Distribution patterns of tree,understorey, and detritus biomass in coniferous and broad-leaved forests of Western Himalaya,India

Forest biomass pools are the major reservoirs of atmospheric carbon in both coniferous and broad-leaved forest ecosystems and thus play an important role in regulating the regional and global carbon cycle. In this study, we measured the biomass of trees, understorey, and detritus in temperate (coniferous and broad-leaved) forests of Kashmir Himalaya. Total ecosystem dry biomass averaged 234.2 t/ha (ranging from 99.5 to 305.2 t/ha) across all the forest stands, of which 223 t/ha (91.9–283.2 t/ha) were stored in above- and below-ground biomass of trees, 1.3 t/ha (0.18–3.3 t/ha) in understorey vegetation (shrubs and herbaceous), and 9.9 t/ha (4.8–20.9 t/ha) in detritus (including standing and fallen dead trees, and forest floor litter). Among all the forests, the highest tree, understorey, and detritus biomass were observed in mid-altitude Abies pindrow and Pinus wallichiana coniferous forests, whereas the lowest were observed in high-altitude Betula utilis broad-leaved forests. Basal area has showed significant positive relationship with biomass (R² = 0.84–0.97, P < 0.001) and density (R² = 0.49–0.87). The present study will improve our understanding of distribution of biomass (trees, understorey, and detritus) in coniferous and broad-leaved forests and can be used in forest management activities to enhance C sequestration.     

Soil carbon stock assessment in the tropical dry deciduous forest of the Sathanur reserve forest of Eastern Ghats,India

Climate change and carbon mitigation through forest ecosystems are some of the important topics in global perspective. Tropical dry forests are one of the most widely distributed ecosystems in tropics, which remain neglected in research. The soil organic carbon (SOC) stock was quantified on a large scale (30 1-ha plots) in the dry deciduous forest of the Sathanur reserve forest of Eastern Ghats. The SOC stock ranged from 16.92 to 44.65 Mg/ha with a mean value of 28.26 ± 1.35 Mg/ha. SOC exhibited a negative trend with an increase in soil depth. A significant positive correlation was obtained between SOC stocks and vegetation characteristics viz. tree density, shrub basal area, and herb species richness, while a significant negative correlation was observed with bulk density. The variation in SOC stock among the plots obtained in the present study could be due to differences in tree abundance, herb species richness, shrub basal area, soil pH, soil bulk density, soil texture etc. The present study generates a large-scale baseline data of dry deciduous forest SOC stock, which would facilitate SOC stock assessment at the national level as well as to understand its contribution on a global scale.     

Organic carbon storage in trees within different Geopositions of Chittagong （South） forest division,Bangladesh

The organic carbon storage in trees and organic carbon flow with geoposition of trees was estimated in the forest area of Chittagong （South） Forest Division within geo-position 91°47′ and 92°15′ East longitude and 21°45′ and 22°30′ North latitude. The study was conducted through stratified random sampling by identifying each sampling point through Global Positioning System （GPS）. It was found that above ground organic carbon storage （t/hm^2）, below ground organic carbon （t/hm^2） and total biomass organic carbon （t/hm^2） was respectively the highest in Dipterocarpus turbinatus （Garjan） （7.9, 1.18 and 9.08 t/hm^2） followed by Tectona grandis （Teak） （5.66, 0.85 and 6.51 t/hm^2）, Artocarpus chaplasha （Chapalish） （2.32, 0.34 and 2.66 t/hm^2）, Artocarpus lacucha （Batta） （1.97, 0.29 and 2.26 t/hm^2） and Artocarpus heterophyllus （Jackfruit） （1.7,0.25 and 2.26 t/hm^2）. From the study it was revealed that organic carbon stock was the highest （142.7 t/hm^2） in the geo-position 22° Latitude and 92° Longitude and was the lowest （4.42 t/hm^2） in the geo-position 21° 50′ Latitude and 92° 2.5′ Longitude. The forest of the study area is a good reservoir of organic carbon so has a good capacity to sequester organic carbon from the atmosphere. Sustainable forest management may help to sequester more organic carbon so that economic benefit for the country and environmental benefit in the international arena are possible from the study area.     

