CALORIC VALUES AND ENERGY ALLOCATION OF A TROPICAL SEASONAL RAIN FOREST AND A MONTANE EVERGREEN BROAD-LEAVED FOREST IN SOUTHWEST CHINA

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2007.0138

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Energy allocation pattern is the basis for understanding energy flow processes in ecosystems. High structure complexity and species diversity of tropical forests, however, have resulted in little research on caloric values and energy allocation patterns in tropical rain forests. Tropical seasonal rain forest (TSRF) in Xishuangbanna, Southwest Yunnan is distributed on the northern edge of tropical Asia, and montane evergreen broad-leaved forest (MEBF) is located in subtropical mountain areas of middle Yunnan. Our objectives are to examine the energy allocation pattern of the two forests and test the hypothesis of Golley (1961, 1969) that caloric values of vegetation tend to increase with the altitude and latitude.

Methods Caloric values were measured with a SDCM-Ⅲa oxygen bomb calorimeter. Energy allocation and sequestration were estimated based on biomass and biomass increment in a 1 hm² plot in each forest.

Important findings The caloric value of the TSRF plot was lower than that of the MEBF plot. Caloric values decreased from tree layer to shrub layer to herb layer. Leaves showed the highest caloric values of any plant part. Due to an understory plantation of Amomum villosum, which had removed almost all saplings and seedlings, the TSRF plot stored less energy than the MEBF plot, although it still maintained a high energy sequestration rate for tropical habitats with high temperature, humidity and intensive solar radiation. The tree layer stored 97% of the energy in the TSRF plot and 88% in the MEBF plot, suggesting that tree layer plays a key role in the maintenance of energy structure in the two forests. Our results support Golley's hypothesis.

Key words: caloric value, energy storage, energy sequestration, tropical seasonal rain forest, montane evergreen broad-leaved forest

LIN Hua, CAO Min, ZHANG Jian-Hou. CALORIC VALUES AND ENERGY ALLOCATION OF A TROPICAL SEASONAL RAIN FOREST AND A MONTANE EVERGREEN BROAD-LEAVED FOREST IN SOUTHWEST CHINA[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2007, 31(6): 1103-1110.

