Carbon accumulations by stock change approach in tropical highland forests of Chiapas, Mexico

Changes in forest biomass and soil organic carbon reserves have strong links to atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration.Human activities such as livestock grazing,forest fires,selective logging and firewood extraction are the common disturbances that affect the carbon dynamics of the forest ecosystems.Here,we hypothesized that such anthropogenic activities significantly reduce the carbon stocks and accumulation rates in the tropical highland forests of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas in Southern Mexico.We sampled the Pinus oocarpa Scheide dominated forests within the elevation range of 900 to 1100 m above sea level in 2010,2014 and 2017.We measured the stand structural properties and used the reported allometric equations to calculate the tree carbon stocks.Stock change approach was used to calculate carbon accumulation rates.The results showed a gradual increase in carbon storage over the 7-year period from 2010 to 2017,but the rate of increase varied significantly between the study sites.The aboveground carbon stock was 107.25±11.77 Mg ha-1 for the site with lower anthropogenic intensity,compared to 74.29±16.85 Mg ha-1 for the site with higher intensity.The current annual increment for the forest with lower anthropogenic intensity was 7.81±0.65 Mg ha-1 a-1,compared to 3.87±1.03 Mg ha-1 a-1 in the site with high anthropogenic intensity.Although at varying rates,these forests are functioning as important carbon sinks.The results on carbon accumulation rates have important implications in greenhouse gas mitigations and forest change modelling in the context of changing global climate.

Aboveground carbon sequestration of Cunninghamia lanceolata forests:Magnitude and drivers

Understanding the spatial variation,temporal changes,and their underlying driving forces of carbon sequestration in various forests is of great importance for understanding the carbon cycle and carbon management options.How carbon density and sequestration in various Cunninghamia lanceolata forests,extensively cultivated for timber production in subtropical China,vary with biodiversity,forest structure,environment,and cultural factors remain poorly explored,presenting a critical knowledge gap for realizing carbon sequestration supply potential through management.Based on a large-scale database of 449 permanent forest inventory plots,we quantified the spatial-temporal heterogeneity of aboveground carbon densities and carbon accumulation rates in Cunninghamia lanceolate forests in Hunan Province,China,and attributed the contributions of stand structure,environmental,and management factors to the heterogeneity using quantile age-sequence analysis,partial least squares path modeling(PLS-PM),and hot-spot analysis.The results showed lower values of carbon density and sequestration on average,in comparison with other forests in the same climate zone(i.e.,subtropics),with pronounced spatial and temporal variability.Specifically,quantile regression analysis using carbon accumulation rates along an age sequence showed large differences in carbon sequestration rates among underperformed and outperformed forests(0.50 and 1.80 Mg·ha^(-1)·yr^(-1)).PLS-PM demonstrated that maximum DBH and stand density were the main crucial drivers of aboveground carbon density from young to mature forests.Furthermore,species diversity and geotopographic factors were the significant factors causing the large discrepancy in aboveground carbon density change between low-and high-carbon-bearing forests.Hotspot analysis revealed the importance of culture attributes in shaping the geospatial patterns of carbon sequestration.Our work highlighted that retaining largesized DBH trees and increasing shade-tolerant tree species were important to enhance carbon sequestration in C.lanceolate forests.

Aged forests could still act as carbon sinks

Old-growth forests are traditionally negligible as carbon sinks, but CAS scientists recently reported that

Age-related Changes of Carbon Accumulation and Allocation in Plants and Soil of Black Locust Forest on Loess Plateau in Ansai County, Shaanxi Province of China

