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Arid Land Geography ›› 2023, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (7): 1133-1144.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2022.481

• Plant Ecology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Carbon and nitrogen storage and allocation patterns of Picea crassifolia forest with different stand density

FENG Yiming1(),LYU Chunyan1,WANG Ling2(),ZHAO Weijun3,MA Xue’e3,DU Junlin1,HE Junling1   

  1. 1. Hexi University, Zhangye 734000, Gansu, China
    2. Gansu Qilian Mountain National Nature Reserve Management Center, Zhangye 734000, Gansu, China
    3. Academy of Water Resources Conservation Forests in Qilian Mountains of Gansu Province, Zhangye 734000, Gansu, China
  • Received:2022-09-22 Revised:2022-11-06 Online:2023-07-25 Published:2023-08-03

Abstract:

This study investigated the carbon and nitrogen sequestration capacity and the recycling and influence mechanisms of the Picea crassifolia forest ecosystem in the Qilian Mountains, northwest China. The stand densities of 350 plants·hm−2, 850 plants·hm−2, 1000 plants·hm−2, 1400 plants·hm−2, 1600 plants·hm−2, 1950 plants·hm−2, 2100 plants·hm−2, 2300 plants·hm−2, and 3000 plants·hm−2 of P. crassifolia forest were considered for field investigation, sample collection and analysis, carbon and nitrogen storage, and allocation patterns of the P. crassifolia forest ecosystem. The results revealed that: (1) The mean carbon content value of the arbor layer in the P. crassifolia forest was 497.11 g·kg−1, and the nitrogen content was 4.43 g·kg−1. The allocation patterns of the carbon content in each organ followed the order of stem>root>leaf>branch>bark, and the distribution pattern of nitrogen content was leaf>branch>root>bark>trunk. The carbon and nitrogen content of the understorey vegetation layer generally exhibited a sequence of shrub layer>herb layer>litter layer, and the aboveground part>underground part. The content of carbon and nitrogen in the soil layer decreased with the increase in the stand density and decreased with the increase in the soil depth. (2) The carbon storage of the P. crassifolia forest ecosystem revealed a two-peak pattern distribution with the increase in the stand density. Nitrogen storage first increased and subsequently fluctuated with the increase in the stand density. When the density was 850 plants·hm−2, carbon and nitrogen storage were the highest (500.76 t·hm−2 and 25.00 t·hm−2, respectively), and when the density was 3000 plants·hm−2, the carbon and nitrogen storage were the lowest (315.52 t·hm−2 and 12.52 t·hm−2, respectively). With the increase in the stand density, the proportion of vegetation carbon and nitrogen storage gradually increased, and the proportion of soil carbon and nitrogen storage gradually decreased. The allocation patterns of carbon storage followed the order of the soil layer (73.53%)>tree layer (17.03%)>understory layer (9.44%), and nitrogen storage followed the soil layer (87.63%)>understory layer (9.90%)>tree layer (2.47%). (3) The results revealed that the stand density is closely related to forest carbon and nitrogen storage and allocation patterns. Low density (850 plants·hm−2) can improve carbon and nitrogen sequestration capacities of vegetation and soil, which is the best retention density of middle-aged P. crassifolia forest in the Qilian Mountains. The results provide a scientific basis for explaining the influence of the stand density on the carbon and nitrogen sequestration capacity of forest ecosystems and the structural management of forests.

Key words: stand density, Picea crassifolia forest, carbon and nitrogen storage, Qilian Mountains