Add to citation manager EndNote|Ris|BibTeX

URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2007.0138

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2007/V31/I6/1103

Figures/Tables 9

References 34

[1]	Berg B, McClaugherty C (2003). Plant Litter, Decomposition, Humus Formation, Carbon Sequestration. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg.
[2]	Bliss LC (1962). Caloric and lipid content in alpine tundra plants. Ecology, 43,752-757.
[3]	Cao M, Zhang JH, Feng ZL, Deng JW, Deng XB (1996). Tree species composition of a seasonal rain forest in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China. Tropical Ecology, 37,183-192.
[4]	Cao M, Zou XM, Warren M, Zhu H (2006). Tropical forests of Xishuangbanna, China. Biotropica, 38,306-309.
[5]	Feng ZL (冯志立), Zheng Z (郑征), Zhang JH (张建侯), Cao M (曹敏), Sha LQ (沙丽清), Deng JW (邓继武) (1998). Biomass and its allocation of a tropical wet seasonal rain forest in Xishuangbanna. Acta Phytoecologica Sinica (植物生态学报), 22,481-488. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[6]	Golley FB (1961). Energy values of ecological materials. Ecology, 42,581-584.
[7]	Golley FB (1969). Caloric value of wet tropical forest vegetation. Ecology, 50,517-519.
[8]	Guo JX (郭继勋), Wang RD (王若丹), Wang W (王娓) (2001a). Caloric value and energy allocation of Chloris virgata in northeast grassland. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology (应用生态学报), 12,384-386. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[9]	Guo JX, Wang RD, Wang W (2001b). Study on dynamics of calorific value, biomass and energy in Calamagrostis epigejos population in Songnen grassland. Acta Botanica Sinica (植物学报), 43,852-856.
[10]	Hadley EB, Bliss LC (1964). Energy relationships of alpine plants on MT. Washington, New Hampshire. Ecological Monographs, 34,332-357.
[11]	Hou Y (侯庸), Wang BX (王伯荪), Zhang HD (张宏达), Li MG (李鸣光) (1997). Caloric values of above ground organs in evergreen broad-leaved forest in Heishiding Nature Reserve. Journal of Tropical and Subtropical Botany (热带亚热带植物学报), 5,17-20. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[12]	Jordan CF (1971). Productivity of a tropical forest and its relation to a world pattern of energy storage. Journal of Ecology, 59,127-142.
[13]	Kucera CL, Danlman RC, Koelling MR (1967). Total net production and turnover on an energy basis for tallgrass prairie. Ecology, 48,536-541.
[14]	Leith H, Wittaker RH (1975). Net Primary Productivity in Tropical Terrestrial Ecosystems. Springer-Verlag, New York.
[15]	Li YD (李意德), Wu ZM (吴仲民) (1996). Caloric values of main species in a tropical mountain rain forest at Jianfengling, Hainan Island. Acta Phytoecologica Sinica (植物生态学报), 20,1-10. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[16]	Lin P (林鹏), Lin YM (林益明), Li ZJ (李振基), Yang ZW (杨志伟), Liu CD (刘初钿), He JY (何建源) (1999). Study on energy of Pinnus taiwanensis community in Wuyi Mountains. Acta Ecologica Sinica (生态学报), 19,504-508. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[17]	Lin P (林鹏), Shao C (邵成), Zheng WJ (郑文教) (1996). Study on the caloric values of dominating plants in a subtropical rain forest in Hexi of Fujian. Acta Phytoecologica Sinica (植物生态学报), 20,303-309. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[18]	Liu WY, John EDF, Xu ZF (2002). Biomass and nutrient accumulation in montane evergreen broad-leaved forest ( Lithocarpus xylocarpus type) in Ailao Mountains, SW China. Forest Ecology and Management, 158,223-235.
[19]	Long FL (1934). Application of calorimetric records to ecological research. Plant Physiology, 9,323-337. URL PMID
[20]	Odum HT (1983). Systems Ecology: an Introduction. John Wiley & Sons , New York.
[21]	Ovington JD, Heitkamp D (1960). The accumulation of energy in forest plantations in Britain. Journal of Ecology, 48,639-646.
[22]	Ovington JD, Lawrence DB (1967). Comparative chlorophyll and energy studies of prairie, savanna, oakwood and maize field ecosystems. Ecology, 48,515-524.
[23]	Peng SL (彭少麟), Ren H (任海) (1998). Study on Ecological Energetics of Forest Ecosystems in Lower Subtropics (南亚热带森林生态系统的能量生态研究). China Meteorological Press, Beijing,74-78. (in Chinese)
[24]	Pitelka LF (1978). Variation in caloric values of annual and perennial lupines ( Lupinus: Leguminosae). American Midland Naturalist, 99,454-462.
[25]	Qiu XZ (邱学忠), Xie SC (谢寿昌), Jin GF (荆桂芬) (1984). A preliminary study on biomass of Lithocarpus xylocarpus forest in Xujiaba region, Ailao Mountains, Yunnan. Acta Botanica Yunnanica (云南植物研究), 6,85-92. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[26]	Qiu XZ (邱学忠), Xie SC (谢寿昌), Liu WY (刘文耀) (1998). Studies on the Forest Ecosystem in Ailao Mountains, Yunnan, China (哀牢山森林生态系统研究). Yunnan Sciences and Technology Press, Kunming. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[27]	Ren H (任海), Peng SL (彭少麟) (1999). The characteristics of ecological energetics of the forest ecosystem in the successional process in Dinghushan, Guangdong, China. Acta Ecologica Sinica (生态学报), 19,817-822. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[28]	Ren H (任海), Peng SL (彭少麟), Liu HX (刘鸿先), Cao HL (曹洪麟), Huang ZL (黄忠良) (1999). The caloric value of main plant species at Dinghushan, Guangdong, China. Acta Phytoecologica Sinica (植物生态学报), 23,148-154. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[29]	Wu ZY (吴征镒), Zhu YZ (朱彦丞) (1987). The Vegetation of Yunnan (云南植被). Science Press, Beijing,275-336. (in Chinese)
[30]	Zhang JH, Cao M (1995). Tropical forest vegetation of Xishuangbanna, SW China and its secondary changes, with special reference to some problems in local nature conservation. Biological Conservation, 73,229-238.
[31]	Zheng Z (郑征), Feng ZL (冯志立), Gan JM (甘建民) (2003). Impact of disturbance of planting Amomum villosum in tropical seasonal rain forest on forest net primary productivity in Xishuangbanna. Acta Phytoecologica Sinica (植物生态学报), 27,103-110. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[32]	Zhu H, Cao M, Hu HB (2006). Geological history, flora and vegetation of Xishuangbanna, Southern Yunnan. Biotropica, 38,310-317.
[33]	Zu YG (祖元刚) (1991). The characteristic of energy storage and calorie values of the Leymus chinenss population. Bulletin of Botanical Research (植物研究), 2,109-113. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[34]	Zu YG (祖元刚) (1990). Energetic Ecology Generality (能量生态学引论). Jilin Science & Technology Publishing House, Jilin.. (in Chinese)

Layer	TSRF (J·g^-1)	MEBF (J·g^-1)
Tree	19 434.36±59.54	19 841.70±66.09
Liana	18 502.60	19 251.00
Shrub	19 135.04±197.81	19 192.39±134.85
Herb	17 266.89±197.81	18 243.86±134.85
Coarse wood debris (CWD)	18 666.40	19 537.18
Litter	18 514.30±175.25	20 420.51±154.25

Layer	TSRF (J·g^-1)	MEBF (J·g^-1)
Tree	19 434.36±59.54	19 841.70±66.09
Liana	18 502.60	19 251.00
Shrub	19 135.04±197.81	19 192.39±134.85
Herb	17 266.89±197.81	18 243.86±134.85
Coarse wood debris (CWD)	18 666.40	19 537.18
Litter	18 514.30±175.25	20 420.51±154.25

Layer	TSRF (MJ·m^-2)	MEBF (MJ·m^-2)
Tree	11.71	11.79
Shrub	0.75	0.24
Herb	0.61	0.08
Litter	11.57	5.38

Layer	TSRF (MJ·m^-2)	MEBF (MJ·m^-2)
Tree	11.71	11.79
Shrub	0.75	0.24
Herb	0.61	0.08
Litter	11.57	5.38

Vegetation type	Caloric value (J·g^-1)	Location	References
Tropical moist forest	17 066.00	Santa Fe, Panama (08°04' N,81°57' W; 463 m asl.)	Golley, 1969
Tropical seasonal rain forest	18 586.61	Xishuangbanna, China (21°50' N, 101°12' E; 750 m asl.)	Present study
Evergreen broad-leaved forest	18 619.18	Dinghu Mountain, China (23°10' N, 112°33' E; 300 m asl.)	Ren et al., 1999
Tropical montane rain forest	19 338.63¹⁾	Hainan, China (18°44' N, 108°50' E; 950 m asl.)	Yi & Wu, 1996
Montane evergreen broad-leaved forest	19 431.97	Ailao Mountain, China (24°32' N, 101°01' E; 2 400 m asl.)	Present study