Carbon Mass Change and Its Drivers in a Boreal Coniferous Forest in the Qilian Mountains, China from 1964 to 2013

Fang, Shu; He, Zhibin; Du, Jun; Chen, Longfei; Lin, Pengfei; Zhao, Mingwei

doi:10.3390/f9020057

Cited by 10 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 61 publications

(69 reference statements)

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“…This pattern is consistent with the dominant effect of water limitation on forest productivity at this precipitation level. These results are in agreement with those of other studies that found a strong positive correlation between forest AGC and precipitation (Lie et al 2018-07-12, Swetnam et al 2017, Fang et al 2018). However, plots receiving more than 1500 mm year -1 of precipitation showed a decreasing upper quantile of forest AGC, located in the middle mountains.…”

Section: Broad-scale Gradientssupporting

confidence: 93%

Environmental correlates of the forest carbon distribution in the Central Himalayas

Khanal

Nolan

Medlyn

et al. 2023

Preprint

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In the Central Himalayas, where environmental conditions vary greatly, understanding the biophysical limitations on forest carbon is crucial for accurately determining the region’s forest carbon stocks. This study investigates the role of climate and disturbance on the spatial variation of two key forest carbon pools: aboveground carbon (AGC) and soil organic carbon (SOC). Using field-observed plot-level carbon pool estimates from Nepal’s national forest inventory and structural equation modeling, we explore the relationship between forest carbon stocks and proxies of environmental constraints. The forest AGC and SOC models explained 25 % and 59 % of the observed spatial variation in forest AGC and SOC, respectively. The climatic availability of water and energy in broad-scale gradients combined with the fine-scale gradients of terrain and disturbance intensity were found to influence forest carbon stocks, but the sign and strength of the statistical relationships differ for forest AGC and SOC. While AGC showed a negative relationship to disturbance, SOC was impacted by the availability of climatic energy. Disturbances such as selective logging and firewood collection result in immediate forest carbon loss, while soil carbon changes take longer to respond. The lower decomposition rates in the high-elevation region, due to lower temperatures, preserve organic matter and contribute to the high SOC stocks observed there. These results have important implications for forest carbon management and conservation in the Central Himalayas.

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Section: Broad-scale Gradientssupporting

confidence: 93%

Environmental correlates of the forest carbon distribution in the Central Himalayas

Khanal

Nolan

Medlyn

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…Carbon mass of Picea crassifolia Kom. forest in the Qilian Mountains has increased by 1.202 kg/m 2 from 1964 to 2013 [ 41 ]. The correlation analysis between the change in the lower tree line position and meteorological factors showed that the change in the lower tree line was highly correlated with annual precipitation and annual average temperature; the rate of change in these two factors after 2008 has slowed down, so the elevation of decline in the lower tree line has also slowed down.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Annual evaporation is 1050–1100 mm and the annual total of sunshine hours is 1890–1900. The annual average relative humidity ranges from 60 to 65% [ 41 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fifty years of change in the lower tree line in an arid coniferous forest in the Qilian Mountains, northwestern China

Fang,

He,

Zhao

2023

PLoS ONE

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Tree line areas exhibited significant changes in response to climate change, including upward migration. Lower tree line dynamics are rarely studied, but as unique features in arid and semi-arid areas, they may influence forest distribution. Here, eight lower tree line plots in a Picea crassifolia Kom. (Qinghai spruce) forest in the arid and semi-arid Qilian Mountains of northwestern China were used to determine changes in tree line location and relationships with meteorological factors during 1968–2018. The results showed that the lower tree line descended by an average of 9.82 m during 1968 to 2018, and exhibited almost no change after 2008. The change in the lower tree line was significantly correlated with the annual average temperature (°C) and annual precipitation (mm) and may be affected by human activities. In the past 50 years, the lower tree line in arid areas exhibited a downward trend. Our findings indicate that the movement of the lower tree line is also an important aspect of climatic changes in coniferous forest distribution in arid and semi-arid mountains.

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“…Carbon mass of Picea crassifolia Kom. forest in the Qilian Mountains has increased by 1.202 kg/m 2 from 1964 to 2013 [49]. One survey showed that Picea crassifolia Kom.…”

Section: Relationship Between Tree Line Changes and Meteorological Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fifty years of change in the lower tree line in an arid coniferous forest in the Qilian Mountains, northwestern China

Fang¹,

He²

2021

Preprint

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Background: Tree-line areas exhibit significant changes in response to climate change, including upward migration. Lower tree line dynamics are rarely studied, but as unique features in arid and semi-arid areas, they may influence forest distribution. Here, 8 lower tree-line plots in Picea crassifolia Kom. (Qinghai spruce) forest in the arid and semi-arid Qilian Mountains of northwestern China were used to determine changes in tree line location, landscape pattern, and relationships with meteorological factors during 1968-2018. Results: The results showed that the lower tree line descended by an average of 9.82 m during 1968 to 2018, and exhibited almost no change after 2008. The change in pattern was mainly related to the age of trees in which small trees were dense and clustered, and large trees became more scattered and evenly distributed. Tree regeneration rates changes in the lower tree line were highly positively correlated with temperature, and also positively related to annual precipitation. Conclusions: In the past 50 years, the lower tree line in arid areas exhibited a downward trend but it is unclear whether the downward trend of the lower tree line will stabilize or even reverse due to the weakening of climate warming degree.

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Carbon Mass Change and Its Drivers in a Boreal Coniferous Forest in the Qilian Mountains, China from 1964 to 2013

Cited by 10 publications

References 61 publications

Environmental correlates of the forest carbon distribution in the Central Himalayas

Environmental correlates of the forest carbon distribution in the Central Himalayas

Fifty years of change in the lower tree line in an arid coniferous forest in the Qilian Mountains, northwestern China

Fifty years of change in the lower tree line in an arid coniferous forest in the Qilian Mountains, northwestern China

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