Ecosystem carbon storage and sink/source of temperate forested wetlands in Xiaoxing’anling, northeast China

Wetlands play an important role in the global carbon cycle, but there are still considerable uncertainties in the estimation of wetland carbon storage and a dispute on whether wetlands are carbon sources or carbon sinks. Xiaoxing’anling are one of several concentrated distribution areas of forested wetland in China, but the carbon storage and carbon sink/source of forested wetlands in this area is unclear. We measured the ecosystem carbon storage (vegetation and soil), annual net carbon sequestration of vegetation and annual carbon emissions of soil heterotrophic respiration of five typical forested wetland types (alder swamp, white birch swamp, larch swamp, larch fen, and larch bog) distributed along a moisture gradient in this area in order to reveal the spatial variations of their carbon storage and quantitatively evaluate their position as carbon sink or source according to the net carbon balance of the ecosystems. The results show that the larch fen had high carbon storage (448.8 t ha^(−1)) (6.8% higher than the larch bog and 10.5–30.1% significantly higher than other three wetlands (P < 0.05), the white birch swamp and larch bog were medium carbon storage ecosystems (406.3 and 420.1 t ha^(−1)) (12.4–21.8% significantly higher than the other two types (P < 0.0 5), while the alder swamp and larch swamp were low in carbon storage (345.0 and 361.5 t ha^(−1), respectively). The carbon pools of the five wetlands were dominated by their soil carbon pools (88.5–94.5%), and the vegetation carbon pool was secondary (5.5–11.5%). At the same time, their ecosystem net carbon balances were positive (0.1–0.6 t ha^(−1) a^(−1)) because the annual net carbon sequestration of vegetation (4.0–4.5 t ha^(−1) a^(−1)) were higher than the annual carbon emissions of soil heterotrophic respiration (CO_(2) and CH_(4)) (3.8–4.4 t ha^(−1) a^(−1)) in four wetlands, (the alder swamp being the exception), so all four were carbon sinks while only the alder swamp was a source of carbon emissions (− 2.1 t ha^(−1) a^(−1)) due to a degraded tree layer. Our results demonstrate that these forested wetlands were generally carbon sinks in the Xiaoxing’anling, and there was obvious spatial variation in carbon storage of ecosystems along the moisture gradient.

Maintenance of an abrupt boundary between needle-leaved and broad-leaved forests in a wetland near coast

There is an abrupt boundary between two well-developed wetland forests, a stand consisting of a broad-leaved, nitrogen-fixer Alnusjaponica and a stand of the needle-leaved Picea glehnii Masters, in eastern Hokkaido, Japan. To clarify maintenance mechanisms, we studied the forest profile, water level, groundwater and precipitation chemistry, seedling establishment patterns in relation to microhabitats, and seed migration. The profile of groundwater level insufficiently explained the abrupt boundary formation, while the groundwater chemistry differed significantly between the two forests ; i.e., EC, Na^＋, K^＋, Mg^2＋, Ca^2＋ and Cl^- were higher in P. glehnii forest and pH was lower. Precipitation in P. glehnii forest contained richer Na＋, Ca^2＋ and Cl^-, indicating that the differences in surface-water chemistry were mostly derived from precipitation. Solar radiation was less than 2.2 MJ.m^-2.d^-1 on P. glehnii forest in late June, while that was patchily distributed in A.japonica forest with a range from 1.0 to 3.7 MJ＇m^-2＇d^-1. Moss cover on the soil surface, most of which were made of Sphagnum spp., was 60% in P. glehnii forest, but was 10% in A. japonica forest. Surface water chemistry represented by pH was considered to determine the development of Sphagnum moss. About 70% of P. glehnii seedlings 〈 1.3 m in height established on moss cover. Seed-sowing experiments suggested that seed germination and seedling survival for both species were significantly higher in P. glehnii forest. Therefore, the regeneration of P. glehnii in A. japonica forest was negligible, owing to the paucity of favorable microhabitats and low seedling establishment. A. japonica regenerated only by resprouting, and the seedlings were few in both forests. In addition, A. japonica seed migration into the P. glehnii forests was greatly restricted, and low solar radiation in the P. glehnii forest contributed to low seedling survival. Based on those results, we concluded that Picea glehnii and Alnusjaponica could develop distinct and selfish environments being unsuitable for the other species and inhibit natural afforestation of another species each other by excluding invasion.

Integrated simulation of runoff and groundwater in forest wetland watersheds

A Distributed Forest Wetland Hydrologic Model （DFWHM） was constructed and used to examine water dynamics in the different climates of three different watersheds （a cold region, a sub-tropic region, and a large-scale watershed）. A phenological index was used to represent the seasonal and species changes of the tree canopy while processes of snow packing, soil freezing, and snow and ice thawing were also included in the simulation. In the cold region, the simulated fall of the groundwater level in winter due to soil f^eezing and rise in spring due to snow and ice melting compare well with the observed data. Because the evapotranspiration and interaction of surface water and groundwater are included in the model, the modeled seasonal trend of the groundwater level in the sub-tropic region is in agreement with observations. The comparison between modeled and observed hydrographs indicates that the simulations in the large-scale watershed managed to capture the water dynamics in unsaturated and saturatedzones.

