Biomass and Carbon Storage in an Age-Sequence of Korean Pine (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus koraiensis</Emphasis>) Plantation Forests in Central Korea

This study examined the biomass and carbon pools of the main ecosystem components in an age sequence of five Korean pine plantation forest stands in central Korea. The C contents in the tree and ground vegetation biomass, coarse woody debris, forest floor, and mineral soil were estimated by analyzing the C concentration of each component. The aboveground and total tree biomass increased with increasing stand age. The highest C concentration across this chronosequence was found in the tree branch while the lowest C concentration was found in the ground vegetation. The observed C contents for tree components, ground vegetation, and coarse woody debris were generally lower than the predicted C contents estimated from a biomass C factor of 0.5. Forest floor C content was age-independent. Total mineral soil C content appeared to decline initially after establishing Korean pine plantations and recover by the stand age of 35 years. Although aboveground tree biomass C content showed considerable accumulation with increasing age, the relative contribution of below ground C to total ecosystem C content varied substantially. These results suggest that successional development as temporal factor has a key role in estimating the C storage in Korean pine plantation forests.     

Patterns of Biomass and Carbon Distribution across a Chronosequence of Chinese Pine (Pinus tabulaeformis) Forests

Patterns of biomass and carbon (C) storage distribution across Chinese pine (Pinus tabulaeformis) natural secondary forests are poorly documented. The objectives of this study were to examine the biomass and C pools of the major ecosystem components in a replicated age sequence of P. tabulaeformis secondary forest stands in Northern China. Within each stand, biomass of above- and belowground tree, understory (shrub and herb), and forest floor were determined from plot-level investigation and destructive sampling. Allometric equations using the diameter at breast height (DBH) were developed to quantify plant biomass. C stocks in the tree and understory biomass, forest floor, and mineral soil (0–100 cm) were estimated by analyzing the C concentration of each component. The results showed that the tree biomass of P. tabulaeformis stands was ranged from 123.8 Mg·ha^–1 for the young stand to 344.8 Mg·ha^–1 for the mature stand. The understory biomass ranged from 1.8 Mg·ha^–1 in the middle-aged stand to 3.5 Mg·ha^–1 in the young stand. Forest floor biomass increased steady with stand age, ranging from 14.9 to 23.0 Mg·ha^–1. The highest mean C concentration across the chronosequence was found in tree branch while the lowest mean C concentration was found in forest floor. The observed C stock of the aboveground tree, shrub, forest floor, and mineral soil increased with increasing stand age, whereas the herb C stock showed a decreasing trend with a sigmoid pattern. The C stock of forest ecosystem in young, middle-aged, immature, and mature stands were 178.1, 236.3, 297.7, and 359.8 Mg C ha^–1, respectively, greater than those under similar aged P. tabulaeformis forests in China. These results are likely to be integrated into further forest management plans and generalized in other contexts to evaluate C stocks at the regional scale.     

Organic substances in the artificial forest ecosystems created on overburden dumps of open-cut coal mines in Middle Siberia

The stock and structure of organic substances in the pine tree plantations on the overburden dumps of open-cut coal mines in Middle Siberia have been determined. It has been shown that the forming forest biogeocenoses differ from the natural phytocenoses and soils of the forest landscapes in the structure of the carbon pool and its distribution between the vegetation and soil components. In artificial forest ecosystems, the bulk of the plant component is accumulated in the aboveground part of the forest stand (40–59%). The aboveground grass cover contains only 0.1–1.4% of the total phytomass stock of the ecosystem. The annual accumulation of organic substances in the initial soils amounts to 0.28–1.45 t/ha.     

