Biomass, carbon storage and nutrient characteristics in Larix kaempferi plantations at diffe-rent stand ages

Abstract

Based on 7-, 17-, 30-, and 40-year-old Larix kaempferi plantations, this paper studied the influence of tree age on biomass, carbon storage and nutrient characteristics. There was significant difference in biomass and nutrient concentration of stem, bark, needle, branch and root at different development stages at individual tree level. The biomass of each organ showed a trend of increase with the increasing age. The concentrations of N, P, K decreased, Mg concentration increased at first and then decreased, and Ca concentration continued to rise with the increasing age. There was significant difference in biomass of each organ for dominant, intermediate and suppressed trees, but no significant difference in nutrient concentration. It indicated that nutrient concentration of each organ was not affected by competition. At stand level, the total biomass, carbon storage and nutrient accumulation increased with the increasing age. Compared with young stand, the growth rate of biomass, carbon storage and nutrient accumulation were increased by 217%, 218% and 56% in mature stand, respectively. It indicated L. kaempferi had a high nutrient use efficiency, and could utilize less nutrient to produce more dry matter. Except that the accumulation of P and K had a slight decrease in pre-mature stand (30 years old), other elements increased with the increasing age. N mainly concentrated in needle, Ca concentrated in stem, K and Mg concentrated in root and P was distributed evenly in different organs. The annual accumulation rates of biomass, carbon and nutrient of L. kaempferi stands decreased with the increasing age, from 7.16 t·hm-2, 3.40 t·hm-2 and 104.64 kg·hm-2 for young stand to 3.99 t·hm-2, 1.89 t·hm-2and 28.64 kg·hm-2 for mature stand, respectively. It indicated that L. kaempferi plantations had great carbon sequestration potential and high nutrient consumption during young and middle ages.