1
|
Dong L, Lin X, Bettinger P, Liu Z. The contributions of stand characteristics on carbon sequestration potential are triple that of climate variables for Larix spp. plantations in northeast China. Sci Total Environ 2024; 911:168726. [PMID: 38007115 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
Planted forests play a crucial role in addressing global climate change and are also valued globally for their numerous ecosystem services. Therefore, it is essential to understand how biotic and abiotic factors affect the carbon sequestration potential. This study focuses on quantifying the effects of 26 different variables on the carbon sequestration potential of Larix spp. plantations in northeast China, utilizing the random forest algorithm (RF). To eliminate the age-related tendency of stand carbon stock, a novel carbon sequestration index (CSI) was defined, which measures the ratio of actual to predicted stand carbon stocks for a stand at a specific age. The results indicated that the developed RF model explained approximately 64.75 % of the variations of CSI. Among the four categories of variables analyzed, stand variables (35.73 %) contributed significantly more than terrain variables (3.31 %), soil variables (3.68 %), and climate variables (9.06 %). The partial dependence analysis revealed that the Larix spp. plantations had a potential maximum carbon stock of approximately 73.34 t·ha-1. This potential was associated with certain attributes, including a stand mean diameter of 15 cm, a stand density of 1700 trees·ha-1, a stand basal area of 30 m2·ha-1, and a crown density of 0.7, respectively. These findings provide insightful information for plantation management to improve stand carbon stocks in northeast China with attempting to mitigate climate change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lingbo Dong
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China.
| | - Xueying Lin
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Pete Bettinger
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens 30602, GA, USA.
| | - Zhaogang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Chen Y, Wang J, Jiang L, Li H, Wang H, Lv G, Li X. Prediction of spatial distribution characteristics of ecosystem functions based on a minimum data set of functional traits of desert plants. Front Plant Sci 2023; 14:1131778. [PMID: 37332722 PMCID: PMC10272538 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1131778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between plant functional traits and ecosystem function is a hot topic in current ecological research, and community-level traits based on individual plant functional traits play important roles in ecosystem function. In temperate desert ecosystems, which functional trait to use to predict ecosystem function is an important scientific question. In this study, the minimum data sets of functional traits of woody (wMDS) and herbaceous (hMDS) plants were constructed and used to predict the spatial distribution of C, N, and P cycling in ecosystems. The results showed that the wMDS included plant height, specific leaf area, leaf dry weight, leaf water content, diameter at breast height (DBH), leaf width, and leaf thickness, and the hMDS included plant height, specific leaf area, leaf fresh weight, leaf length, and leaf width. The linear regression results based on the cross-validations (FTEIW - L, FTEIA - L, FTEIW - NL, and FTEIA - NL) for the MDS and TDS (total data set) showed that the R2 (coefficients of determination) for wMDS were 0.29, 0.34, 0.75, and 0.57, respectively, and those for hMDS were 0.82, 0.75, 0.76, and 0.68, respectively, proving that the MDSs can replace the TDS in predicting ecosystem function. Then, the MDSs were used to predict the C, N, and P cycling in the ecosystem. The results showed that non-linear models RF and BPNN were able to predict the spatial distributions of C, N and P cycling, and the distributions showed inconsistent patterns between different life forms under moisture restrictions. The C, N, and P cycling showed strong spatial autocorrelation and were mainly influenced by structural factors. Based on the non-linear models, the MDSs can be used to accurately predict the C, N, and P cycling, and the predicted values of woody plant functional traits visualized by regression kriging were closer to the kriging results based on raw values. This study provides a new perspective for exploring the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yudong Chen
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology of Education Ministry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
- Xinjiang Jinghe Observation and Research Station of Temperate Desert Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Jinghe, China
| | - Jinlong Wang
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology of Education Ministry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
- Xinjiang Jinghe Observation and Research Station of Temperate Desert Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Jinghe, China
| | - Lamei Jiang
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology of Education Ministry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
- Xinjiang Jinghe Observation and Research Station of Temperate Desert Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Jinghe, China
| | - Hanpeng Li
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology of Education Ministry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
- Xinjiang Jinghe Observation and Research Station of Temperate Desert Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Jinghe, China
| | - Hengfang Wang
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology of Education Ministry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
- Xinjiang Jinghe Observation and Research Station of Temperate Desert Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Jinghe, China
| | - Guanghui Lv
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology of Education Ministry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
- Xinjiang Jinghe Observation and Research Station of Temperate Desert Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Jinghe, China
| | - Xiaotong Li
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology of Education Ministry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
- Xinjiang Jinghe Observation and Research Station of Temperate Desert Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Jinghe, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Berzaghi F, Chami R, Cosimano T, Fullenkamp C. Financing conservation by valuing carbon services produced by wild animals. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2120426119. [PMID: 35613052 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2120426119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Significance The involvement of financial markets is critical to deliver effective and long-lasting solutions to mitigate climate change and reverse biodiversity loss. However, financial markets have not invested in ecosystem services because these are often valued based on non-market prices, which deter investments. Based on existing carbon market prices, we value the carbon services produced by forest elephants and show that wild animals' carbon services are valuable enough to attract investors. This framework would facilitate financing of conservation programs and local communities and broaden the portfolio of nature-based solutions to mitigate climate change.
