Aboveground and belowground biomass and carbon pools in highland temperate forest landscape in Central Mexico

Abstract

Temperate forests play a significant role in the global carbon cycle. However, deforestation, land use changes and differences in successional and species composition cause a spatial heterogeneity in the potential carbon storage in the landscape. The aims of this study were (1) to quantify aboveground and belowground biomass and respective carbon storage and (2) to project the future carbon storage in temperate forests landscape in Cofre de Perote, Veracruz, Mexico. Aboveground and belowground biomass was estimated in seven forests with different species composition and conservation status and management, in three grasslands and in two shrublands at a range of altitudes. Total biomass in forests ranged from 91.07 to 383.78 Mg ha−1, in grassland from 9.83 to 24.93 Mg ha−1 and in successional (shrublands) from 6.33 to 7.69 Mg ha−1. This suggests that deforestation and changes of land use could reduce aboveground biomass by 90 per cent. Mature forests had the largest aboveground and belowground biomass and the lowest density (number of trees per hectare) but a lower potential for accumulation of C in the future; in contrast, young forests and reforested areas had higher growth and carbon storage potential. Our results suggest that avoiding deforestation and improving forest management could play a major role in global climate change mitigation.