Carbon storage and soil CO2 efflux rates at varying degrees of damage from pine wilt disease in red pine stands

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We evaluated the carbon (C) storage and soil CO2 efflux rates of red pine (Pinus densiflora S. et Z.) stands damaged by pine wilt disease (PWD) in Korea. Ten red pine plots at varying degrees of damage from PWD were established and grouped into five categories (very slightly, slightly, moderately, severely, and very severely damaged plots) based on differences in the tree density. The incidence of PWD was a major cause of C loss from forest ecosystems, but the magnitude of loss depended on the severity of disease damage. An exponential regression of the CO2 efflux rates against the corresponding soil temperature was highly significant (R2=0.82–0.95, P<0.01) for the varying degrees of damage from PWD. The rates of change in the CO2 efflux rates with temperature, as defined by the Q10 values, were generally lower in the slightly (2.94) versus the moderately (3.60) or severely (4.26) PWD-damaged stands. The cumulative soil CO2–C efflux rates for two years were significantly higher in the slightly (10.8MgCha−1yr−1) or moderately (10.9MgCha−1yr−1) versus the very severely (7.9MgCha−1yr−1) PWD-damaged stands. The results indicate that the C storage and soil CO2 efflux rates in red pine stands can be impacted by the incidence of PWD, with a significant C reduction in the severely damaged stands.