Collapse
|
4
|
Soazafy MR, Osen K, Wurz A, Raveloaritiana E, Martin DA, Ranarijaona HLT, Hölscher D. Aboveground carbon stocks in Madagascar’s vanilla production landscape – exploring rehabilitation through agroforestry in the light of land-use history. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
|
5
|
Gao WQ, Lei XD, Liang MW, Larjavaara M, Li YT, Gao DL, Zhang HR. Biodiversity increased both productivity and its spatial stability in temperate forests in northeastern China. Sci Total Environ 2021; 780:146674. [PMID: 34030338 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Although the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning has been extensively studied, it remains unclear if the relationships of biodiversity with productivity and its spatial stability vary along productivity gradients in natural ecosystems. Based on a large dataset from 2324 permanent forest inventory plots across northeastern China, we examined the intensity of species richness (SR) and tree size diversity (Hd) effects on aboveground wood productivity (AWP) and its spatial stability among different productivity levels. Structural equation modeling was applied, integrating abiotic (climate and soil) and biotic (stand density) factors. Our results demonstrated that both SR and Hd positively affected AWP and its spatial stability, and the intensity of these positive effects decreased with increasing productivity. At low productivity levels, SR and Hd increased spatial stability by reducing spatial variability and increasing mean AWP. At high productivity levels, stability increased only through mean AWP increase. Moreover, temperature and stand density affected the AWP directly and indirectly via biodiversity, and the strength and direction of these effects varied among different productivity levels. We concluded that biodiversity could simultaneously enhance productivity and its spatial stability in temperate forests, and that the effect intensity was uniform along productivity gradients, which provided a new perspective on relationships within biodiversity-ecosystem functioning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Qiang Gao
- Institute of Forest Resource Information Techniques, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Forest Management and Growth Modelling, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing, China
| | - Xiang-Dong Lei
- Institute of Forest Resource Information Techniques, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Forest Management and Growth Modelling, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing, China.
