Below- and above-ground biomass and net primary production in a paleotropical natural forest (Sulawesi,Indonesia) as compared to neotropical forests

Data on the biomass and productivity of southeast Asian tropical forests are rare, making it difficult to evaluate the role of these forest ecosystems in the global carbon cycle and the effects of increasing deforestation rates in this region. In particular, more precise information on size and dynamics of the root system is needed. In six natural forest stands at pre-montane elevation (c. 1000 m a.s.l.) on Sulawesi (Indonesia), we determined above-ground biomass and the distribution of fine (d < 2 mm) and coarse roots (d > 2 mm), estimated above- and below-ground net production, and compared the results to literature data from other pre-montane paleo- and neotropical forests. The mean total biomass of the stands was 303 Mg ha⁻¹ (or 128 Mg C ha⁻¹), with the largest biomass fraction being recorded for the above-ground components (286 Mg ha⁻¹) and 11.2 and 5.6 Mg ha⁻¹ of coarse and fine root biomass (down to 300 cm in the soil profile), resulting in a remarkably high shoot:root ratio of c. 17. Fine root density in the soil profile showed an exponential decrease with soil depth that was closely related to the concentrations of base cations, soil pH and in particular of total P and N. The above-ground biomass of these stands was found to be much higher than that of pre-montane forests in the Neotropics, on average, but lower compared to other pre-montane forests in the Paleotropics, in particular when compared with dipterocarp forests in Malesia. The total above- and below-ground net primary production was estimated at 15.2 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ (or 6.7 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) with 14% of this stand total being invested below-ground and 86% representing above-ground net primary production. Leaf production was found to exceed net primary production of stem wood. The estimated above-ground production was high in relation to the mean calculated for pre-montane forests on a global scale, but it was markedly lower compared to data on dipterocarp forests in South-east Asia. We conclude that the studied forest plots on Sulawesi follow the general trend of higher biomasses and productivity found for paleotropical pre-montane forest compared to neotropical ones. However, biomass stocks and productivity appear to be lower in these Fagaceae-rich forests on Sulawesi than in dipterocarp forests of Malesia.     

Estimations of total ecosystem carbon pools distribution and carbon biomass current annual increment of a moist tropical forest

With increasing CO₂ in the atmosphere, there is an urgent need of reliable estimates of biomass and carbon pools in tropical forests, most especially in Africa where there is a serious lack of data. Information on current annual increment (CAI) of carbon biomass resulting from direct field measurements is crucial in this context, to know how forest ecosystems will affect the carbon cycle and also to validate eddy covariance flux measurements. Biomass data were collected from 25 plots of 13 ha spread over the different vegetation types and land uses of a moist evergreen forest of 772,066 ha in Cameroon. With site-specific allometric equations, we estimated biomass and aboveground and belowground carbon pools. We used GIS technology to develop a carbon biomass map of our study area. The CAI was estimated using the growth rates obtained from tree rings analysis. The carbon biomass was on average 264 ± 48 Mg ha⁻¹. This estimate includes aboveground carbon, root carbon and soil organic carbon down to 30 cm depth. This value varied from 231 ± 45 Mg ha⁻¹ of carbon in Agro-Forests to 283 ± 51 Mg ha⁻¹ of carbon in Managed Forests and to 278 ± 56 Mg ha⁻¹ of carbon in National Park. The carbon CAI varied from 2.54 ± 0.65 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in Agro-Forests to 2.79 ± 0.72 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in Managed Forests and to 2.85 ± 0.72 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in National Park. This study provides estimates of biomass, carbon pools and CAI of carbon biomass from a forest landscape in Cameroon as well as an appropriate methodology to estimate these components and the related uncertainty.     

Size, species, and fire behavior predict tree and liana mortality from experimental burns in the Brazilian Amazon

