forest carbon cycle, acting as a carbon pool and a source of CO₂ in temperate forest ecosystems. We used a soda-lime closed-chamber method to measure CO₂ efflux from downed CWD (diameter ≥5 cm) and to examine CWD respiration (R _CWD) under field conditions over 1 year in a temperate secondary pioneer forest in Takayama forest. We also investigated tree mortality (input to the CWD pool) from the data obtained from the annual tree census, which commenced in 2000. We developed an exponential function of temperature to predict R _CWD in each decay class (R ² = 0.81–0.97). The sensitivity of R _CWD to changing temperature, expressed as Q ₁₀, ranged from 2.12 to 2.92 and was relatively high in decay class III. Annual C flux from CWD (F _CWD) was extrapolated using continuous air temperature measurements and CWD necromass pools in the three decay classes. F _CWD was 3.0 (class I), 17.8 (class II), and 13.7 g C m^?2 year^?1 (class III) and totaled 34 g C m^?2 year^?1 in 2009. Annual input to CWD averaged 77 g C m^?2 year^?1 from 2000 to 2009. The budget of the CWD pool in the Takayama forest, including tree mortality inputs and respiratory outputs, was 0.43 Mg C ha^?1 year^?1 (net C sink) owing to high tree mortality in the mature pioneer forest. The potential CWD sink is important for the carbon cycle in temperate successional forests.     

Carbon cycling and sequestration in a Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora) forest on lava flow of Mt. Fuji

Biometric-based carbon flux measurements were conducted in a pine forest on lava flow of Mt. Fuji, Japan, in order to estimate carbon cycling and sequestration. The forest consists mainly of Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora) in a canopy layer and Japanese holly (Ilex pedunculosa) in a subtree layer. The lava remains exposed on the ground surface, and the soil on the lava flow is still immature with no mineral soil layer. The results showed that the net primary production (NPP) of the forest was 7.3 ± 0.7 t C ha^?1 year^?1, of which 1.4 ± 0.4 t C ha^?1 year^?1 was partitioned to biomass increment, 3.2 ± 0.5 t C ha^?1 year^?1 to above-ground fine litter production, 1.9 t C ha^?1 year^?1 to fine root production, and 0.8 ± 0.2 t C ha^?1 year^?1 to coarse woody debris. The total amount of annual soil surface CO₂ efflux was estimated as 6.1 ± 2.9 t C ha^?1 year^?1, using a closed chamber method. The estimated decomposition rate of soil organic matter, which subtracted annual root respiration from soil respiration, was 4.2 ± 3.1 t C ha^?1 year^?1. Biometric-based net ecosystem production (NEP) in the pine forest was estimated at 2.9 ± 3.2 t C ha^?1 year^?1, with high uncertainty due mainly to the model estimation error of annual soil respiration and root respiration. The sequestered carbon being allocated in roughly equal amounts to living biomass (1.4 t C ha^?1 year^?1) and the non-living C pool (1.5 t C ha^?1 year^?1). Our estimate of biometric-based NEP was 25 % lower than the eddy covariance-based NEP in this pine forest, due partly to the underestimation of NPP and difficulty of estimation of soil and root respiration in the pine forest on lava flows that have large heterogeneity of soil depth. However, our results indicate that the mature pine forest acted as a significant carbon sink even when established on lava flow with low nutrient content in immature soils, and that sequestration strength, both in biomass and in soil organic matter, is large.     

Biological versus geochemical control and environmental change drivers of the base metal budgets of a tropical montane forest in Ecuador during 15 years

