Environ Monit Assess (2015) 187: 55 DOI 10.1007/s10661-015-4299-7
Variation of biomass and carbon pools with forest type in temperate forests of Kashmir Himalaya, India Javid Ahmad Dar & Somaiah Sundarapandian
Received: 2 July 2014 / Accepted: 12 January 2015 / Published online: 1 February 2015 # Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015
Abstract An accurate characterization of tree, understory, deadwood, floor litter, and soil organic carbon (SOC) pools in temperate forest ecosystems is important to estimate their contribution to global carbon (C) stocks. However, this information on temperate forests of the Himalayas is lacking and fragmented. In this study, we measured C stocks of tree (aboveground and belowground biomass), understory (shrubs and herbaceous), deadwood (standing and fallen trees and stumps), floor litter, and soil from 111 plots of 50 m×50 m each, in seven forest types: Populus deltoides (PD), Juglans regia (JR), Cedrus deodara (CD), Pinus wallichiana (PW), mixed coniferous (MC), Abies pindrow (AP), and Betula utilis (BU) in temperate forests of Kashmir Himalaya, India. The main objective of the present study is to quantify the ecosystem C pool in these seven forest types. The results showed that the tree biomass ranged from 100.8 Mg ha−1 in BU forest to 294.8 Mg ha−1 for the AP forest. The understory biomass ranged from 0.16 Mg ha−1 in PD forest to 2.36 Mg ha−1 in PW forest. Deadwood biomass ranged from 1.5 Mg ha−1 in PD forest to 14.9 Mg ha−1 for the AP forest, whereas forest floor litter ranged from 2.5 Mg ha−1 in BU and JR forests to 3.1 Mg ha−1 in MC forest. The total ecosystem carbon stocks varied from 112.5 to 205.7 Mg C ha−1 across all J. A. Dar : S. Sundarapandian (*) Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605014, India e-mail: [email protected] J. A. Dar e-mail: [email protected]
the forest types. The C stocks of tree, understory, deadwood, litter, and soil ranged from 45.4 to 135.6, 0.08 to 1.18, 0.7 to 6.8, 1.1 to 1.4, and 39.1–91.4 Mg ha−1, respectively, which accounted for 61.3, 0.2, 1.4, 0.8, and 36.3 % of the total carbon stock. BU forest accounted 65 % from soil C and 35 % from biomass, whereas PD forest contributed only 26 % from soil C and 74 % from biomass. Of the total C stock in the 0–30-cm soil, about 55 % was stored in the upper 0–10 cm. Soil C stocks in BU forest were significantly higher than those in other forests. The variability of C pools of different ecosystem components is influenced by vegetation type, stand structure, management history, and altitude. Our results reveal that a higher percentage (63 %) of C is stored in biomass and less in soil in these temperate forests except at the higher elevation broad-leaved BU forest. Results from this study will enhance our ability to evaluate the role of these forests in regional and global C cycles and have great implications for planning strategies for conservation. The study provides important data for developing and validating C cycling models for temperate forests. Keywords Biomass . Carbon stock . Carbon allocation . Coniferous forest . Broad-leaved forest . Kashmir Himalaya
Introduction One of the issues of major global concern today is the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and its potential to change the global climate. Forests act as
55 Page 2 of 17
sources as well as sinks of greenhouse gases through changes in the carbon stocks of forests and soils and the delivery of biomass that can substitute fossil fuel and energy-intensive material (Houghton 2005; IPCC 2006; Eriksson and Berg 2007). To reduce this major greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, there is a need to increase the sink in the form of biomass (Zhao et al. 2014). Biomass and carbon (C) storage in forest ecosystems play an important role in global carbon cycle (Goodale et al. 2002; Houghton 2005; Li et al. 2011; Zhao et al. 2014) because forest ecosystems act as a major carbon sink and store more carbon per unit area than any other terrestrial ecosystem (Houghton 2007). Forests act as an effective measure to mitigate elevated CO2 concentrations by increasing forested land area (Taylor et al. 2007). Forests cover 4.03 billion hectares globally, approximately 30 % of the Earth’s total land area (FAO 2010). They account for 80 % of the Earth’s total plant biomass (Kindermann et al. 2008) and contain more carbon in biomass and soils than stored in the atmosphere (Pan et al. 2011). Temperate forests cover 767 million hectares worldwide and account for approximately 14 % of forest carbon storage (Pan et al. 2011). The greatest potential for C storage in temperate forests is usually found within the tree biomass (Son et al. 2001; Peichl and Arain 2006), whereas the biomass of understory, deadwood, and litter also contribute considerably (Whittaker and Woodwell 1986). Thus, neglecting the C contained in the biomass and other components may lead to a significant underestimation of the total carbon storage. According to IPCC, forest carbon stocks may be divided into three main pools and five subpools: biomass (aboveground biomass and belowground biomass), dead organic matter (dead wood and litter), and soils (soil organic matter). The present carbon stock in the world’s forests is estimated to be 861 ±66 Pg C, with 42 % in live biomass (above- and belowground), 8 % in deadwood, 5 % in litter, and 44 % in soil (Pan et al. 2011). The carbon pool of a forest ecosystem varies with the age structure (Clark et al. 2004) and forest type (Wei et al. 2013; Zhang et al. 2013). Carbon pools in forest ecosystems are strongly affected by climate, forest type, stand age, disturbance regimes, and edaphic conditions (Pregitzer and Euskirchen 2004; Somogyi et al. 2007). Tree species composition is important for carbon storage in regions of the same climate range (Chen et al. 2011). Wei et al. (2013) found that biomass accumulation increases with stand age and forest type. Forest biomass
Environ Monit Assess (2015) 187: 55
carbon is significantly affected by land use, timber harvesting, climate change, and other natural as well as human-induced disturbances (Canadell et al. 2007). So, the study of temporal changes in forest biomass is fundamental to the prediction of future C accumulation in ecosystems. Currently, there is a strong demand for estimates of the current and future C sequestration potential in forests and the role of management practices. Determination of carbon sequestration potential in terrestrial ecosystems through biomass estimation has been widely followed and has long been considered to be the most appropriate approach (Brown et al. 1989; Brown 1997). Forests are the major carbon sink in India, and therefore, accurate estimates of different forest carbon pools and their changes are critical for understanding the C budget. The role of temperate forests in India is important because of their potential to accumulate a large amount of carbon in different pools; however, there is a lack of data on different carbon pools in temperate forests of the Himalayas, especially that of Kashmir Himalaya, and hence, the present study was undertaken in seven temperate forest types of Kashmir Himalaya with the following objectives: (1) to estimate the biomass and C pools of the main ecosystem components among the seven temperate forest types of Kashmir Himalaya and (2) to assess the changes in the size and contribution of these carbon pools to the total ecosystem carbon stock. The basic aim is to provide information on different C pools in temperate forests of Kashmir Himalaya, and this would be useful to improve the management practices intended to increase carbon storage and also to predict regional and global C balance in response to future climate change.
Materials and methods Study area The study was carried out at a temperate zone of Anantnag District of Kashmir Himalaya in Jammu and Kashmir, India, between 33° 45′–34° 15′ N latitude and 74° 02′–75° 32′ E longitude (Fig. 1), covering an area of about 3984 km2, of which 36.09 % (1438 km2) is forested (FSI 2011). Altitude ranges from 1550 to 5425 m above mean sea level at Kolahoi glaciers. This area has a temperate climate with dry summer and a cold snowy winter. This area receives moderate to high
Environ Monit Assess (2015) 187: 55
Page 3 of 17 55
snowfall from December to February. Average annual precipitation in this area ranged from 844 to 1213 mm and the mean monthly temperature ranged from −8.3 to 26 °C (Fig. 2). The soils of the area are mostly sandy loam or clayey. There is a great altitudinal variation among the forest types in Anantnag District of Kashmir Himalaya. The low-lying (1550–2000 m) temperate forests in the area are mainly composed of broadleaved species such as Populus deltoides, Juglans regia, Salix species, Ulmus villosa, etc., whereas the midaltitude (2000–2800 m) forests are composed of conifers like Pinus wallichiana, Cedrus deodara, Abies pindrow, and Picea smithiana; however, in high altitude (2800– 3250 m), broad-leaved species Betula utilis is dominant and constitutes as the timber line. These seven forest types are the major ones in the study area. P. deltoides and J. regia forest types are managed plantations and are monodominant. Understory shrub vegetation is absent in these forest types as they are managed plantations, and these are highly disturbed due to anthropogenic pressure and grazing by local livestock. The midelevation coniferous (C. deodara, P. wallichiana, mixed coniferous, and A. pindrow) forests are natural and understory vegetation is dominated by shrub and herb species of Viburnum grandiflorum and Stipa sibirica, respectively. However, in high altitude, broad-leaved natural forests have low tree density and understory vegetation is dominated by Rhododendron anthopogon and Malva neglecta. For the present study, 111 plots of 50 m×50 m size each were laid in the seven temperate forest types (three are broad-leaved forests (P. deltoides (PD), J. regia (JR), and B. utilis (BU)) and four are coniferous forests (C. deodara (CD), P. wallichiana (PW), mixed coniferous (MC), and A. pindrow (AP)) of Kashmir Himalaya (Table 1). The selected forest types were named on the basis of the dominant tree species. The detailed information of plots selected in each forest type is shown in Table 1.
