Abstract
Understanding the determinants of tree biomass allocation patterns among organs is crucial for both predicting the rate and potential of forest carbon sinks and guiding future multifunctional forest management. However, it is still not clear how the site conditions (e.g., elevation) and stand structure (e.g., tree dominance, stand density) affect the biomass allocation of single trees in forests. This study was implemented in the Liupan Mountains of the Loess Plateau of Northwest China by collecting the related information of biomass data of 110 sample trees with different dominance and influencing factors within 23 sample plots of larch plantations set up along the elevation gradient. Based on these data, the response tendency and functions of biomass allocation of single trees to individual influencing factors of site conditions and forest structure were analyzed. Moreover, the results illustrated that the ratio between root biomass and aboveground biomass decreased significantly with rising stand age and tree density, but increased significantly with rising elevation, and there was no significant relationship with the dominance of individual trees. The results of this study revealed the importance of considering the influencing factors of site conditions and stand structure when developing dynamic models of tree biomass allocation. The results and research methods used in this study provide useful tools for quantifying the biomass allocation and carbon storage partitioning in the study area and other similar regions.
Highlights
Published: 24 January 2022Plant biomass is the third largest carbon stock in terrestrial ecosystems and represents the critical link between the carbon pools in the atmosphere and soil [1,2]; in 2015, the forest carbon sinks, which have a big portion from plant biomass increment, were included in the Paris Agreement as part of the strategy to alleviate climate change [3]
This study showed that all the stand structure parameters
The results show that the dynamic changes in biomass allocation should be taken into account in forest management
Summary
Plant biomass is the third largest carbon stock in terrestrial ecosystems and represents the critical link between the carbon pools in the atmosphere and soil [1,2]; in 2015, the forest carbon sinks, which have a big portion from plant biomass increment, were included in the Paris Agreement as part of the strategy to alleviate climate change [3]. The differences in carbon storage in plant organs affect the rate and potential of forest carbon sinks [7]. Understanding how the determinants of multiple environmental factors influence the carbon allocation pattern will be helpful to improve the ability of accurate prediction of climate–C cycle feedback in terrestrial ecosystems under a changing climate, and to guide forest management toward increasing forest carbon sequestration
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