Description of a new procedure to estimate the carbon stocks of all forest pools and impact assessment of methodological choices on the estimates

Forest ecosystems play a major role in atmospheric carbon sequestration and emission. Comparable organic carbon stock estimates at temporal and spatial scales for all forest pools are needed for scientific investigations and political purposes. Therefore, we developed a new carbon stock (CS) estimation procedure that combines forest inventory and soil and litter geodatabases at a regional scale (southern Belgium). This procedure can be implemented in other regions and countries on condition that available external carbon soil and litter data can be linked to forest inventory plots. The presented procedure includes a specific CS estimation method for each of the following forest pools and subpools (in brackets): living biomass (aboveground and belowground), deadwood (dead trees and snags, coarse woody debris and stumps), litter, and soil. The total CS of the forest was estimated at 86 Tg (185 Mg ha^?1). Soil up to 0.2 m depth, living biomass, litter, and deadwood CSs account, respectively, for 48, 47, 4, and 1 % of the total CS. The analysis of the CS variation within the pools across ecoregions and forest types revealed in particular that: (1) the living biomass CS of broadleaved forests exceeds that of coniferous forests, (2) the soil and litter CSs of coniferous forest exceed those of broadleaved forests, and (3) beech stands come at the top in carbon stocking capacity. Because our estimates differ sometimes significantly from the previous studies, we compared different methods and their impacts on the estimates. We demonstrated that estimates may vary highly, from ?16 to +12 %, depending on the selected methods. Methodological choices are thus essential especially for estimating CO₂ fluxes by the stock change approach. The sources of error and the accuracy of the estimates were discussed extensively.     

Assessment of Carbon Balance in Community Forests in Dolakha, Nepal

This study assessed the net above-ground carbon stock in six community forests in the Dolakha district, Nepal. A survey was conducted of above-ground timber species, using random sampling. A tree-ring chronology for Pinus roxburghii was created to construct a growth model representative of the various mainly-pine species. The allometric model combined with tree ring analysis was used to estimate carbon stock and annual growth in the above-ground tree biomass. The out-take of forest biomass for construction material and fuelwood was estimated on the basis of interviews and official records of community forest user groups. The average annual carbon increment of the community forests was 2.19 ton/ha, and the average annual carbon out-take of timber and fuelwood was 0.25 ton/ha. The net average carbon balance of 1.94 ton/ha was equivalent to 117.44 tons of carbon per community forest annually. All the community forests were actively managed leading to a sustainable forest institution, which acts as a carbon sink. It is concluded that community forests have the potential to reduce emissions by avoiding deforestation and forest degradation, enhance forest carbon sink and improve livelihoods for local communities.     

Relationship between carbon stocks and tree species diversity in a humid Guinean savanna landscape in northern Sierra Leone

Global sustainable development goals include reducing greenhouse gas emissions from land-use change and maintaining biodiversity. Many studies have examined carbon stocks and tree species diversity, but few have studied the humid Guinean savanna ecosystem. This study focuses on a humid savanna landscape in northern Sierra Leone, aiming to assess carbon stocks and tree species diversity and compare their relationships in different vegetation types. We surveyed 160 sample plots (0.1 ha) in the field for tree species, aboveground carbon (AGC) and soil organic carbon (SOC). In total, 90 tree species were identified in the field. Gmelina arborea, an exotic tree species common in the foothills of the Kuru Hills Forest Reserve, and Combretum glutinosum, Pterocarpus erinaceous and Terminaria glaucescens, which are typical savanna trees, were the most common species. At landscape level, the mean AGC stock was 29.4 Mg C ha^?1 (SD 21.3) and mean topsoil (0–20 cm depth) SOC stock was 42.2 Mg C ha^?1 (SD 20.6). Mean tree species richness and Shannon index per plot were 7 (SD 4) and 1.6 (SD 0.6), respectively. Forests and woodlands had significantly higher mean AGC and tree species richness than bushland, wooded grassland or cropland (p < 0.05). In the forest and bushland, a small number of large diameter trees covered a large portion of the total AGC stocks. Furthermore, a moderate linear correlation was observed between AGC and tree species richness (r = 0.475, p < 0.001) and AGC and Shannon index (r = 0.375, p < 0.05). The correlation between AGC and SOC was weak (r = 0.17, p < 0.05). The results emphasise the role of forests and woodlands and large diameter trees in retaining AGC stocks and tree species diversity in the savanna ecosystem.     