Allocation of carbon in a mature eucalypt forest and some effects of soil phosphorus availability

Pools and annual fluxes of carbon (C) were estimated for a mature Eucalyptus pauciflora (snowgum) forest with and without phosphorus (P) fertilizer addition to determine the effect of soil P availability on allocation of C in the stand. Aboveground biomass was estimated from allometric equations relating stem and branch diameters of individual trees to their biomass. Biomass production was calculated from annual increments in tree diameters and measurements of litterfall. Maintenance and construction respiration were calculated for each component using equations given by Ryan (1991a). Total belowground C flux was estimated from measurements of annual soil CO₂ efflux less the C content of annual litterfall (assuming forest floor and soil C were at approximate steady state for the year that soil CO₂ efflux was measured). The total C content of the standing biomass of the unfertilized stand was 138 t ha^-1, with approximately 80% aboveground and 20% belowground. Forest floor C was 8.5 t ha^-1. Soil C content (0–1 m) was 369 t ha^-1 representing 70% of the total C pool in the ecosystem. Total gross annual C flux aboveground (biomass increment plus litterfall plus respiration) was 11.9 t ha^-1 and gross flux belowground (coarse root increment plus fine root production plus root respiration) was 5.1 t ha^-1. Total annual soil efflux was 7.1 t ha^-1, of which 2.5 t ha^-1 (35%) was contributed by litter decomposition.The short-term effect of changing the availability of P compared with C on allocation to aboveground versus belowground processes was estimated by comparing fertilized and unfertilized stands during the year after treatment. In the P-fertilized stand annual wood biomass increment increased by 30%, there was no evidence of change in canopy biomass, and belowground C allocation decreased by 19% relative to the unfertilized stand. Total annual C flux was 16.97 and 16.75 t ha^-1 yr^-1 and the ratio of below- to aboveground C allocation was 0.43 and 0.35 in the unfertilized and P-fertilized stands, respectively. Therefore, the major response of the forest stand to increased soil P availability appeared to be a shift in C allocation; with little change in total productivity. These results emphasise that both growth rate and allocation need to be estimated to predict changes in fluxes and storage of C in forests that may occur in response to disturbance or climate change.     

Carbon and nitrogen storage in an age-sequence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus densiflora</Emphasis> stands in Korea

The carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) storage capabilities of Pinus densiflora in six different stand ages (10, 27, 30, 32, 44, and 71 years old) were investigated in Korea. Thirty sample trees were destructively harvested and 12 were excavated. Samples from the above and belowground tree components, coarse woody debris (CWD), forest floor, and mineral soil (0–30 cm) were collected. Tree biomass was highest in the 71-year-old stand (202.8 t ha⁻¹) and lowest in the 10-year-old stand (18.4 t ha⁻¹). C and N storage in the mineral soil was higher in the 71-year-old stand than in the other stands, mainly due to higher soil C and N concentrations. Consequently, the total ecosystem C and N storage (tree+forest floor+CWD+soil) was positively correlated with stand age: increasing from a minimum in the 10 year old stand (18.8 t C ha⁻¹ and 1.3 t N ha⁻¹) to a maximum in the 71-year-old stand (201.4 t C ha⁻¹ and 8.5 t N ha⁻¹). The total ecosystem C storage showed a similar sigmoidal pattern to that of tree C storage as a function of the age-sequence, while N storage in the CWD, forest floor and mineral soil showed no significant temporal trends. Our results provide important insights that will increase our understanding of C and N storage in P. densiflora stands and our ability to predict changes according to stand age in the region.     

Above- and belowground organic matter storage and production in a tropical pine plantation and a paired broadleaf secondary forest

