Long-term growth of temperate broadleaved forests no longer benefits soil C accumulation.
It is widely recognized that the long-term growth of forests benefits biomass carbon (C) sequestration, but it is not known whether the long-term growth of forests would also benefit soil C sequestration. We selected 79 representative soil profiles and investigated the influence of the forest stand age on the soil C dynamics of three soil layers (0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm) in temperate broadleaved forests in East China. The results suggest that the soil C density in temperature broadleaved forests significantly changes with the stand age, following a convex parabolic curve. At an early stand age, the soil C density usually increases, reaching its peak value at a pre-mature stand age (approximately 50 years old). At later stand ages, the soil C density usually decreases. Therefore, our results reveal a turning point in the soil C density at a pre-mature stand age. The long-term growth of temperate broadleaved forests after pre-mature stand age no longer benefits soil C accumulation, probably promotes topsoil C loss. In addition, we found that the soil C density in the upper soil layer usually changes with the forest stand development more significantly than that in deeper soil layers.
State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather (LASW), Chinese Academy of Meteorological Science, Beijing 100081, China.
Yu-He
YH
Ji
State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.
Ke
K
Guo
State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather (LASW), Chinese Academy of Meteorological Science, Beijing 100081, China.
Shi-Bo
SB
Fang
School of Forestry &Landscape Architecture, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
Xiao-Niu
XN
Xu
Department of Life Science, Anqing Normal University, Anqing 246133, China.
Zhi-Gao
ZG
Wang
State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100101, China.
Shu-Dong
SD
Wang
D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis*; D002681:China; D005843:Geography; D065947:Rainforest; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D013997:Time Factors
D012987:Soil; D002244:Carbon