(digital). The height of the trees on different slope positions was measured by following the procedure of MacDicken et al. (1991). The growing stock volume (GSV; m3 ha−1) of each tree species was estimated by using species-specific volume equations that were developed using multiple regression methods by Forest Survey of India (FSI 1996) in which girth or diameter at breast height (DBH), basal area along with height or form factor, was taken into account. The estimated GSV was then converted into aboveground biomass (AGB) of tree components (stems, branches, twigs, and leaves), which was calculated by multiplying GSVof the species with its appropriate biomass expansion factor (BEF). BEF (Mg m3) is defined as the ratio of AGB of all the living trees of DBH ≥25 cm to GSV for all trees of DBH ≥12.7 cm (Brown et al. 1999). The BEFs for hardwoods, spruce, and pine were calculated using the following equations:
Sampling and data analysis
The understory included ground vegetation of shrubs and herbs with diameter 100 m3 ha−1 Spruce−fir : BE F ¼ exp f1:77 − 0:34 ln ðGSVÞg f or GSV ≤ 160 m3 ha−1 ; BE F ¼ 1:0 f or GSV ≥ 160 m3 ha−1
The equation of spruce-fir was applied to other coniferous species. Hardwoods: BE F ¼ exp f1:91 − 0:34 ln ðGSVÞg f o r G S V ≤ 200 m3 ha−1 B E F ¼ 1:0 f or GSV ≥ 200 m3 ha−1 Using the regression equation of Cairns et al. (1997), the belowground biomass (BGB) was estimated as follows: BGB ¼ exp f−1:059 þ 0:884 ln ðAGBÞ þ 0:284g
Understory carbon stocks
55 Page 4 of 17
Environ Monit Assess (2015) 187: 55
Fig. 1 Location of the study site plots of seven temperate forest types of Kashmir Himalaya, India
(accuracy ±0.01 g) in the field, after which the representative samples were taken in triplicates to the laboratory where they were oven-dried for 48 h at 65 °C, and then
the dry weight was measured. Understory C stock was obtained by multiplying the dry mass with the corresponding C concentration.
Environ Monit Assess (2015) 187: 55
Page 5 of 17 55
Fig. 2 Mean monthly maximum and minimum temperature and precipitation (including snowfall) pattern (2002–2012) of the study area in temperate forests of Kashmir Himalaya, India
Deadwood and forest floor litter biomass and carbon stocks
were separately calculated and then summed up to estimate the detritus C stock of the whole plot.
