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Scientia Silvae Sinicae ›› 2023, Vol. 59 ›› Issue (4): 32-45.doi: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.LYKX20230037

• High-quality development of forestry in the Yellow River Basin • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatiotemporal Characteristics and Environmental Response of Vegetation Carbon Densities of Larix principis-rupprechtii Plantations in the Liupan Mountains of Ningxia, China

Ziyou Zhang1,2,Yanhui Wang2(),Ao Tian2,3,Zebin Liu2,Jianbin Guo1,*,Pengtao Yu2,Xiao Wang2,Yipeng Yu2   

  1. 1. College of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University Beijing 100083
    2. Key Laboratory of Forestry Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry Beijing 100091
    3. Institute of Mountain Resource of Guizhou Province Guiyang 550001
  • Received:2023-02-01 Online:2023-04-25 Published:2023-07-05
  • Contact: Jianbin Guo E-mail:wangyh@caf.ac.cn

Abstract:

Objective: In this study, the spatiotemporal variation of vegetation carbon densities (VCD) of the tree layer, understory shrub layer and herb layer of larch (Larix principis-rupprechtii) plantations in the Liupan Mountains area of southern Ningxia of northwest China were investigated and analyzed, and the VCD models considering the effects of multiple factors of site quality and stand structure were established, so as to provide theoretical basis and decision-making tools for estimating VCD and their sustainable management of the larch plantations under complex topographic conditions in the mountainous regions of northwest China. Method: The VCD of tree, shrub and herb layers of larch plantations in the study area was determined by the combined application of sample plot inventory and mathematical models. The upper boundary line method was used to determine the response pattern and corresponding function form of VCD to each main influencing factor (forest age, density, mean annual precipitation, mean annual air temperature, slope aspect). A VCD model that can reflect the comprehensive impact of multiple factors was constructed through multiplicative coupling, and then the measured data were used to calibrate and validate the model. Result: 1) The average VCD of the existing larch plantations in the Liupan Mountains area was 46.82 t C·hm-2, of which the tree layer accounted for 94.92%, while the shrub layer and herb layer only accounted for 4.76% and 0.32%, respectively. 2) The VCD of tree layer firstly increased rapidly with the increase of forest age, stand density, and mean annual precipitation, and then increased slowly and gradually tended to its maximum value after exceeding the certain threshold values of those factors. The corresponding threshold values for those influencing factors were 30 years of forest age, 1500 tree·hm-2 of tree density, and 525 mm of mean annual precipitation. The VCD of tree layer firstly increased and then decreased with rising mean annual temperature and reached its peak at 6°C. It decreased nearly linearly with rising slope aspect (0° to due north, increasing with the deviation angle from north direction to both sides). 3) The VCD of the understory shrub-herb layers decreased linearly with rising tree layer VCD, and varied with mean annual temperature and precipitation as well as slope aspect in the same patterns of tree layer VCD and the same threshold values of 6 °C and 525 mm. 4) The established multi-factor coupled model of VCD was able to better estimate the variation of VCD of tree layer and understory shrub-herb layer, with R2 of 0.8** and 0.7**, respectively. (5) According to simulation results of the model, the VCD of larch plantations firstly increased and then decreased with rising elevation, showing a relatively bigger difference among elevation gradients, the elevation range with the highest VCD was 2200—2400 m. Due to the effects of topography and climatic factors, there existed a certain horizontal difference, namely decreasing from west to east and from south to north. The VCD on shady slopes was higher than that on sunny slopes, with a difference of about 20% for tree layer and up to 100% for shrub-herb layers. Conclusion: The average VCD of the larch plantations in Liupan Mountains area is 46.82 t C·hm-2 and mainly composed of tree layer. The VCD is jointly affected by the multiple factors of site quality (precipitation, temperature, slope aspect) and stand structure (age, density). The VCD of understory shrub-herb layers is also influenced by the tree layer biomass. The spatiotemporal variation of VCD of larch plantations can be better explained and predicted by the multi-factor coupled model. The reasonable selection of site types for afforestation and tree density for forest management is beneficial to maintain a better VCD with expected vegetation layer composition for the larch plantations.

Key words: Larix principis-rupprechtii plantations, vegetation layers, carbon density, coupled model, Ningxia Liupan Mountainous

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