Old-growth forests as global carbon sinks

Old-growth forests remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at rates that vary with climate and nitrogen deposition. The sequestered carbon dioxide is stored in live woody tissues and slowly decomposing organic matter in litter and soil. Old-growth forests therefore serve as a global carbon dioxide sink, but they are not protected by international treaties, because it is generally thought that ageing forests cease to accumulate carbon. Here we report a search of literature and databases for forest carbon-flux estimates. We find that in forests between 15 and 800 years of age, net ecosystem productivity (the net carbon balance of the forest including soils) is usually positive. Our results demonstrate that old-growth forests can continue to accumulate carbon, contrary to the long-standing view that they are carbon neutral. Over 30 per cent of the global forest area is unmanaged primary forest, and this area contains the remaining old-growth forests. Half of the primary forests (6 x 10(8) hectares) are located in the boreal and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. On the basis of our analysis, these forests alone sequester about 1.3 +/- 0.5 gigatonnes of carbon per year. Thus, our findings suggest that 15 per cent of the global forest area, which is currently not considered when offsetting increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, provides at least 10 per cent of the global net ecosystem productivity. Old-growth forests accumulate carbon for centuries and contain large quantities of it. We expect, however, that much of this carbon, even soil carbon, will move back to the atmosphere if these forests are disturbed.     

Efficient organic carbon burial in the Bengal fan sustained by the Himalayan erosional system

Continental erosion controls atmospheric carbon dioxide levels on geological timescales through silicate weathering, riverine transport and subsequent burial of organic carbon in oceanic sediments. The efficiency of organic carbon deposition in sedimentary basins is however limited by the organic carbon load capacity of the sediments and organic carbon oxidation in continental margins. At the global scale, previous studies have suggested that about 70 per cent of riverine organic carbon is returned to the atmosphere, such as in the Amazon basin. Here we present a comprehensive organic carbon budget for the Himalayan erosional system, including source rocks, river sediments and marine sediments buried in the Bengal fan. We show that organic carbon export is controlled by sediment properties, and that oxidative loss is negligible during transport and deposition to the ocean. Our results indicate that 70 to 85 per cent of the organic carbon is recent organic matter captured during transport, which serves as a net sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide. The amount of organic carbon deposited in the Bengal basin represents about 10 to 20 per cent of the total terrestrial organic carbon buried in oceanic sediments. High erosion rates in the Himalayas generate high sedimentation rates and low oxygen availability in the Bay of Bengal that sustain the observed extreme organic carbon burial efficiency. Active orogenic systems generate enhanced physical erosion and the resulting organic carbon burial buffers atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, thereby exerting a negative feedback on climate over geological timescales.     

Indirect radiative forcing of climate change through ozone effects on the land-carbon sink

The evolution of the Earth's climate over the twenty-first century depends on the rate at which anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions are removed from the atmosphere by the ocean and land carbon cycles. Coupled climate-carbon cycle models suggest that global warming will act to limit the land-carbon sink, but these first generation models neglected the impacts of changing atmospheric chemistry. Emissions associated with fossil fuel and biomass burning have acted to approximately double the global mean tropospheric ozone concentration, and further increases are expected over the twenty-first century. Tropospheric ozone is known to damage plants, reducing plant primary productivity and crop yields, yet increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are thought to stimulate plant primary productivity. Increased carbon dioxide and ozone levels can both lead to stomatal closure, which reduces the uptake of either gas, and in turn limits the damaging effect of ozone and the carbon dioxide fertilization of photosynthesis. Here we estimate the impact of projected changes in ozone levels on the land-carbon sink, using a global land carbon cycle model modified to include the effect of ozone deposition on photosynthesis and to account for interactions between ozone and carbon dioxide through stomatal closure. For a range of sensitivity parameters based on manipulative field experiments, we find a significant suppression of the global land-carbon sink as increases in ozone concentrations affect plant productivity. In consequence, more carbon dioxide accumulates in the atmosphere. We suggest that the resulting indirect radiative forcing by ozone effects on plants could contribute more to global warming than the direct radiative forcing due to tropospheric ozone increases.     

