Chin J Plan Ecolo ›› 2016, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (4): 341-353.

• Research Articles •

### Present status and rate of carbon sequestration of forest vegetation in Jilin Province, Northeast China

Chun-Nan FAN1,2, Shi-Jie HAN2, Zhong-Ling GUO1,*(), Jin-Ping ZHENG1, Yan CHENG3

1. 1Forestry College of Beihua University, Jilin 132013, China

2Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
and
3Administration Bureau of Sanhu Nature Reserve of Songhua River in Jilin Province, Jilin 132013, China
• Received:2015-06-02 Accepted:2015-10-24 Online:2016-04-29 Published:2016-04-30
• Contact: Zhong-Ling GUO

Abstract:

Aims
Forests represent the most important component of the terrestrial biological carbon pool and play an important role in the global carbon cycle. The regional scale estimation of carbon budgets of forest ecosystems, however, have high uncertainties because of the different data sources, estimation methods and so on. Our objective was to accurately estimate the carbon storage, density and sequestration rate in forest vegetation in Jilin Province of China, in order to understand the role of the carbon sink and to better manage forest ecosystems.
Methods
Vegetation survey data were used to determine forest distribution, size of area and vegetation types regionally. In our study, 561 plots were investigated to build volume-biomass models; 288 plots of shrubs and herbs were harvested to calculate the biomass of understory vegetation, and samples of trees, shrubs and herbs were collected to analyze carbon content. Carbon storage, density and sequestration rate were estimated by two forest inventory data (2009 and 2014), combined with volume-biomass models, the average biomass of understory vegetation and carbon content of vegetation. Finally, the distribution patterns of carbon pools were presented using ArcGIS soft ware.
Important findings
Understory vegetation biomass overall was less than 3% of the tree layer biomass, varying greatly among different forest types and even among the similar types. The carbon content of trees was between 45.80%-52.97%, and that of the coniferous forests was higher than that of the broadleaf forests. The carbon content of shrub and herb layers was about 39.79%-47.25% and 40%, respectively. Therefore, the vegetation carbon conversion coefficient was 0.47 or 0.48 in Jilin Province, and the conventional use of 0.50 or 0.45 would cause deviation of ±5.26%. The vegetation carbon pool of Jilin Province was at the upper range of regional carbon pool and had higher capacity of carbon sequestration. The value in 2009 and 2014 was 471.29 Tg C and 505.76 Tg C, respectively, and the total increase was 34.47 Tg C with average annual growth of 6.89 Tg C·a-1. The corresponding carbon sequestration rate was 0.92 t·hm-2·a-1. The carbon density rose from 64.58 t·hm-2 in 2009 to 66.68 t·hm-2 in 2014, with an average increase of 2.10 t·hm-2. In addition, the carbon storage of the Quercus mongolica forests and broadleaved mixed forests, accounted for 90.34% of that of all forests. The carbon increment followed the order of young > over-mature > near mature > middle-aged > mature forests. The carbon sequestration rate of followed the order of over-mature > young > near mature > middle-aged > mature forests. Both the carbon increment and the carbon sequestration rate of mature forests were negative. Furthermore, spatially the carbon storage and density were higher in the east than in the west of Jilin province, while the carbon increment was higher in northeast and middle east than in the west. The carbon sequestration rate was higher in Tonghua and Baishan in the south, followed by Jinlin in the middle and Yanbian in the east, while Baicheng and Songyuan, etc. in west showed negative values.