Tropical forests play an important role in the global carbon cycle. Despite an increasing number of studies
have addressed carbon storage in tropical forests, the regional variation in such storage remains poorly
understood. Uncertainty about how much carbon is stored in tropical forests is an important limitation for
regional-scale estimates of carbon fluxes and improving these estimates requires extensive field studies
of both above- and belowground stocks. In order to assess the carbon pools of a tropical seasonal forest in
Asia, total ecosystem carbon storage was investigated in Xishuangbanna, SW China. Averaged across three
1 ha plots, the total carbon stock of the forest ecosystem was 303 t C ha−1. Living tree carbon stocks (both
above- and belowground) ranged from 163 to 258 t C ha−1. The aboveground biomass C pool is comparable
to the Dipterocarp forests in Sumatra but lower than those in Malaysia. The variation of C storage in the
tree layer among different plots was mainly due to different densities of large trees (DBH > 70 cm). The
contributions of the shrub layer, herb layer, woody lianas, and fine litter each accounted for 1–2 t C ha−1
to the total carbon stock. The mineral soil C pools (top 100 cm) ranged from 84 to 102 t C ha−1 and the C
in woody debris from 5.6 to 12.5 t C ha−1, representing the second and third largest C component in this
ecosystem. Our results reveal that a high percentage (70%) of C is stored in biomass and less in soil in this
tropical seasonal forest. This study provides an accurate estimate of the carbon pool and the partitioning
of C among major components in tropical seasonal rain forest of northern tropical Asia. Results from this
study will enhance our ability to evaluate the role of these forests in regional C cycles and have great
implications for conservation planning.
Tropical forests play an important role in the global carbon cycle. Despite an increasing number of studies
have addressed carbon storage in tropical forests, the regional variation in such storage remains poorly
understood. Uncertainty about how much carbon is stored in tropical forests is an important limitation for
regional-scale estimates of carbon fluxes and improving these estimates requires extensive field studies
of both above- and belowground stocks. In order to assess the carbon pools of a tropical seasonal forest in
Asia, total ecosystem carbon storage was investigated in Xishuangbanna, SW China. Averaged across three
1 ha plots, the total carbon stock of the forest ecosystem was 303 t C ha−1. Living tree carbon stocks (both
above- and belowground) ranged from 163 to 258 t C ha−1. The aboveground biomass C pool is comparable
to the Dipterocarp forests in Sumatra but lower than those in Malaysia. The variation of C storage in the
tree layer among different plots was mainly due to different densities of large trees (DBH > 70 cm). The
contributions of the shrub layer, herb layer, woody lianas, and fine litter each accounted for 1–2 t C ha−1
to the total carbon stock. The mineral soil C pools (top 100 cm) ranged from 84 to 102 t C ha−1 and the C
in woody debris from 5.6 to 12.5 t C ha−1, representing the second and third largest C component in this
ecosystem. Our results reveal that a high percentage (70%) of C is stored in biomass and less in soil in this
tropical seasonal forest. This study provides an accurate estimate of the carbon pool and the partitioning
of C among major components in tropical seasonal rain forest of northern tropical Asia. Results from this
study will enhance our ability to evaluate the role of these forests in regional C cycles and have great
implications for conservation planning.
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