Anthropogenic understory fires have affected large areas of tropical forest in recent decades, particularly during severe droughts. Yet, the mechanisms that control fire-induced mortality of tropical trees and lianas remain ambiguous due to the challenges associated with documenting mortality given variation in fire behavior and forest heterogeneity. In a seasonally dry Amazon forest, we conducted a burn experiment to quantify how increasing understory fires alter patterns of stem mortality. From 2004 to 2007, tree and liana mortality was measured in adjacent 50-ha plots that were intact (B0 - control), burned once (B1), and burned annually for 3 years (B3). After 3 years, cumulative tree and liana mortality (≥1 cm dbh) in the B1 (5.8% yr⁻¹) and B3 (7.0% yr⁻¹) plots significantly exceeded mortality in the control (3.2% yr⁻¹). However, these fire-induced mortality rates are substantially lower than those reported from more humid Amazonian forests. Small stems were highly vulnerable to fire-induced death, contrasting with drought-induced mortality (measured in other studies) that increases with tree size. For example, one low-intensity burn killed >50% of stems <10 cm within a year. Independent of stem size, species-specific mortality rates varied substantially from 0% to 17% yr⁻¹ in the control, 0% to 26% yr⁻¹ in B1, and 1% to 23% yr⁻¹ in B3, with several species displaying high variation in their vulnerability to fire-induced mortality. Protium guianense (Burseraceae) exhibited the highest fire-induced mortality rates in B1 and B3, which were 10- and 9-fold greater than the baseline rate. In contrast, Aspidosperma excelsum (Apocynaceae), appeared relatively unaffected by fire (0.3% to 1.0% mortality yr⁻¹ across plots), which may be explained by fenestration that protects the inner concave trunk portions from fire. For stems ≥10 cm, both char height (approximating fire intensity) and number of successive burns were significant predictors of fire-induced mortality, whereas only the number of consecutive annual burns was a strong predictor for stems <10 cm. Three years after the initial burn, 62 ± 26 Mg ha⁻¹ (s.e.) of live biomass, predominantly stems <30 cm, was transferred to the dead biomass pool, compared with 8 ± 3 Mg ha⁻¹ in the control. This biomass loss from fire represents ∼30% of this forest's aboveground live biomass (192 (±3) Mg ha⁻¹; >1 cm DBH). Although forest transition to savanna has been predicted based on future climate scenarios, our results indicate that wildfires from agricultural expansion pose a more immediate threat to the current carbon stocks in Amazonian forests.     

Estimation of biomass and carbon stocks in plants,soil and forest floor in different tropical forests

An accurate characterization of tree carbon (TC), forest floor carbon (FFC) and soil organic carbon (SOC) in tropical forest plantations is important to estimate their contribution to global carbon stocks. This information, however, is poor and fragmented. Carbon contents were assessed in patula pine (Pinus patula) and teak (Tectona grandis) stands in tropical forest plantations of different development stages in combination with inventory assessments and soil survey information. Growth models were used to associate TOC to tree normal diameter (D) with average basal area and total tree height (H_T), with D and H_T parameters that can be used in 6–26 years old patula pine and teak in commercial tropical forests as indicators of carbon stocks. The information was obtained from individual trees in different development stages in 54 patula pine plots and 42 teak plots. The obtained TC was 99.6 Mg ha⁻¹ in patula pine and 85.7 Mg ha⁻¹ in teak forests. FFC was 2.3 and 1.2 Mg ha⁻¹, SOC in the surface layer (0–25 cm) was 92.6 and 35.8 Mg ha⁻¹, 76.1 and 19 Mg ha⁻¹ in deep layers (25–50 cm) in patula pine and teak, respectively. Carbon storage in trees was similar between patula pine and teak plantations, but patula pine had higher levels of forest floor carbon and soil organic carbon. Carbon storage in trees represents 37 and 60% of the total carbon content in patula pine and teak plantations, respectively. Even so, the remaining percentage corresponds to SOC, whereas FFC content is less than 1%. In summary, differences in carbon stocks between patula pine and teak trees were not significant, but the distribution of carbon differed between the plantation types. The low FFC does not explain the SOC stocks; however, current variability of SOC stocks could be related to variation in land use history.     

Tree height in Brazil's ‘arc of deforestation’: Shorter trees in south and southwest Amazonia imply lower biomass

This paper estimates the difference in stand biomass due to shorter and lighter trees in southwest (SW) and southern Amazonia (SA) compared to trees in dense forests in central Amazonia (CA). Forest biomass values used to estimate carbon emissions from deforestation throughout, Brazilian Amazonia will be affected by any differences between CA forests and those in the “arc of deforestation” where clearing activity is concentrated along the southern edge of the Amazon forest. At 12 sites (in the Brazilian states of Amazonas, Acre, Mato Grosso and Pará) 763 trees were felled and measurements were made of total height and of stem diameter. In CA dense forest, trees are taller at any given diameter than those in SW bamboo-dominated open, SW bamboo-free dense forest and SA open forests. Compared to CA, the three forest types in the arc of deforestation occur on more fertile soils, experience a longer dry season and/or are disturbed by climbing bamboos that cause frequent crown damage. Observed relationships between diameter and height were consistent with the argument that allometric scaling exponents vary in forests on different substrates or with different levels of natural disturbance. Using biomass equations based only on diameter, the reductions in stand biomass due to shorter tree height alone were 11.0, 6.2 and 3.6%, respectively, in the three forest types in the arc of deforestation. A prior study had shown these forest types to have less dense wood than CA dense forest. When tree height and wood density effects were considered jointly, total downward corrections to estimates of stand biomass were 39, 22 and 16%, respectively. Downward corrections to biomass in these forests were 76 Mg ha⁻¹ (∼21.5 Mg ha⁻¹ from the height effect alone), 65 Mg ha⁻¹ (18.5 Mg ha⁻¹ from height), and 45 Mg. ha⁻¹ (10.3 Mg ha⁻¹ from height). Hence, biomass stock and carbon emissions are overestimated when allometric relationships from dense forest are applied to SW or SA forest types. Biomass and emissions estimates in Brazil's National Communication under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change require downward corrections for both wood density and tree height.     