The distribution of tree biomass and the allocation of organic matter production were measured in an 11-yr-old Pinus caribaea plantation and a paired broadleaf secondary forest growing under the same climatic conditions. The pine plantation had significantly more mass aboveground than the secondary forest (94.9 vs 35.6 t ha^-1 for biomass and 10.5 vs 5.0 t ha^{-1 for litter}), whereas the secondary forest had significantly more fine roots (⩽2 mm diameter) than the pine plantation (10.5 and 1.0 t ha^-1, respectively). Standing stock of dead fine roots was higher than aboveground litter in the secondary forest. In contrast, aboveground litter in pine was more than ten times higher than the dead root fraction. Both pine and secondary forests had similar total organic matter productions (19.2 and 19.4 t ha^-1 yr^-1, respectively) but structural allocation of that production was significantly different between the two forests; 44% of total production was allocated belowground in the secondary forest, whereas 94% was allocated aboveground in pine. The growth strategies represented by fast growth and large structural allocation aboveground, as for pine, and almost half the production allocated belowground, as for the secondary forest, illustrate equally successful, but contrasting growth strategies under the same climate, regardless of soil characteristics. The patterns of accumulation of organic matter in the soil profile indicated contrasting nutrient immobilization and mineralization sites and sources for soil organic matter formation.     

广西主要树种(组)异速生长模型及森林生物量特征

基于广西11类主要树种(组)5个龄组(245株样木、345块样地)的生物量实测调查,建立了各树种(组)的生物量优化异速生长模型,探讨广西森林生态系统总生物量及不同森林类型、不同龄组、不同层次的生物量组成与分配。结果表明:(1)广西11类树种(组)叶、枝、干、根、全株生物量(除了杉树叶、桉树叶生物量)、地上-地下、胸径-树高的优化回归模型均为幂函数,经t检验均达到显著水平(P0.05),其中11类树种(组)以全株生物量的模拟效果最好;(2)广西森林总生物量为1425.37 Tg,平均生物量为105.36 Mg/hm2,各森林类型总生物量为松树林(366.14 Tg)硬阔(291.08 Tg)软阔(239.75 Tg)石山林(165.51 Tg)杉木林(164.01 Tg)桉树林(99.55 Tg)栎类(46.34 Tg)八角林(20.21 Tg)油茶林(19.59 Tg)竹林(13.19 Tg),均随年龄的增加而增加,各层次生物量均以乔木层占绝对优势,所占比例为78.30%—97.47%,各龄组地上生物量均大于地下生物量;(3)考虑统计学与实际应用之间的平衡及异速生长模型的可解释量、回归系数的显著性,以胸径为变量的生物量模型能有效估算广西主要树种(组)各器官及总生物量;(4)优化筛选的广西各树种(组)的地上-地下优化异速生长模型及推算的地上-地下生物量比,对于估计广西森林地下生物量具有重要参考价值。     

The impact of co‐occurring tree and grassland species on carbon sequestration and potential biofuel production

We evaluated how three co‐occurring tree and four grassland species influence potentially harvestable biofuel stocks and above‐ and belowground carbon pools. After 5 years, the tree Pinus strobus had 6.5 times the amount of aboveground harvestable biomass as another tree Quercus ellipsoidalis and 10 times that of the grassland species. P. strobus accrued the largest total plant carbon pool (1375 g C m^?2 or 394 g C m^?2 yr), while Schizachyrium scoparium accrued the largest total plant carbon pool among the grassland species (421 g C m^?2 or 137 g C m^?2 yr). Quercus ellipsoidalis accrued 850 g C m^?2, Q. macrocarpa 370 g C m^?2, Poa pratensis 390 g C m^?2, Solidago canadensis 132 g C m^?2, and Lespedeza capitata 283 g C m^?2. Only P. strobus and Q. ellipsoidalis significantly sequestered carbon during the experiment. Species differed in total ecosystem carbon accumulation from ?21.3 to +169.8 g C m^?2 yr compared with the original soil carbon pool. Plant carbon gains with P. strobus were paralleled by a decrease of 16% in soil carbon and a nonsignificant decline of 9% for Q. ellipsoidalis. However, carbon allocation differed among species, with P. strobus allocating most aboveground in a disturbance prone aboveground pool, whereas Q. ellipsoidalis, allocated most carbon in less disturbance sensitive belowground biomass. These differences have strong implications for terrestrial carbon sequestration and potential biofuel production. For P. strobus, aboveground plant carbon harvest for biofuel would result in no net carbon sequestration as declines in soil carbon offset plant carbon gains. Conversely the harvest of Q. ellipsoidalis aboveground biomass would result in net sequestration of carbon belowground due to its high allocation belowground, but would yield lower amounts of aboveground biomass. Our results demonstrate that plant species can differentially impact ecosystem carbon pools and the distribution of carbon above and belowground.     