To assess the susceptibility of the base metal budget of a remote tropical montane forest in Ecuador to environmental change, we determined the extent of biological control of base metal fluxes and explored the impact of atmospheric inputs and precipitation, considered as potential drivers of ecosystem change, on the base metal fluxes. We quantified all major base metal fluxes in a ca. 9.1 ha forested catchment from 1998 to 2013. Mean (±s.d.) annual flux to the soil via throughfall + stemflow + litterfall was 13800 ± 1500 mg m^?2 Ca, 19000 ± 1510 mg m^?2 K, 4690 ± 619 mg m^?2 Mg and 846 ± 592 mg m^?2 Na of which 22 ± 6, 45 ± 16, 39 ± 10 and 84 ± 33%, respectively, were leached to below the organic layer. The mineral soil retained 79–94% of this Ca, K and Mg, while Na was released. Weathering rates estimated with three different approaches ranged from not detected (ND) to 504 mg m^?2 year^?1 Ca, ND-1770 mg m^?2 year^?1 K, 287–597 mg m^?2 year^?1 Mg and 403–540 mg m^?2 year^?1 Na. The size of mainly biologically controlled aboveground fluxes of Ca, K and Mg was 1–2 orders of magnitude larger than that of mainly geochemically controlled fluxes (sorption to soil and weathering). The elemental catchment budgets (total deposition ? streamflow) were positive for Ca (574 ± 893 mg m^?2) and K (1330 ± 773 mg m^?2), negative for Na (?370 ± 1300 mg m^?2) and neutral for Mg (1.89 ± 304 mg m^?2). Our results demonstrate that biological processes controlled element retention for Ca, K and Mg in the biological part of the ecosystem. This was different for Na, which was mainly released by weathering from the study catchment, while the biological part of the ecosystem was Na-poor. The deposition of base metals was the strongest driver of their budgets suggesting that the base metal cycling of the study ecosystem is susceptible to changing deposition.     

Budget of methane emissions from soils, livestock and the river network at the regional scale of the Seine basin (France)

We used various approaches to establish a comprehensive budget of methane (CH₄) emissions from the Seine basin, including direct emissions from livestock and soils as well as emissions from the drainage network. For the direct emissions from livestock, we used official livestock census numbers and emission factors (CH₄ emitted by each animal species per head per year) available in the literature. For the emissions from soils, we based our estimates on experimental measurements in closed chambers installed on different agricultural plots, forest, and grasslands in 2008 and 2009. The results were extrapolated to the whole Seine basin, including grassland, cropland, and forest soil distributions in the Seine basin. The CH₄ emissions from the Seine drainage network were also based on measurements of sampled waters in various rivers and streams (from headwaters to estuary) during different seasons in 2007, 2008, and 2010. After chemical analysis of CH₄ concentrations in the water samples using a gas chromatographic technique and calculation of the CH₄ supersaturation by stream order in rivers of the Seine basin (from 1 to 8) and by season we could estimate the CH₄ emissions for the whole water surface area of the Seine drainage network. The livestock of the Seine basin produce CH₄ emissions amounting to 166 × 10⁶ kg C year^?1, among which cattle are responsible for 85 %. The total CH₄ emission from the Seine drainage network was estimated at 0.3 × 10⁶ kg C year^?1, large rivers being responsible for the largest proportion. Ebullition could account for an additional 0.2 × 10⁶ kg C year^?1. Soils of the Seine basin are a net sink for CH₄ (9.4 × 10⁶ kg C year^?1). The water and soils fluxes are low with regard to emissions by livestock, but domestic waste, through landfills, could contribute an additional 40 × 10⁶ kg C year^?1.     

Saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima) invasion alters organic matter dynamics in a desert stream

1. We investigated the impacts of saltcedar invasion on organic matter dynamics in a spring‐fed stream (Jackrabbit Spring) in the Mojave Desert of southern Nevada, U.S.A., by experimentally manipulating saltcedar abundance. 2. Saltcedar heavily shaded Jackrabbit Spring and shifted the dominant organic matter inputs from autochthonous production that was available throughout the year to allochthonous saltcedar leaf litter that was strongly pulsed in the autumn. Specifically, reaches dominated by saltcedar had allochthonous litter inputs of 299 g ash free dry mass (AFDM) m^?2 year^?1, macrophyte production of 15 g AFDM m^?2 year^?1 and algal production of 400 g AFDM m^?2 year^?1, while reaches dominated by native riparian vegetation or where saltcedar had been experimentally removed had allochthonous litter inputs of 7–34 g AFDM m^?2 year^?1, macrophyte production of 118–425 g AFDM m^?2 year^?1 and algal production of 640–900 g AFDM m^?2 year^?1. 3. A leaf litter breakdown study indicated that saltcedar also altered decomposition in Jackrabbit Spring, mainly through its influence on litter quality rather than by altering the environment for decomposition. Decomposition rates for saltcedar were lower than for ash (Fraxinus velutina), the dominant native allochthonous litter type, but faster than for bulrush (Scirpus americanus), the dominant macrophyte in this system.     

