Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2019, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (10): 843-852.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2019.0127

• Research Articles •     Next Articles

Carbon storage and its allocation in Betula platyphylla forests of different ages in cold temperate zone of China

WEI Hong,MAN Xiu-Ling()   

  1. School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
  • Received:2019-05-28 Accepted:2019-10-06 Online:2019-10-20 Published:2020-02-24
  • Contact: MAN Xiu-Ling
  • Supported by:
    the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(2572018AA02);the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31770488)

Abstract:

Aims The objective of this study was to estimate the carbon storage and its allocation in the Betula platyphylla forests of three different ages (25, 40, 61-year-old) in the cold temperate zone, NE China. Methods Through analyzing the field data, we estimated the carbon storage and sequestration rates of tree, understory layer (shrub layer, herb layer, litter layer) and soil layer (0-100 cm) of the 25, 40 and 61-year-old Betula platyphylla ecosystems in the north section of the Da Hinggan Ling Mountains. Important findings The results showed that the carbon content of each organ in the tree layer of the forests ranged from 440.7 to 506.7 g·kg-1, that decreased as the forest age increases. Carbon content in the shrub and herb layers decreased first and then increased as the forest aged, while that in the litter layer decreased with the increase of forest age. The carbon content in soil layer (0-100 cm) increased significantly with the forest age (p < 0.05), and decreased as soil drought intensified. The carbon storage of B. platyphylla ecosystem at all levels increased significantly with the increase of forest age. The carbon storage of tree layer in the forests of 25, 40 and 61-year-old were 11.9, 19.1 and 34.2 t·hm-2, respectively. The carbon storage of the organs follow the order of: trunk > root > branch > leaf, and the allocation ratio of trunk carbon increased as the forest aged. The carbon storage in the Betula platyphylla forest ecosystems of 25, 40 and 61-year-old were 77.4, 180.9 and 271.4 t·hm -2, respectively. Soil layer, the main carbon pool of the ecosystems, accounted for 81.6%, 87.7% and 85.9% of the total carbon storage. The annual net productivity (2.0-4.4 t·hm -2·a -1) and annual net carbon sequestration (1.0-2.1 t·hm -2·a -1) of the forests increased with the age increase of the forest, and the old-growth B. platyphylla forests hold a strong carbon sequestration capacity.

Key words: Betula platyphylla forests, carbon storage, carbon sequestration, carbon content, forest age