How much carbon can the Siberian boreal taiga store: a case study of partitioning among the above-ground and soil pools

In the context of global carbon cycle management, accurate knowledge of carbon content in forests is a relevant issue in contemporary forest ecology. We measured the above-ground and soil carbon pools in the darkconiferous boreal taiga. We compared measured carbon pools to those calculated from the forest inventory records containing volume stock and species composition data. The inventory data heavily underestimated the pools in the study area(Stolby State Nature Reserve, central Krasnoyarsk Territory, Russian Federation). The carbon pool estimated from the forest inventory data varied from 25(t ha-1)(low-density stands) to 73(t ha-1)(highly stocked stands). Our estimates ranged from 59(t ha-1)(lowdensity stands) to 147(t ha-1)(highly stocked stands). Our values included living trees, standing deadwood, living cover, brushwood and litter. We found that the proportion of biomass carbon(living trees): soil carbon varied from99:1 to 8:2 for fully stocked and low-density forest stands,respectively. This contradicts the common understanding that the biomass in the boreal forests represents only16–20 % of the total carbon pool, with the balance being the soil carbon pool.     

不同密度马尾松人工林生态系统碳储量空间分布格局

对1 245、1 620、2 070株/hm2 3种密度的马尾松人工林生态系统碳储量及其空间分布格局进行了研究,结果表明,马尾松人工林乔木层碳储量随林分密度的增大而增大,分别为41.301、46.377和52.018 t/hm2,林下层碳储量差异不明显,分别为0.935、0.936和0.956 t/hm2,土壤层有机碳储量随林分密度的增大而减小,分别为107.895、98.472和87.040 t/hm2;马尾松人工林生态系统碳储量也随林分密度的增大而减小,分别为150.131、145.785、140.014 t/hm2,碳储量空间分布序列均为土壤层>乔木层>林下层。     

Carbon sequestration in Chir-Pine （Pinus roxburghii Sarg.） forests under various disturbance levels in Kumaun Central Himalaya

We studied variations in tree biomass and carbon sequestration rates of Chir Pine(Pinus roxburghii. Sarg.) forest in three categories of forest disturbance, protected, moderately disturbed, and highly disturbed. In the first year, total biomass was 14.7 t?ha-1 in highly disturbed site, 94.46 t?ha-1 in moderately disturbed forest, and 112.0 t?ha-1 in protected forest. The soil organic carbon in the top 20 cm of soil ranged from 0.63 to 1.2%. The total rate of carbon sequestration was 0.60(t/ha)·a-1on the highly disturbed site, 1.03(t/ha)·a-1 on the moderately disturbed site, and 4.3(t/ha)·a-1 on the protected site.     

国有北岭山林场生态公益林碳储量和碳密度研究

研究以小班为基本研究单元,按起源分林龄对广东省肇庆市国有北岭山林场生态公益林碳储 量进行了研究。国有北岭山林场乔木林总碳储量为 278.0×106kg,其中生态公益林碳储量为 244.9×106kg。生态公益林中天然林在不同林龄间的林分间平均碳密度不存在显著差异,范围（25.24±1.02）~ （28.01±1.69）×103 kg/hm2;而人工林则存在显著的差异,以 20~40 a 林龄的林分最大,为（34.22±2.77） ×103 kg/hm2,其次为大于 40 a 林龄的林分,为（23.34±0.72×103kg/hm2。在 20~40 a 林龄的生态公益林中,人工林平均碳密度显著大于天然林,但在大于 40 a 林龄的林分中,则显著小于天然林。     

Aboveground biomass and carbon stock in the largest sacred grove of Manipur,Northeast India