Projected increase in continental runoff due to plant responses to increasing carbon dioxide

In addition to influencing climatic conditions directly through radiative forcing, increasing carbon dioxide concentration influences the climate system through its effects on plant physiology. Plant stomata generally open less widely under increased carbon dioxide concentration, which reduces transpiration and thus leaves more water at the land surface. This driver of change in the climate system, which we term 'physiological forcing', has been detected in observational records of increasing average continental runoff over the twentieth century. Here we use an ensemble of experiments with a global climate model that includes a vegetation component to assess the contribution of physiological forcing to future changes in continental runoff, in the context of uncertainties in future precipitation. We find that the physiological effect of doubled carbon dioxide concentrations on plant transpiration increases simulated global mean runoff by 6 per cent relative to pre-industrial levels; an increase that is comparable to that simulated in response to radiatively forced climate change (11 +/- 6 per cent). Assessments of the effect of increasing carbon dioxide concentrations on the hydrological cycle that only consider radiative forcing will therefore tend to underestimate future increases in runoff and overestimate decreases. This suggests that freshwater resources may be less limited than previously assumed under scenarios of future global warming, although there is still an increased risk of drought. Moreover, our results highlight that the practice of assessing the climate-forcing potential of all greenhouse gases in terms of their radiative forcing potential relative to carbon dioxide does not accurately reflect the relative effects of different greenhouse gases on freshwater resources.     

火烧对北亚热带天然次生林土壤有机碳的影响

【目的】研究火烧对北亚热带天然次生林土壤有机碳的影响,为火后森林生态系统恢复提供参考。【方法】以北亚热带天然次生林火烧迹地为研究对象,灾后1 a在火烧迹地和对照林地上分别设置20 m×20 m样地各5块,分层采集0～50 cm土层的土壤样品,测定各层土壤有机碳和土壤养分含量。【结果】火烧迹地土壤里含有的轻组有机质、易氧化碳、有机碳均比对照区域高,上升的幅度分别为1.2%～61.5%、9.6%～47.4%、3.9%～35.1%,且在0～10 cm土层的差异极显著(P<0.01)。次生林火灾之后,轻组有机质、易氧化碳、总有机碳基本都存储于土壤表层,深度为0～20 cm。火烧迹地土壤0～50 cm的剖面中,含有的有机碳比对照区域高,上升的幅度约18.8%且差异显著。过火后土壤总有机碳、易氧化碳和轻组有机质与土壤养分(全氮、水解氮、速效钾)的相关性均达到极显著水平。【结论】天然次生林发生火灾1 a后,火烧迹地土壤总有机碳、土壤养分的增加主要集中在表层土壤中。     

林业碳汇提升的主要原理和途径

降低大气CO₂含量、缓解气候变暖,已成为当今科学界和国际社会广泛关注的前沿热点问题。林业碳汇作为基于自然解决方案实现“碳达峰、碳中和”的一个重要途径,在应对全球气候变化方面发挥着基础性、战略性、独特的作用。林业碳汇不仅是森林碳汇,林产品碳汇也起着不可忽视的重要作用。林业碳汇潜力提升是一个森林生态系统净碳收支平衡和全产业链林产品碳汇的调控过程,主要包括无机碳的植物固定(光合过程、净生产力等)、土壤有机碳的周转与固定(动植物和微生物残体分解与黏土固定)、林产品碳的固持(林产品产量、木材转换效率、种类和使用寿命等)等3方面的调控原理。笔者从森林碳汇和林产品碳汇两个维度阐述了提升林业碳汇的主要原理、方法或途径。提升林业碳汇潜力的主要途径包括:①通过适地适树、适钙适树人工造林,以增加森林面积;②以完善森林经营措施来增加森林净生产力;③利用矿质黏土对有机碳的保护来增加森林土壤碳汇;④提升林产品产量和改进林产品用途以增加其寿命。在全球尺度上,增加森林面积或提高森林净生产力3.4%,或用可再生能源替换薪炭木材,再将薪炭木材用于制造锯材和人造板,都可以连续30 a每年增加1 Pg的碳汇量。减少全球森林火灾面积1/4或增加森林土壤有机碳含量0.23%,也可以增加碳汇1 Pg。此外,林业固碳还有巨大潜力可以挖掘。     

