Forest carbon stocks in Newfoundland boreal forests of harvest and natural disturbance origin I: field study

2010 ◽  
Vol 40 (11) ◽  
pp. 2135-2145 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. T. Moroni ◽  
C. H. Shaw ◽  
P. Otahal
Keyword(s):  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Disturbance History ◽  
Dead Tree ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Live Tree ◽  
Forest C

Quantification of stand and forest C stocks in response to different disturbances is necessary to develop climate change mitigation strategies and to evaluate forest C accounting tools. Live tree, dead tree, woody debris (WD), stump, buried wood, and organic and mineral soil C stocks are described in chronosequences of black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) (harvest and fire origin) and balsam fir ( Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) (insect and harvest origin). The largest C stocks were found in mineral soil (≤179 Mg·ha–1), organic soil (≤123 Mg·ha–1), and live tree (≤93 Mg·ha–1) pools. Live tree C changed predictably with disturbance history and time since disturbance, increasing with forest age. Regeneration growth slowed under snags. Thinning accelerated production of larger trees but reduced site live tree C. Dead tree and WD C were temporally dynamic and strongly influenced by disturbance history and time since disturbance, but abundances in differently disturbed forests converged at low levels 40–60 years after disturbance. Only immediately following natural disturbances were there large amounts of snag C (26–30 Mg·ha–1). WD C was relatively abundant <3 years after harvesting (15–17 Mg·ha–1) and 31–36 years after natural disturbance (9 Mg·ha–1). Buried wood stocks were small, but comparable with WD stocks in some forests.

scholarly journals Could increased boreal forest ecosystem productivity offset carbon losses from increased disturbances?

2007 ◽  
Vol 363 (1501) ◽  
pp. 2259-2268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Werner A Kurz ◽  
Graham Stinson ◽  
Greg Rampley
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Net Primary Production ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Climatic Changes ◽  
Forest Sector ◽  
Carbon Budget Model ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Carbon Losses ◽  
Forest C ◽  
Landscape Level

To understand how boreal forest carbon (C) dynamics might respond to anticipated climatic changes, we must consider two important processes. First, projected climatic changes are expected to increase the frequency of fire and other natural disturbances that would change the forest age-class structure and reduce forest C stocks at the landscape level. Second, global change may result in increased net primary production (NPP). Could higher NPP offset anticipated C losses resulting from increased disturbances? We used the Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector to simulate rate changes in disturbance, growth and decomposition on a hypothetical boreal forest landscape and to explore the impacts of these changes on landscape-level forest C budgets. We found that significant increases in net ecosystem production (NEP) would be required to balance C losses from increased natural disturbance rates. Moreover, increases in NEP would have to be sustained over several decades and be widespread across the landscape. Increased NEP can only be realized when NPP is enhanced relative to heterotrophic respiration. This study indicates that boreal forest C stocks may decline as a result of climate change because it would be difficult for enhanced growth to offset C losses resulting from anticipated increases in disturbances.

scholarly journals Reforestation can sequester two petagrams of carbon in US topsoils in a century

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (11) ◽  
pp. 2776-2781 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas E. Nave ◽  
Grant M. Domke ◽  
Kathryn L. Hofmeister ◽  
Umakant Mishra ◽  
Charles H. Perry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Level ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Forest Sector ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Storage ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
The Us ◽  
Land Use And Management

Soils are Earth’s largest terrestrial carbon (C) pool, and their responsiveness to land use and management make them appealing targets for strategies to enhance C sequestration. Numerous studies have identified practices that increase soil C, but their inferences are often based on limited data extrapolated over large areas. Here, we combine 15,000 observations from two national-level databases with remote sensing information to address the impacts of reforestation on the sequestration of C in topsoils (uppermost mineral soil horizons). We quantify C stocks in cultivated, reforesting, and natural forest topsoils; rates of C accumulation in reforesting topsoils; and their contribution to the US forest C sink. Our results indicate that reforestation increases topsoil C storage, and that reforesting lands, currently occupying >500,000 km2 in the United States, will sequester a cumulative 1.3–2.1 Pg C within a century (13–21 Tg C·y−1). Annually, these C gains constitute 10% of the US forest sector C sink and offset 1% of all US greenhouse gas emissions.

scholarly journals Continuous and discontinuous variation in ecosystem carbon stocks with elevation across a treeline ecotone

