Effects of thinning on fine root biomass and carbon storage of subalpine Picea asperata plantation in Western Sichuan Province, China

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1258.2012.00645

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Fine root carbon storage is an important part of forest ecosystem carbon pools. Our objective was to determine the effects of thinning on fine root biomass and carbon storage in a Picea asperata plantation in Western Sichuan Province, China.

Methods We sampled fine roots of a 50 year-old P. asperata plantation thinned by different treatments in August 2010. We excavated soil blocks of 20 cm × 20 cm × 20 cm to sample intact fine root branches of at least the first five branch orders, dissected the intact root branches by order and measured the biomass and carbon storage of each order.

Important findings Fine root biomass and carbon storage significantly increased with root order (p < 0.05). The first order roots had the smallest biomass and carbon storage, and the fifth order roots had the largest. Compared with the control, thinning the plantation had significant effects on fine roots biomass and carbon storage (p < 0.05), while the effects of fine roots biomass per plant varied. Thinning treatments of 10% and 20% were not significantly different from the control (p > 0.05). Thinning significantly affected the distribution of fine root biomass in the five root orders. As the thinning intensity increased, the ratio of biomass distribution in the first and second fine order increased. The first order had the largest increase. The ratio of biomass distribution in orders 3 to 5 decreased, and order 5 had the largest decrease. The 50% thinning significantly reduced the fine root biomass ratio in the lower soil layer (20-40 cm), but there was no significant difference compared with 20% and 30% (p > 0.05).

Key words: biomass, carbon storage, fine root, Picea asperata, plantation, thinning

LIU Yun-Ke, FAN Chuan, LI Xian-Wei, LING Yin-Hua, ZHOU Yi-Gui, FENG Mao-Song, HUANG Cong-De. Effects of thinning on fine root biomass and carbon storage of subalpine Picea asperata plantation in Western Sichuan Province, China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2012, 36(7): 645-654.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.3724/SP.J.1258.2012.00645

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2012/V36/I7/645

Figures/Tables 9

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间伐强度 Thinning intensity	林分密度 Stand density (plant·hm^-2)	平均树高Average height (m)	平均胸径Average DBH (cm)	海拔 Altitude (m)	坡度 Slope	坡向 Slope aspect	土壤类型 Type of soil	土层厚度 Thickness of soil (cm)	植物种类 Plant species
0%	4 500	12.54	19.00	3 190-3 210	18°	西南 SW	DB	30-40	12^a
10%	4 050	13.28	22.91	3 190-3 210	20°	西南 SW	DB	30-40	16^b
20%	3 600	13.39	23.02	3 190-3 210	20°	西南 SW	DB	30-40	18^c
30%	3 150	13.79	23.31	3 190-3 210	20°	西南 SW	DB	30-40	25^d
50%	2 250	13.22	23.97	3 190-3 210	19°	西南 SW	DB	30-40	28^e

间伐强度 Thinning intensity	林分密度 Stand density (plant·hm^-2)	平均树高Average height (m)	平均胸径Average DBH (cm)	海拔 Altitude (m)	坡度 Slope	坡向 Slope aspect	土壤类型 Type of soil	土层厚度 Thickness of soil (cm)	植物种类 Plant species
0%	4 500	12.54	19.00	3 190-3 210	18°	西南 SW	DB	30-40	12^a
10%	4 050	13.28	22.91	3 190-3 210	20°	西南 SW	DB	30-40	16^b
20%	3 600	13.39	23.02	3 190-3 210	20°	西南 SW	DB	30-40	18^c
30%	3 150	13.79	23.31	3 190-3 210	20°	西南 SW	DB	30-40	25^d
50%	2 250	13.22	23.97	3 190-3 210	19°	西南 SW	DB	30-40	28^e