Fire as the dominant driver of central Canadian boreal forest carbon balance

Changes in climate, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration and fire regimes have been occurring for decades in the global boreal forest, with future climate change likely to increase fire frequency--the primary disturbance agent in most boreal forests. Previous attempts to assess quantitatively the effect of changing environmental conditions on the net boreal forest carbon balance have not taken into account the competition between different vegetation types on a large scale. Here we use a process model with three competing vascular and non-vascular vegetation types to examine the effects of climate, carbon dioxide concentrations and fire disturbance on net biome production, net primary production and vegetation dominance in 100 Mha of Canadian boreal forest. We find that the carbon balance of this region was driven by changes in fire disturbance from 1948 to 2005. Climate changes affected the variability, but not the mean, of the landscape carbon balance, with precipitation exerting a more significant effect than temperature. We show that more frequent and larger fires in the late twentieth century resulted in deciduous trees and mosses increasing production at the expense of coniferous trees. Our model did not however exhibit the increases in total forest net primary production that have been inferred from satellite data. We find that poor soil drainage decreased the variability of the landscape carbon balance, which suggests that increased climate and hydrological changes have the potential to affect disproportionately the carbon dynamics of these areas. Overall, we conclude that direct ecophysiological changes resulting from global climate change have not yet been felt in this large boreal region. Variations in the landscape carbon balance and vegetation dominance have so far been driven largely by increases in fire frequency.     

Prolonged suppression of ecosystem carbon dioxide uptake after an anomalously warm year

Terrestrial ecosystems control carbon dioxide fluxes to and from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and respiration, a balance between net primary productivity and heterotrophic respiration, that determines whether an ecosystem is sequestering carbon or releasing it to the atmosphere. Global and site-specific data sets have demonstrated that climate and climate variability influence biogeochemical processes that determine net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE) at multiple timescales. Experimental data necessary to quantify impacts of a single climate variable, such as temperature anomalies, on NEE and carbon sequestration of ecosystems at interannual timescales have been lacking. This derives from an inability of field studies to avoid the confounding effects of natural intra-annual and interannual variability in temperature and precipitation. Here we present results from a four-year study using replicate 12,000-kg intact tallgrass prairie monoliths located in four 184-m(3) enclosed lysimeters. We exposed 6 of 12 monoliths to an anomalously warm year in the second year of the study and continuously quantified rates of ecosystem processes, including NEE. We find that warming decreases NEE in both the extreme year and the following year by inducing drought that suppresses net primary productivity in the extreme year and by stimulating heterotrophic respiration of soil biota in the subsequent year. Our data indicate that two years are required for NEE in the previously warmed experimental ecosystems to recover to levels measured in the control ecosystems. This time lag caused net ecosystem carbon sequestration in previously warmed ecosystems to be decreased threefold over the study period, compared with control ecosystems. Our findings suggest that more frequent anomalously warm years, a possible consequence of increasing anthropogenic carbon dioxide levels, may lead to a sustained decrease in carbon dioxide uptake by terrestrial ecosystems.     

Long-term sensitivity of soil carbon turnover to warming

The sensitivity of soil carbon to warming is a major uncertainty in projections of carbon dioxide concentration and climate. Experimental studies overwhelmingly indicate increased soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition at higher temperatures, resulting in increased carbon dioxide emissions from soils. However, recent findings have been cited as evidence against increased soil carbon emissions in a warmer world. In soil warming experiments, the initially increased carbon dioxide efflux returns to pre-warming rates within one to three years, and apparent carbon pool turnover times are insensitive to temperature. It has already been suggested that the apparent lack of temperature dependence could be an artefact due to neglecting the extreme heterogeneity of soil carbon, but no explicit model has yet been presented that can reconcile all the above findings. Here we present a simple three-pool model that partitions SOC into components with different intrinsic turnover rates. Using this model, we show that the results of all the soil-warming experiments are compatible with long-term temperature sensitivity of SOC turnover: they can be explained by rapid depletion of labile SOC combined with the negligible response of non-labile SOC on experimental timescales. Furthermore, we present evidence that non-labile SOC is more sensitive to temperature than labile SOC, implying that the long-term positive feedback of soil decomposition in a warming world may be even stronger than predicted by global models.     

