Evidence for environmentally enhanced forest growth

Fang, Jingyun; Kato, Tomomichi; Guo, Zhaodi; Yang, Yuanhe; Hu, Huifeng; Shen, Haihua; Zhao, Xia; Kishimoto-Mo, Ayaka W.; Tang, Yanhong; Houghton, Richard A.

doi:10.1073/pnas.1402333111

Cited by 124 publications

(116 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…1b). The inconsistent patterns in the contributions of forest growth and areal expansion may be associated with differences in forest management policies, harvest intensity, and climatic factors (e.g., the warming climate, increasing summer precipitation, elevated CO 2 , and natural nitrogen deposition) among these regions (Fang et al, 2004(Fang et al, , 2014bMagnani et al, 2007;Du et al, 2014). For instance, southern and southwest China has experienced a drier and hotter climate in the last 3 decades, while northern China has become wetter and has had longer growing seasons (Peng et al, 2011), which may effectively contribute to the enhanced C densities in the northern regions.…”

Section: Relative Contributions Of Changes In Forest Area and Biomassmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relative contributions of forest growth and areal expansion to forest biomass carbon

Zhu

et al. 2016

Biogeosciences

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Abstract. Forests play a leading role in regional and global terrestrial carbon (C) cycles. Changes in C sequestration within forests can be attributed to areal expansion (increase in forest area) and forest growth (increase in biomass density). Detailed assessment of the relative contributions of areal expansion and forest growth to C sinks is crucial to reveal the mechanisms that control forest C sinks and it is helpful for developing sustainable forest management policies in the face of climate change. Using the Forest Identity concept and forest inventory data, this study quantified the spatial and temporal changes in the relative contributions of forest areal expansion and increased biomass growth to China's forest biomass C sinks from 1977 to 2008. Over the last 30 years, the areal expansion of forests has been a larger contributor to C sinks than forest growth for planted forests in China (62.2 % vs. 37.8 %). However, for natural forests, forest growth has made a larger contribution than areal expansion (60.4 % vs. 39.6 %). For all forests (planted and natural forests), growth in area and density has contributed equally to the total C sinks of forest biomass in China (50.4 % vs. 49.6 %).The relative contribution of forest growth of planted forests showed an increasing trend from an initial 25.3 % to 61.0 % in the later period of 1998 to 2003, but for natural forests, the relative contributions were variable without clear trends, owing to the drastic changes in forest area and biomass density over the last 30 years. Our findings suggest that afforestation will continue to increase the C sink of China's forests in the future, subject to sustainable forest growth after the establishment of plantations.

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Section: Relative Contributions Of Changes In Forest Area and Biomassmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relative contributions of forest growth and areal expansion to forest biomass carbon

Zhu

et al. 2016

Biogeosciences

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“…Analogous findings about growth trends in forests worldwide (see for example Kauppi et al (2014), Pretzsch et al (2014) and Fang et al (2014)) raise the question how urban trees and forests respond to changing environmental conditions.…”

Section: Long-term Growth Trendsmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…Higher tree species diversity in cities will likely increase urban biodiversity and the resistance of the whole urban tree stand of a city to pests and diseases (Raupp et al, 2006;Tubby & Webber, 2010), and provide a wider range of aesthetic features and ecosystem services to mitigate the consequences of global warming and worsening climate scenarios in city centers (Bassuk et al, 2009;Cregg & Dix, 2001;Sjöman et al, 2012). Surprisingly, contrary positive effects despite all the mentioned negative consequences of global warming on tree growth have been found as well (Fang et al, 2014;Kauppi et al, 2014). In their study about forest tree growth, Pretzsch et al (2014) highlighted a faster growth of forests since the last decades.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Climate and the Urban Heat Island Effect on Urban Tree Growth in Houston

Moser¹,

Uhl²,

Rötzer³

et al. 2017

OJF

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The growing conditions of urban trees differ substantially from forest sites and are mainly characterized by small planting pits with less water, nutrient and aeration availability, high temperatures and radiation inputs as well as pollution and soil compaction. Especially, global warming can amplify the negative effects of urban microclimates on tree growth, health and well-being of citizens. To quantify the growth of urban trees influenced by the urban climate, ten urban tree species in four climate zones were assessed in an overarching worldwide dendrochronological study. The focus of this analysis was the species water oak (Quercus nigra L.) in Houston, Texas, USA. Similar to the overall growth trend, we found in urban trees, water oaks displayed an accelerated growth during the last decades. Moreover, water oaks in the city center grew better than the water oaks growing in the rural surroundings of Houston, though this trend was reversed with high age. Growth habitat (urban, suburban, rural and forest) significantly affected tree growth (p < 0.001) with urban trees growing faster than rural growing trees and forest trees, though a younger age of urban trees might influence the found growth patterns. Growing site in terms of cardinal direction did not markedly influence tree growth, which was more influenced by the prevalent climatic conditions of Houston and the urban climate. Higher temperatures, an extended growing season and eutrophication can cause an accelerated growth of trees in urban regions across, across all climatic zones. However, an accelerated growth rate can have negative consequences like quicker ageing and tree death resulting in higher costs for new plantings and tree management as well as the decrease in ecosystem services due to a lack of old trees providing greatest benefits for mitigating the negative effects of the urban climate.

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“…However, the assumption was made that the preferred fuel for kilns and furnaces was charcoal because charcoal burns at higher temperatures and because of the ease of transport to production sites. Erb et al (2013) Upscaled by land cover maps. Contemporary estimates of annual wood increment are restricted to stem wood increment.…”

Section: General Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reconstructing European forest management from 1600 to 2010

et al. 2015

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Abstract. Because of the slow accumulation and long residence time of carbon in biomass and soils, the present state and future dynamics of temperate forests are influenced by management that took place centuries to millennia ago. Humans have exploited the forests of Europe for fuel, construction materials and fodder for the entire Holocene. In recent centuries, economic and demographic trends led to increases in both forest area and management intensity across much of Europe. In order to quantify the effects of these changes in forests and to provide a baseline for studies on future land-cover-climate interactions and biogeochemical cycling, we created a temporally and spatially resolved reconstruction of European forest management from 1600 to 2010. For the period 1600-1828, we took a supply-demand approach, in which supply was estimated on the basis of historical annual wood increment and land cover reconstructions. We made demand estimates by multiplying population with consumption factors for construction materials, household fuelwood, industrial food processing and brewing, metallurgy, and salt production. For the period 1829-2010, we used a supply-driven backcasting method based on national and regional statistics of forest age structure from the second half of the 20th century. Our reconstruction reproduces the most important changes in forest management between 1600 and 2010: (1) an increase of 593 000 km 2 in conifers at the expense of deciduous forest (decreasing by 538 000 km 2 ); (2) a 612 000 km 2 decrease in unmanaged forest; (3) a 152 000 km 2 decrease in coppice management; (4) a 818 000 km 2 increase in high-stand management; and (5) the rise and fall of litter raking, which at its peak in 1853 resulted in the removal of 50 Tg dry litter per year.

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Evidence for environmentally enhanced forest growth

Cited by 124 publications

References 34 publications

The relative contributions of forest growth and areal expansion to forest biomass carbon

The relative contributions of forest growth and areal expansion to forest biomass carbon

Effects of Climate and the Urban Heat Island Effect on Urban Tree Growth in Houston

Reconstructing European forest management from 1600 to 2010

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