Plant Debris and Its Contribution to Ecosystem Carbon Storage in Successional Larix gmelinii Forests in Northeastern China

• Published in: Forests 2017-06, Vol.8 (6), p.191
• Main Authors: Zhu, Jianxiao, Zhou, Xuli, Fang, Wenjing, Xiong, Xinyu, Zhu, Biao, Ji, Chengjun, Fang, Jingyun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; age sequence; Biomass; Carbon sequestration; coarse woody debris (CWD); Debris; Decomposition; Detritus; ecosystem carbon storage; fine woody debris (FWD); Forest ecosystems; Forests; Larix gmelinii; Litter; Plant debris; Plantations; Terrestrial ecosystems; Trees
• ISSN: 1999-4907; 1999-4907
• DOI: 10.3390/f8060191

Plant debris, including woody debris and litter, is an essential but frequently overlooked component of carbon (C) storage in forest ecosystems. Here, we examined the C storage of plant debris and its contribution to total ecosystem C storage in an age sequence of six larch (Larix gmelinii) forest stands (15, 36, 45, 54, 65, and 138 years old) in northeastern China. The plant debris C storage increased from 6.0 ± 0.5 Mg·C·ha−1 in the 15-year-old stand to a maximum of 9.3 ± 1.8 Mg·C·ha−1 in the 138-year-old stand. The C storage of woody debris increased during stand development in a sigmoidal pattern, increasing from 0.7 ± 0.2 Mg·C·ha−1 in the 15-year-old stand to 4.7 ± 1.3 Mg·C·ha−1 in the 138-year-old stand. However, the C storage of litter (4.6−5.4 Mg·C·ha−1) did not vary with stand age in this larch chronosequence. In addition, the ratio of woody debris to live tree biomass C storage was relatively stable across stands (approximately 3.3%). These results highlight the importance of considering successional development and stand characteristics in assessing changes of plant debris and total ecosystem C storage in the larch forest ecosystem