间伐对杉木人工林生态系统碳储量的短期影响

【目的】研究不同间伐强度下杉木人工林生态系统碳储量及其分配格局,进一步优化林分经营管理措施,准确评估间伐对杉木人工林生物量和碳储量的短期影响,为提高人工林的碳汇能力提供依据。【方法】以福建省三明市官庄国有林场11年生杉木人工林为研究对象,选择坡度、坡位、土壤条件相对一致的林分,按照完全随机区组试验设计,设置弱度间伐(31%,伐后林分2 250株/hm²,LIT)、中度间伐(45%,伐后林分1 800株/hm²,MIT)、强度间伐(63%,伐后林分1 200株/hm²,HIT)等3种间伐强度;共设置9块20 m×20 m样地,采集深度为1 m剖面内不同土层的土壤;并在样地内每木检尺,利用生物量回归方程对乔木层生物量进行估算,同时实测林下植被和凋落物生物量;通过元素分析仪测定植被和土壤碳含量,并根据碳含量估算碳储量。【结果】间伐后3年,杉木人工林乔木层碳储量随着间伐强度的增加而减小,LIT、MIT、HIT处理样地乔木层碳储量依次为66.16、58.78、49.71 t/hm²;杉木人工林灌木层和草本层的碳储量随着间伐强度的增加而显著增加,分别占生态系统碳储量的0.03%~0.19%和0.01%~0.67%;凋落物层碳储量占生态系统碳储量的2.87%~4.32%,间伐对凋落物层碳储量无显著影响;土壤有机碳储量在不同间伐处理间差异显著(P<0.05),杉木人工林土壤层碳储量随着间伐强度的增加而降低,HIT处理土壤层碳储量较LIT和MIT处理降低了32.07%和1.03%。间伐后3年,杉木人工林生态系统碳储量随着间伐强度增加而显著降低(P<0.05),LIT、MIT和HIT处理样地总碳储量依次为173.85、161.12、121.73 t/hm²。乔木层和土壤层碳储量之和占比超过90.00%,表明乔木层和土壤层是巨大的碳库,且间伐短期降低生态系统总碳储量。【结论】间伐后短期内杉木人工林乔木层、凋落物层和土壤层碳储量随着间伐强度的增加而下降,而灌木层和草本层的碳储量则随着间伐强度的增加而增加,表明间伐3年后试验林地还处于恢复期,杉木人工林间伐短期内会降低生态系统总碳储量。研究结果可部分解释间伐后短期内杉木人工林生态系统各组分碳储量的分布格局,并为研究区的人工林碳汇增加和可持续经营提供科学依据。     

Export of dissolved organic carbon from peatlands under elevated carbon dioxide levels

Peatlands represent a vast store of global carbon. Observations of rapidly rising dissolved organic carbon concentrations in rivers draining peatlands have created concerns that those stores are beginning to destabilize. Three main factors have been put forward as potential causal mechanisms, but it appears that two alternatives--warming and increased river discharge--cannot offer satisfactory explanations. Here we show that the third proposed mechanism, namely shifting trends in the proportion of annual rainfall arriving in summer, is similarly unable to account for the trend. Instead we infer that a previously unrecognized mechanism--carbon dioxide mediated stimulation of primary productivity--is responsible. Under elevated carbon dioxide levels, the proportion of dissolved organic carbon derived from recently assimilated carbon dioxide was ten times higher than that of the control cases. Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon appear far more sensitive to environmental drivers that affect net primary productivity than those affecting decomposition alone.     

