Abstract
We studied the effects of different cutting intensities (0%, 5–10%, 15%, and 20% basal area removal) on stand growth, structure, and net carbon storage in spruce–fir (Picea jezoensis (Sieb. et Zucc.) Carr.–Abies nephrolepis (Trautv.) Maxim.) and broadleaf mixed forests on Changbai Mountain (Northeast China) over 19 years. At this site, inventory-based low-intensity selection cutting was used to maintain a continuous forest canopy. After two cutting events, results showed significant differences in growth, structure, and carbon storage among cutting intensities. When increasing cutting intensity, the growth rate of average diameter, basal area, and volume significantly increased, with the highest increment rates found in the plots with 20% basal area removal. Tree diameters for all plots showed a roughly inverse J-shaped distribution before cutting and a left-skewed unimodal distribution after two cuttings. Volume ratio (the relative amount of volume contained in different diameter classes) for small (6–14 cm), medium (14–26 cm), large (26–36 cm), and very large (>38 cm) diameters remained unchanged in the plots with 5 and 10% basal area removal, but the volume ratio of large and very large diameters increased in the plots with 15 and 20% basal area removal, reaching approximately a 1:2:3:4 ratio in the plots with 20% basal area removal after two selection cuttings. Net carbon storage increased when increasing cutting intensity, reaching maximum storage in the plots with 20% basal area removal (cutting intensity and net C storage increase: 0%, 7.21 Mg C ha−1, 5–10%: 11.68 Mg C ha−1, 15%: 21.41 Mg C ha−1, 20%: 26.47 Mg C ha−1). Therefore, our results show the potential of low-intensity selection cutting to meet demands of both timber production and maintenance of forest cover for biodiversity values.
Highlights
The Changbai Mountain range is situated in the border area between China, Russia and North Korea
In this study, the long-term effects of inventory-based low-intensity selection cutting on stand growth, structure and net C storage were examined
When the selection cutting intensity was 20% basal area removal, the growth rates of average diameter, basal area and volume were relatively high (0.31±0.01 cm year-1, 0.85±0.05 m2 ha-1 year-1, and 8.04±0.33 m3 ha-1 year-1, respectively), and the highest among all the selection cutting intensities used
Summary
The Changbai Mountain range is situated in the border area between China, Russia and North Korea. The forests in Changbai Mountain in northeast China are a national key forest area (Zhao et al 2011) and have an important strategic position in ecological services and the forestry industry in eastern Asia (Shao et al 2005). Forest productivity and soil fertility have declined (Li & Zhou 2000; State Forestry Administration of China 2009), and diversity has been reduced with single species forests becoming dominant (Jalonen & Vanha-Majamaa 2001; Heinrichs & Schmidt 2009). These issues persuaded the Chinese government to change the forestry harvesting policy to restricted logging and protection of natural forests (Shao et al 2005). Since the 1990s, new forest policies have proposed that forests should be harvested by a more close-to-nature forestry, incorporating practices such as using inventory-based low-intensity selection cutting (Dai et al 2009)
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