Ecosystem carbon storage and partitioning in a tropical seasonal forest in Southwestern China

Tropical forests play an important role in the global carbon cycle. Despite an increasing number of studies have addressed carbon storage in tropical forests, the regional variation in such storage remains poorly understood. Uncertainty about how much carbon is stored in tropical forests is an important limitation for regional-scale estimates of carbon fluxes and improving these estimates requires extensive field studies of both above- and belowground stocks. In order to assess the carbon pools of a tropical seasonal forest in Asia, total ecosystem carbon storage was investigated in Xishuangbanna, SW China. Averaged across three 1 ha plots, the total carbon stock of the forest ecosystem was 303 t C ha⁻¹. Living tree carbon stocks (both above- and belowground) ranged from 163 to 258 t C ha⁻¹. The aboveground biomass C pool is comparable to the Dipterocarp forests in Sumatra but lower than those in Malaysia. The variation of C storage in the tree layer among different plots was mainly due to different densities of large trees (DBH > 70 cm). The contributions of the shrub layer, herb layer, woody lianas, and fine litter each accounted for 1–2 t C ha⁻¹ to the total carbon stock. The mineral soil C pools (top 100 cm) ranged from 84 to 102 t C ha⁻¹ and the C in woody debris from 5.6 to 12.5 t C ha⁻¹, representing the second and third largest C component in this ecosystem. Our results reveal that a high percentage (70%) of C is stored in biomass and less in soil in this tropical seasonal forest. This study provides an accurate estimate of the carbon pool and the partitioning of C among major components in tropical seasonal rain forest of northern tropical Asia. Results from this study will enhance our ability to evaluate the role of these forests in regional C cycles and have great implications for conservation planning.     

Implications of fires on carbon budgets in Andean cloud montane forest: The importance of peat soils and tree resprouting

Fire in tropical montane cloud forests (TMCFs) is not as rare as once believed. Andean TMCFs sit immediately below highly flammable, high-altitude grasslands (Puna/Páramo) that suffer from recurrent anthropogenic fire. This treeline is a zone of climatic tension where substantial future warming is likely to force upward tree migrations, while increased fire presence and fire impacts are likely to force it downwards. TMCFs contain large carbon stocks in their peat soils and their loss through fire is a currently unaccounted for regional source of CO₂. This study, conducted in the southern Peruvian Andes (>2800 m), documents differences in live tree biomass, fine root biomass, fallen and standing dead wood, and soil organic carbon in 4 paired-sample plots (burned versus control) following the severe ground fires that occurred during the 2005 Andean drought. Peat soils contributed the most to biomass burning emissions, with lower values corresponding to an 89% mean stock difference compared to the controls (mean ± SE) (54.1 ± 22.3 vs. 5.8 ± 5.3 MgC ha⁻¹). Contrastingly, carbon stocks from live standing trees differed by a non-significant 37% lower value in the burned plots compared to the controls, largely compensated by vigorous resprouting (45.5 ± 17.4 vs. 69.2 ± 13.4 MgC ha⁻¹). Both standing dead trees and fallen dead wood were significantly higher in the burned plots with a three-fold difference from the controls: dead Trees 45.2 ± 9.4 vs. 16.4 ± 4.4 MgC ha⁻¹, and ca. a 2 fold difference for the fallen dead wood: 11.2 ± 5 vs. 6.7 ± 3.2 MgC ha⁻¹ for the burned plots versus their controls. A preliminary estimate of the regional contribution of biomass burning emissions from Andean TMCFs for the period 2000-2008, resulted in mean carbon emission rates of 1.3 TgC yr⁻¹ (max-min: 1.8-0.8 TgC yr⁻¹). This value is in the same order of magnitude than South American annual fire emissions (300 TgC yr⁻¹) suggesting the need for further research on Andean forest fires. On-going projects on the region are working on the promotion of landowner participation in TMCFs conservation through REDD+ mechanism. The heart of the proposed initiative is reforestation of degraded lands with green fire breaks enriched with economically valuable Andean plant species. The cultivation of these species may contribute to reduce deforestation pressure on the Amazonian cloud forest by providing an alternative income to local communities, at the same time that they prevent the spread of fire into Manu National Park and adjacent community-held forests, protecting forest and reducing CO₂ emissions.     