The effects of reforestation on carbon （C） sequestration in China＇s Loess Plateau ecosystem have attracted much research attention in recent years. Black locust trees （Robinia pseudoacacia L.） are valued for their important use in reforestation and water and soil conservation efforts. This forest type is widespread across the Loess Plateau, and must he an essential component of any planning for C sequestration efforts in this fragile ecological region. The long-term effects of stand age on C accumulation and allocation after reforestation remains uncertain. We examined an age-sequence of black locust forest （5, 9, 20, 30, 38, and 56 yr since planting） on the Loess Plateau to evaluate C accumulation and allocation in plants （trees, shrubs, herbages, and leaf litter） and soil （0-100 cm）. Allometric equations were developed for estimating the biomass of tree components （leaf, branch, stem without bark, bark and root） with a de- structive sampling method. Our results demonstrated that black locust forest ecosystem accumulated C constantly, from 31.42 Mg C/ha （1 Mg = 106 g） at 5 yr to 79.44 Mg C/haat 38 yr. At the ＇old forest＇ stage （38 to 56 yr）, the amount of C in plant biomass significantly decreased （from 45.32 to 34.52 Mg C/ha） due to the high mortality of trees. However, old forest was able to accumulate C continuously in soil （from 33.66 to 41.00 Mg C/ha）. The C in shrub biomass increased with stand age, while the C stock in the herbage layer and leaf litter was age-independent. Reforestation resulted in C re-allocation in the forest soil. The topsoil （0-20 cm） C stock increased constantly with stand age. However, C storage in sub-top soil, in the 20-30, 30-50, 50-100, and 20-100 cm layers, was age-independent. These results suggest that succession, as a temporal factor, plays a key role in C accumulation and re-allocation in black locust forests and also in regional C dynamics in vegetation.

Estimation of soil carbon pools in the forests of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan

Forest soils have high carbon densities compared to other land-uses.Soil carbon sequestration is important to reduce CO 2 concentrations in the atmosphere.An eff ective climate change mitigation strategy involves limiting the emissions of greenhouse gases from soils.Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the most forested province of Pakistan,hosting about one-third of the country’s 4.5×106 ha forest area.Soil organic carbon in the province’s forests was estimated through a fi eld-based study carried out during 2014–17 covering the whole province.Data was collected from 373 sample plots laid out in diff erent forest types using a stratifi ed cluster sampling technique.The total quantity of soil organic carbon was estimated at 59.4×106 t with an average of 52.4±5.3 t/ha.About 69%of the total soil carbon is present in temperate forests.Subtropical broad-leaved and subtropical pine forests constitute 11.4%and 8.8%of the soil carbon stock respectively.Similarly,subalpine and oak forests have respective shares of 5.1%and 5.7%in the soil carbon pool.The lowest carbon stock(0.1%)was found in dry-tropical thorn forests.The highest soil carbon density was found in subalpine forests(69.5±7.2 t/ha)followed by moist temperate forests(68.5±6.7 t/ha)and dry temperate forests(60.7±6.5 t/ha).Oak forests have carbon density of 43.4±7.1 t/ha.Subtropical pine,subtropical broad-leaved and dry tropical thorn forests have soil carbon densities of 36.3±3.7,32.8±6.2 and 31.5±3.5 t/ha,respectively.The forests of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have substantial amounts of soil carbon which must be conserved for climate change mitigation and maintenance of sound forest health.

Spatio-temporal changes in biomass carbon sinks in China's forests from 1977 to 2008

Forests play a leading role in regional and global carbon (C) cycles. Detailed assessment of the temporal and spatial changes in C sinks/sources of China's forests is critical to the estimation of the national C budget and can help to constitute sustainable forest management policies for climate change. In this study, we explored the spatio-temporal changes in forest biomass C stocks in China between 1977 and 2008, using six periods of the national forest inventory data. According to the definition of the forest inventory, China's forest was categorized into three groups: forest stand, economic forest, and bamboo forest. We estimated forest biomass C stocks for each inventory period by using continuous biomass expansion factor (BEF) method for forest stands, and the mean biomass density method for economic and bamboo forests. As a result, China's forests have accumulated biomass C (i.e., biomass C sink) of 1896 Tg (1Tg=1012g) during the study period, with 1710, 108 and 78 Tg C in forest stands, and economic and bamboo forests, respectively. Annual forest biomass C sink was 70.2 Tg Ca-1 , offsetting 7.8% of the contemporary fossil CO2 emissions in the country. The results also showed that planted forests have functioned as a persistent C sink, sequestrating 818 Tg C and accounting for 47.8% of total C sink in forest stands, and that the old-, mid- and young-aged forests have sequestrated 930, 391 and 388 Tg C from 1977 to 2008. Our results suggest that China's forests have a big potential as biomass C sink in the future because of its large area of planted forests with young-aged growth and low C density.

