Abstract
This study compared carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) distribution at a stand level in an exotic Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) plantation and a natural Serrata oak (Quercus serrata Murray) stand growing under similar site conditions in South Korea. The aboveground biomass (stems, branches, and leaves) of 20 trees (10 of each species), the forest floor, and the mineral soils to a depth of 30 cm were sampled to determine C and N concentrations. Except in branches, C concentrations were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the Japanese cedar plantation than in the Serrata oak stand, whereas N concentrations, except in the stem bark, were significantly lower in the Japanese cedar plantation. Reforestation with an exotic coniferous species significantly increased the C stocks in the aboveground biomass and the N stocks in the forest floor and mineral soils compared with a natural oak stand. The N stocks in the aboveground biomass were dependent on either the N concentrations or the C stocks in the tree components, whereas soil C and N stocks were negatively related to soil fertility parameters such as C/N ratio. Although it is uncertain which factors are responsible for the difference in aboveground C and soil N stocks following the establishment of Japanese cedar plantations on former natural Serrata oak stands, tree replacement may have an impact on C and N allocation within different forest compartments.
Highlights
Quantitative evaluation of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stocks in forests is important because of the role of C sequestration in mitigating global climate change and sustainable forest productivity
The results of this study showed that the C and N concentrations in the aboveground tree components were related to tree species, some soil conditions differed between the Japanese cedar plantation and the Serrata oak stand
Findings of this study indicate that replacement of natural oak forests with exotic Japanese cedar plantation had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on the parameters related to aboveground tree biomass and to N stocks in the forest floor and mineral soils
Summary
Quantitative evaluation of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stocks in forests is important because of the role of C sequestration in mitigating global climate change and sustainable forest productivity. The role of C and N stocks in forests is likely to vary on a stand scale because nutrient conversion rates and allocation mechanisms differ between tree species [1,6,7]. Several studies have reported the influence of tree species on the possible factors driving C and N stocks in trees, forest floor, and mineral soils [1,3,7]. The C cycle is tightly connected to the N cycle in forest stands [6] It is uncertain which factors are responsible for the differences in soil C and N stocks on a stand scale. Other factors such as tree biomass, site conditions, and forest management practices can result in variation of C and N stocks on a stand scale [2,4,8]
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