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1615-1627 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. M. Speed ◽  
V. Martinsen ◽  
A. J. Hester ◽  
Ø. Holand ◽  
J. Mulder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Treeline Ecotone ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Storage ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
C Stock ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Forest Line

Abstract. Treelines differentiate vastly contrasting ecosystems: open tundra from closed forest. Treeline advance has implications for the climate system due to the impact of the transition from tundra to forest ecosystem on carbon (C) storage and albedo. Treeline advance has been seen to increase above-ground C stocks as low vegetation is replaced with trees but decrease organic soil C stocks as old carbon is decomposed. However, studies comparing across the treeline typically do not account for elevational variation within the ecotone. Here we sample ecosystem C stocks along an elevational gradient (970 to 1300 m), incorporating a large-scale and long-term livestock grazing experiment, in the southern Norwegian mountains. We investigate whether there are continuous or discontinuous changes in C storage across the treeline ecotone, and whether these are modulated by grazing. We find that vegetation C stock decreases with elevation, with a clear breakpoint between the forest line and treeline above which the vegetation C stock is constant. C stocks in organic surface horizons of the soil were higher above the treeline than in the forest, whereas C stocks in mineral soil horizons are unrelated to elevation. Total ecosystem C stocks also showed a discontinuous elevational pattern, increasing with elevation above the treeline (8 g m−2 per metre increase in elevation), but decreasing with elevation below the forest line (−15 g m−2 per metre increase in elevation), such that ecosystem C storage reaches a minimum between the forest line and treeline. We did not find any effect of short-term (12 years) grazing on the elevational patterns. Our findings demonstrate that patterns of C storage across the treeline are complex, and should be taken account of when estimating ecosystem C storage with shifting treelines.

Changes in carbon storage of broadcast burn plantations over 20 years

2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
J M Kranabetter ◽  
A M Macadam
Keyword(s):  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Biomass Accumulation ◽  
Prescribed Burn ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Storage ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Mineral Soils ◽  
Forest Floors

The extent of carbon (C) storage in forests and the change in C stocks after harvesting are important considerations in the management of greenhouse gases. We measured changes in C storage over time (from postharvest, postburn, year 5, year 10 and year 20) in logging slash, forest floors, mineral soils and planted lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) trees from six prescribed-burn plantations in north central British Columbia. After harvest, site C in these pools averaged 139 Mg ha-1, with approximately equal contributions from mineral soils (0–30 cm), forest floors and logging slash. Together these detrital pools declined by 71 Mg C ha-1, or 51% (28% directly from the broadcast burn, and a further 23% postburn), in the subsequent 20 yr. Postburn decay in logging slash was inferred by reductions in wood density (from 0.40 to 0.34 g cm-3), equal to an average k rate of 0.011 yr-1. Losses in forest floor C, amounting to more than 60% of the initial mass, were immediate and continued to year 5, with no reaccumulation evident by year 20. Mineral soil C concentrations initially fluctuated before declining by 25% through years 10 and 20. Overall, the reductions in C storage were offset by biomass accumulation of lodgepole pine, and we estimate these plantations had become a net sink for C before year 20, although total C storage was still less than postharvest levels. Key words: C sequestration, forest floors; coarse woody debris; soil organic matter

Carbon and nitrogen in the silt-size fraction and its HCl-hydrolysis residues from coarse-textured Canadian boreal forest soils

2014 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline M. Preston ◽  
Charlotte E. Norris ◽  
Guy M. Bernard ◽  
David W. Beilman ◽  
Sylvie A. Quideau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Forest Soils ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Size Fraction ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Total Soil ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Canadian Boreal Forest