Ecosystem service multifunctionality of mixed conifer-broad-leaved forests under climate change and forest management based on matrix growth modelling

Climate change and forest management are recognized as pivotal factors influencing forest ecosystem services and thus multifunctionality.However,the magnitude and the relative importance of climate change and forest management effects on the multifunctionality remain unclear,especially for natural mixed forests.In this study,our objective is to address this gap by utilizing simulations of climate-sensitive transition matrix growth models based on national forest inventory plot data.We evaluated the effects of seven management scenarios(combinations of various cutting methods and intensities)on the future provision of ecosystem services and multifunctionality in mixed conifer-broad-leaved forests in northeastern China,under four climate scenarios(SSP1-2.6,SSP2-4.5,SSP5-8.5,and constant climate).Provisioning,regulating,cultural,and supporting services were described by timber production,carbon storage,carbon sequestration,tree species diversity,deadwood volume,and the number of large living trees.Our findings indicated that timber production was significantly influenced by management scenarios,while tree species diversity,deadwood volume,and large living trees were impacted by both climate and management separately.Carbon storage and sequestration were notably influenced by both management and the interaction of climate and management.These findings emphasized the profound impact of forest management on ecosystem services,outweighing that of climate scenarios alone.We found no single management scenario maximized all six ecosystem service indicators.The upper story thinning by 5%intensity with 5-year interval(UST5)management strategy emerged with the highest multifunctionality,surpassing the lowest values by more than 20%across all climate scenarios.In conclusion,our results underlined the potential of climate-sensitive transition matrix growth models as a decision support tool and provided recommendations for long-term strategies for multifunctional forest management under future climate change context.Ecosystem services and multifunctionality of forests could be enhanced by implementing appropriate management measures amidst a changing climate.

Effects of urbanization and forest type on species composition and diversity,forest characteristics,biomass carbon sink,and their associations in Changchun,Northeast China:implications for urban carbon stock improvement

Differences in forest attributes and carbon sequestration of each organ and layer between broadleaved and conifer forests of central and outer urban areas are not well-defined,hindering the precise management of urban forests and improvement of function.To clarify the effect of two forest types with different urbanization intensities,we determined differences in vegetation composition and diversity,structural traits,and carbon stocks of 152 plots(20 m×20 m)in urban park forests in Changchun,which had the largest green quantity and carbon density effectiveness.We found that 1.1-fold thicker and healthier trees,and 1.6-to 2.0-fold higher,healthier,denser,and more various shrubs but with sparser trees and herbs occurred in the central urban forests(p<0.05)than in the outer forests.The conifer forests exhibited 30–70%obviously higher tree aboveground carbon sequestration(including stem and leaf)and 20%bigger trees,especially in the outer forests(p<0.05).In contrast,1.1-to 1.5-fold higher branch stocks,healthier and more diverse trees were found in broadleaved forests of both the inner and outer forests(p<0.05).Plant size and dominant species had similarly important roles in carbon stock improvement,especially big-sized woody plants and Pinus tabuliformis.In addition,a higher number of deciduous or needle species positively affected the broadleaved forest of the central urban area and conifer forest of the outer urban area,respectively.These findings can be used to guide precise management and accelerate the improvement of urban carbon function in Northeast China in the future.

Coupling and Long-term Change Characteristics of Forest Carbon Sink and Forestry Economic Development in China