Maintenance of an abrupt boundary between needle-leaved and broad-leaved forests in a wetland near coast

There is an abrupt boundary between two well-developed wetland forests, a stand consisting of a broad-leaved, nitrogen-fixer Alnus japonica and a stand of the needle-leaved Picea glehnii Masters, in eastern Hokkaido, Japan.To clarify maintenance mechanisms, we studied the forest profile, water level, groundwater and precipitation chemistry, seedling establishment patterns in relation to microhabitats, and seed migration.The profile of groundwater level insufficiently explained the abrupt boundary formation, while the groundwater che-mistry differed significantly between the two forests;i.e., EC, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+ and Cl-were higher in P.glehnii forest and pH was lower.Precipitation in P.glehnii forest contained richer Na+, Ca2+ and Cl-, indicating that the differences in surface-water chemistry were mostly derived from precipitation.Solar radiation was less than 2.2 MJ·m-2·d-1 on P.glehnii forest in late June, while that was patchily distributed in A.japonica forest with a range from 1.0 to 3.7 MJ·m-2·d-1.Moss cover on the soil surface, most of which were made of Sphagnum spp., was 60% in P.glehnii forest, but was 10% in A.japonica forest.Surface water chemistry represented by pH was considered to determine the development of Sphagnum moss.About 70% of P.glehnii seedlings < 1.3 m in height established on moss cover.Seed-sowing experiments suggested that seed germination and seedling survival for both species were significantly higher in P.glehnii forest.Therefore, the regeneration of P.glehnii in A.japonica forest was negligible, owing to the paucity of favorable microhabitats and low seedling establishment.A.japonica regenerated only by resprouting, and the seedlings were few in both forests.In addition, A.japonica seed migration into the P.glehnii forests was greatly restricted, and low solar radiation in the P.glehnii forest contributed to low seedling survival.Based on those results, we concluded that Picea glehnii and Alnus japonica could develop distinct and selfish environments being unsuitable for the other species and inhibit natural afforestation of another species each other by excluding invasion.

Metabolic diversity and seasonal variation of soil microbial communities in natural forested wetlands

This study explores the effects of vegetation and season on soil microorganisms and enzymatic activity of different wetlands in a temperate climate.Microbial carbon metabolism diversity was assessed using community-level physiological profiles(CLPP)with 31 different carbon substrates.CLPP indicated that significant interactions occur during carbon substrate metabolism of the microorganisms.Furthermore,the different types of vegetation present in the wetland ecosystem combined with the seasonal effects to influence microbial carbon metabolism and enzymatic activity.The most significant differences occurred to carbohydrates,carboxylic acids,and amino acids.The Mantel test confirmed positive correlations between soil enzymatic activities and microbial carbon metabolism.Soil microorganisms in Betula ovalifolia and Carex schmidtii wetlands used carbon substrates more efficiently in summer than those in other forested wetlands during other periods.Enzymatic activities also showed a similar trend as microbial carbon metabolism.The results demonstrate that microbial carbon metabolism patterns can be used as biological indicators in wetland ecological alterations due to vegetation type or to seasonal factors.

Forest composition and red oak (Quercus sp.) response to elevation gradients across greentree reservoirs

Elevation gradients within forested wetlands have long been recognized for their role in defining species composition through factors such as hydrology and soil characteristics.Greentree reservoirs(GTRs)are leveeimpounded tracts of bottomland hardwood forest flooded throughout the winter months to provide habitat for overwintering waterfowl.Artificial flooding of GTRs alters the forest composition due to flood frequency,depth,and duration in combination with slight changes in topography.To evaluate the effect of elevation gradients,soil properties,and management techniques in the overstory species composition and red oak(Quercus spp.)species abundance,we inventoried 662 plots across 12 independent GTRs in eastern Arkansas.In the lower elevations ranging from 50.98 to 54.99 m above sea level,the importance value index(IVI)was highest for nuttall oak(Quercus texana)and overcup oak(Quercus lyrata),whereas IVI shifted to cherrybark oak(Quercus pagoda)in the higher elevations ranging from 54.99 to 58.00 m.Alpha diversity did not differ by elevation gradient,soil property,or management technique within GTRs.Beta diversity,using non-metric multi-dimensional scaling(NMDS)analysis,indicated site-specific variability significantly correlated with the environmental predictors,including elevation(R^(2)=0.57),easting(R^(2)=0.47),soil texture(R^(2)=0.21),and pH(R^(2)=0.12).Red oak species-specific mixed-effects modeling of abundance response using Poisson distribution suggested an inverse correlation of nuttall oak and a direct correlation of cherrybark oak abundance with elevation.However,willow oak(Quercus phellos)abundance was not significantly affected by elevation but was by silt loam soil texture and restoration management techniques.These findings will aid management efforts to reduce the dominance of less desirable species that are prominent under specific environmental conditions and promote the dominance of more desirable species.Ultimately GTR sustainability is increasingly important amid the unpredictable impacts of climate change on the preferred red oak species that are economically,ecologically,and environmentally valuable to the sustaining economy of the local community and managing habitats for wildlife.