Preston, C. M., Norris, C. E., Bernard, G. M., Beilman, D. W., Quideau, S. A. and Wasylishen, R. E. 2014. Carbon and nitrogen in the silt-size fraction and its HCl-hydrolysis residues from coarse-textured Canadian boreal forest soils. Can. J. Soil Sci. 94: 157–168. Improving the capacity to predict changes in soil carbon (C) stocks in the Canadian boreal forest requires better information on the characteristics and age of soil carbon, especially more slowly cycling C in mineral soil. We characterized C in the silt-size fraction, as representative of C stabilized by mineral association, previously isolated in a study of soil profiles of four sandy boreal jack pine sites. Silt-size fraction accounted for 13–31% of the total soil C and 12–51% of the total soil N content. Solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that silt C was mostly dominated by alkyl and O,N-alkyl C, with low proportions of aryl C in most samples. Thus, despite the importance of fire in this region, there was little evidence of storage of pyrogenic C. We used HCl hydrolysis to isolate the oldest C within the silt-size fraction. Consistent with previous studies, this procedure removed 21–74% of C and 74–93% of N, leaving residues composed mainly of alkyl and aryl C. However, it failed to isolate consistently old C; 11 out of 16 samples had recent 14C ages (fraction of modern 14C > 1), although C-horizon samples were older, with Δ14C from –17 to –476‰. Our results indicate relatively young ages for C associated with the silt-size fractions in these sites, for which mineral soil C storage may be primarily limited by good drainage and coarse soil texture, exacerbated by losses due to periodic wildfire.

Contrasting total carbon stocks between ecological site series in a subboreal spruce research forest in central British Columbia

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 897-907 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudette H. Bois ◽  
Darren T. Janzen ◽  
Paul T. Sanborn ◽  
Arthur L. Fredeen
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Forest Harvesting ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Site Classification ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Ecological Site ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Large Trees

A study was conducted to determine if consideration of ecological site classification in combination with stand age would describe total ecosystem carbon (C) better than consideration of just stand age alone. The research was conducted in the 9250 ha University of Northern British Columbia/The University of British Columbia Aleza Lake Research Forest in central British Columbia. Over three field seasons (2003–2005), 38, 72, and 27 plots were established in mesic, subhygric, and hygric stands, respectively, with stand ages ranging from 5 to 350+ years. Mineral soil C stocks were significantly influenced by moisture regime, where hygric > subhygric > mesic (93, 77, and 65 t C·ha–1, respectively). Mineral soil and forest floor C stocks were not related to stand age, indicating their resilience to partial-cut and clear-cut forest harvesting systems historically implemented throughout the study area. Subhygric stands had the highest total ecosystem C stocks in the Aleza Lake Research Forest, having approximately 18% more C than mesic and hygric stands, principally due to higher mineral soil C stocks (than mesic stands) and improved C sequestration in large trees (over hygric stands). Consideration of ecological site classification in addition to stand age information improved total ecosystem C stock estimates over the use of stand age alone.

Soil development rates from an optically stimulated luminescence-dated beach ridge sequence in Northern Jutland, Denmark

2010 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 295-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
A H Nielsen ◽  
B. Elberling ◽  
M. Pejrup
Keyword(s):  
Mineral Soil ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Soil Development ◽  
Optically Stimulated Luminescence ◽  
Osl Dating ◽  
Beach Ridge ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Development Rates ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Osl Age

Rates of podzolic soil development in sandy, temperate soils were quantified based on 14 soil pedons with five substrata from a beach ridge chronosequence near Jerup, Northern Denmark (57°N). Soil pH, organic carbon (C) as well as extractable iron (Fe) and aluminium (Al) were measured. The age of each pedon and soil stratum was measured by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating and used to estimate soil development rates. Soils were divided into five groups from Typic Haplorthods and Entic Alorthods with a mean OSL age of 2965 ± 294 yr to Typic Quartzipsamments with a mean OSL age of 22 ± 11 yr. Acidification rates during the first 200 yr were ~1.9 pH units per 100 yr in the A horizons and C-sequestration rates were ~25 g C m-2 yr-1 (excluding litter accumulation). After ~1500 yr, the mineral soil C stocks stabilised around 13.0 ± 2.0 kg C m-2. Translocation rates of Al into B horizons were ~0.3 kg Al m-2 per 1000 yr, while translocation rates for Fe were scattered. Our study illustrates the potential of OSL dating in chronosequence studies to quantify soil development rates.Key words: Soil development rates, chronosequence, OSL-dating, C-sequestration rates and translocation rates

Forest carbon stocks in Newfoundland boreal forests of harvest and natural disturbance origin II: model evaluation

2010 ◽  
Vol 40 (11) ◽  
pp. 2146-2163 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. T. Moroni ◽  
C. H. Shaw ◽  
W. A. Kurz ◽  
G. J. Rampley
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Decay Rates ◽  
Forest Carbon ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Independent Field ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Tier 3