常见绿化树种对土壤碳氮垂直分布及有机碳储量的影响

【目的】调查常见绿化树种各立地土壤层次有机碳含量、全氮含量及有机碳储量等相关指标,分析树种差异对城市森林土壤碳氮垂直分布及有机碳储量的影响,为城市绿化树种的选择提供基础数据。【方法】以邻近农田相关指标为对照,测定分析了水杉、香樟、重阳木纯林下各土壤层次的有机碳含量、全氮含量及有机碳储量。【结果】①不同绿化树种纯林立地土壤有机碳、全氮含量存在一定差异,其变化范围分别为7.28～10.78、1.03～1.43 g/kg,均为重阳木林地土壤的含量最高; 各纯林土壤C/N的波动范围为4.78～9.56,水杉与重阳木之间差异显著。②各绿化树种纯林0～60 cm土壤有机碳储量变化范围在60.54～89.61 t/hm²之间,大小顺序为:重阳木>香樟>水杉。③试验地土壤有机碳含量与全氮含量之间存在显著或极显著的正相关关系。土壤有机碳、全氮含量主要与黏粒百分含量呈显著或极显著的正相关,与土壤密度呈显著或极显著的负相关。④造林后第7年森林土壤有机碳、全氮含量与有机碳储量均显著减少,各树种土壤C/N变化明显。其中,香樟、重阳木林地更接近于农田。【结论】在农田转为林地初期,土壤有机碳含量、全氮含量、有机碳储量均有不同程度减少,而落叶阔叶树种重阳木较其他绿化树种更有利于土壤有机碳恢复及固持。     

Winter forest soil respiration controlled by climate and microbial community composition

Most terrestrial carbon sequestration at mid-latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere occurs in seasonal, montane forest ecosystems. Winter respiratory carbon dioxide losses from these ecosystems are high, and over half of the carbon assimilated by photosynthesis in the summer can be lost the following winter. The amount of winter carbon dioxide loss is potentially susceptible to changes in the depth of the snowpack; a shallower snowpack has less insulation potential, causing colder soil temperatures and potentially lower soil respiration rates. Recent climate analyses have shown widespread declines in the winter snowpack of mountain ecosystems in the western USA and Europe that are coupled to positive temperature anomalies. Here we study the effect of changes in snow cover on soil carbon cycling within the context of natural climate variation. We use a six-year record of net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange in a subalpine forest to show that years with a reduced winter snowpack are accompanied by significantly lower rates of soil respiration. Furthermore, we show that the cause of the high sensitivity of soil respiration rate to changes in snow depth is a unique soil microbial community that exhibits exponential growth and high rates of substrate utilization at the cold temperatures that exist beneath the snow. Our observations suggest that a warmer climate may change soil carbon sequestration rates in forest ecosystems owing to changes in the depth of the insulating snow cover.     

Heterogeneous chemistry in the atmosphere of Mars

Hydrogen radicals are produced in the martian atmosphere by the photolysis of water vapour and subsequently initiate catalytic cycles that recycle carbon dioxide from its photolysis product carbon monoxide. These processes provide a qualitative explanation for the stability of the atmosphere of Mars, which contains 95 per cent carbon dioxide. Balancing carbon dioxide production and loss based on our current understanding of the gas-phase chemistry in the martian atmosphere has, however, proven to be difficult. Interactions between gaseous chemical species and ice cloud particles have been shown to be key factors in the loss of polar ozone observed in the Earth's stratosphere, and may significantly perturb the chemistry of the Earth's upper troposphere. Water-ice clouds are also commonly observed in the atmosphere of Mars and it has been suggested previously that heterogeneous chemistry could have an important impact on the composition of the martian atmosphere. Here we use a state-of-the-art general circulation model together with new observations of the martian ozone layer to show that model simulations that include chemical reactions occurring on ice clouds lead to much improved quantitative agreement with observed martian ozone levels in comparison with model simulations based on gas-phase chemistry alone. Ozone is readily destroyed by hydrogen radicals and is therefore a sensitive tracer of the chemistry that regulates the atmosphere of Mars. Our results suggest that heterogeneous chemistry on ice clouds plays an important role in controlling the stability and composition of the martian atmosphere.     

不同林型兴安落叶松林土壤团聚体及其有机碳特征

[目的]团聚体是土壤结构的基本单元,其对有机碳的保护作用是稳定土壤碳库的重要机制.采用野外调查与室内分析相结合的方法,探讨林型对兴安落叶松林土壤团聚体的分布、稳定性及有机碳含量的影响,为兴安落叶松林的可持续经营、碳汇功能提升提供参考.[方法]在内蒙古大兴安岭兴安落叶松原始林内,依据不同林型(草类-兴安落叶松林、杜香-兴...     