Soil carbon dynamics under young tropical secondary forests on former pastures—A case study from Panama

Secondary forests are gaining increased importance in tropical landscapes and have recently been reported to act as potential belowground carbon sinks. While economic interest in the management of secondary forests to mitigate carbon emissions is rising, the dynamics of soil carbon stocks under these ecosystems remain poorly understood. Recent studies report conflicting results concerning soil carbon trends as well as multiple confounding factors (e.g. soil type, topography and land-use history) affecting these trends. In this study, organic carbon stocks were measured in the mineral soil up to 20 cm depth of at 24 active pastures, 5-8-year-old, and 12-15-year-old secondary forest sites on former pastures. Additionally, we estimated carbon stocks under a 100-year-old secondary forest and compared them to those of nearby mature forests. Abiotic conditions in the study area were homogenous, enabling us to isolate the effect of land-use change on soil organic carbon stocks. Contrary to our expectations, soil carbon stocks in the top 10 cm did not change with young secondary forest development. Pasture soils stored 24.8 ± 2.9 Mg ha⁻¹ carbon (mean ± standard error) in the top 10 cm, and no accumulation of soil carbon was apparent during the first 15 years of secondary succession. Soil carbon stocks under 100-year-old secondary forests, averaging 43.0 ± 7.9 Mg ha⁻¹ (mean ± standard error), were clearly higher than those recorded at younger sites and approached levels of soil carbon stocks under mature forests. These data indicate that soil carbon stocks in this region of Panama are not affected by the land-use transition from pasture to young secondary regrowth. However, an increase of soil carbon storage might be possible over a longer period of time. Our results support trends observed in other tropical areas and highlight the importance of environmental conditions such as soil properties rather than land-use transitions on soil carbon dynamics. While our understanding of organic carbon dynamics in tropical soils remains limited, these results underscore the challenges of undertaking short-term reforestation projects with the expectation of increasing soil carbon sequestration.     

Tree diversity and carbon stocks of some major forest types of Garhwal Himalaya,India

Four forest stands each of twenty major forest types in sub-tropical to temperate zones (350 m asl–3100 m asl) of Garhwal Himalaya were studied. The aim of the study was to assess the stem density, tree diversity, biomass and carbon stocks in these forests and make recommendations for forest management based on priorities for biodiversity protection and carbon sequestration. Stem density ranged between 295 and 850 N ha⁻¹, while total biomass ranged from 129 to 533 Mg ha⁻¹. Total carbon storage ranged between 59 and 245 Mg ha⁻¹. The range of Shannon–Wiener diversity index was between 0.28 and 1.75. Most of the conifer-dominated forest types had higher carbon storage than broadleaf-dominated forest types. Protecting conifer-dominated stands, especially those dominated by Abies pindrow and Cedrus deodara, would have the largest impact, per unit area, on reducing carbon emissions from deforestation.     

Carbon pools and productivity in a 1-km heterogeneous forest and peatland mosaic in Minnesota,USA