| | - Mao-Wei Liang
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Science, Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Markku Larjavaara
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Science, Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yu-Tang Li
- Jilin Forestry Inventory and Planning Institute, Changchun, China
| | - Dong-Li Gao
- Institute of Forest Resource Information Techniques, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Forest Management and Growth Modelling, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing, China; Planning and Design Institute of the Forest Products Industry of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100013, China
| | - Hui-Ru Zhang
- Institute of Forest Resource Information Techniques, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Forest Management and Growth Modelling, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Mensah S, Plas F, Noulèkoun F. Do functional identity and divergence promote aboveground carbon differently in tropical semi‐arid forests and savannas? Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvanus Mensah
- Laboratoire de Biomathématiques et d’Estimations Forestières Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques Université d’Abomey Calavi Cotonou Benin
| | - Fons Plas
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group Wageningen University PO Box 47 Wageningen AA6700The Netherlands
- Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity Institute of Biology Leipzig University Johannisallee 21‐23 Leipzig04103Germany
| | - Florent Noulèkoun
- Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering Korea University 145 Anamro Seongbukgu Seoul02841Korea
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Muller-Landau HC, Cushman KC, Arroyo EE, Martinez Cano I, Anderson-Teixeira KJ, Backiel B. Patterns and mechanisms of spatial variation in tropical forest productivity, woody residence time, and biomass. New Phytol 2021; 229:3065-3087. [PMID: 33207007 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Tropical forests vary widely in biomass carbon (C) stocks and fluxes even after controlling for forest age. A mechanistic understanding of this variation is critical to accurately predicting responses to global change. We review empirical studies of spatial variation in tropical forest biomass, productivity and woody residence time, focusing on mature forests. Woody productivity and biomass decrease from wet to dry forests and with elevation. Within lowland forests, productivity and biomass increase with temperature in wet forests, but decrease with temperature where water becomes limiting. Woody productivity increases with soil fertility, whereas residence time decreases, and biomass responses are variable, consistent with an overall unimodal relationship. Areas with higher disturbance rates and intensities have lower woody residence time and biomass. These environmental gradients all involve both direct effects of changing environments on forest C fluxes and shifts in functional composition - including changing abundances of lianas - that substantially mitigate or exacerbate direct effects. Biogeographic realms differ significantly and importantly in productivity and biomass, even after controlling for climate and biogeochemistry, further demonstrating the importance of plant species composition. Capturing these patterns in global vegetation models requires better mechanistic representation of water and nutrient limitation, plant compositional shifts and tree mortality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Helene C Muller-Landau
- Center for Tropical Forest Science-Forest Global Earth Observatory, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
| | - K C Cushman
- Center for Tropical Forest Science-Forest Global Earth Observatory, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
| | - Eva E Arroyo
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Isabel Martinez Cano
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Kristina J Anderson-Teixeira
- Center for Tropical Forest Science-Forest Global Earth Observatory, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Bogumila Backiel
- Center for Tropical Forest Science-Forest Global Earth Observatory, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Mensah S, Salako VK, Seifert T. Structural complexity and large‐sized trees explain shifting species richness and carbon relationship across vegetation types. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvanus Mensah
- Laboratoire de Biomathématiques et d’Estimations Forestières Université d’Abomey Calavi Cotonou Benin
| | - Valère K. Salako
- Laboratoire de Biomathématiques et d’Estimations Forestières Université d’Abomey Calavi Cotonou Benin
- Service d’Évolution Biologique et Écologie Université Libre de Bruxelles Brussels Belgium
| | - Thomas Seifert
- Chair of Forest Growth Albert‐Ludwigs‐Universität Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau Germany
- Department of Forest and Wood Science Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Ali A, Lin SL, He JK, Kong FM, Yu JH, Jiang HS. Big-sized trees overrule remaining trees' attributes and species richness as determinants of aboveground biomass in tropical forests. Glob Chang Biol 2019; 25:2810-2824. [PMID: 31120573 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Large-diameter, tall-stature, and big-crown trees are the main stand structures of forests, generally contributing a large fraction of aboveground biomass, and hence play an important role in climate change mitigation strategies. Here, we hypothesized that the effects of large-diameter, tall-stature, and big-crown trees overrule the effects of species richness and remaining trees attributes on aboveground biomass in tropical forests (i.e., we term the "big-sized trees hypothesis"). Specifically, we assessed the importance of: (a) the "top 1% big-sized trees effect" relative to species richness; (b) the "99% remaining trees effect" relative to species richness; and (c) the "top 1% big-sized trees effect" relative to the "99% remaining trees effect" and species richness on aboveground biomass. Using environmental factor and forest inventory datasets from 712 tropical forest plots in Hainan Island of southern China, we tested several structural equation models for disentangling the relative effects of big-sized trees, remaining trees attributes, and species richness on aboveground biomass, while considering for the full (indirect effects only) and partial (direct and indirect effects) mediation effects of climatic and soil conditions, as well as interactions between species richness and trees attributes. We found that top 1% big-sized trees attributes strongly increased aboveground biomass (i.e., explained 55%-70% of the accounted variation) compared to species richness (2%-18%) and 99% remaining trees attributes (6%-10%). In addition, species richness increased aboveground biomass indirectly via increasing big-sized trees but via decreasing remaining trees. Hence, we show that the "big-sized trees effect" overrides the effects of remaining trees attributes and species richness on aboveground biomass in tropical forests. This study also indicates that big-sized trees may be more susceptible to atmospheric drought. We argue that the effects of big-sized trees on species richness and aboveground biomass should be tested for better understanding of the ecological mechanisms underlying forest functioning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arshad Ali
- Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Si-Liang Lin
- Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jie-Kun He
- Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Fan-Mao Kong
- Guangzhou Qimao Ecological Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jie-Hua Yu
- Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Hai-Sheng Jiang
- Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
van der Plas F. Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in naturally assembled communities. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:1220-1245. [PMID: 30724447 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Approximately 25 years ago, ecologists became increasingly interested in the question of whether ongoing biodiversity loss matters for the functioning of ecosystems. As such, a new ecological subfield on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning (BEF) was born. This subfield was initially dominated by theoretical studies and by experiments in which biodiversity was manipulated, and responses of ecosystem functions such as biomass production, decomposition rates, carbon sequestration, trophic interactions and pollination were assessed. More recently, an increasing number of studies have investigated BEF relationships in non-manipulated ecosystems, but reviews synthesizing our knowledge on the importance of real-world biodiversity are still largely missing. I performed a systematic review in order to assess how biodiversity drives ecosystem functioning in both terrestrial and aquatic, naturally assembled communities, and on how important biodiversity is compared to other factors, including other aspects of community composition and abiotic conditions. The outcomes of 258 published studies, which reported 726 BEF relationships, revealed that in many cases, biodiversity promotes average biomass production and its temporal stability, and pollination success. For decomposition rates and ecosystem multifunctionality, positive effects of biodiversity outnumbered negative effects, but neutral relationships were even more common. Similarly, negative effects of prey biodiversity on pathogen and herbivore damage outnumbered positive effects, but were less common than neutral relationships. Finally, there was no evidence that biodiversity is related to soil carbon storage. Most BEF studies focused on the effects of taxonomic diversity, however, metrics of functional diversity were generally stronger predictors of ecosystem functioning. Furthermore, in most studies, abiotic factors and functional composition (e.g. the presence of a certain functional group) were stronger drivers of ecosystem functioning than biodiversity per se. While experiments suggest that positive biodiversity effects become stronger at larger spatial scales, in naturally assembled communities this idea is too poorly studied to draw general conclusions. In summary, a high biodiversity in naturally assembled communities positively drives various ecosystem functions. At the same time, the strength and direction of these effects vary highly among studies, and factors other than biodiversity can be even more important in driving ecosystem functioning. Thus, to promote those ecosystem functions that underpin human well-being, conservation should not only promote biodiversity per se, but also the abiotic conditions favouring species with suitable trait combinations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fons van der Plas
- Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 21-23, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Vanhellemont M, Bijlsma R, De Keersmaeker L, Vandekerkhove K, Verheyen K. Species and structural diversity affect growth of oak, but not pine, in uneven-aged mature forests. Basic Appl Ecol 2018; 27:41-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2018.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|
12
|
