Dominance by the introduced tree Rhamnus cathartica (common buckthorn) may limit aboveground carbon storage in Southern Wisconsin forests

Many ecosystems are now dominated by introduced species, and because dominant species drive ecosystem properties, these changes lead to increased uncertainty in estimates of carbon storage and cycling. We examined aboveground biomass in forests dominated by the introduced tree Rhamnus cathartica (common buckthorn) relative to forests dominated by native species, and measured aboveground biomass increment over a three-year period (2005-2008). Three of the four lowest biomass levels occurred in R. cathartica-dominated forests, and biomass in these forest types was stored primarily in trees 10-20 cm DBH. By contrast, forests dominated by native trees (including those with R. cathartica understories) had the six highest biomass levels, and biomass was stored primarily in trees >50 cm DBH. On average, forests dominated by R. cathartica stored half as much aboveground biomass (14.6 ± 3.3 kg/m²) as forests dominated by native tree species (28.9 ± 8.3 kg/m²). R. cathartica-dominated forests also had half the aboveground biomass increment of native-dominated forests (0.28 vs. 0.60 kg/m²/year). Although known anecdotally as a fast-growing species, R. cathartica growth rates declined with increasing size. Between 2005 and 2008, R. cathartica individuals <10 cm DBH grew faster than native species; however, R. cathartica individuals >10 cm DBH grew consistently slower than native species. Overall, our findings indicate that intrinsic size limitations on R. cathartica will lead to lower biomass stocks in forests where it acts as a canopy dominant relative to forests dominated by native tree species.     

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.     

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.     

Soil carbon stock in relation to plant diversity of homegardens in Kerala,India

Conservation of biodiversity and mitigation of global warming are two major environmental challenges today. In this context, the relationship between biodiversity (especially plant diversity) and soil carbon (C) sequestration (as a means of mitigating global warming) has become a subject of considerable scientific interest. This relationship was tested for homegardens (HG), a popular and sustainable agroforestry system in the tropics, in Thrissur district, Kerala, India. The major objectives were to examine how tree density and plant-stand characteristics of homegardens affect soil C sequestration. Soil samples were collected at four depths (0–20, 20–50, 50–80, 80–100 cm) from HG of varying sizes and age classes, and their total C content determined. Tree density and plant-stand characteristics such as species richness (Margalef Index) and diversity (Shannon Index) of the HG were also determined. Results indicated that the soil C stock was directly related to plant diversity of HG. Homegardens with higher, compared to those with lower, number of plant species, as well as higher species richness and tree density had higher soil carbon, especially in the top 50 cm of soil. Overall, within 1 m profile, soil C content ranged from 101.5 to 127.4 Mg ha⁻¹. Smaller-sized HG (<0.4 ha) that had higher tree density and plant-species density had more soil C per unit area (119.3 Mg ha⁻¹) of land than larger-sized ones (>0.4 ha) (108.2 Mg ha⁻¹). Soil C content, especially below 50 cm, was higher in older gardens. The enhanced soil-C storage in species-rich homegardens could have relevance and applications in broader ecological contexts.

Comparison of allometric equations and biomass expansion factors for six evergreen broad-leaved trees in subtropical forests in southern Korea

This study was conducted to compare the allometric equations and biomass expansion factors (BEFs) of six dominant evergreen broad-leaved trees (Camellia japonica L, Castanopsis sieboldii Hatus, Quercus acuta Thunb, Q. glauca Thunb, Machilus thunbergii S. et Z., and Neolitsea sericea Koidz) in subtropical forests. A total of 86 trees were destructively sampled to quantify the aboveground biomass of each tree component (i.e., leaves, branches, and stem). Species-specific or generalized allometric equations and species-dependent BEFs were developed for each tree component of the six broad-leaved forest trees. Species-specific allometric equations were significant (P < 0.05), with the diameter at breast height (DBH) accounting for 68–99% of the variation, whereas generalized allometric equations explained 64–96% of the variation. The values of stem density ranged broadly from 0.49 g cm^?3 for C. sieboldii to 0.79 g cm^?3 for Q. glauca, with a mean value of 0.68 g cm^?3. The BEFs were significantly (P < 0.05) lower for C. sieboldii (1.25) than for M. thunbergii (2.02). Stem density and aboveground BEFs had a significant negative relationship with tree ages. The results indicate that species-specific allometric equations and species-dependent BEFs are applicable for obtaining accurate biomass estimates of subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests.     

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.     