Determining the magnitude of carbon (C) storage in forests and peatlands is an important step towards predicting how regional carbon balance will respond to climate change. However, spatial heterogeneity of dominant forest and peatland cover types can inhibit accurate C storage estimates. We evaluated ecosystem C pools and productivity in the Marcell Experimental Forest (MEF), in northern Minnesota, USA, using a network of plots that were evenly spaced across a heterogeneous 1-km² mosaic composed of a mix of upland forests and peatlands. Using a nested plot design, we estimated the standing C stock of vegetation, coarse detrital wood and soil pools. We also estimated aboveground net primary production (ANPP) as well as coarse root production. Additionally we evaluated how vegetation cover types within the study area differed in C storage. The total ecosystem C pool did not vary significantly among upland areas dominated by aspen (160 ± 13 Mg C ha⁻¹), mixed hardwoods (153 ± 19 Mg C ha⁻¹), and conifers (197 ± 23 Mg C ha⁻¹). Live vegetation accounted for approximately 50% of the total ecosystem C pool in these upland areas, and soil (including forest floor) accounted for another 35–40%, with remaining C stored as detrital wood. Compared to upland areas, total C stored in peatlands was much greater, 1286 ± 125 Mg C ha⁻¹, with 90–99% of that C found in peat soils that ranged from 1 to 5 m in depth. Forested areas ranged from 2.6 to 2.9 Mg C ha⁻¹ in ANPP, which was highest in conifer-dominated upland areas. In alder-dominated and black spruce-dominated peatland areas, ANPP averaged 2.8 Mg C ha⁻¹, and in open peatlands, ANPP averaged 1.5 Mg C ha⁻¹. In treed areas of forest and peatlands, our estimates of coarse root production ranged from 0.1 to 0.2 Mg C ha⁻¹. Despite the lower production in open peatlands, all peatlands have acted as long-term C sinks over hundreds to thousands of years and store significantly more C per unit area than is stored in uplands. Despite occupying only 13% of our study area, peatlands store almost 50% of the C contained within it. Because C storage in peatlands depends largely on climatic drivers, the impact of climate changes on peatlands may have important ramifications for C budgets of the western Great Lakes region.     

Estimating state-wide biomass carbon stocks for a REDD plan in Acre, Brazil

As in many other developing countries, the state government of Acre, Brazil, is developing a program for compensating forest holders (such as communities of rubber tappers and indigenous peoples as well as small, medium and large private land holders) reducing their emission of atmospheric heat-trapping gases by not deforesting. We describe and then apply to Acre a method for estimating carbon stocks by land cover type. We then compare the results of our simple method, which is based on vegetation mapping and ground-based samples, with other more technically demanding methods based on remote sensing. We estimated total biomass carbon stocks by multiplying the measured above-ground biomass of trees >10 cm DBH in each of 18 forest types and published estimates for non-forest areas, as determined by measurement of 44 plots throughout the state (ranging from 1 to 10 ha each), by land-cover area estimated using a geographical information system. State-wide, we estimated average above-ground biomass in forested areas to be 246 ± 90 Mg ha⁻¹; dense forest showed highest (322 ± 20 Mg ha⁻¹) and oligotrophic dwarf forest (campinarana) the lowest biomass (20 ± 30 Mg ha⁻¹). The two most widespread forest types in Acre, open canopy forests dominated by either palms and bamboo (for which ground-based data are scant), support an estimated 246 ± 44 and 224 ± 50 Mg ha⁻¹ of above-ground biomass, respectively. We calculate the total above-ground biomass of the 163,000 km² State of Acre to be 3.6 ± 0.8 Pg (non-forest biomass included). This estimate is very similar to two others generated using much more technologically demanding methods, but all three methods, regardless of sophistication, suffer from lack of field data.     

Recovery process of a mountain forest after shifting cultivation in Northwestern Vietnam

The recovery process of fallow stands in the mountainous region of Northwestern Vietnam was studied, based on a chronosequence of 1–26-year-old secondary forests after intensive shifting cultivation. The number of species present in a 26-year-old secondary forest attained 49% of the 72 species present in an old-growth forest. Total stem density decreased gradually from 172,500 ha⁻¹ in a 3-year-old forest to 24,600 ha⁻¹ in the 26-year-old stand, but stem density of larger trees (diameter at breast height (D) ≥ 5 cm) increased from 60 ha⁻¹ in a 7-year-old to 960 ha⁻¹ in the 26-year-old forests, which was similar to that of an old-growth forest. Annual biomass increment of the 26-year-old stand was 4.2 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. A saturation curve was fitted to biomass accumulation in secondary forests. After an estimated time of 60 years, a secondary forest can achieve 80% of the biomass of old-growth forests (240 Mg ha⁻¹). Species diversity expressed by Shannon Index shows that it takes 60 years for a secondary forest in fallow to achieve a plant species diversity similar to that of old-growth forests.     

