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Evaluation of forest structure, biomass and carbon sequestration in subtropical pristine forests of SW China

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Abstract

Very old natural forests comprising the species of Fagaceae (Lithocarpus xylocarpus, Castanopsis wattii, Lithocarpus hancei) have been prevailing since years in the Ailaoshan Mountain Nature Reserve (AMNR) SW China. Within these forest trees, density is quite variable. We studied the forest structure, stand dynamics and carbon density at two different sites to know the main factors which drives carbon sequestration process in old forests by considering the following questions: How much is the carbon density in these forest trees of different DBH (diameter at breast height)? How much carbon potential possessed by dominant species of these forests? How vegetation carbon is distributed in these forests? Which species shows high carbon sequestration? What are the physiochemical properties of soil in these forests? Five-year (2005–2010) tree growth data from permanently established plots in the AMNR was analysed for species composition, density, stem diameter (DBH), height and carbon (C) density both in aboveground and belowground vegetation biomass. Our study indicated that among two comparative sites, overall 54 species of 16 different families were present. The stem density, height, C density and soil properties varied significantly with time among the sites showing uneven distribution across the forests. Among the dominant species, L. xylocarpus represents 30% of the total carbon on site 1 while C. wattii represents 50% of the total carbon on site 2. The average C density ranged from 176.35 to 243.97 t C ha−1. The study emphasized that there is generous degree to expand the carbon stocking in this AMNR through scientific management gearing towards conservation of old trees and planting of potentially high carbon sequestering species on good site quality areas.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U1202234, 31290220), the Yunnan Natural Science Foundation of Yunnan Province, China (2011FA025), the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA05050601, XDA05050206) and the CAS 135 project (XTBG-F01), Ailaoshan Station for Subtropical Forest Ecosystem Research, Ailaoshan National Nature Reserve Administration at Jingdong, and Central Analysis Lab of XTBG.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory for Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Yunnan, 666300, China

    Syed Moazzam Nizami, Zhang Yiping, Zheng Zheng & Sha Liqing

  2. College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China

    Syed Moazzam Nizami

  3. IMARC Karakoram International University, Gilgit, Gilgit-Baltistan, 15100, Pakistan

    Syed Moazzam Nizami

  4. Ailaoshan Station for Subtropical Forest Ecosystem Research, Yunnan, 676209, China

    Zhang Yiping, Zheng Zheng, Lu Zhiyun, Yang Guoping & Sha Liqing

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  1. Syed Moazzam Nizami
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  2. Zhang Yiping
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  3. Zheng Zheng
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Correspondence to Syed Moazzam Nizami.

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Responsible editor: Hailong Wang

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Table 1s

Mean Tree density (No. of tree ha−1), Mean DBH (cm) and Mean Height (m) of the tree species of Primary Subtropical Broad-leaved Forest in Ailaoshan Mountain Nature Reserve (DOC 110 kb).

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Nizami, S.M., Yiping, Z., Zheng, Z. et al. Evaluation of forest structure, biomass and carbon sequestration in subtropical pristine forests of SW China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 8137–8146 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-8506-7

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