间伐强度 Thinning intensity	林分密度 Stand density (plant·hm^-2)	单株空间 Space of a single tree (m³·plant^-1)	单株根量 Fine root biomass of a single tree (kg·plant^-1)	林分细根生物量 Stand fine root biomass (kg·hm^-2)			根量密度 Root biomass density (kg·m^-3)
间伐强度 Thinning intensity	林分密度 Stand density (plant·hm^-2)	单株空间 Space of a single tree (m³·plant^-1)	单株根量 Fine root biomass of a single tree (kg·plant^-1)	活细根 Live fine root	死细根 Dead fine root	总生物量 Total biomass	根量密度 Root biomass density (kg·m^-3)
0%	4 500	0.888 9	0.759 0 (0.009 4)^a	2 875.473 3 (67.899 4)^a	540.176 7 (29.717 1)^a	3 415.650 0 (42.456 1)^a	0.853 9 (0.010 6)^a
10%	4 050	0.987 7	0.772 3 (0.013 9)^a	2 657.320 0 (50.062 2)^b	470.363 3 (6.739 3)^ab	3 127.683 3 (56.529 8)^b	0.781 9 (0.014 1)^b
20%	3 600	1.111 1	0.800 8 (0.086 4)^a	2 496.400 0 (63.770 1)^c	386.600 0 (33.139 4)^bc	2 883.000 0 (31.096 4)^c	0.720 7 (0.077 8)^c
30%	3 150	1.269 8	0.853 7 (0.044 8)^b	2 383.850 0 (51.144 0)^d	305.210 0 (96.618 4)^cd	2 689.060 0 (91.009 1)^d	0.672 3 (0.035 2)^d
50%	2 250	1.777 8	1.159 8 (0.035 2)^c	2 377.886 7 (44.008 5)^d	231.730 0 (40.824 5)^d	2 609.616 7 (79.248 4)^d	0.652 4 (0.019 8)^d

间伐强度 Thinning intensity	林分密度 Stand density (plant·hm^-2)	单株空间 Space of a single tree (m³·plant^-1)	单株根量 Fine root biomass of a single tree (kg·plant^-1)	林分细根生物量 Stand fine root biomass (kg·hm^-2)			根量密度 Root biomass density (kg·m^-3)
间伐强度 Thinning intensity	林分密度 Stand density (plant·hm^-2)	单株空间 Space of a single tree (m³·plant^-1)	单株根量 Fine root biomass of a single tree (kg·plant^-1)	活细根 Live fine root	死细根 Dead fine root	总生物量 Total biomass	根量密度 Root biomass density (kg·m^-3)
0%	4 500	0.888 9	0.759 0 (0.009 4)^a	2 875.473 3 (67.899 4)^a	540.176 7 (29.717 1)^a	3 415.650 0 (42.456 1)^a	0.853 9 (0.010 6)^a
10%	4 050	0.987 7	0.772 3 (0.013 9)^a	2 657.320 0 (50.062 2)^b	470.363 3 (6.739 3)^ab	3 127.683 3 (56.529 8)^b	0.781 9 (0.014 1)^b
20%	3 600	1.111 1	0.800 8 (0.086 4)^a	2 496.400 0 (63.770 1)^c	386.600 0 (33.139 4)^bc	2 883.000 0 (31.096 4)^c	0.720 7 (0.077 8)^c
30%	3 150	1.269 8	0.853 7 (0.044 8)^b	2 383.850 0 (51.144 0)^d	305.210 0 (96.618 4)^cd	2 689.060 0 (91.009 1)^d	0.672 3 (0.035 2)^d
50%	2 250	1.777 8	1.159 8 (0.035 2)^c	2 377.886 7 (44.008 5)^d	231.730 0 (40.824 5)^d	2 609.616 7 (79.248 4)^d	0.652 4 (0.019 8)^d

间伐强度 Thinning intensity	1级根 First root order		2级根 Second root order		3级根 Third root order		4级根 Fourth root order		5级根 Fifth root order
间伐强度 Thinning intensity	生物量Biomass (kg·hm^-2)	百分比Percentage (%)¹⁾	生物量Biomass (kg·hm^-2)	百分比Percentage (%)¹⁾	生物量Biomass (kg·hm^-2)	百分比Percentage (%)¹⁾	生物量Biomass (kg·hm^-2)	百分比Percentage (%)¹⁾	生物量Biomass (kg·hm²)	百分比Percentage (%)¹⁾
0	284.88 (5.58)^a	8.34	306.90 (6.01)^a	8.98	608.48 (6.31)^a	17.82	765.82 (4.51)^a	22.42	1 449.5 (20.16)^a	42.44
10%	276.96 (5.21)^a	8.86	309.27 (4.33)^a	9.89	564.05 (13.65)^b	18.03	692.39 (16.56)^b	22.14	1 284.9 (18.21)^b	41.09
20%	282.65 (2.84)^a	9.80	312.45 (3.65)^ab	10.84	526.62 (8.14)^c	18.27	622.99 (7.23)^c	21.61	1 138.7 (13.52)^c	39.48
30%	321.39 (16.86)^b	11.95	317.63 (2.29)^b	11.83	493.22 (26.27)^d	18.34	524.48 (22.60)^d	19.50	1 032.33 (61.59)^d	38.38
50%	340.39 (10.06)^c	13.04	317.48 (3.09)^b	12.17	478.49 (11.63)^d	18.34	494.42 (15.47)^d	18.95	978.82 (33.69)^d	37.50