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International audience• Context A large area of abandoned land in the semiarid temperate region of China has been converted into plantations over the past decades. However, little information is available about the ecosystem C storage in different plantations. • Aim and methods Our objective was to estimate the C storage in biomass, litter, and soil of four different plantations (monospecific stands of Larix gmelinii, Pinus tabuliformis, Picea crassifolia, and Populus simonii). Tree component bio-mass was estimated using allometric equations. The bio-masses of understory vegetation and litter were determined by harvesting all the components. C fractions of plant, litter, and soil were measured. • Results The ecosystem C storage were as follows: Picea crassifolia (469 t C/ha)>Larix gmelinii (375 t C/ha), Populus simonii (330 t C/ha) > Pinus tabuliformis (281 t C/ha) (P<0.05), 59.5–91.1 % of which was in the soil. The highest tree and understory C storage were found in the plantation of Pinus tabuliformis (247 t/ha) and Larix gmelinii (1.2 t/ha) respectively. The difference in tree C fraction was significant among tree components (P<0.05), following the order: leaf> branch>trunk>root. The highest soil C (SC) was stored in Picea crassifolia plantation (411 t C/ha), while Populus simonii plantation had a higher SC sequestration rate than others. • Conclusion C storage and distribution varied among differ-ent plantation ecosystems. Coniferous forests had a higher live biomass and litter C storage. Broadleaf forests had consider-able SC sequestration potential after 40 years establishment

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