Simulating responses of Northeastern China forests to potential climate change

Abstract

A simulation study on the responses of forests in Northeastern China to possible climate change was done by running NEWCOP, a computer model of forest stands “gap” dynamics with a set of parameters of 24 tree species. Based on the simulation, climate change will continue to make coniferous trees less and less and deciduous trees more and more. By the end of 100a transient process and 100a equilibrium climate period, forest biomass is reduced by a total of 6,531 million t dry material for the whole region of NE China. There is only a small area in the north on which there stands more biomass than without climate change. Korean pine will be first tree species which decrease by the most amount. In the northern part of NE China, oak forest will cover much more area with climate change and the larch forest may cover less area than it does at present. In the middle part areas, coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest will remain, but the portion of deciduous species in composition of forest will increase. In the southem part areas, Korean pine will become companion tree species and its distribution area will greatly decrease.