Influence of Long‐Term Thinning on the Biomass Carbon and Soil Respiration in a Larch (Larix gmelinii) Forest in Northeastern China
Authors:
Open Access
- 1 January 2013
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wiley in The Scientific World Journal
- Vol. 2013 (1) , 865645
Abstract
Thinning management is used to improve timber production, but only a few data are available on how it influences ecosystem C sink capacity. This study aims to clarify the effects of thinning on C sinks of larch plantations, the most widespread forests in Northeastern China. Both C influx from biomass production and C efflux from each soil respiration component and its temperature sensitivity were determined for scaling‐up ecosystem C sink estimation: microbial composition is measured for clarifying mechanism for respiratory changes from thinning treatment. Thinning management induced 6.23 mol C m−2 yr−1 increase in biomass C, while the decrease in heterotrophic respiration (Rh) at the thinned sites (0.9 mol C m−2 yr−1) has enhanced 14% of this biomass C increase. This decrease in Rh was a sum of the 42% decrease (4.1 mol C m−2 yr−1) in litter respiration and 3.2 mol C m−2 yr−1 more CO2 efflux from mineral soil in thinned sites compared with unthinned control. Increases in temperature, temperature sensitivity, alteration of litters, and microbial composition may be responsible for the contrary changes in Rh from mineral soil and litter respiration, respectively. These findings manifested that thinning management of larch plantations could enhance biomass accumulation and decrease respiratory efflux from soil, which resulted in the effectiveness improvement in sequestrating C in forest ecosystems.Keywords
Funding Information
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (31170575, 2011CB403205, DL12DA03)
- Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (31170575, 2011CB403205, DL12DA03)
- basic research fund for national universities from Ministry of Education of China (31170575, 2011CB403205, DL12DA03)
This publication has 26 references indexed in Scilit:
- Modeling water, carbon, and nitrogen dynamics for two drained pine plantations under intensive management practicesForest Ecology and Management, 2012
- Soil CO2 efflux, carbon dynamics, and change in thermal conditions from contrasting clear-cut sites during natural restoration and uncut larch forests in northeastern ChinaClimatic Change, 2009
- Influences of forest tending works on carbon distribution and cycling in a Pinus densiflora S. et Z. stand in KoreaForest Ecology and Management, 2009
- Thinning intensity effects on carbon and nitrogen stores and fluxes in a Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) stand after 33 yearsForest Ecology and Management, 2008
- Thinning reduces soil carbon dioxide but not methane flux from southwestern USA ponderosa pine forestsForest Ecology and Management, 2008
- How strongly can forest management influence soil carbon sequestration?Geoderma, 2007
- Temperature sensitivity of soil carbon decomposition and feedbacks to climate changeNature, 2006
- Effects of thinning on growth of six tree species in north-temperate forests of LithuaniaEuropean Journal of Forest Research, 2005
- Effect of clearcutting, selection cutting, shelterwood cutting and microsites on soil surface CO2 efflux in a tolerant hardwood ecosystem of northern OntarioForest Ecology and Management, 2003
- Microbial processes and fungal community structure in soils from clear-cut and unharvested areas of two mixedwood forestsCanadian Journal of Botany, 1998