[Objectives]To analyze the changes in of forest carbon sink and forestry economic development,provide reference for relevant management decisions,ecological governance and resource and environment management,and promote the development of green low-carbon economy in China.[Methods]Based on the data of six forest resource inventories from 1989 to 2018 and related studies,the comprehensive evaluation model of forest carbon sink and forestry economic development,the coupling degree model of forest carbon sink and forestry economic development,and the coupling coordination degree model of forest carbon sink and forestry economic development were adopted.The coupling degree of forest carbon sink and forestry economic development from 1992 to 2018 was analyzed.Stepwise regression and ARIMA model were used to analyze the influencing factors and lagging characteristics of forest carbon sink.The coupling degree between forest carbon sink and forestry economic development in China from 2019 to 2030 was predicted by autoregression and ADF test.The coupling between forest carbon sink and forestry economic development in China and its long-term change characteristics were also discussed in this study.[Results](i)The investment of ecological construction and protection,the actual investment of forestry key ecological projects,GDP and the import of forest products had a significant impact on forest resources carbon stock.The total output value of forestry industry,the actually completed investment of forestry key ecological projects and the export volume of forest products had a significant impact on the forest carbon sink,and the actually completed investment of forestry key ecological projects has the greatest impact on the two.(ii)The impact of actually completed investment of forestry key ecological projects had a lag of 2 years on the forest resources carbon stock and a lag of 1 year on the forest carbon sink.When investing in forest carbon sink,it is necessary to make a good plan in advance,and do a good job in forest resources management and time optimization.(iii)From 1992 to 2018,the coupling degree of forest resources carbon stock,forest carbon sink and long-term development of forestry economy in China was gradually increasing.Although there were some fluctuations in the middle time,the coupling degree of forest resources carbon stock and the long-term development of forestry economy increased by 9.24%annually,and the degree of coupling coordination increased from"serious imbalance"in 1992 to"high-quality coordination"in 2018.From 1993 to 2018,the coupling degree of forest carbon sink and long-term development of forestry economy increased by 9.63%annually,slightly faster than the coupling coordination degree of forest resources carbon stock and long-term development of forestry economy.The coordination level also rose from level 2 in 1993 to level 10 in 2018.(iv)The prediction shows that the coupling coordination degree of forest resources carbon stock,forest carbon sink and the long-term development of forestry economy would increase from 2019 to 2030.The coupling coordination degree(D)values of both were close to 1,the coordination level was also 10 for a long time,and the degree of coupling coordination was also maintained at the"high-quality coordination"level for a long time.[Conclusions]Forest has multiple benefits of society,economy and ecology,and forest carbon sink is only a benefit output.The long-term coupling analysis of forest carbon sink and forestry economic development is a key point to multiple benefit analysis.The analysis shows that the spillover effect and co-evolution effect of forest carbon sink in China are significant.From 1992 to 2018,the coupling coordination degree of forest carbon sink and forestry economic development was gradually rising.The prediction analysis also indicate that the coupling coordination degree between the forest carbon sink and the long-term development of forestry economy will remain at the level of"high-quality coordination"for a long time from 2019 to 2030.Therefore,improving the level of forest management and maintaining the current trend of increasing forest resources are the key to achieving the goal of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality in China.

Carbon emission risk of construction industry in Hebei Province of China based on carbon sink thresholds

In order to assess the environmental risks caused by carbon emissions from the construction industry in Hebei Province of China,an environmental risk assessment model based on forest carbon sink threshold was constructed to evaluate the carbon emission risks of the construction industry in Hebei Province,China from 2005 to 2020.The results are shown as follows:(1)The overall carbon emissions of the construction industry in Hebei Province of China showed an inverted"V"-shaped evolution trend during the past 16 years.Tangshan and Shijiazhuang maintained high carbon emissions,while Langfang,Hengshui and Baoding saw rapid increases in carbon emissions.(2)The environmental safety threshold of carbon emission from the construction industry in Hebei Province,China,has been continuously improved,and the provincial environmental safety threshold is between 9475080-23144760 tons;The environmental safety threshold was the highest in Baoding and Langfang,and the lowest in Xingtai.(3)In the past 16 years,the carbon emission risk of the construction industry in Hebei Province of China has been in a state of extremely serious risk,and the risk index generally presents an inverted"V"type trend.(4)The carbon emission risk of Hebei city in China presents a spatial pattern of"high in the south and low in the north",which goes through two stages:risk increase period and risk reduction period.