Stand density and species richness affect carbon storage and net primary productivity in early and late successional temperate forests differently

How stand density and species richness affect carbon (C) storage and net primary productivity (NPP) changes with forest succession is poorly understood. We quantified the C storage of trees and the aboveground NPP in an early successional secondary birch forest (birch forest) and a late successional mixed broadleaf-Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) forest (mixed forest) in northeastern China. We found that: 1) tree C storage in the mixed forest (120.3 Mg C ha^?1) was significantly higher than that in the birch forest (78.5 Mg C ha^?1), whereas the aboveground NPP was not different between the two forest types; and 2) only stand density had a positive linear relationship with tree C storage and aboveground NPP in the birch forest. In the mixed forest, both tree C storage and aboveground NPP were significantly affected by the combination of the stand density and species richness. The tree C storage to stand density and species richness relationships were hump-shaped. The aboveground NPP increased with increasing stand density, but its relationship to species richness was hump-shaped. We conclude that the effect of stand density and species richness on tree C storage and aboveground NPP was influenced by forest stand succession, and such effects should be considered in studying stand density- and species richness- ecosystem function (e.g., C storage and NPP) relationships in temperate forest ecosystems.     

东北地区两种主要造林树种生态系统固碳潜力

自从1980年,我国开展了一系列举世瞩目的造林工程,增加了森林面积3亿hm2。造林后生态系统有机碳库的微小变化都显著影响大气碳库,对全球碳素循环和平衡起着重要的作用。研究了退耕还林不同年限长白落叶松林的植被、凋落物和土壤碳库的变化规律,并且选择可比性较强的退耕还红松林、退耕还草和红松原始林作为参照,分析总结了退耕还林对生态系统储碳能力和碳循环的影响。结果表明,退耕还林后生态系统的植被、凋落物碳储量随退耕还林年限增加而增加:从退耕3a到33a,植被和凋落物碳储量分别从4.134、0Mg/hm2增加到74.11、11.31Mg/hm2。土壤碳储量则是先降低再增加:在还林初期的12a里,土壤碳密度降低到最小量75.87Mg/hm2,随后逐渐恢复和积累,21a后,土壤碳密度恢复到农田的水平84.28Mg/hm2,随后土壤碳密度出现净积累。在长白山地区,退耕3、12、22a和33a长白落叶松、33a红松生态系统的碳储量分别是81.778、114.488、130.004、187.255Mg/hm2和178.580Mg/hm2。长白落叶松的固碳能力随林龄而增加,两种主要造林树种(长白落叶松和红松)的生态系统的固碳潜力没有显著差异。长期来看(如250a),生态系统碳库存的能力非常大(269.57Mg/hm2)。这种状况表明,在长白山地区退耕还林后,生态系统长期来看是一个可观的碳汇。     

Carbon Accumulation Patterns During Post-Fire Succession in Cajander Larch (Larix cajanderi) Forests of Siberia