Carbon storage and fluxes in ponderosa pine forests at different developmental stages

We compared carbon storage and fluxes in young and old ponderosa pine stands in Oregon, including plant and soil storage, net primary productivity, respiration fluxes, eddy flux estimates of net ecosystem exchange (NEE), and Biome‐BGC simulations of fluxes. The young forest (Y site) was previously an old‐growth ponderosa pine forest that had been clearcut in 1978, and the old forest (O site), which has never been logged, consists of two primary age classes (50 and 250 years old). Total ecosystem carbon content (vegetation, detritus and soil) of the O forest was about twice that of the Y site (21 vs. 10 kg C m^?2 ground), and significantly more of the total is stored in living vegetation at the O site (61% vs. 15%). Ecosystem respiration (R_e) was higher at the O site (1014 vs. 835 g C m^?2 year^?1), and it was largely from soils at both sites (77% of R_e). The biological data show that above‐ground net primary productivity (ANPP), NPP and net ecosystem production (NEP) were greater at the O site than the Y site. Monte Carlo estimates of NEP show that the young site is a source of CO₂ to the atmosphere, and is significantly lower than NEP(O) by c. 100 g C m^?2 year^?1. Eddy covariance measurements also show that the O site was a stronger sink for CO₂ than the Y site. Across a 15‐km swath in the region, ANPP ranged from 76 g C m^?2 year^?1 at the Y site to 236 g C m^?2 year^?1 (overall mean 158 ± 14 g C m^?2 year^?1). The lowest ANPP values were for the youngest and oldest stands, but there was a large range of ANPP for mature stands. Carbon, water and nitrogen cycle simulations with the Biome‐BGC model suggest that disturbance type and frequency, time since disturbance, age‐dependent changes in below‐ground allocation, and increasing atmospheric concentration of CO₂ all exert significant control on the net ecosystem exchange of carbon at the two sites. Model estimates of major carbon flux components agree with budget‐based observations to within ± 20%, with larger differences for NEP and for several storage terms. Simulations showed the period of regrowth required to replace carbon lost during and after a stand‐replacing fire (O) or a clearcut (Y) to be between 50 and 100 years. In both cases, simulations showed a shift from net carbon source to net sink (on an annual basis) 10–20 years after disturbance. These results suggest that the net ecosystem production of young stands may be low because heterotrophic respiration, particularly from soils, is higher than the NPP of the regrowth. The amount of carbon stored in long‐term pools (biomass and soils) in addition to short‐term fluxes has important implications for management of forests in the Pacific North‐west for carbon sequestration.     

Structure and biomass carbon of Olea ferruginea forests in the foot hills of Malakand division,Hindukush range mountains of Pakistan

The sub-tropical broadleaved forests dominates the foothills in Malakand division, Hindukush range mountains of northern Pakistan. Olea ferruginea is one of the major constituents of these forests having a wide distribution with no quantitative relationships between stand structural parameters and biomass carbon which renders to estimate carbon budget in the region. We investigated the forest structure, growing stock characteristics and biomass carbon stocks of the Olea ferruginea dominated forests in the foot-hills of Hindukush range mountains in Pakistan. The study highlights species diversity, tree distribution pattern and biomass carbon in respective diameter classes. We recognized five Olea ferruginea vegetation types by using an importance values (IV). Results showed that the forest comprised of 19 woody species belonging to 13 families of 10 Genera. Importance value (IV) for Olea ferruginea was ranged from 53 to 96 (mean = 69.4 ± 2.7) with a stem density of 215 to 417 ± 6.4 ha^?1. Average basal area was 6.69 ± 1.3 m² ha^?1 and volume was 44.2 ± 9.8 m³ ha^?1. Stem biomass and total biomass was 49.82 ± 11.1 and 100.1 ± 22.6 t ha^?1 respectively whereas, the stored carbon in the living biomass was 49.54 ± 11.3 t ha^?1. These findings revealed that Olea ferruginea forests has great potential to utilize and store atmospheric carbon. We concluded from our results, that the potential of carbon capturing and storage of the area can be increasesd on extensive managements of high biomass carbon density through proper scientific methods.     