Preliminary estimation of carbon stock in a logging concession with a forest management plan in East Cameroon

ABSTRACT

Logging operations in Cameroon are based on the extraction of wood from natural forests. In this article, we assessed the carbon stock in a forest management unit (FMU) located in East Cameroon from field inventory to postfelling operations up to sawmill and export terminals. Tree basal area and aboveground biomass were calculated based on trees inventoried in the annual allowable cut. We observed that from an exploitable tree potential of 0.696 trees ha^?1 inventoried within a diameter range of 50–110 cm, 0.141 tree ha^?1 (i.e., 20% of the inventoried trees) were logged. In other words, out of 6.78 tC ha^?1 inventoried, 1.84 tC ha^?1 (i.e., 27% was logged), 1.62 tC ha^?1 arrived in the log yard and 1.3 tC ha^?1 arrived in sawmill, while 0.32 tC ha^?1 reached the export terminal. In terms of damages caused on vegetation, 4.45% of all the annual allowance cut (AAC) were affected during logging activities, this represents almost 33,188.07 tons of carbon. These findings show that the implementation of reduced-impact logging (RIL) could reduce these losses throughout the logging steps and help propose a process for the valuation of wood waste in the forest and sawmill. In this context, reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation will be engaged with the right approach.     

Retention of available P in acid soils of tropical and subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests

Precipitation of mineral phosphate is often recognized as a factor of limiting the availability of P in acidic soils of tropical and subtropical forests. For this paper, we studied the extractable P pools and their transformation rates in soils of a tropical evergreen forest at Xishuangbanna and a subtropical montane wet forest at the Ailao Mountains in order to understand the biogeochemical processes regulating P availability in acidic soils. The two forests differ in forest humus layer; it is deep in the Ailao forest while little is present in the Xishuangbanna forest. The extractable P pools by resin and sodium-bicarbonate decreased when soil organic carbon content was reduced. The lowest levels of extractable P pools occurred in the surface (0–10 cm) mineral soils of the Xishuangbanna forest. However, microbial P in the mineral soil of the Xishuangbanna forest was twice that in the Ailao forest. Potential rates of microbial P immobilization were greater than those of organic P mineralization in mineral soils for both forests. We suggest that microbial P immobilization plays an essential role in avoiding mineral P precipitation and retaining available P of plant in tropical acidic soils, whereas both floor mass accumulation and microbial P immobilization function benefit retaining plant available P in subtropical montane wet forests. Translated from Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2006, 26(7): 2,294–2,300 [译自: 生态学报]     

Effects of treefall gaps created by windthrow on bat assemblages in a temperate forest

Determining the way in which spatial distribution and diversity of forest-dwelling mammals varies with natural disturbance is essential to understanding the spatial dynamics of mammal assemblages in forests. Bats are the only forest-dwelling mammals capable of true flight. At a local scale, bat flight ability, which may be related to ecomorphological traits, is an important factor influencing spatial distribution. We tested two postulates: (1) the spatial distribution of bats is affected by sizes of forest gaps created by natural disturbances and (2) species-specific responses can be predicted from bat ecomorphological traits (aspect ratio (AR) and wingtip shape index (WT)) that influence bat flight ability. We found that sizes of forest gaps affected the occurrence of each bat species and species richness of bats at local scales; species-specific responses were related to the ecomorphological traits of individual species. Bat species with high AR and low WT were not affected by variation in canopy gap size. In contrast, bat species with low AR and high WT responded negatively to gap size, and those with intermediate AR and WT responded positively to canopy gap size at sites with small-sized gaps but responded negatively to large-sized gaps. Overall bat species richness responded negatively to gap size. Thus, ecomorphological traits may be important determinants of bat spatial distributions and species diversity at local scales in disturbed habitats. In this study, forest edges might have been undersampled due to the location of bat detectors. However, this potential undersampling should not have affected the interpretation of occurrence patterns of bat species responding to gap size. Our results imply that bat conservation efforts in forest lands should take into consideration specific responses related to ecomorphological traits of species inhabiting an area. The results also suggest that quantifying the effects of natural disturbances on bat assemblages may provide a knowledge base for forest management to minimize the impacts of unavoidable anthropogenic disturbances on bat species diversity. Rare or infrequent natural disturbances can provide models for forest management aimed at maintaining bat species diversity.     