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommends that countries that use advanced (Tier 3) models to meet their international reporting obligations on forest greenhouse gas emissions and removals evaluate model predictions against independent field data. Unfortunately, estimates of total ecosystem C stocks and stock changes are scarce and consequently the recommended evaluations are rarely completed. The Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector (CBM-CFS3) is the core model of Canada’s National Forest Carbon Monitoring, Accounting, and Reporting System that implements an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Tier 3 approach. It accounts for biomass, dead organic matter, and soil C pools as affected by natural and anthropogenic disturbances. We used data from a recent study of total ecosystem C stocks for black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) and balsam fir ( Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) boreal forest chronosequences of different disturbance origins in Newfoundland, Canada, to evaluate C stock and stock change predictions from the CBM-CFS3. Results indicated that the accuracy of the CBM-CFS3 is high for landscape-scale estimation of C stocks. Comparison of estimates stratified by lead species or disturbance type indicated that model accuracy could be improved at finer scales by increasing specific model parameters such as the snag fall rate and woody debris decay rates relative to default parameters.

A method for measuring above- and below-ground C stocks in hillside landscapes

2005 ◽  
Vol 85 (Special Issue) ◽  
pp. 523-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. M. Monreal ◽  
J. D. Etchevers ◽  
M. Acosta ◽  
C. Hidalgo ◽  
J. Padilla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Agricultural System ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Test Field ◽  
Field Methods ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Below Ground

Information on C stocks in agriculture and forest ecosystems in hillside landscapes is limited. The objective of this study was to develop and test field methods to measure above- and below-ground C stocks in hillside landscapes. Above-ground biomass in agricultural system was determined by measuring weight of residues left after crop harvest. In degraded secondary forests, tree biomass was estimated using allometric equations developed from in situ measurements. Herbs + bushes and litter dry weight were measured in two 0.25-m2 quadrats located within one 100-m2 treed plots. Carbon stocks were determined after chemical analysis of plant tissue and soil samples by dry combustion. Geo-referenced cores were taken inside a 1-m-diameter soil sampling clock that allows for spatial and temporal monitoring of soil C changes. The clock was marked with 12 divisions to establish the exact location of present and future sampling points. The below-ground fraction of C (mineral soil and fine roots) amounted to nearly 95% of the total C stock in agricultural systems and between 57 and 82% in the case of forest systems. Soil C stocks in hillside agricultural soils were higher than those found in forested soils with 70% of the C stored below-ground residing in the 0–45 cm of soil. The field method detected differences in C stocks in pools associated with various vegetations and soils in hillside ecosystems. Key words: Soil carbon, belowground carbon, sampling clock, hillside agriculture, Mexico

scholarly journals Manganese Limitations and the Enhanced Soil Carbon Sequestration of Temperate Rainforests

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Marty Kranabetter ◽  
Tim Philpott ◽  
Dave Dunn
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Soil Type ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Expansive Soil ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Inhibitory Response ◽  
Saprotrophic Fungi ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Temperate Rainforests

Abstract Manganese (Mn) has been identified as a regulatory bottleneck in carbon (C) turnover because of its role as an enzymatic co-factor in the oxidative decomposition of C by Mn-peroxidase (MnP). We tested this limit on decay using forest soils from coastal British Columbia with contrasting Mn concentrations. Moderately weathered soils (Brunisols) had an average 3.6-fold increase in MnP activity within the upper soil profile in comparison to highly weathered Podzols. Ordination of the Agaricomycete fungal community, which are responsible for MnP production, confirmed significant differences in assemblages between soil types for saprotrophic fungi, particularly species within Agaricales, Trechisporales and Auriculariales. Ectomycorrhizal fungi of Pseudotsuga menziesii were equally aligned with soil type and select taxa more abundant on Brunisols may have supplemented MnP activity. A laboratory incubation with an Mn amendment produced significant interactions in MnP activity by soil type. Surprisingly, MnP activity of both Brunisol substrates declined substantially with an amendment (-56% and − 40% for forest floor and mineral soil, respectively), in contrast to Podzols (-30% and + 26%, respectively). This inhibitory response was linked to considerable uptake of the added Mn in Brunisols, and underscores how Mn2+ likely operates directly on fungi as a regulator of mnp transcription for MnP production. Our study highlights a new perspective concerning the abiotic drivers underpinning the expansive soil C stocks across perhumid temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest.

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