Above-ground biomass dynamics after reduced-impact logging in the Eastern Amazon

Changes in above-ground biomass (AGB) of 17 1 ha logged plots of terra firme rain forest in the eastern Amazon (Brazil, Paragominas) were monitored for four years (2004–2008) after reduced-impact logging. Over the same time period, we also monitored two 0.5 ha plots in adjacent unlogged forest. While AGB in the control plots changed little over the observation period (increased on average 1.4 Mg ha⁻¹), logging resulted in immediate reductions in ABG that averaged 94.5 Mg ha⁻¹ (±42.0), which represented 23% of the 410 Mg ha⁻¹ (±64.9) present just prior to harvesting. Felled trees (dbh > 55 cm) accounted for 73% (±15) of these immediate losses but only 18.9 Mg ha⁻¹ (±8.1) of biomass was removed in the extracted logs. During the first year after logging, the annual AGB balance (annual AGB gain by recruitment and growth − annual AGB loss by mortality) remained negative (−31.1 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹; ±16.7), mainly due to continued high mortality rates of damaged trees. During the following three years (2005–2008), average net AGB accumulation in the logged plots was 2.6 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ (±4.6). Post-logging biomass recovery was mostly through growth (4.3 ± 1.5 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ for 2004–2005 and 6.8 ± 0.9 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ for 2005–2008), particularly of large trees. In contrast, tree recruitment contributed little to the observed increases in AGB (1.1 ± 0.6 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ for 2004–2005 and 3.1 ± 1.3 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ for 2005–2008). Plots with the lowest residual basal area after logging generally continued to lose more large trees (dbh ≥70 cm), and consequently showed the greatest AGB losses and the slowest overall AGB gains. If 100% AGB recovery is desired and the 30-year minimum cutting cycle defined by Brazilian law is adhered to, current logging intensities (6 trees ha⁻¹) need to be reduced by 40–50%. Such a reduction in logging intensity will reduce financial incomes to loggers, but might be compensated for by the payment of environmental services through the proposed REDD (reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.     

Forest structure and live aboveground biomass variation along an elevational gradient of tropical Atlantic moist forest (Brazil)

Live aboveground biomass (AGB) is an important source of uncertainty in the carbon balance from the tropical regions in part due scarcity of reliable estimates of live AGB and its variation across landscapes and forest types. Studies of forest structure and biomass stocks of Neotropical forests are biased toward Amazonian and Central American sites. In particular, standardized estimates of aboveground biomass stocks for the Brazilian Atlantic forest are rarely available. Notwithstanding the role of environmental variables that control the distribution and abundance of biomass in tropical lowland forests has been the subject of considerable research, the effect of short, steep elevational gradients on tropical forest structure and carbon dynamics is not well known. In order to evaluate forest structure and live AGB variation along an elevational gradient (0–1100 m a.s.l.) of coastal Atlantic Forest in SE Brazil, we carried out a standard census of woody stems ≥4.8 cm dbh in 13 1-ha permanent plots established on four different sites in 2006–2007. Live AGB ranged from 166.3 Mg ha⁻¹ (bootstrapped 95% CI: 144.4,187.0) to 283.2 Mg ha⁻¹ (bootstrapped 95% CI: 253.0,325.2) and increased with elevation. We found that local-scale topographic variation associated with elevation influences the distribution of trees >50 cm dbh and total live AGB. Across all elevations, we found more stems (64–75%) with limited crown illumination but the largest proportion of the live AGB (68–85%) was stored in stems with highly illuminated or fully exposed crowns. Topography, disturbance and associated changes in light and nutrient supply probably control biomass distribution along this short but representative elevational gradient. Our findings also showed that intact Atlantic forest sites stored substantial amounts of carbon aboveground. The live tree AGB of the stands was found to be lower than Central Amazonian forests, but within the range of Neotropical forests, in particular when compared to Central American forests. Our comparative data suggests that differences in live tree AGB among Neotropical forests are probably related to the heterogeneous distribution of large and medium-sized diameter trees within forests and how the live biomass is partitioned among those size classes, in accordance with general trends found by previous studies. In addition, the elevational variation in live AGB stocks suggests a large spatial variability over coastal Atlantic forests in Brazil, clearly indicating that it is important to consider regional differences in biomass stocks for evaluating the role of this threatened tropical biome in the global carbon cycle.     

An ecosystem approach to biodiversity effects: Carbon pools in a tropical tree plantation