不同林龄麻栎林地上生物量及碳储量的分布特征

在江苏句容选取样木构建了麻栎地上部分各器官的生物量回归模型,探讨了麻栎林地上部分不同林龄麻栎单株、林分、灌草层和枯枝落叶层的生物量及碳储量的分布特征.结果表明:随着林龄的增大,麻栎地上部分各器官生物量呈增长趋势,树干所占比例最大;灌草层和枯枝落叶层生物量随林龄增加而增大,幼龄林、中龄林、近熟林和成熟林的林分地上生物量分别为30.01、110.86、179.48和226.73t/hm2.麻栎林各组分含碳率随林龄增大总体呈增加趋势,但差异不大;幼龄林、中龄林、近熟林和成熟林的地上碳储量随着林龄的增加而增大,分别为13.25、48.97、80.60和107.28 t/hm2,乔木层是麻栎林地上碳储量的主体,乔木层各器官碳储量大小为:树干＞树枝＞树皮＞树叶,树干是其碳储量的主要器官.     

Spatial interpolation of in situ data by self-organizing map algorithms (neural networks) for the assessment of carbon stocks in European forests

Self-organizing maps (SOMs) are an advanced neural networks application. SOMs were applied for the spatially explicit estimation of forest carbon stocks for a test region in Thuringia (Germany). The approach utilizes in situ national forest inventory data and satellite remote sensing data (Landsat 7 ETM+) and provides maps showing a high-resolution spatial distribution of forest carbon stocks. The generated maps are compared to alternative estimates obtained by the k-nearest neighbour (kNN) method—a remote sensing based carbon assessment. Beside maps the SOM- and kNN-approaches were utilized to calculate statistical estimates of carbon stock and growing stock. The statistical estimates were validated by calculating bias and mean square errors with reference to in situ assessments.     

Effects of elevated nitrogen deposition on soil microbial biomass carbon in major subtropical forests of southern China

2003

Wallenstein M D.McNulty S.Fernandez I J.Boggs J Schlesinger W H Nitrogen fertilization decreases forest soil fungal and bacterial biomass in three long-term experiments [其它论文] 2006

Wang X F.Li S Y.Bai K J.Kuang T Y Influence of doubled CO2 on plant growth and soil microbial biomass C and N 1998(12)

Xue J H.Mo J M.Li J.Li D J The short-term response of soil microorganism number to simulated nitrogen deposition 2007(02)

Yao W H.Yu Z Y The nutrient content of throughfall inside the artificial forests on downland 1995

Yi Z G.Yi W M.Zhou L X.Wang X M Soil microbial biomass of the main forests in Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve 2005(05)

Zhou G Y.Yan J H The influence of region atmospheric precipitation characteristics and its element inputs on the existence and development of Dinghushan forest ecosystems [其它论文] -Acta Ecologica Sinica2001

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Estimation and economic evaluation of aboveground carbon storage of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tectona grandis</Emphasis> plantations in Western Panama

Tropical tree plantations may play an important role in mitigating CO₂ emissions through their potential to capture and sequester carbon from the atmosphere. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) as well as voluntary initiatives provide economic incentives for afforestation and reforestation efforts through the generation and sale of carbon credits. The objectives of our study were to measure the carbon (C) storage potential of 1, 2 and 10-years old Tectona grandis plantations in the province of Chiriquí, Western Panama and to calculate the monetary value of aboveground C storage if sold as Certified Emission Reduction (CER) carbon credits. The average aboveground C storage ranged from 2.9 Mg C ha⁻¹ in the 1-year-old plantations to 40.7 Mg C ha⁻¹ in the 10-year-old plantations. Using regression analysis we estimated the potential aboveground C storage of the teak plantation over a 20 year rotation period. The CO₂-storage over this period amounted to 191.1 Mg CO₂ ha⁻¹. The discounted revenues that could be obtained by issuance of carbon credits during a 20 year rotation period were about US$460 for temporary CER and US$560 for long-term CER, and thus, contribute to a minor extent (1%) to overall revenues, only.     

Comparison between TanDEM-X- and ALS-based estimation of aboveground biomass and tree height in boreal forests

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data from TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurement (TanDEM-X) were used to estimate aboveground biomass (AGB) and tree height with linear regression models. These were compared to models based on airborne laser scanning (ALS) data at two Swedish boreal forest test sites, Krycklan (64°N19°E) and Remningstorp (58°N13°E). The predictions were validated using field data at the stand-level (0.5–26.1 ha) and at the plot-level (10 m radius). Additionally, the ALS metrics percentile 99 (p99) and vegetation ratio, commonly used to estimate AGB and tree height, were estimated in order to investigate the feasibility of replacing ALS data with TanDEM-X InSAR data. Both AGB and tree height could be estimated with about the same accuracy at the stand-level from both TanDEM-X- and ALS-based data. The AGB was estimated with 17.2% and 14.6% root mean square error (RMSE) and the tree height with 7.6% and 4.1% RMSE from TanDEM-X data at the stand-level at the two test sites Krycklan and Remningstorp. The Pearson correlation coefficients between the TanDEM-X height and the ALS height p99 were r?=?.98 and r?=?.95 at the two test sites. The TanDEM-X height contains information related to both tree height and forest density, which was validated from several estimation models.     