Increased fire activity within boreal forests could affect global terrestrial carbon (C) stocks by decreasing stand age or altering tree recruitment, leading to patterns of forest regrowth that differ from those of pre-fire stands. To improve our understanding of post-fire C accumulation patterns within boreal forests, we evaluated above- and belowground C pools within 17 Cajander larch (Larix cajanderi) stands of northeastern Siberia that varied in both years since fire and stand density. Early-successional stands (<20-year old) exhibited low larch recruitment, and consequently, low density, aboveground larch biomass, and aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP_tree). Mid-successional stands (21- to 70-year old) were even-aged with considerable variability in stand density. High-density mid-successional stands had 21 times faster rates of ANPP_tree than low-density stands (252 vs. 12?g?C?m^?2?y^?1) and 26 times more C in aboveground larch biomass (2,186 vs. 85?g?C?m^?2). Density had little effect on total soil C pools. During late-succession (>70-year old), aboveground larch biomass, ANPP_tree, and soil organic layer C pools increased with stand age. These stands were low density and multi-aged, containing both mature trees and new recruits. The rapid accumulation of aboveground larch biomass in high-density, mid-successional stands allowed them to obtain C stocks similar to those in much older low-density stands (~8,000?g?C?m^?2). If fire frequency increases without altering stand density, landscape-level C storage could decline, but if larch density also increases, large aboveground C pools within high-density stands could compensate for a shorter successional cycle.     

Variation in biomass and carbon storage by stand age in pine (Pinus tabulaeformis) planted ecosystem in Mt. Taiyue,Shanxi, China

Forest ecosystems play dominant roles in global carbon budget because of the large quantities stored in live biomass, detritus, and soil organic matter. Researchers in various countries have investigated regional and continental scale patterns of carbon (C) stocks in forest ecosystems; however, the relationship between stand age in different components (vegetation, forest floor detritus, and mineral soil) and C storage and sequestration remains poorly understood. In this paper, we assessed an age sequence of 18-, 20-, 25-, 38-, and 42-year-old Pinus tabulaeformis planted by analyzing the vertical distribution of different components biomass with similar site conditions on Mt. Taiyue, Shanxi, China. The results showed that biomass of P. tabulaeformis planted stands was ranged from 88.59 Mg ha^?1 for the 25-year-old stand to 231.05 Mg ha^?1 for the 42-year-old stand and the major biomass was in the stems. Biomass of the ground vegetation varied from 0.51 to 1.35 Mg C ha^?1 between the five stands. The forest floor biomass increased with increasing stand age. The mean C concentration of total tree was 49.94%, which was higher than C concentrations of ground vegetation and forest floor. Different organs of trees C concentration were between 54.14% and 47.74%. C concentrations stored in the mineral soil for each stand experienced decline with increasing soil depth, but were age-independent. Total C storage of five planted forests ranged from 122.15 to 229.85 Mg C ha^?1, of which 51.44–68.38% of C storage was in the soil and 28.46–45.21% in vegetation. The study provided not only with an estimation biomass of P. tabulaeformis planted forest in Mt. Taiyue, Shanxi, China, but also with accurately estimating forest C storage at ecosystem scale.     

Carbon and nitrogen dynamics in a Pinus densiflora forest with low and high stand densities

Aims Understanding carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics and their dependence on the stand density of an even-aged, mature forest provides knowledge that is important for forest management. This study investigated the differences in ecosystem total C and N storage and flux between a low-density stand (LD) and a high-density stand (HD) and examined the effects of stand density on aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), total belowground C allocation (TBCA) and net ecosystem production (NEP) in a naturally regenerated, 65- to 75-year-old Pinus densiflora S. et Z. forest.Methods LD (450 trees ha^-1) and HD (842 trees ha^-1) were established in an even-aged, mature P. densiflora forest in September 2006. The forest had been naturally regenerated following harvesting, and the stand density was naturally maintained without any artificial management such as thinning. The diameter at breast height (DBH ≥ 5.0cm) of all live stems within the stands was measured yearly from 2007 to 2011. To compare C and N storage and fluxes in LD and HD, C and N pools in aboveground and belowground biomass, the forest floor, coarse woody debris (CWD) and soil; soil CO₂ efflux (R S); autotrophic respiration (R A); litter production; and soil N availability were measured. Further, ANPP, TBCA and NEP were estimated from plot-based measurement data.Important findings Ecosystem C (Mg C ha^-1) and N (Mg N ha^-1) storage was, respectively, 173.0±7.3 (mean ± SE) and 4.69±0.30 for LD and 162±11.8 and 4.08±0.18 for HD. There were no significant differences in C and N storage in the ecosystem components, except for soils, between the two stands. In contrast, there were significant differences in aboveground ANPP and TBCA between the two stands (P < 0.05). Litterfall, biomass increment and R S were major C flux components with values of, respectively, 3.89, 3.74 and 9.07 Mg C ha^-1 year^-1 in LD and 3.15, 2.94 and 7.06 Mg C ha^-1 year^-1 in HD. Biometric-based NEP (Mg C ha^-1 year^-1) was 4.18 in LD and 5.50 in HD. Although the even-aged, mature P. densiflora forest had similar C and N allocation patterns, it showed different C and N dynamics depending on stand density. The results of the current study will be useful for elucidating the effects of stand density on C and N storage and fluxes, which are important issues in managing natural mature forest ecosystems.     

