Relationships between functional diversity and aboveground carbon sink functions and their changes with forest succession in Changbai Mountains, China

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2024.0164

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Forests serve as the largest carbon pool in terrestrial ecosystems. Promoting forests carbon sequestration and carbon sink is a key approach to achieving the “double carbon” target. Biodiversity is a crucial foundation for maintaining ecosystem functions. Clarifying the relationship between forest biodiversity and carbon sink function is an important prerequisite for enhancing forest carbon sequestration and carbon sink. However, the relative contribution of biodiversity to forest carbon sink function along temperate forest succession, as well as the corresponding ecological processes are not clear.

Methods This study focuses on the primary Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) - broadleaf mixed forest and the secondary forests in Changbai Mountains. Based on the data from two-phase forest community surveys, we calculated forest functional diversity and functional composition, which reflect the niche complementarity effect and the mass ratio effect, respectively. Additionally, we used forest initial aboveground carbon storage to represent the green vegetation effect. Finally, utilizing structural equation modeling, we examined the impact of different ecological effects on forest carbon storage and carbon sequestration rate, and tested the impact changes with forest succession.

Important findings We found the ecological mechanisms underlying the relationship between forest biodiversity and carbon sink function changed with forest succession. In the secondary poplar-birch forest (i.e., early successional stage), the mass ratio effect, niche complementarity effect, and vegetation quantity effect jointly affected the carbon sink function. In the secondary conifer-broadleaf mixed forest stage (i.e., middle successional stage), the mass ratio effect was the main mechanism affecting forest carbon sink function. In the primary Korean pine-broadleaf mixed forest (i.e., climax stage), the mass ratio effect and vegetation quantity effect exhibited more significant impacts. Additionally, the local environment also significantly influenced forest carbon storage and carbon sequestration rate. This study revealed the relationship between forest biodiversity and carbon sink function, as well as its underlying mechanisms, and their changes with forest succession in Changbai Mountains. These results deepen our understanding in the complex mechanisms of carbon sink function in temperate forests, and provide scientific support for the ecological restoration and management of secondary forests in Northeast China.

Key words: biodiversity, functional diversity, functional composition, forest carbon stock, carbon sink function, forest succession

WU Yan-Ning, HAO Min-Hui, HE Huai-Jiang, ZHANG Chun-Yu, ZHAO Xiu-Hai. Relationships between functional diversity and aboveground carbon sink functions and their changes with forest succession in Changbai Mountains, China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2025, 49(2): 232-243.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2024.0164

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2025/V49/I2/232

Figures/Tables 5

Table 1 Basic information of the three forest plots in Changbai Mountains

样地 Plot	建立年份 Year of establishment	演替阶段 Successional stage	样地位置 Location	平均胸高断面积 Average basal area at breast height (m²·hm^-2)
次生杨桦林 Secondary poplar-birch forest	2005	早期阶段 Early stage	42.32° N, 128.13° E	23.81
次生针阔混交林 Secondary conifer-broadleaf mixed forest	2005	中期阶段 Middle stage	42.35° N, 128.13° E	33.13
原始红松阔叶混交林 Primary Korean pine-broadleaf mixed forest	2007	顶极阶段 Climax stage	42.23° N, 128.08° E	55.33

Fig. 1 Biplot of the principal component analysis for environmental factors (ENV) of the forest plots in Changbai Mountains. Dots represent the 20 m × 20 m quadrats, and black arrows depict the environmental factors. SD, soil depth; SOM, soil organic matter content; STN, soil total nitrogen content; STP, soil total phosphorus content; SWC, soil water content.

Fig. 2 Biplot of the principal component analysis for community weighted mean traits (FCom) of the forest plots in Changbai Mountain. Dots represent the 20 m × 20 m quadrats, and black arrows depict the community weighted mean traits. C/N, leaf carbon to nitrogen radio; Hmax, height maximum; LA, leaf area; LDMC, leaf dry matter content; LNC, leaf nitrogen content; SLA, specific leaf area.

Fig. 3 Difference in functional dispersion, functional composition, and forest carbon sink function in different forest successional stages in Changbai Mountains. AGCS, aboveground carbon storage; CRS, carbon sequestration; FCom1, the first principal component of functional composition; FCom2, the second principal component of functional composition; FDis, functional dispersion. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences among different forest types (p < 0.05).

Fig. 4 Relationships between forest biodiversity and carbon sink function in Changbai Mountains. A, Secondary poplar-birch forest. B, Secondary conifer-broadleaf mixed forest. C, Primary Korean pine-broadleaf mixed forest. CFI represents the comparative fit index, and SRMR represents standardized root mean square residual. Red arrows represent positive effects, while green arrows represent negative effects. The solid lines represent significant relationships (p < 0.05), while dashed lines represent insignificant relationships (p ≥ 0.05). The values next to the lines are the standardized path coefficients, and the line thickness is proportional to the standardized path coefficient. R2 represents the percentage of the response variations explained by the explanatory variables. The box displays the environmental or functional trait factors with factor loadings greater than 0.4 where the “↑” and“↓” next to the letters indicate the increase and decrease of the principal component values with the variables. AGCS, aboveground carbon storage; ALT, altitude; ASP, aspect; C/N, leaf carbon to nitrogen ratio; CRS, carbon sequestration; ENV1, the first principal component of the environment; ENV2, the second principal component of the environment; FCom1, the first principal component of functional composition; FCom2, the second principal component of functional composition; FDis, functional dispersion; Hmax, height maximum; LA, leaf area; LDMC, leaf dry matter content; LN, leaf nitrogen content; SLA, specific leaf area; SOM, soil organic matter content; STN, soil total nitrogen content; STP, soil total phosphorus content; SWC, soil water content.

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