Evidence for large carbon sink and long residence time in semiarid forests based on 15 year flux and inventory records

The rate of change in atmospheric CO₂ is significantly affected by the terrestrial carbon sink, but the size and spatial distribution of this sink, and the extent to which it can be enhanced to mitigate climate change are highly uncertain. We combined carbon stock (CS) and eddy covariance (EC) flux measurements that were collected over a period of 15 years (2001–2016) in a 55 year old 30 km² pine forest growing at the semiarid timberline (with no irrigating or fertilization). The objective was to constrain estimates of the carbon (C) storage potential in forest plantations in such semiarid lands, which cover ~18% of the global land area. The forest accumulated 145–160 g C m^?2 year^?1 over the study period based on the EC and CS approaches, with a mean value of 152.5 ± 30.1 g C m^?2 year^?1 indicating 20% uncertainty in carbon uptake estimates. Current total stocks are estimated at 7,943 ± 323 g C/m² and 372 g N/m². Carbon accumulated mostly in the soil (~71% and 29% for soil and standing biomass carbon, respectively) with long soil carbon turnover time (59 years). Regardless of unexpected disturbances beyond those already observed at the study site, the results support a considerable carbon sink potential in semiarid soils and forest plantations, and imply that afforestation of even 10% of semiarid land area under conditions similar to that of the study site, could sequester ~0.4 Pg C/year over several decades.     

Potential for forest vegetation carbon storage in Fujian Province, China, determined from forest inventories

Carbon storage in forest vegetation of Fujian Province plays a significant role in the terrestrial carbon budget in China. The purposes of this study are: (1) to evaluate how the afforestation and reforestation programs established in Fujian Province influence carbon storage in forest ecosystems; (2) to assess the influence of tree species, forest age and ownership changes on vegetation carbon storage; and (3) to explore strategies for increasing vegetation carbon potentials. Data from seven Chinese Forest Resource Inventories and 5,059 separate sample plots collected between 1978 and 2008 were used to estimate vegetation carbon storage in the whole province. In addition, uncertainty analysis was conducted to provide the range of our estimations. Total forest vegetation carbon storage increased from 136.51 in 1978 to 229.31 Tg C in 2008, and the forest area increased from 855.27?×?10⁴ to 1,148.66?×?10⁴ ha, showing that the Fujian forests have a net vegetation carbon increase of 96.72 Tg C with an annual increase of 4.84 Tg C over the study period. Carbon storage varied with dominant forest species, forest age and forest ownership, suggesting that increases in vegetation carbon potentials can be achieved through selection of forest species and management of age structures. Implementation of afforestation and reforestation programs in Fujian Province over the past three decades has made a significant contribution to forest carbon storage. Vegetation carbon storage can be further increased by increasing the proportion of mature, broadleaved and state-owned forests.     

The greenhouse gas balance of European grasslands

The greenhouse gas (GHG) balance of European grasslands (EU‐28 plus Norway and Switzerland), including CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O, is estimated using the new process‐based biogeochemical model ORCHIDEE‐GM over the period 1961–2010. The model includes the following: (1) a mechanistic representation of the spatial distribution of management practice; (2) management intensity, going from intensively to extensively managed; (3) gridded simulation of the carbon balance at ecosystem and farm scale; and (4) gridded simulation of N₂O and CH₄ emissions by fertilized grassland soils and livestock. The external drivers of the model are changing animal numbers, nitrogen fertilization and deposition, land‐use change, and variable CO₂ and climate. The carbon balance of European grassland (NBP) is estimated to be a net sink of 15 ± 7 g C m^?2 year^?1 during 1961–2010, equivalent to a 50‐year continental cumulative soil carbon sequestration of 1.0 ± 0.4 Pg C. At the farm scale, which includes both ecosystem CO₂ fluxes and CO₂ emissions from the digestion of harvested forage, the net C balance is roughly halved, down to a small sink, or nearly neutral flux of 8 g C m^?2 year^?1. Adding CH₄ and N₂O emissions to net ecosystem exchange to define the ecosystem‐scale GHG balance, we found that grasslands remain a net GHG sink of 19 ± 10 g C‐CO₂ equiv. m^?2 year^?1, because the CO₂ sink offsets N₂O and grazing animal CH₄ emissions. However, when considering the farm scale, the GHG balance (NGB) becomes a net GHG source of ?50 g C‐CO₂ equiv. m^?2 year^?1. ORCHIDEE‐GM simulated an increase in European grassland NBP during the last five decades. This enhanced NBP reflects the combination of a positive trend of net primary production due to CO₂, climate and nitrogen fertilization and the diminishing requirement for grass forage due to the Europe‐wide reduction in livestock numbers.     