Allometry and biomass of Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) in central Korea

Aboveground tree biomass of Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc.) was determined for a natural forest of Korean pine and mixed deciduous trees and seven age classes of plantation forests in central Korea. Regression analyses of the dry weights of stem wood, stem bark, branches, and needles versus diameter at breast height were used to calculate regression equations of the form of log Y = a + b log X. Biomass of Korean pine in the mixed forest was 118 Mg ha(-1), and biomass in the plantations was linearly related to stand age, ranging from 52.3 Mg ha(-1) in 11 to 20-year-old stands to 317.9 Mg ha(-1) in 71 to 80-year-old stands. The proportions of stem wood and stem bark in the total aboveground biomass decreased with stand age while those of branch and needle increased. Specific leaf area of Korean pine ranging from 35.2 to 52.1 cm2 g(-1) was significantly different among crown positions and needle ages; in general, lower crown position and current needles had the greatest surface area per unit dry weight.     

An Analysis of Vegetation Restoration on Opencast Oil Shale Mines in Estonia

We compared four types of 30‐year‐old forest stands growing on spoil of opencast oil shale mines in Estonia. The stand types were: (1) natural stands formed by spontaneous succession, and plantations of (2) Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine), (3) Betula pendula (silver birch), and (4) Alnus glutinosa (European black alder). In all stands we measured properties of the tree layer (species richness, stand density, and volume of growing stock), understory (density and species richness of shrubs and tree saplings), and ground vegetation (aboveground biomass, species richness, and species diversity). The tree layer was most diverse though sparse in the natural stands. Understory species richness per 100‐m² plot was highest in the natural stand, but total stand richness was equal in the natural and alder stands, which were higher than the birch and pine stands. The understory sapling density was lower than 50 saplings/100 m² in the plantations, while it varied between 50 and 180 saplings/100 m² in the natural stands. Growing stock volume was the least in natural stands and greatest in birch stands. The aboveground biomass of ground vegetation was highest in alder stands and lowest in the pine stands. We can conclude that spontaneous succession promotes establishment of diverse vegetation. In plantations the establishment of diverse ground vegetation depends on planted tree species.     

Elevation effects on the carbon budget of tropical mountain forests (S Ecuador): the role of the belowground compartment

