Abstract:
Objective To study the carbon sequestration and its change during the growth of the Taiwania flousiana plantations, and to provide reference for rational assessment of its ecological benefits.
Method Taking T. flousiana plantations at Nandan Forest Farm, Northwestern of Guangxi, as the research samples, the carbon content, carbon storage, annual carbon sequestration and distribution characteristics of T. flousiana plantation at four stand ages (9-, 17-, 25- and 37-years-old) were studied by field investigation and laboratory analysis.
Result (1) The carbon content in different organs of T. flousiana ranged from 425.3 g·kg−1 to 507.2 g·kg−1. The content of shrub, herb, litter layers ranged from 446.9 g·kg−1 to 461.3 g·kg−1, from 387.0 g·kg−1 to 412.5 g·kg−1, and from 410.5 g·kg−1 to 438.2 g·kg−1, respectively. The carbon content of soil layer (0−80 cm) ranged from 5.72 g·kg−1 to 45.79 g·kg−1, which increased with stand age but decreased with the soil depth. (2) The total carbon storage in the 9-, 17-, 25- and 37-year-old T. flousiana plantations were 180.39, 223.24, 254.65 and 314.59 t·hm−2, respectively, of which the arbor layer accounted for 20.15%, 33.72%, 38.31% and 46.70%, the shrub layer for 0.37%, 0.66%, 0.88% and 0.84%, the litter layer for 0.51%, 0.93%, 1.17% and 1.41%, and the soil layer for 78.98%, 64.69%, 59.69% and 51.06%, respectively. (3) Annual carbon sequestrations of T. flousiana plantations with the four age classes were up to 5.42, 7.15, 7.32 and 7.03 t·hm−2·a−1, respectively, of which the arbor layer accounted for 85.24%, 73.85%, 70.41% and 68.58%, and the annual litter accounted for 14.76%,26.15%, 31.42% and 29.59%, respectively.
Conclusion The carbon storage of T. flousiana plantation in Northwest Guangxi obviously varies with growth, and has huge carbon storage potential. This study can be used as reference for the forest management aiming at carbon sequestration in northwestern Guangxi.