Fine root biomass in the 2-year-old and 24-year-old pla

Response of soil respiration and ecosystem carbon budget to vegetation removal in Eucalyptus plantations with contrasting ages. Wu J, Liu Z, Huang G, Chen D, Zhang W, Shao Y, Wan S, Fu S - Sci Rep (2014) Bottom Line: The net ecosystem production was approximately three times greater in the 2-year-old plantations (13.4 t C ha(-1) yr(-1)) than in the 24-year-old plantations (4.2 t C h(-1) yr(-1)).Our findings confirm the ecological importance of understory plants in subtropical plantations based on the 2 years of data.These results also indicate that Eucalyptus plantations in China may be an important carbon sink due to the large plantation area. View Article: PubMed Central - PubMed Affiliation: Institute of Ecology and Environmental Science, Nanchang Institute of Technology, Nanchang 330099, China. ABSTRACT Reforested plantations have substantial effects on terrestrial carbon cycling due to their large coverage area. Although understory plants are important components of reforested plantations, their effects on ecosystem carbon dynamics remain unclear. This study was designed to investigate the effects of vegetation removal/understory removal and tree girdling on soil respiration and ecosystem carbon dynamics in Eucalyptus plantations of South China with contrasting ages (2 and 24 years old). We conducted a field manipulation experiment from 2008 to 2009. Understory removal reduced soil respiration in both plantations, whereas tree girdling decreased soil respiration only in the 2-year-old plantations. The net ecosystem production was approximately three times greater in the 2-year-old plantations (13.4 t C ha(-1) yr(-1)) than in the 24-year-old plantations (4.2 t C h(-1) yr(-1)). The biomass increase of understory plants was 12.6 t ha(-1) yr(-1) in the 2-year-old plantations and 2.9 t ha(-1) yr(-1) in the 24-year-old plantations, accounting for 33.9% nd 14.1% of the net primary production, respectively. Our findings confirm the ecological importance of understory plants in subtropical plantations based on the 2 years of data. These results also indicate that Eucalyptus plantations in China may be an important carbon sink due to the large plantation area. Show MeSH Major Carbon/metabolism* Eucalyptus/metabolism/physiology Minor Biomass Carbon Cycle/physiology Carbon Sequestration/physiology China Ecosystem Soil Related in: MedlinePlus	© Copyright Policy - open-access Related In: Results - Collection License Show All Figures getmorefigures.php?uid=PMC4151106&req=5 f2: Fine root biomass in the 2-year-old and 24-year-old plantations in November 2010.Values shown are the mean ± 1 SE; n = 3. C, control; G, girdling; UR, understory removal; GUR, girdling plus understory removal. Within each plantation, values with different letters are significantly different (P < 0.05). Mentions: For both plantations, the fine root biomass was significantly reduced by girdling and by understory removal plus girdling (Figure 2). The fine root biomass was lowest in understory removal plus girdling plots, with values of 10.2 and 2.3 g m−2 in the young and mature plantations, respectively. Understory removal did not significantly affect the fine root biomass in the 2-year-old plantations but significantly decreased the fine root biomass in the 24-year-old plantations (P = 0.018; Figure 2).

Response of soil respiration and ecosystem carbon budget to vegetation removal in Eucalyptus plantations with contrasting ages.

Wu J, Liu Z, Huang G, Chen D, Zhang W, Shao Y, Wan S, Fu S - Sci Rep (2014)

Bottom Line: The net ecosystem production was approximately three times greater in the 2-year-old plantations (13.4 t C ha(-1) yr(-1)) than in the 24-year-old plantations (4.2 t C h(-1) yr(-1)).Our findings confirm the ecological importance of understory plants in subtropical plantations based on the 2 years of data.These results also indicate that Eucalyptus plantations in China may be an important carbon sink due to the large plantation area.

View Article: PubMed Central - PubMed

Affiliation: Institute of Ecology and Environmental Science, Nanchang Institute of Technology, Nanchang 330099, China.

ABSTRACT

Reforested plantations have substantial effects on terrestrial carbon cycling due to their large coverage area. Although understory plants are important components of reforested plantations, their effects on ecosystem carbon dynamics remain unclear. This study was designed to investigate the effects of vegetation removal/understory removal and tree girdling on soil respiration and ecosystem carbon dynamics in Eucalyptus plantations of South China with contrasting ages (2 and 24 years old). We conducted a field manipulation experiment from 2008 to 2009. Understory removal reduced soil respiration in both plantations, whereas tree girdling decreased soil respiration only in the 2-year-old plantations. The net ecosystem production was approximately three times greater in the 2-year-old plantations (13.4 t C ha(-1) yr(-1)) than in the 24-year-old plantations (4.2 t C h(-1) yr(-1)). The biomass increase of understory plants was 12.6 t ha(-1) yr(-1) in the 2-year-old plantations and 2.9 t ha(-1) yr(-1) in the 24-year-old plantations, accounting for 33.9% nd 14.1% of the net primary production, respectively. Our findings confirm the ecological importance of understory plants in subtropical plantations based on the 2 years of data. These results also indicate that Eucalyptus plantations in China may be an important carbon sink due to the large plantation area.

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Related in: MedlinePlus

Fine root biomass in the 2-year-old and 24-year-old plantations in November 2010.Values shown are the mean ± 1 SE; n = 3. C, control; G, girdling; UR, understory removal; GUR, girdling plus understory removal. Within each plantation, values with different letters are significantly different (P < 0.05).

Related In: Results - Collection

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f2: Fine root biomass in the 2-year-old and 24-year-old plantations in November 2010.Values shown are the mean ± 1 SE; n = 3. C, control; G, girdling; UR, understory removal; GUR, girdling plus understory removal. Within each plantation, values with different letters are significantly different (P < 0.05).

Mentions: For both plantations, the fine root biomass was significantly reduced by girdling and by understory removal plus girdling (Figure 2). The fine root biomass was lowest in understory removal plus girdling plots, with values of 10.2 and 2.3 g m−2 in the young and mature plantations, respectively. Understory removal did not significantly affect the fine root biomass in the 2-year-old plantations but significantly decreased the fine root biomass in the 24-year-old plantations (P = 0.018; Figure 2).