Carbon storage and sequestration in tropical mountain forests and their dependence on elevation and temperature are not well understood. In an altitudinal transect study in the South Ecuadorian Andes, we tested the hypotheses that (i) aboveground net primary production (ANPP) decreases continuously with elevation due to decreasing temperatures, whereas (ii) belowground productivity (BNPP) remains constant or even increases with elevation due to a shift from light to nutrient limitation of tree growth. In five tropical mountain forests between 1050 and 3060 m a.s.l., we investigated all major above‐ and belowground biomass and productivity components, and the stocks of soil organic carbon (SOC). Leaf biomass, stemwood mass and total aboveground biomass (AGB) decreased by 50% to 70%, ANPP by about 70% between 1050 and 3060 m, while stem wood production decreased 20‐fold. Coarse and large root biomass increased slightly, fine root biomass fourfold, while fine root production (minirhizotron study) roughly doubled between 1050 and 3060 m. The total tree biomass (above‐ and belowground) decreased from about 320 to 175 Mg dry mass ha^?1, total NPP from ca. 13.0 to 8.2 Mg ha^?1 yr^?1. The belowground/aboveground ratio of biomass and productivity increased with elevation indicating a shift from light to nutrient limitation of tree growth. We propose that, with increasing elevation, an increasing nitrogen limitation combined with decreasing temperatures causes a large reduction in stand leaf area resulting in a substantial reduction of canopy carbon gain toward the alpine tree line. We conclude that the marked decrease in tree height, AGB and ANPP with elevation in these mountain forests is caused by both a belowground shift of C allocation and a reduction in C source strength, while a temperature‐induced reduction in C sink strength (lowered meristematic activity) seems to be of secondary importance.     

Effectiveness of soil N availability indices in predicting site productivity in the oil sands region of Alberta

Background and aims

Quantitative relationships between soil N availability indices and tree growth are lacking in the oil sands region of Alberta and this can hinder the development of guidelines for the reclamation of the disturbed landscape after oil sands extraction. The aim of this paper was to establish quantitative relationships between soil N availability indices and tree growth in the oil sands region of Alberta.

Methods

In situ N mineralization rates, in situ N availability measured in the field using Plant Root Simulators (PRS? probes), laboratory aerobic and anaerobic soil N mineralization rates, and soil C/N and N content were determined for both the forest floor and the 0–20?cm mineral soil in eight jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) stands in the oil sands region in northern Alberta. Tree growth rates were determined based on changes in tree ring width in the last 6?years and as mean annual aboveground biomass increment.

Results

Soil N availability indices across those forest stands varied and for each stand it was several times higher in the forest floor than in the mineral soil. The in situ and laboratory aerobic and anaerobic soil N mineralization rates, soil mineralized N, in situ N availability measured using PRS probes, soil C/N ratio and N content in both the forest floor and mineral soil, as well as stand age were linearly correlated with tree ring width of jack pine trees across the selected forest stands, consistent with patterns seen in other published studies and suggesting that N availability could be a limiting factor in the range of jack pine stands studied.

Conclusions

In situ and laboratory aerobic and anaerobic N mineralization rates and soil C/N ratio and N content can be used for predicting tree growth in jack pine forests in the oil sand region. Laboratory based measurements such as aerobic and anaerobic N mineralization rates and soil C/N ratio and N content would be preferable as they are more cost effective and equally effective for predicting jack pine growth.     

Effects of soil physicochemical properties and stand age on fine root biomass and vertical distribution of plantation forests in the Loess Plateau of China

The responses of aboveground parts of the forest to changes in environmental factors and stand age is well studied, but the same is not true for the belowground parts of the forest. Two plantation black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) forest sites were taken in the Loess Plateau of China, one in the drier, infertile, more sandy area of the middle Loess Plateau, and another in the wetter, fertile, more clay-filled area of the southern Loess Plateau. At each site, both a younger (8-year-old) plantation stand and an older (30-year-old) plantation stand were included to study the effects of soil physicochemical properties and stand age on the fine root (<2?mm) biomass and vertical distribution of black locust forests. Root samples were taken with soil cores to a depth of 100?cm. The fine root biomass decreased from the middle site to the southern site for both stand ages, as expected, and the decrease could be due to a higher fine root N concentration associated with a higher fine root turnover rate at the southern site. There was a similar rooting pattern, though not deeper, in the drier, sandy site as predicted based on soil water infiltration and evaporation demands. The different effects of stand characters (e.g., tree density, tree height) on the fine root distribution as compared with the environmental properties may contribute partly to the similar pattern found in the two sites. The fine root biomass increased with stand age in both sites. In contrast to the evident difference in fine root biomass, there was no clear trend in the fine root vertical distribution pattern with stand age. Our results indicate that fine roots are likely to respond to changes in soil physicochemical properties and stand age by changing fine root biomass rather than by varying rooting pattern.     