Total and heterotrophic soil respiration in a swamp forest and oil palm plantations on peat in Central Kalimantan,Indonesia

Heterotrophic respiration is a major component of the soil C balance however we critically lack understanding of its variation upon conversion of peat swamp forests in tropical areas. Our research focused on a primary peat swamp forest and two oil palm plantations aged 1 (OP2012) and 6 years (OP2007). Total and heterotrophic soil respiration were monitored over 13 months in paired control and trenched plots. Spatial variability was taken into account by differentiating hummocks from hollows in the forest; close to palm from far from palm positions in the plantations. Annual total soil respiration was the highest in the oldest plantation (13.8 ± 0.3 Mg C ha^?1 year^?1) followed by the forest and youngest plantation (12.9 ± 0.3 and 11.7 ± 0.4 Mg C ha^?1 year^?1, respectively). In contrast, the contribution of heterotrophic to total respiration and annual heterotrophic respiration were lower in the forest (55.1 ± 2.8%; 7.1 ± 0.4 Mg C ha^?1 year^?1) than in the plantations (82.5 ± 5.8 and 61.0 ± 2.3%; 9.6 ± 0.8 and 8.4 ± 0.3 Mg C ha^?1 year^?1 in the OP2012 and OP2007, respectively). The use of total soil respiration rates measured far from palms as an indicator of heterotrophic respiration, as proposed in the literature, overestimates peat and litter mineralization by around 21%. Preliminary budget estimates suggest that over the monitoring period, the peat was a net C source in all land uses; C loss in the plantations was more than twice the loss observed in the forest.     

Review of Carbon Fixation in Bamboo Forests in China

Bamboo is widespread in the subtropics and tropics of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The total area of bamboo forests of various species is 22.0?×?10⁶ ha, accounting for about 1.0% of the total global area of forest. Although the total forest areas in many countries have decreased drastically, bamboo forests have increased at a rate of 3% annually. China has the richest resources of bamboo in the world, with over 500 species in 39 genera. Carbon storage of vegetation, soils, and litter in bamboo forest system in China was 0.2511?×?10¹⁵, 0.8516?×?10¹⁵, and 0.0361?×?10¹⁵ g C, respectively, giving a total of 1.1388?×?10¹⁵ g C. This paper reviews carbon storage of vegetation, soils, and litter in bamboo forest system and compares the carbon fixation abilities of bamboo forest ecosystems with those of other tree species in subtropical China.     

Microbial Ecosystem in Sunderban Mangrove Forest Sediment,North-East Coast of Bay of Bengal,India

This is the first documentation of seasonal and spatial fluctuation of the culturable microbial population collected from different zones in the sediment of the Sunderban mangrove forest. The population of cellulose degrading bacteria, [mean value of CFU 6.189 ± 1.025 × 10⁶ (g dry weight of sediment)^?1] was found to be maximum during post monsoon in the deep forest region, whereas, the fungal population [mean value of CFU 3.424 ± 0.886 × 10⁶ (g dry weight of sediment)^?1] was found to be maximum during pre-monsoon in the rooted region. The abundances of microbes, in decreasing order, studied from different zones are nitrifying bacteria [mean value of CFU 1.125 ± 0.359 × 10⁶ (g dry weight of sediment)^?1], phosphorous solubilizing bacteria (PSB) [mean value of CFU 0.805 ± 0.322 × 10⁶ (g dry weight of sediment)^?1], free living nitrogen fixing bacteria [mean value of CFU 0.417 ± 0.120 × 10⁶ (g dry weight of sediment)^?1] and sulfur reducing bacteria (SRB) [mean value of CFU 0.356 ± 0.125 × 10⁶ (g dry weight of sediment)^?1]. The content of organic carbon in the soil decreased from the deep forest region to the rooted and unrooted region but a reverse profile was found for soil salinity and soil silicate concentration. The results from the present study indicate that the monsoon cycle has a pronounced effect on the microbially dominated biogeochemistry in the sediment and consequently on the ecology of the Sundarban mangrove forest.