High-resolution carbon dioxide concentration record 650,000-800,000 years before present

Changes in past atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations can be determined by measuring the composition of air trapped in ice cores from Antarctica. So far, the Antarctic Vostok and EPICA Dome C ice cores have provided a composite record of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels over the past 650,000 years. Here we present results of the lowest 200 m of the Dome C ice core, extending the record of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration by two complete glacial cycles to 800,000 yr before present. From previously published data and the present work, we find that atmospheric carbon dioxide is strongly correlated with Antarctic temperature throughout eight glacial cycles but with significantly lower concentrations between 650,000 and 750,000 yr before present. Carbon dioxide levels are below 180 parts per million by volume (p.p.m.v.) for a period of 3,000 yr during Marine Isotope Stage 16, possibly reflecting more pronounced oceanic carbon storage. We report the lowest carbon dioxide concentration measured in an ice core, which extends the pre-industrial range of carbon dioxide concentrations during the late Quaternary by about 10 p.p.m.v. to 172-300 p.p.m.v.     

寒温带4种森林类型土壤团聚体有机碳氮特征

【目的】 大兴安岭是我国唯一的寒温带地区,森林资源丰富,但大兴安岭地区土层较薄,且存在永冻层,对于该地区土壤结构、养分循环存在巨大影响。探讨该地区土壤团聚体的结构组成和有机碳、氮的含量与分布规律,了解不同粒径团聚体对土壤有机碳、氮的固存与保护作用,为深入研究我国寒温带地区土壤结构与碳氮循环提供依据。【方法】 在黑龙江大兴安岭地区,以我国寒温带4种主要森林类型(兴安落叶松林、樟子松林、山杨林、白桦林)为研究对象,测定生长季林地0~5、≥5~10和≥10~20 cm土层粒径<0.053、≥0.053~0.250、≥0.250~0.500、≥0.500~1.000和>1.000 mm水稳性团聚体的分配比例并结合有机碳、氮含量,分析各粒径团聚体有机碳、氮对土壤总有机碳、全氮的贡献率,进行多因素方差分析。【结果】 ①樟子松林、山杨林和白桦林0~10 cm土层和兴安落叶松林0~5 cm土层以大团聚体(粒径≥0.250 mm)为主,占50%以上,随着土层的加深,大团聚体质量分数下降,各个林型生长季中期大团聚体质量分数均高于初期和末期,且阔叶林大团聚体质量分数高于针叶林。②团聚体有机碳含量与全氮含量呈现出大致相同的变化规律,4种森林类型以粒径≥0.500 mm团聚体有机碳、全氮含量较高,大致表现为随粒径的减小含量递减。阔叶林团聚体有机碳、全氮含量比针叶林的高,且阔叶林的在生长季中后期含量相对较高,而兴安落叶松林的呈波动式变化趋势,樟子松林的则以生长季前期含量较高。③4种森林类型0~10 cm土层,团聚体有机碳、全氮以粒径≥0.500 mm团聚体贡献率较高,最高达到90%;随着土层的加深,≥0.250 mm的大团聚体的贡献率下降,≥10~20 cm土层以粒径<0.250 mm的微团聚体贡献率最高。④森林类型、土层和月份对土壤团聚体组成和团聚体有机碳、全氮含量均具有显著影响,且粒径≥0.500 mm团聚体有机碳、全氮含量与对应粒径团聚体含量呈正相关,粒径>1.000 mm团聚体有机碳、全氮含量与该粒径团聚体含量呈极显著正相关。【结论】 森林类型、土层和月份的变化均对土壤团聚体组成及其结合的有机碳、全氮含量产生影响,阔叶林大团聚体含量以及团聚体结合的有机碳氮含量均高于针叶林。4种森林类型以生长季中期大团聚体含量更高,阔叶林团聚体有机碳、全氮含量在生长季中后期较高,针叶林则在生长季内呈波动式变化趋势。随着土层的加深,大团聚体含量、团聚体有机碳、全氮含量以及大团聚体贡献率均逐渐降低。本研究区粒径≥0.500~1.000 m和>1.000 mm团聚体是有机碳和全氮的主要载体。由此可见,寒温带4种森林类型团聚体组成及其结合的有机碳、全氮特征各异,在一定程度上反映了寒温带主要森林类型下的土壤结构与碳氮固存特征。     