Aboveground biomass and carbon stock in the largest sacred grove of Manipur was estimated for trees with diameter [10 cm at 1.37 m height.The aboveground biomass,carbon stock,tree density and basal area of the sacred grove ranged from 962.94 to 1130.79 Mg ha~(-1),481.47 to 565.40 Mg ha~(-1) C,1240 to 1320 stem ha~(-1) and79.43 to 90.64 m~2 ha~(-1),respectively.Trees in diameter class of 30–40 cm contributed the highest proportion of aboveground biomass(22.50–33.73%).The aboveground biomass and carbon stock in research area were higher than reported for many tropical and temperate forests,suggesting a role of spiritual forest conservation for carbon sink management.     

Effect of land-use conversion from forest to cocoa agroforest on soil characteristics and quality of a Ferric Lixisol in lowland humid Ghana

Soil fertility decline caused by deforestation, soil degradation and low input use has become a primary factor limiting sustainable utilization of soil resources in cocoa agroforestry systems on acid soils in lowland humid Ghana. Changes in and responses of soil physico-chemical properties and soil quality to land-use change was investigated along a chronosequence of farm fields on a Ferric Lixisol in the Ashanti region of Ghana. Soil bulk density increased significantly only in the top 0–10 cm soil layer. Concentrations and stocks of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total N decreased significantly in the top 0–10 and 10–20 cm soil depths. By 30 years after forest conversion, cocoa system had re-accumulated up to 38.8 Mg C ha^?1 or 85 % of initial forest carbon stock values. Total porosity (%) decreased significantly in shaded-cocoa fields in comparison with the natural semi-deciduous forest. An assessment of soil deterioration using degradation indices (DIs) revealed that total soil quality (0–20 cm) deteriorated significantly (DI = –60.6) in 3-year-old of cocoa system but improved in 15 and 30-year-old systems. Available P stocks declined consistently while soil exchangeable Ca, K and Mg stocks as well as cation exchange capacity (CEC) and base saturation remained more or less stable with a tendency to improve. The inclusion of leguminous shade trees during early plantation development, development of mechanisms for the integration of cover crops and enhancement of farmer capability in improved farm management are required to maintain high C and nutrient base, minimize soil quality degradation during plantation development phase and sustain long-term productivity.     

北京市密云县冯家峪镇森林碳储量现状及潜力研究

针对密云县冯家峪镇9种典型森林类型,设置典型样地,开展乔木、灌木、草本、土壤和枯落物碳储量调查,并对增汇潜力进行分析。结果表明:1)冯家峪镇现有森林面积12 823.55hm2,总碳储量为692 141.73t;油松林的碳储量最高(195 806.52t),柞树林以144 831.77t次之,再次为落叶松人工林(74 597.60t)。2)冯家峪镇不同林分中,落叶松人工林的碳密度(72.02t/hm2)为最高,其次为油松人工林和刺槐人工林,分别为64.42t/hm2和62.87t/hm2,侧柏人工林的碳密度最低,为42.79t/hm2。在对总的碳密度的贡献中,乔木碳库和土壤碳库起着主要的作用。3)与全国森林植被碳储量平均水平(40.06t/hm2)相比,冯家峪镇森林通过合理经营其碳储量可增加潜力为166 400t。     

Variation of stem density and vegetation carbon pool in subtropical forests of Northwestern Himalaya

The present study was conducted in five forest types of subtropical zone in the Northwestern Himalaya, India. Three forest stands of 0.1 ha were laid down in each forest type to study the variation in vegetation carbon pool, stem density, and ecosystem carbon density. The stem density in the present study ranged from (483 to 417 trees ha^?1) and stem biomass from (262.40 to 39.97 tha^?1). Highest carbon storage (209.95 t ha^?1) was recorded in dry Shiwalik sal forest followed by Himalayan chir forest > chir pine plantation > lower Shiwalik pine forest > northern mixed dry deciduous forest. Maximum tree above ground biomass is observed in dry Shiwalik sal forests (301.78 t ha^?1), followed by upper Himalayan chir pine forests (194 t ha^?1) and lower in Shiwalik pine forests (138.73 t ha^?1). The relationship with stem volume showed the maximum adjusted r² (0.873), followed by total density (0.55) and average DBH (0.528). The regression equation of different parameters with shrub biomass showed highest r² (0.812) and relationship between ecosystem carbon with other parameters of different forest types, where cubic function with stem volume showed highest r² value of 0.873 through cubic functions. Our results suggest that biomass and carbon stocks in these subtropical forests vary greatly with forest type and species density. This variation among forests can be used as a tool for carbon credit claims under ongoing international conventions and protocols.     