This paper presents a synthesis of experiments conducted in a tropical tree plantation established in 2001 and consisting of 22 plots of 45 m × 45 m with either one, three or six native tree species. We examined the changes in carbon (C) pools (trees, herbaceous vegetation, litter, coarse woody debris (CWD), and mineral topsoil at 0-10 cm depth) and fluxes (decomposition of CWD and litter, as well as soil respiration) both through time and among diversity levels. Between 2001 and 2009 the aboveground C pools increased, driven by trees. Across diversity levels, the mean observed aboveground C pool was 7.9 ± 2.5 Mg ha⁻¹ in 2006 and 20.4 ± 7.4 Mg ha⁻¹ in 2009, a 158% increase. There was no significant diversity effect on the observed aboveground C pool, but we found a significant decrease in the topsoil C pool, with a mean value of 34.5 ± 2.4 Mg ha⁻¹ in 2001 and of 25.7 ± 5.7 Mg ha⁻¹ in 2009 (F_1,36 = 52.12, p < 0.001). Assuming that the biomass C pool in 2001 was negligible (<1 Mg ha⁻¹), then the plantation gained in C, on average, ∼20 and lost ∼9 Mg ha⁻¹ in biomass and soil respectively, for an overall gain of ∼11 Mg ha⁻¹ over 8 years. Across the entire data set, we uncovered significant effects of diversity on CWD decomposition (diversity: F_2,393 = 15.93, p < 0.001) and soil respiration (monocultures vs mixtures: t = 15.35, df = 11, p < 0.05) and a marginally significant time × diversity interaction on the loss of total C from the mineral topsoil pool (see above). Monthly CWD decomposition was significantly faster in monocultures (35.0 ± 24.1%) compared with triplets (31.3 ± 21.0%) and six-species mixtures (31.9 ± 26.8%), while soil respiration was higher in monocultures than in mixtures (t = 15.35, df = 11, p < 0.001). Path analyses showed that, as diversity increases, the links among the C pools and fluxes strengthen significantly. Our results demonstrate that tree diversity influences the processes governing the changes in C pools and fluxes following establishment of a tree plantation on a former pasture. We conclude that the choice of tree mixtures for afforestation in the tropics can have a marked influence on C pools and dynamics.     

Formulating allometric equations for estimating biomass and carbon stock in small diameter trees

Biomass and carbon sequestration rate of a young (four year old) mixed plantation of Dalbergia sissoo Roxb., Acacia catechu Willd., and Albizia lebbeck Benth. growing in Terai region (a level area of superabundant water) of central Himalaya was estimated. The plantation is seed sown in the rainy season of year 2004 and spread over an area of 44 ha. Allometric equations for both above and below ground components were developed for three tree species. The density of trees in the plantation was 1322 trees ha⁻¹ The diameters of trees were below 10 cm. Five diameter classes were defined for D. sissoo and A. catechu and 3 for A. lebbeck. 5 trees were harvested in each diameter class. Individual tree allometry was exercised for developing the allometric equations relating tree component (low and above ground) biomass to d.b.h. Post analysis equations were highly significant (P > 0.001) for each component of all species. In the plantation Holoptelia integrifolia Roxb. (Family Ulmaceae) has been reduced to shrub form because of frost. Only the aboveground biomass of H. integrifolia and other shrubs were estimated by destructive harvesting method. Herbaceous forest floor biomass and leaf litter fall were also estimated. The total forest vegetation biomass was 10.86 Mg ha⁻¹ in 2008 which increased to 19.49 Mg ha⁻¹ in 2009. The forest is sequestering carbon at the rate of 4.32 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹.     

Hurricane Katrina impacts on forest trees of Louisiana's Pearl River basin

Hurricane disturbance has the potential to markedly affect coastal forest structure and ecosystem processes. This study focused on the impacts of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana's Pearl River basin, which lies just west of Katrina's final landfall at the Louisiana–Mississippi border. Prior to landfall, composition and structure of bottomland hardwood forests in this region were studied with permanent forest inventory plots sampled in 1989, 1998, 2005 and following the storm in 2006. This enabled a direct comparison of forest structure and dynamics before and after the disturbance, including species-specific tree mortality and damage rates, biomass production, and differences among forest types having varied hydrologic regimes. Background tree mortality rate before Hurricane Katrina was 1.9%, while average annual mortality was 20.5% for the census interval including the disturbance. Change in live tree biomass estimated from allometric models demonstrated a shift from an average annual production of 3.5 Mg ha⁻¹ before the disturbance, to an average loss of 77.6 Mg ha⁻¹ from the storm. Damage associated with Hurricane Katrina varied significantly with tree species but not tree size. Flooded cypress-tupelo swamp forests sustained the least damage and frequently flooded bottomland hardwood forests sustained the highest damage. Hurricane disturbance influenced the structure and composition of these coastal forests through species-specific differences in damage and mortality rates, and varied impacts dependent on forest flooding regime.     