海拔变化对黄山松阔叶混交林土壤有机碳组分的影响

【目的】明确海拔变化对黄山松阔叶混交林土壤有机碳化学组分含量的影响及初步影响机理,了解全球气候变暖后,典型林分土壤有机碳稳定性的变化。【方法】以黄山松在凤阳山的主要分布海拔范围1 000～1 800 m为准,选取1 200、1 500、1 800 m 3个海拔梯度,在每个海拔梯度的阳坡选取3个标准样地(20 m×20 m),用蛇形法于每块样地取样,带回测定其土壤理化性质及有机碳化学组分含量。【结果】随着海拔升高,土壤养分含量呈先升高后降低的变化趋势,土壤水溶性碳及有效磷含量在各海拔间差异性显著(P<0.05); 随海拔升高,烷基碳、N-烷氧碳含量先增大后减小; 芳香碳、酚基碳及羰基碳含量则先减小后增大; 烷氧碳和缩醛碳含量则随海拔升高而降低; 海拔1 200 m处羰基碳含量与其他两个海拔存在显著差异(P<0.05)。非度量多维标度(NMDS)排序显示不同海拔梯度土壤有机碳组分含量之间有显著差异,这些差异主要是由于羰基碳、烷基碳含量及Z_烷基碳/Z_烷氧碳的变化引起的。冗余分析(RDA)显示,土壤总磷含量及土壤容重对有机碳分子结构复杂程度影响较强; 土壤总氮含量与有机碳稳定性则呈极显著正相关关系。【结论】海拔变化所引起的土壤理化性质的改变,是影响土壤有机碳稳定性的重要因素; 高海拔处温度过低会对土壤有机碳的分解产生影响,从而影响土壤有机碳稳定性。     

Evidence that decomposition rates of organic carbon in mineral soil do not vary with temperature

It has been suggested that increases in temperature can accelerate the decomposition of organic carbon contained in forest mineral soil (Cs), and, therefore, that global warming should increase the release of soil organic carbon to the atmosphere. These predictions assume, however, that decay constants can be accurately derived from short-term laboratory incubations of soil or that in situ incubations of fresh litter accurately represent the temperature sensitivity of Cs decomposition. But our limited understanding of the biophysical factors that control Cs decomposition rates, and observations of only minor increases in Cs decomposition rate with temperature in longer-term forest soil heating experiments and in latitudinal comparisons of Cs decomposition rates bring these predictions into question. Here we have compiled Cs decomposition data from 82 sites on five continents. We found that Cs decomposition rates were remarkably constant across a global-scale gradient in mean annual temperature. These data suggest that Cs decomposition rates for forest soils are not controlled by temperature limitations to microbial activity, and that increased temperature alone will not stimulate the decomposition of forest-derived carbon in mineral soil.     

目标树经营初期对马尾松人工林碳贮量的影响

【目的】大气温室气体浓度增加导致全球气候变暖日益受到重视,保护现有人工林碳贮量以及开展科学的森林经营活动,已成为改善林分结构,增强陆地碳汇的重要措施。【方法】以川东华蓥33年马尾松人工林为对象,采用3种目标树密度(H1.100;H2.150;H3.200株/hm²)经营方式,研究目标树经营后马尾松人工林碳贮量变化。 【结果】与对照林分相比较,目标树经营后乔木层(各器官)、林下层贮量变化差异显著(P<0.05),而不同处理间土壤层碳贮量变化差异不显著(P>0.05);目标树经营后乔木层碳贮量生长量分别为15.65%、18.70%、16.59%,均高于HCK(对照林)的13.4%;目标树干、枝、叶、根和全株碳贮量生长量平均值较一般树高出66.04%、51.25%、52.09%、48.81%和38.67%,各器官碳贮量大小顺序为树干>根系>树枝>树叶;林下层碳贮量变化除草本层为H2>H3>H1>HCK,其余层次皆为H3>H2>H1>HCK;土壤层碳贮量为244.86 t/hm²,占林分总碳贮量76.44%,但土壤表层(0~5cm)碳贮量占土壤层(0~40 cm)的45.52%,并呈现随着土壤深度增加而显著减少的趋势;马尾松林碳库空间分布为土壤层(0~40 cm)>乔木层>灌木层>草本层>枯枝落叶层>粗木残体层。【结论】目标树经营可提高马尾松人工林碳贮量,且经营密度为150株/hm²的马尾松林碳贮量最高。