Ali A, Mattsson E. Disentangling the effects of species diversity, and intraspecific and interspecific tree size variation on aboveground biomass in dry zone homegarden agroforestry systems. Sci Total Environ 2017; 598:38-48. [PMID: 28454024 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.04.131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Revised: 04/18/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The biodiversity - aboveground biomass relationship has been intensively studied in recent decades. However, no consensus has been arrived to consider the interplay of species diversity, and intraspecific and interspecific tree size variation in driving aboveground biomass, after accounting for the effects of plot size heterogeneity, soil fertility and stand quality in natural forest including agroforests. We tested the full, partial and no mediations effects of species diversity, and intraspecific and interspecific tree size variation on aboveground biomass by employing structural equation models (SEMs) using data from 45 homegarden agroforestry systems in Sri Lanka. The full mediation effect of either species diversity or intraspecific and interspecific tree size variation was rejected, while the partial and no mediation effects were accepted. In the no mediation SEM, homegarden size had the strongest negative direct effect (β=-0.49) on aboveground biomass (R2=0.65), followed by strong positive direct effect of intraspecific tree size variation (β=0.32), species diversity (β=0.29) and interspecific tree size variation (β=0.28). Soil fertility had a negative direct effect on interspecific tree size variation (β=-0.31). Stand quality had a significant positive total effect on aboveground biomass (β=0.28), but homegarden size had a significant negative total effect (β=-0.62), while soil fertility had a non-significant total effect on aboveground biomass. Similar to the no mediation SEM, the partial mediation SEMs had explained almost similar variation in aboveground biomass because species diversity, and intraspecific and interspecific tree size variation had non-significant indirect effects on aboveground biomass via each other. Our results strongly suggest that a multilayered tree canopy structure, due to high intraspecific and interspecific tree size variation, increases light capture and efficient utilization of resources among component species, and hence, support the niche complementarity mechanism via plant-plant interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arshad Ali
- School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China; Forest Ecosystem Research and Observation Station in Putuo Island, Zhoushan, Zhejiang 316100, China; Tiantong National Forest Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Ningbo 315114, Zhejiang, China
| | - Eskil Mattsson
- Centre for Environment and Sustainability, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Göteborg, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Nizami SM, Yiping Z, Zheng Z, Zhiyun L, Guoping Y, Liqing S. Evaluation of forest structure, biomass and carbon sequestration in subtropical pristine forests of SW China. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2017; 24:8137-8146. [PMID: 28144865 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-8506-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Very old natural forests comprising the species of Fagaceae (Lithocarpus xylocarpus, Castanopsis wattii, Lithocarpus hancei) have been prevailing since years in the Ailaoshan Mountain Nature Reserve (AMNR) SW China. Within these forest trees, density is quite variable. We studied the forest structure, stand dynamics and carbon density at two different sites to know the main factors which drives carbon sequestration process in old forests by considering the following questions: How much is the carbon density in these forest trees of different DBH (diameter at breast height)? How much carbon potential possessed by dominant species of these forests? How vegetation carbon is distributed in these forests? Which species shows high carbon sequestration? What are the physiochemical properties of soil in these forests? Five-year (2005-2010) tree growth data from permanently established plots in the AMNR was analysed for species composition, density, stem diameter (DBH), height and carbon (C) density both in aboveground and belowground vegetation biomass. Our study indicated that among two comparative sites, overall 54 species of 16 different families were present. The stem density, height, C density and soil properties varied significantly with time among the sites showing uneven distribution across the forests. Among the dominant species, L. xylocarpus represents 30% of the total carbon on site 1 while C. wattii represents 50% of the total carbon on site 2. The average C density ranged from 176.35 to 243.97 t C ha-1. The study emphasized that there is generous degree to expand the carbon stocking in this AMNR through scientific management gearing towards conservation of old trees and planting of potentially high carbon sequestering species on good site quality areas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Syed Moazzam Nizami
- Key Laboratory for Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Yunnan, 666300, China.
- College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China.
- IMARC Karakoram International University, Gilgit, Gilgit-Baltistan, 15100, Pakistan.
| | - Zhang Yiping
- Key Laboratory for Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Yunnan, 666300, China
- Ailaoshan Station for Subtropical Forest Ecosystem Research, Yunnan, 676209, China
| | - Zheng Zheng
- Key Laboratory for Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Yunnan, 666300, China
- Ailaoshan Station for Subtropical Forest Ecosystem Research, Yunnan, 676209, China
| | - Lu Zhiyun
- Ailaoshan Station for Subtropical Forest Ecosystem Research, Yunnan, 676209, China
| | - Yang Guoping
- Ailaoshan Station for Subtropical Forest Ecosystem Research, Yunnan, 676209, China
| | - Sha Liqing
- Key Laboratory for Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Yunnan, 666300, China
- Ailaoshan Station for Subtropical Forest Ecosystem Research, Yunnan, 676209, China
| |
Collapse
|