Carbon dioxide sequestration of main shrub species in a natural secondary Pinus Tabulaeformis forest at the Huoditang forest zone in the Qinling Moutains
Abstract:Understorey shrub species play a vital role in maintaining the carbon balance between a forest ecosystem and the atmosphere. To estimate the amount of CO2 sequestrated by shrub species, samples were collected from 294 plots at the Qinling National Forest Ecosystem Research Station, Huoditang forest zone, Ningshaan County, China (33°18′-33°28′ N, 109°20′ -109°29′ E). The carbon content ratio (CCR) of shrub organs was measured using a TOC/TON analyzer (TOC\|VT H-2000A, Shimadzu Corporation, Japan). Biomass models describing the relationship among shrub organs and their morphological indices (height, DBH, canopy width, etc.) were established. The amount of carbon dioxide sequestrated by the shrub species between 2006 and 2007 was calculated. The CCR in five shrub species ranged from 4180%-46.25% (roots), 39.24%-49.22% (stems), 39.56% to 46.71% (leaves), and 36.65%-48.23% (tegument), respectively. The highest CCR value occurred in all the organs of Lonicera hispida pall. The lowest CCR values were obtained from the leaves and stem of Euonymus phellomas, and the root and tegument of Symplocos paniculata.
Significant differences in the CCR occurred both in the same organs of various shrub species and in the various organs of the same shrub species. The greatest difference in the mean CCR of the same organ among different shrub species and various organs of the same shrub species was 10.58% and 6.47%, respectively. The relationship of organ biomass to the morphological indices of different shrub species could be better shown using compound, power, quadratic, cubic, logarithmic, exponential and inverse models, respectively. Residual errors were analyzed.The maximum value of RMSE (root mean square error) was not more than 1.70. All EF (modeling efficiency)and CRM(coefficient of residual mass)values were close to 1 and 0, respectively. The absolute values for relative error in shrub organ biomass between the model\|estimated and the field\|measured ranged from 3.89%-8.58% (roots), 0.57%-6.84% (stems), 4.69%-9.09% (leaves) and 4.50%-7.03% (tegument). The models′ determining coefficients and estimating accuracy exceeded 0.90 and 95%, respectively. Residual and error analysis demonstrated that these models achieved higher accuracy and had better applicability. However, the samples are from special forest types (Pinus tabulaeformis forest and mixed forests of Pinus tabulaeformis and Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata) in the experimental area and the indices are limited in some scale. These models could not be used generally. Moreover, no model could be fit to the relationship of organ biomass and the morphological indices of fasciculate shrub species (such as Rosa swginzowii, etc.) making CO2 sequestration difficult to estimate. Between 2006 and 2007, in the experimental area, the main understorey shrub species in the Pinus tabulaeformis forest sequestrated 10.138 Mghm-2year-1 of carbon dioxide.