Nitrogen leaching in response to increased nitrogen inputs in subtropical monsoon forests in southern China

Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) (as ammonium nitrate) was applied monthly onto the forest floor of one old-growth forest (>400 years old, at levels of 50, 100 and 150 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) and two young forests (both about 70 years old, at levels of 50 and 100 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) over 3 years (2004–2006), to investigate how nitrogen (N) input influenced N leaching output, and if there were differences in N retention between the old-growth and the young forests in the subtropical monsoon region of southern China. The ambient throughfall inputs were 23–27 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in the young forests and 29–35 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in the old-growth forest. In the control plots without experimental N addition, a net N retention was observed in the young forests (on average 6–11 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), but a net N loss occurred in the old-growth forest (−13 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹). Experimental N addition immediately increased DIN leaching in all three forests, with 25–66% of added N leached over the 3-year experiment. At the lowest level of N addition (50 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), the percentage N loss was higher in the old-growth forest (66% of added N) than in the two young forests (38% and 26%). However, at higher levels of N addition (100 and 150 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), the old-growth forest exhibited similar N losses (25–43%) to those in the young forests (28–43%). These results indicate that N retention is largely determined by the forest successional stages and the levels of N addition. Compared to most temperate forests studied in Europe and North America, N leaching loss in these seasonal monsoon subtropical forests occurred mainly in the rainy growing season, with measured N loss in leaching substantially higher under both ambient deposition and experimental N additions.     

Predicting growth and sequestration of carbon by plantations growing in regions of low-rainfall in southern Australia

In regions of Australia of low–medium rainfall (500–800 mm/year), there is growing community and land-owner support for re-planting trees to achieve multiple environmental objectives, particularly amelioration of soil salinity. Sequestration of carbon by newly established trees is not only another important environmental benefit, but also a potential commercial benefit. To obtain estimates of carbon sequestered by species of commercial potential in such regions, we calibrated the carbon (C) accounting model FullCAM to Eucalyptus cladocalyx and Corymbia maculata plantations. This was achieved by harvesting trees of a range in sizes to determine the allometric relationships that most accurately predict biomass and stem density from measures of stem diameter. Predictions of stem diameter were obtained from a forest growth model (3-PG) previously calibrated for these two species. By applying these predictions of changes in stem diameter as the stand matures in our allometric relationships, we estimated changes in partitioning of biomass (between stem, branches, bark, foliage and roots) and stem wood density as the stand matures under scenarios of 500, 600 and 750 mm mean annual rainfall. We found that for both species, regardless of annual rainfall, throughout the rotation 37–50% of carbon sequestered in the total tree biomass was in the stem, 18–27% in both branches and roots, and the remainder in foliage or bark. However, rate of accumulation of carbon was dependent on annual rainfall, with average annual rate of sequestration of carbon in tree biomass and litter during the first rotation of E. cladocalyx (or C. maculata) increasing from 3.68 (or 4.17) to 4.72 (or 4.86) Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ as annual rainfall increased from about 500 to 750 mm. Although it was predicted that decomposition negated any accumulation of debris between successive rotations, carbon was predicted to accumulate in sawlog products, given that assumed rates of product decomposition were slightly less than their rate of accumulation. This resulted in a slight increase (<8 Mg C ha⁻¹) in predicted total sequestration of carbon between successive rotations.     

Impacts of selective logging on above-ground forest biomass in the Monts de Cristal in Gabon

Selective logging is an important socio-economic activity in the Congo Basin but one with associated environmental costs, some of which are avoidable through the use of reduced-impact logging (RIL) practices. With increased global concerns about biodiversity losses and emissions of carbon from forest in the region, more information is needed about the effects of logging on forest structure, composition, and carbon balance. We assessed the consequences of low-intensity RIL on above-ground biomass and tree species richness in a 50 ha area in northwestern Gabon. We assessed logging impacts principally in 10 randomly located 1-ha plots in which all trees ?10 cm dbh were measured, identified to species, marked, and tagged prior to harvesting. After logging, damage to these trees was recorded as being due to felling or skidding (i.e., log yarding) and skid trails were mapped in the entire 50-ha study area. Allometric equations based on tree diameter and wood density were used to transform tree diameter into biomass.Logging was light with only 0.82 trees (8.11 m³) per hectare extracted. For each tree felled, an average of 11 trees ?10 cm dbh suffered crown, bole, or root damage. Skid trails covered 2.8% of the soil surface and skidding logs to the roadside caused damage to an average of 15.6 trees ?10 cm dbh per hectare. No effect of logging was observed on tree species richness and pre-logging above-ground forest biomass (420.4 Mg ha⁻¹) declined by only 8.1% (34.2 Mg ha⁻¹). We conclude from these data that with harvest planning, worker training in RIL techniques, and low logging intensities, substantial carbon stocks and tree species richness were retained in this selectively logged forest in Gabon.