| Abstract: | Temperate and high-latitude forests are carbon sinks and play pivotal roles in offsetting greenhouse gas emissions of CO_2.However,uncertainty still exists for subtropical forests,especially in monsoon-prevalent eastern Asia.Earlier studies have depended on remote sensing,ecosystem modeling,carbon fluxes,or single period forest surveys to estimate carbon sequestration capacities,and the results vary significantly.This study was designed to utilize multi-period forest survey data to explore spatial-dynamics of biomass storage in subtropical forests of China.Jiangxi province,a region with over 60% subtropical forest cover,was selected as the case study site and is located in central east China.Based on forest inventory data 1984-2013,and the stock-difference and biomass expansion factor methods,the carbon storage and density,of arboreal forests,economic forests,bamboo forests,woodlands and shrubberies were estimated.The results show that carbon storage increased from 159.1 Tg C in 1988 to 276.1 TgC in 2013,making up 3.1-3.8% of carbon stored throughout China.Among the four types of forests,the amount of carbon stored was as follows:arboreal forest economic forest bamboo forest woodland and shrubbery.Arboreal forests accounted for 64.0-79.4% of the total.Forest carbon density increased from 21.2 Mg C ha~(-1) in 1984 to26.2 Mg C ha~(-1) in 2013,equal to 61.2-70.2% of the average carbon density of China's forests in the same period.Forest carbon storage in Jiangxi will reach 355.5 Tg C and 535.8 Tg C in 2020 and 2030,respectively,and forest carbon density is predicted to be 31.9 Mg C ha~(~-1)and 46.4 Mg C ha~(-1),respectively.As one of the few studies using multi-period data tracking biomass dynamics in Jiangxi province,the findings of this study may be used as a reference for other research.Using Jiangxi as a case study underlies the fact that subtropical forests in China have great carbon sequestration potential and have fundamental significance to offset global environmental change effects. |