Biomass increment and mortality losses in tropical secondary forests of Hainan, China

Secondary forests, created after heavy logging,are an important part of China's forests. We investigated forest biomass and its accumulation rate in 38 plots in a tropical secondary forest on Hainan Island. These secondary forests are moderate carbon sinks, averaging1.96–2.17 t C ha-1 a-1. Biomass increment is largely by medium-sized(10–35 m) trees. Tree mortality accounts for almost 30% of the biomass and plays a negligible role in biomass accumulation estimates. Mortality rate is highly dependent on tree size. For small trees and seedlings, it is related to competition due to elevated irradiance after logging. Regarding prospective biomass and rates of accumulation, recovery is not as rapid as in secondary forests of cleared land. Therefore, tropical forests are susceptible to logging operations and need careful forest management.

Carbon Sink Effects in Conversion of Farmland to Forest Project in Karst Drainage Basin——A Case of Hongfenghu Drainage Basin in Guizhou Province

[Objective]Study on carbon sink effects in Conversion of Farmland to Forest Project in Hongfenghu drainage basin in order to provide evidences for assessing carbon sink potential of conversion of farmland to forest in Guizhou Province.[Method]By investigating the implement of Conversion of Farmland to Forest Project in Hongfenghu drainage basin from 2000 to 2006,the carbon sink amount and effect of seven main tree species in the foreat region like Cunninghamia lanceolata,Cryptomeria fortunei,Amygdalus persica,Prunus salicina,Armeniaca vulgaris,Camptotheca acuminate and Catalpa bungei were calculated,based on which the amount of forest carbon sinks in Hongfenghu drainage basin in 2015 was estimated.[Result]Biomass storage and carbon sink amount in middle and young aged forests were increasing over time from 2000 to 2006,which reached 1.05×107 kg by 2006 and would engage more and more potential.Cunninghamia lanceolata has the superior carbon sink capacity in the seven tree species in the research region,of which the amount of carbon sink per unit area will be 106.51 t/hm2 by 2015,followed by Cryptomeria fortunei with the amount of carbon sink per unit area by 99.42 t/hm2.Armeniaca vulgaris has the weakest carbon sink capacity of all the seven species with the amount of 13.03 t/hm2.The total amount of carbon sink in seven tree species was 2.35×107 kg,while the average amount of carbon sink per unit area was 26.17 t/hm2,which could produced economic benefit of 7.17×106 yuan calculated on the price of 305.0 yuan/t or 5.91×106 yuan calculated on the price of 254.1 yuan/t.[Conclusion]Economic benefits of carbon sink effects of Conversion of Farmland to Forest Project in Hongfenghu drainage basin were great with huge appreciation potential.

Biomass carbon stocks in China's forests between 2000 and 2050:A prediction based on forest biomass-age relationships

China's forests are characterized by young forest age,low carbon density and a large area of planted forests,and thus have high potential to act as carbon sinks in the future.Using China's national forest inventory data during 1994-1998 and 1999-2003,and direct field measurements,we investigated the relationships between forest biomass density and forest age for 36 major forest types.Statistical approaches and the predicted future forest area from the national forestry development plan were applied to estimate the potential of forest biomass carbon storage in China during 2000-2050.Under an assumption of continuous natural forest growth,China's existing forest biomass carbon(C) stock would increase from 5.86 Pg C(1 Pg=1015 g) in 1999-2003 to 10.23 Pg C in 2050,resulting in a total increase of 4.37 Pg C.Newly planted forests through afforestation and reforestation will sequestrate an additional 2.86 Pg C in biomass.Overall,China's forests will potentially act as a carbon sink for 7.23 Pg C during the period 2000-2050,with an average carbon sink of 0.14 Pg C yr-1.This suggests that China's forests will be a significant carbon sink in the next 50 years.

Belowground carbon balance and carbon accumulation rate in the successional series of monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest

The balance, accumulation rate and temporal dynamics of belowground carbon in the successional series of monsoon evergreen broadleaved forest are obtained in this paper, based on long-term observations to the soil organic matter, input and standing biomass of litter and coarse woody debris, and dissolved organic carbon carried in the hydrological process of subtropical climax forest ecosystem—monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest, and its two successional forests of natural restoration—coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest and Pinus massoniana forest, as well as data of root biomass obtained once every five years and respiration measurement of soil, litter and coarse woody debris respiration for 1 year. The major results include: the belowground carbon pools of monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest, coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest, and Pinus massoniana forest are 23191 ± 2538 g·m?2, 16889 ± 1936 g·m?2 and 12680 ± 1854 g·m?2, respec- tively, in 2002. Mean annual carbon accumulation rates of the three forest types during the 24a from 1978 to 2002 are 383 ± 97 g·m?2·a?1, 193 ± 85 g·m?2·a?1 and 213 ± 86 g·m?2·a?1, respectively. The belowground carbon pools in the three forest types keep increasing during the observation period, suggesting that belowground carbon pools are carbon sinks to the atmosphere. There are seasonal variations, namely, they are strong carbon sources from April to June, weak carbon sources from July to September; while they are strong carbon sinks from October to November, weak carbon sinks from December to March.

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.

The Carbon Sinks and Mitigation Potential of Deodar (<i>Cedrus deodara</i>) Forest Ecosystem at Different Altitude in Kumrat Valley, Pakistan

Forest carbon monitoring and reporting are critical for informing global climate change assessment. The regional estimates of forest carbon attached greater attention, to assess the role of forest in carbon mitigation. Here using field inventory, we examined the carbon sink and mitigation potential of monospecific Deodar forest in the Kumrat valley, of Hindu Kush Himalaya, Region of Pakistan, at a different elevation. The elevation of monospecific Deodar forest ranges from 2300 to 2700 m (a.s.l). We divided the forest into three elevation classes (that is 2300 - 2400 m (EI) 2400 - 2500 m (EII) and 2500 - 2700 m (EIII) a.s.l respectively). In each elevation class, we laid out 09 sample plots (33*33 m2) for measuring carbon values in living tree biomass (LT), soil (SC), litter, dead wood, cone (LDWC) and understory vegetation (USV). Our results showed that the carbon density at EI was 432.37 ± 277.96 Mg·C-1, while the carbon density at EII and EIII was 668.35 ± 323.94 and 1016.79 ± 542.99 Mg·C-1 respectively. Our finding revealed that the carbon mitigation potential of the forest increases with increasing elevation. Among the different elevation classes, EIII stored significantly higher carbon due to the dominance of mature, old age, larger trees, and the minimum anthropogenic disturbance, whereas EI stored statistically lower carbon because of maximum anthropogenic disturbance, which resulted in the removal of mature and over-mature trees. Furthermore, our correlation analysis between tree height and carbon stock and basal area and LT carbon, underlines that the basal area is the stronger predictor of LT carbon estimation than height. Overall our results highlight that deodar forest stored 716.94 ± 462.06 Mg?C·ha-1. However, the rehabilitation, preservation and sustainable management of disturb forest located at a lower elevation could considerably improve carbon mitigation potential.

SWOT Analysis of Forest Carbon Sink Projects in Yunnan Province and Recommendations for Enhancing Competitiveness

Using the SWOT analysis method,this paper analyzed the internal strengths,weaknesses,external opportunities and threats of forest carbon sink projects in Yunnan Province.It found that Yunnan Province has strengths in economic environment and practical experience,weaknesses in social participation,project scale and carbon sink talents,opportunities in international climate environment,domestic policies,etc.,and threats in project crediting period and forest resource protection,etc.In view of these,Yunnan Province can change the participation mode of forest carbon sink projects,adopt appropriate trading methods,get familiar with the relevant rules of forest carbon sink projects,strengthen the publicity and research of forest carbon sink theory,strengthen the management of carbon sink forests and expand forest carbon sink projects to enhance the market competitiveness of the Yunnan forest carbon sink projects.

