The Carbon Sequestration of <i>Pinus tabulaeformis</i> Forests in Shanxi Province, China

Abstract

In order to estimate the carbon sequestration of Pinus tabulaeformis forests in Shanxi Province, field measurement data from 36 Pinus tabulaeformis forest stands and the 8th National Forest Resource Inventory data were collected. Using the field measurement data, the relationship between stand volume and stand biomass was established. By applying the relationship and a specific carbon concentration coefficient to the forest inventory data, the carbon sequestrations of nature and planted Pinus tabulaeformis forests in each age class were estimated respectively. The results show that the total carbon sequestration of Pinus tabulaeformis forests in Shanxi Province is 13.43 Tg (1 Tg=1012 g). The nature forests are acting as the major carbon sink, with the carbon sequestration accounting for 64% of the total amount. Among the forests in different age classes, the mid-aged and premature forests have sequestered around 10.92 Tg C, which accounts for 81% of the total carbon sequestration.