Floristic diversity and carbon stocks in the periphery of Deng–Deng National Park,Eastern Cameroon

Carbon is continuously being removed from the atmosphere by photosynthesis and stored in carbon pools(live,dead,and soil carbon)of forest ecosystems.However,carbon stock in dead wood and of trees with diameters at breast height(dbh)between 5 and 10 cm is often not considered in many studies carried out in the Congo Basin Forest.The relationship between tree diversity,life-forms and carbon stocks has received little attention.This study was carried out on the outskirts of Deng Deng National Park(DDNP)to determine tree diversity(dominant families,species richness and Shannon index),assess carbon stocks in the five carbon compartments(living tree,understory,fine roots,dead wood and litter)as well as to analyze the relationship between(1)carbon stocks and tree diversity;and,(2)between carbon stock and life-forms.The Shannon index of trees≥10 cm dbh ranged from 2.6 in riparian forest to 4.3 in secondary forest;and for the tree between 5 and 10 cm,it ranged to 1.56 in riparian forest to 3.68 in the secondary forest.The study site housed 16 species,7 genera and 3 families which are only found in trees of dbh between 5 and 10 cm.The average total carbon stock of the five compartments varied from 200.1 t ha-1 in forest residues to 439.1 t ha-1 in secondary forest.Dead wood carbon stock varied from 1.2 t ha-1 in riparian forests to 12.51t ha-1 in agroforests.The above ground carbon stocks for trees with diameter between 5 and 10 cm varied from 0.7 t ha-1 in young fallow fields to 5.02 t ha-1 in old secondary forests.This study reveals a low but positive correlation between species richness and total carbon stocks,as well as a significant positive relationship between life-forms and total carbon stocks.The findings highlight the need for more data concerning carbon content of dead wood,carbon of trees≥5 cm<10 cm dbh and the relationship between carbon stocks and tree diversity from other areas of the Congo Basin for a good understanding of the contribution of tropical forests to climate change mitigation.     

湖南会同县杉木人工林管理碳汇的核算研究

[目的]通过制定森林管理参考水平,计量并核算森林管理活动的合格净碳汇清除量。[方法]采用核证减排标准中农业、林业和其他土地利用项目的自愿碳标准,选取其中改善森林管理的项目方法学标准,并结合不可抗力及湖南会同县的杉木人工林林地资源现状,进行计量和核算湖南会同县杉木人工林的合格碳汇量。该方法学标准包括4个碳库,即地上部分、地下部分、枯死木和木质林产品。[结果]对30年生和23年生杉木人工林进行森林管理活动后,林分碳储量变化量和碳汇量都有明显增加。森林管理参考水平在考虑皆伐的碳排放后的净碳汇量为-82.79 t二氧化碳当量·hm~(-2),30年生和23年生的总碳汇量分别为441.00、715.46 t二氧化碳当量;实际合格总碳汇量分别为606.59、881.06 t二氧化碳当量。[结论]不同的森林管理采伐强度对30年生和23年生林分碳汇量的影响差异显著。本文分别基于湖南会同森林生态实验站第1代杉木人工林建立参考水平和生态站2代杉木人工林制定参考水平核算会同县杉木人工林碳汇量,结果是基于后者参考水平核算的会同县杉木人工林合格的碳汇量比基于前者参考水平核算的多30 t二氧化碳当量·hm~(-2)。     

Allometry, biomass, and chemical content of Novel African Tulip Tree (Spathodea campanulata) Forests in Puerto Rico