关帝山林区退化灌木林转变为华北落叶松林对生态系统碳储量的影响

针对我国大量灌木林出现退化而宜林地又日益减少的现状,在适宜种植乔木的地区,将退化灌木林转变为乔木林被认为是一种可行的植被恢复方式。以关帝山林区退化灌木次生林转变而成的不同林龄（10、18、23、27年和35年）华北落叶松（Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr.）林为研究对象,并以相邻的退化灌木次生林为对照,探究这种转变对生态系统碳储量及其组分的影响,将为我国开展造林/再造林、林业碳汇项目等工作提供科学依据和数据支撑。与灌木林相比,造林初期的生态系统碳储量及其组分均出现不同程度的下降。10年生华北落叶松林的生态系统碳储量相对于灌木林显著下降了32.9%（P < 0.05）,但并非所有组分的下降都显著（P < 0.05）。植被碳储量下降34.7%,其植被地上和地下碳储量分别下降5.4%和70.9%,但只有植被地下碳储量是显著减少的（P < 0.05）;凋落物碳储量下降42.8%,但并不显著（P=0.71）;土壤有机碳储量（0-50 cm）显著下降32.6%（P < 0.05）,其不同土层（0-10、10-30 cm和30-50 cm）的碳储量也都出现显著减少（P < 0.05）。林龄从10年到35年,华北落叶松林生态系统碳储量增加了1.6倍,植被及其组成（地上和地下）、凋落物、土壤有机碳及其不同土层（0-10、10-30 cm和30-50 cm）等的碳储量也随之不断增加,从而使得生态系统碳储量及其组分逐渐达到并全面超过灌木林。但是,不同组分要达到灌木林的碳储量水平,需要的时间存在较大差异：土壤有机碳库 > 植被地下碳库 > 植被地上碳库,其中深层土壤有机碳 > 表层土壤有机碳（0-10 cm）。     

Long‐term changes in forest carbon under temperature and nitrogen amendments in a temperate northern hardwood forest

Currently, forests in the northeastern United States are net sinks of atmospheric carbon. Under future climate change scenarios, the combined effects of climate change and nitrogen deposition on soil decomposition, aboveground processes, and the forest carbon balance remain unclear. We applied carbon stock, flux, and isotope data from field studies at the Harvard forest, Massachusetts, to the ForCent model, which integrates above‐ and belowground processes. The model was able to represent decadal‐scale measurements in soil C stocks, mean residence times, fluxes, and responses to a warming and N addition experiment. The calibrated model then simulated the longer term impacts of warming and N deposition on the distribution of forest carbon stocks. For simulation to 2030, soil warming resulted in a loss of soil organic matter (SOM), decreased allocation to belowground biomass, and gain of aboveground carbon, primarily in large wood, with an overall small gain in total system carbon. Simulated nitrogen addition resulted in a small increase in belowground carbon pools, but a large increase in aboveground large wood pools, resulting in a substantial increase in total system carbon. Combined warming and nitrogen addition simulations showed a net gain in total system carbon, predominately in the aboveground carbon pools, but offset somewhat by losses in SOM. Hence, the impact of continuation of anthropogenic N deposition on the hardwood forests of the northeastern United States may exceed the impact of warming in terms of total ecosystem carbon stocks. However, it should be cautioned that these simulations do not include some climate‐related processes, different responses from changing tree species composition. Despite uncertainties, this effort is among the first to use decadal‐scale observations of soil carbon dynamics and results of multifactor manipulations to calibrate a model that can project integrated aboveground and belowground responses to nitrogen and climate changes for subsequent decades.