Satellite-based estimation of biomass carbon stocks for northeast China''s forests between 1982 and 1999

Northeast China maintains large areas of primary forest resource and has been experiencing the largest increase in temperature over the past several decades in the country. Therefore, studying its forest biomass carbon (C) stock and the change is important to the sustainable use of forest resources and understanding of the forest C budget in China. In this study, we use forest inventory datasets for three inventory periods of 1984–1988, 1989–1993 and 1994–1998 and NOAA/AVHRR Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data from 1982 to 1999, to estimate forest biomass C stock and its changes in this region over the last two decades. The averaged forest biomass C stock and C density were estimated as 2.10 Pg C (1 Pg = 10¹⁵ g) and 44.65 Mg C ha⁻¹ over the study period. The forest biomass C stock has increased by 7% with an annual rate of 0.0082 Pg C. The largest increase in the C density occurred in two humid mountain areas, Changbai Mountains and northern Xiaoxing’anling Mountains. Climate warming is probably the key driving force for this increase, while anthropogenic activities such as afforestation and deforestation may contribute to variations in the C stocks.     

Role of homestead forests in household economy and factors affecting forest production: a case study in southwest Bangladesh

Empirical information regarding the role of homestead forests in household economy is essential in understanding the importance of these resources. Identification of the factors that affect homestead forest production and understanding forest owners' attitudes toward key forest management issues have great significance in making appropriate policy responses to manage these resources on a sustainable basis. In Bangladesh, homestead forests are claimed to play an important economic role in rural livelihoods, but no reliable quantitative information exists. This study was undertaken to investigate the role of homestead forests in the household economy, examine if forest production and income vary across landholding size classes, to explore the relationships of homestead forest production with species richness, education level, and household size, and to assess the attitude of homestead forest owners toward key forest management issues. Results show that homestead forests contribute 15.9% of the household income and generate 51.4 man-days of employment per household per year. Production of homestead forests significantly varies across landholding size classes. It was observed that forest production depends significantly on species richness of homestead forests and the education level of forest owners. However, no such relationship was found between forest production and household size. The study revealed that farming families depend more on forest income than nonfarming families. Attitudes of forest owners toward key forest management issues differ significantly across landholding size classes. For example, although the majority of the forest owners prefer fruit species to timber species, the percentage of respondents decreased as the landholding size class increased, while the opposite trend was observed for timber species. The findings of this study suggest that diversification of forests and extension of education amongst forest owners would improve forest production. Furthermore, forest policy should address the concerns of the forest owners in different landholding classes and focus on their specific requirements to enhance sustainable forest management.     

Wood density in forests of Brazil's ‘arc of deforestation’: Implications for biomass and flux of carbon from land-use change in Amazonia

Wood density is an important variable in estimates of forest biomass and greenhouse-gas emissions from land-use change. The mean wood density used in estimates of forest biomass in the Brazilian Amazon has heretofore been based on samples from outside the “arc of deforestation”, where most of the carbon flux from land-use change takes place. This paper presents new wood density estimates for the southern and southwest Brazilian Amazon (SSWA) portions of the arc of deforestation, using locally collected species weighted by their volume in large local inventories. Mean wood density was computed for the entire bole, including the bark, and taking into account radial and longitudinal variation. A total of 403 trees were sampled at 6 sites. In the southern Brazilian Amazon (SBA), 225 trees (119 species or morpho-species) were sampled at 4 sites. In eastern Acre state 178 trees (128 species or morpho-species) were sampled at breast height in 2 forest types. Mean basic density in the SBA sites was 0.593 ± 0.113 (mean ± 1 S.D.; n = 225; range 0.265–0.825). For the trees sampled in Acre the mean wood density at breast height was 0.540 ± 0.149 (n = 87) in open bamboo-dominated forest and 0.619 ± 0.149 (n = 91) in dense bamboo-free forest. Mean wood density in the SBA sites was significantly higher than in the bamboo dominated forest but not the dense forest at the Acre site. From commercial wood inventories by the RadamBrasil Project in the SSWA portion of the arc of deforestation, the wood volume and wood density of each species or genus were used to estimate average wood density of all wood volume in each vegetation unit. These units were defined by the intersection of mapped forest types and states. The area of each unit was then used to compute a mean wood density of 0.583 g cm⁻³ for all wood volume in the SSWA. This is 13.6% lower than the value applied to this region in previous estimates of mean wood density. When combined with the new estimates for the SSWA, this gave an average wood density of 0.642 g cm⁻³ for all the wood volume in the entire Brazilian Amazon, which is 7% less than a prior estimate of 0.69 g cm⁻³. These results suggest that current estimates of carbon emissions from land-use change in the Brazilian Amazon are too high. The impact on biomass estimates and carbon emissions is substantial because the downward adjustment is greater in forest types undergoing the most deforestation. For 1990, with 13.8 × 10³ km² of deforestation, emissions for the Brazilian Amazon would be reduced by 23.4–24.4 × 10⁶ Mg CO₂-equivalent C/year (for high- and low-trace gas scenarios), or 9.4–9.5% of the gross emission and 10.7% of the net committed emission, both excluding soils.     