The African tulip tree, Spathodea campanulata, the most common tree in Puerto Rico, forms novel forest types with mixtures of native and other introduced tree species. Novel forests increase in area in response to human activity and there is no information about their biomass accumulation and nutrient cycling. We established allometric relationships and chemically analyzed plant parts of African tulip trees to determine the concentration and standing stock of chemical elements (C, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Mn, Al, Fe, Na), and ash. Trees ranged in diameter at breast height from 8 to 85 cm and in height from 8.8 to 28 m. The concentrations of N, P, K, and Ca in leaves of the African tulip tree were similar to those of the native pioneer Cecropia schreberiana and higher than those of mature forest tree species in Puerto Rico. The over bark wood volume of African tulip trees in nine forest stands where it was dominant ranged from 163 to 849 m³/ha. Aboveground biomass ranged from 60 to 296 Mg/ha, and N and P stocks ranged from 190 to 988 and 32 to 137 kg/ha, respectively. Novel forests on abandoned agricultural lands can store more biomass and elements than native and plantation forest stands of similar age.     

Impact of Community Forest Management on Biomass Carbon Stocks in the Uatumã Sustainable Development Reserve,Amazonas, Brazil

Forest management can result in net losses of carbon stock. To quantify the impact of the management it is important to assess losses or gains of carbon, as well as the sustainability of the management system. This study quantified the impact management under a Small-Scale Sustainable Forest Management Plan, which is a recently created category of authorized management for small managers in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. Impact was quantified on the number of individuals, the biomass of natural regeneration, and the damage to the remaining trees 2 months after logging. The impact of these changes on carbon stock was estimated. The study was carried out in the Uatumã Sustainable Development Reserve, Amazonas, Brazil, where two areas of small-scale forest management and one control were evaluated. Average total carbon stock previous to logging was estimated at 161.25 ± 9.66 MgC ha^?1. Two months after logging, reductions were found of 3% in one managed area (MA1) and 8.3% in the other (MA3), including the carbon stock from the harvested timber. For each harvested tree, the logging caused damage to 12 trees in MA1 and four trees in MA3. The reductions in carbon stock and number of trees damaged per harvested tree were less than the reductions found for higher impact forest management and other experiences in community forest management. No significant alteration was found in the carbon stock of natural regeneration. However, there was an increase in the number of individuals, both in the logged areas and in their respective control areas.     

Carbon stock measurements of a degraded tropical logged-over secondary forest in Manokwari Regency, West Papua, Indonesia

Several studies have been conducted in the past on carbon stock measurements in the tropical forests of Indonesia.This study is the first related research conducted in the New Guinea Island.In a degraded logged-over secondary forest in Manokwari Regency (West Papua,Indonesia),carbon stocks were measured for seven parts,i.e.,above-ground biomass (AGB),below-ground biomass (BGB),under-storey biomass (B u),necromass of dead leaves (N l),necromass of dead trees (N t),litter (L) and soil (S) using appropriate equations and laboratory analysis.Total carbon stocks were measured at 642.8 tC·ha-1 in the low disturbance area,536.9 tC·ha-1 in the moderate disturbance area and 490.4 tC·ha-1 in the high disturbance area.B u,N l and N t were not significant in the carbon stock and were collectively categorized as a total biomass complex.The carbon stock of litter was nearly equal to that of the total biomass complex,while the total carbon stock in the soil was eight times larger than the total biomass complex or the carbon stock of the litter.We confirmed that the average ratio of AGB and BGB to the total biomass (TB) was about 84.7% and 15.3%,respectively.Improvements were made to the equations in the low disturbance logged-over secondary forest area,applying corrections to the amounts of biomass of sample trees,based on representative commercial trees of category one.TB stocks before and after correction were estimated to be 84.4 and 106.7 tC·ha-1,indicating that these corrections added significant amounts of tree biomass (26.4%) during the sampling procedure.In conclusion,the equations for tree biomass developed in this study,will be useful for evaluating total carbon stocks,especially TB stocks in logged-over secondary forests throughout the Papua region.