Carbon stock and cycling in a bamboo Phyllostachys bambusoides stand

Abstract

AbstractGross production and carbon cycling in a Phyllostachys bambusoides stand in Kyoto Prefecture, central Japan, were determined, and then a compartment model showing the carbon stock and cycling within the ecosystem was developed. Aboveground carbon stock was 52.3 tC ha−1, increasing at a rate of 3.6 tC ha−1 year−1. Belowground carbon stock was 20.8 tC ha−1 in the root system and 92.0 tC ha−1 in the soil. Aboveground net production was 11.2 tC ha−1 year−1. Belowground net production was crudely estimated at 4.5 tC ha−1 year−1. The gross production was estimated at 41.8 tC ha−1 year−1 by summing the amount of outflow to the environment and the increment in biomass. Leaves consumed 13.7 tC ha−1 year−1 by respiration; the rest (41.8−13.7=28.1 tC ha−1 year−1) was surplus production of the leaves and flowed into the other compartments. The amounts of construction and maintenance respiration of the aboveground compartments were 3.4 and 18.5 tC ha−1 year−1, respectively. The annual amount of soil respiration was 11.2 tC ha−1 year−1. Soil respiration levels of 4.3 and 3.1 tC ha−1 year−1 were estimated for the flow of root respiration and root detritus. The proportion of net to gross production was 37%, which fell within the range of young and mature forests. A shorter life span of culms, compared to tree trunks, resulted in smaller biomass accumulation ratio (biomass/net production) in the ecosystem, of 4.66.