Abstract

Authors

JOMURA Mayuko, KOMINAMI Yuji, TAMAI Koji, MIYAMA Takafumi, GOTO Yoshiaki, DANNOURA Masako, KANAZAWA Yoichi

Year

2007

Title

The carbon budget of coarse woody debris in a temperate broad-leaved secondary forest in Japan

Journal

Tellus B

Volume

59(2)

Page

211-222

DOI

DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2006.00234.x

Keywords

URL

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/mksg/teb/2007/00000059/00000002/art00006

Abstract

We evaluated the carbon budget of coarse woody debris (CWD) in a temperate broad-leaved secondary forest. On the basis of a field survey conducted in 2003, the mass of CWD was estimated at 9.30 tC ha^-1, with snags amounting to 60% of the total mass. Mean annual CWD input mass was estimated to be 0.61 tC ha^-1yr^-1by monitoring tree mortality in the forest from 1999 to 2004. We evaluated the CWD decomposition rate as the CO₂ evolution rate from CWD by measuring CO₂ emissions from 91 CWD samples (R_CWD) with a closed dynamic chamber and infrared gas analysis system. The relationships between R_CWD and temperature in the chamber, water content of the CWD, and other CWD characteristics were determined. By scaling the measured R_CWD to the ecosystem, we estimated that the annual R_CWD in the forest in 2003 was 0.50 tC ha^-1yr^-1or 10%-16% of the total heterotrophic respiration. Therefore, 0.11 tC ha^-1yr^-1or 7% of the forest net ecosystem production was sequestered by CWD. In a young forest, in which CWD input and decomposition are not balanced, the CWD carbon budget needs to be quantified for accurate evaluation of the forest carbon cycle and NEP.

Site

YMS

Remarks