Spatial-temporal variations and driving factors of soil organic carbon in forest ecosystems of Northeast China

Forest soil carbon is a major carbon pool of terrestrial ecosystems,and accurate estimation of soil organic carbon(SOC)stocks in forest ecosystems is rather challenging.This study compared the prediction performance of three empirical model approaches namely,regression kriging(RK),multiple stepwise regression(MSR),random forest(RF),and boosted regression trees(BRT)to predict SOC stocks in Northeast China for 1990 and 2015.Furthermore,the spatial variation of SOC stocks and the main controlling environmental factors during the past 25 years were identified.A total of 82(in 1990)and 157(in 2015)topsoil(0–20 cm)samples with 12 environmental factors(soil property,climate,topography and biology)were selected for model construction.Randomly selected80%of the soil sample data were used to train the models and the other 20%data for model verification using mean absolute error,root mean square error,coefficient of determination and Lin's consistency correlation coefficient indices.We found BRT model as the best prediction model and it could explain 67%and 60%spatial variation of SOC stocks,in 1990,and 2015,respectively.Predicted maps of all models in both periods showed similar spatial distribution characteristics,with the lower SOC in northeast and higher SOC in southwest.Mean annual temperature and elevation were the key environmental factors influencing the spatial variation of SOC stock in both periods.SOC stocks were mainly stored under Cambosols,Gleyosols and Isohumosols,accounting for 95.6%(1990)and 95.9%(2015).Overall,SOC stocks increased by 471 Tg C during the past 25 years.Our study found that the BRT model employing common environmental factors was the most robust method for forest topsoil SOC stocks inventories.The spatial resolution of BRT model enabled us to pinpoint in which areas of Northeast China that new forest tree planting would be most effective for enhancing forest C stocks.Overall,our approach is likely to be useful in forestry management and ecological restoration at and beyond the regional scale.

Sequestration and Carbon Storage Potential of Tropical Forest Reserve and Tree Species Located within Benue State of Nigeria

Carbon sequestration potential of tree species within forest reserves and other sites in Makurdi Benue state of Nigeria was investigated using non-destructive Walkley-Black technique. The result indicates that P. americana has the highest CO2 sequestration potential (125,916.7 kg), while T. grandis (10.4 kg) and D. regia (26.1 kg) were the least. The study also shows that trees (T. grandis, S. actinophylla and P. americana) with thick vegetation, broad and clustered leaves were found to be better CO2 sequesters. The relationship between the tree height and amount of CO2 sequestered gave a regression equation of y = 67898x + 9509 with R2 = 0.266, indicating insignificant variations existing between tree height and CO2 sequestration at P > 0.05. Variations however existed between tree dominance and CO2 sequestration among trees investigated. This finding strategically positions Benue tropical forest in line for carbon credit financing while substantiating the importance of preserving our indigenous forest and tree species.

Soil Carbon Dioxide Efflux and Atmospheric Impact in a 10-Year-Old Dipterocarpus Recovering Lowland Tropical Forest, Peninsular Malaysia

The recovering logged-over forest ecosystem increases the CO2 efflux into the atmospheric carbon pool in response to environmental factors to changes in the soil temperature and moisture. These CO2 outbursts can have a marked influence on the ecosystem carbon balance and thereby affect the atmospheric carbon pool. The study was conducted in the 10-year-old logged-over forest of Sungai Menyala forest, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The measurements of soil CO2 efflux were conducted using the continuous open flow chamber technique connected to a multi gas-handling unit and infrared CO2/H2O gas analyser. The aim of this study was to determine the soil CO2 efflux and the environmental variables and likewise the impact of environmental factors on soil CO2 efflux. Post-hoc comparisons were made using the Tukey test （p 〈 0.05）, and multiple linear regression to determine the impact of environmental factors on soil CO2 efflux. Soil CO2 efflux ranged from 100.22-553.40 mg m^-2 h^-1 with the highest efflux in the afternoon attributed to an increase in soil temperature and low moisture. A higher soil temperature and low moisture signify an influential factor as the forest is recovering from logging activity. Furthermore, the predictor environmental variables： SOC （soil organic carbon）, TOC （total organic carbon）, SMC （soil moisture content）, Bulk Density, SOCstock （soil organic carbon stock）, TAGB （total above ground carbon biomass）, Below Ground Carbon Biomass, soil pH, Nitrogen to Carbon ratio account for the spatial and temporal variation in soil CO： efflux into the atmosphere. The analysis revealed a strong correlation between soil CO2 efflux, changes soil properties and environmental factors with an R^2 more than 0.80 at p 〈 0.01. This is proven that logging activity accounts for the changes in environmental factors to influence soil CO2 efflux rate within 10-years of logging and forest recovering.