The inventory of the carbon stocks in sub tropical forests of Pakistan for reporting under Kyoto Protocol

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) requires reporting net carbon stock changes and anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, including those related to forests. This paper describes the status of carbon stocks in sub tropical forests of Pakistan. There are two major sub types in subtropical forests of Pakistan viz a viz Subtropical Chir Pine and Subtropical broad leaved forests. A network of sample plots was laid out in four selected site. Two sites were selected from sub tropical Chir Pine (Pinus roxburghii) forests and two from Subtropical broadleaved forests. Measurement and data acquisition protocols were developed specifically for the inventory carried out from 2005 to 2010. In total 261 plots (each of 1ha.) were established. Estimation of diameter, basal area, height, volume and biomass was carried out to estimate carbon stocks in each of the four carbon pools of above-and below-ground live biomass. Soil carbon stocks were also determined by doing soil sampling. In mature (~100 years old) pine forest stand at Ghoragali and Lehterar sites, a mean basal area of 30.38 and 26.11 m2·ha-1 represented mean volume of 243 and 197 m3·ha-1,respectively. The average biomass (t·ha-1) was 237 in Ghoragali site and 186 t·ha-1 in Lehterar site, which is equal to 128 and 100 t C ha-1 including soil C. However, on average basis both the forests have 114.5± 2.26 t·ha-1 of carbon stock which comprises of 92% in tree biomass and only 8% inthe top soils. In mixed broadleaved evergreen forests a mean basal area(m2·ha-1) was 3.06 at Kherimurat with stem volume of 12.86 and 2.65 at Sohawa with stem volume of 11.40 m3·ha-1. The average upper and understorey biomass (t·ha-1) was 50.93 in Kherimurat site and 40.43 t·ha-1 in Sohawa site, which is equal to 31.18 and 24.36 t C ha-1 including soil Cstocks. This study provides a protocol and valuable baseline data for monitoring biomass and carbon stocks in Pakistan’s managed and unmanaged sub-tropical forests.     

Influence of typhoon disturbances on the understory light regime and stand dynamics of a subtropical rain forest in northeastern Taiwan

In 1996 and 1997 we examined the effects of typhoon disturbance on the understory light environment and sapling dynamics of the Fu-shan Experimental Forest, a subtropical rain forest in northeastern Taiwan. Mean understory light levels were approximately 30% of those in the open immediately following the two 1996 typhoons which affected the forest, yet in 1997, following two more typhoons, mean understory light levels were 10%–20% of those in the open. The decline of understory light levels to those present prior to the typhoons was more rapid in 1996 than in 1997, even though the two typhoons in 1996 were more intense than those in 1997. This difference might be the result of the timing of the typhoons. In 1996 the typhoons occurred earlier in the growing season, before August 1 rather than the middle and end of August in 1997. The regular defoliation caused by the frequent typhoons that impact Fu-shan (average of 1.4 per year) and the low stature of the forest (mean canopy height of 10.6m), results in much higher light levels beneath the canopy (9%–30% of levels in the open) than those found in most tropical and temperate forests. As a result, understory light levels are not limiting the distribution of canopy tree saplings within the forest and there is no evidence that canopy gaps play an important role in canopy tree regeneration within the Fu-shan Experiment Forest. This is in contrast with the pattern reported for some tropical forests. With frequent typhoons impacting northeastern Taiwan, the forests of this region are perpetually recovering from wind disturbances.