For each sample plot, carbon stocks in standing dead trees, fallen trees, and stumps were estimated by using the procedure of Zhu et al. (2010). Forest floor litter was collected from 10 randomly laid quadrats (1 m×1 m) in each plot, and their fresh weights were obtained in the field, after which the representative samples were taken in triplicates to the laboratory where they were oven-dried for 48 h at 65 °C, and then the dry weight was measured. Forest floor litter C stock was obtained by multiplying the dry mass with the corresponding C concentration. Detritus C content was calculated as the product of dry mass. Standing dead trees, fallen trees, stumps, and standing forest floor litter C stock
Soil organic carbon Five composite soil samples were collected at three depths 0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm from 59 plots in all the forests. Soil samples were collected from June to October (2013), and analysis for determination of soil organic carbon (SOC) was done after air-drying and sieving the soil samples through a 2-mm mesh sieve. Walkley and Black’s method (Walkley 1947) was used for organic carbon estimation. In Walkley and Black’s method, about 60–86 % SOC is oxidized, and therefore, a highly recommended standard correction factor of 1.58 was used to obtain corrected SOC values (de Vos et al. 2007; Latte et al. 2013). AGB, BGB, understory, and detritus biomass (DB) were added to get the total ecosystem
Table 1 Study site characteristics of seven temperate forest types of Kashmir Himalaya Forest type
Altitude (m)
Latitude (o)
Longitude (o)
No. of plots
Basal areaa (m2 ha−1)
Tree densitya (no. ha−1) 1201±79.1
PD
1550–1800
75.08–75.20
33.72–33.78
15
36.1±5.49
JR
1800–2000
75.25–75.35
33.75–33.89
13
38.5±3.35
220±21.1
CD
2050–2300
75.31–75.40
33.73–33.99
14
43.6±2.50
195±9.7
PW
2000–2300
75.27–75.35
33.93–34.03
20
44.9±1.75
199±8.04
MT
2200–2400
75.19–75.47
33.60–34.07
12
46.7±2.25
196±14.4
AP
2300–2800
75.28–75.47
33.59–34.10
22
51.9±1.55
197±10.3
BU
2800–3250
75.36–75.50
33.59–33.99
15
19.4±1.03
103±6.1
a
Plots mean±standard error (SE)
258.6±28.3 Total biomass
Mean value±standard error (SE). Different letter(s) in the same row indicates significant differences at P
Variation of biomass and carbon pools with forest type in temperate forests of Kashmir Himalaya, India Javid Ahmad Dar & Somaiah Sundarapandian
Received: 2 July 2014 / Accepted: 12 January 2015 / Published online: 1 February 2015 # Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015
Abstract An accurate characterization of tree, understory, deadwood, floor litter, and soil organic carbon (SOC) pools in temperate forest ecosystems is important to estimate their contribution to global carbon (C) stocks. However, this information on temperate forests of the Himalayas is lacking and fragmented. In this study, we measured C stocks of tree (aboveground and belowground biomass), understory (shrubs and herbaceous), deadwood (standing and fallen trees and stumps), floor litter, and soil from 111 plots of 50 m×50 m each, in seven forest types: Populus deltoides (PD), Juglans regia (JR), Cedrus deodara (CD), Pinus wallichiana (PW), mixed coniferous (MC), Abies pindrow (AP), and Betula utilis (BU) in temperate forests of Kashmir Himalaya, India. The main objective of the present study is to quantify the ecosystem C pool in these seven forest types. The results showed that the tree biomass ranged from 100.8 Mg ha−1 in BU forest to 294.8 Mg ha−1 for the AP forest. The understory biomass ranged from 0.16 Mg ha−1 in PD forest to 2.36 Mg ha−1 in PW forest. Deadwood biomass ranged from 1.5 Mg ha−1 in PD forest to 14.9 Mg ha−1 for the AP forest, whereas forest floor litter ranged from 2.5 Mg ha−1 in BU and JR forests to 3.1 Mg ha−1 in MC forest. The total ecosystem carbon stocks varied from 112.5 to 205.7 Mg C ha−1 across all J. A. Dar : S. Sundarapandian (*) Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605014, India e-mail: [email protected] J. A. Dar e-mail: [email protected]
the forest types. The C stocks of tree, understory, deadwood, litter, and soil ranged from 45.4 to 135.6, 0.08 to 1.18, 0.7 to 6.8, 1.1 to 1.4, and 39.1–91.4 Mg ha−1, respectively, which accounted for 61.3, 0.2, 1.4, 0.8, and 36.3 % of the total carbon stock. BU forest accounted 65 % from soil C and 35 % from biomass, whereas PD forest contributed only 26 % from soil C and 74 % from biomass. Of the total C stock in the 0–30-cm soil, about 55 % was stored in the upper 0–10 cm. Soil C stocks in BU forest were significantly higher than those in other forests. The variability of C pools of different ecosystem components is influenced by vegetation type, stand structure, management history, and altitude. Our results reveal that a higher percentage (63 %) of C is stored in biomass and less in soil in these temperate forests except at the higher elevation broad-leaved BU forest. Results from this study will enhance our ability to evaluate the role of these forests in regional and global C cycles and have great implications for planning strategies for conservation. The study provides important data for developing and validating C cycling models for temperate forests. Keywords Biomass . Carbon stock . Carbon allocation . Coniferous forest . Broad-leaved forest . Kashmir Himalaya
Introduction One of the issues of major global concern today is the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and its potential to change the global climate. Forests act as
55 Page 2 of 17
sources as well as sinks of greenhouse gases through changes in the carbon stocks of forests and soils and the delivery of biomass that can substitute fossil fuel and energy-intensive material (Houghton 2005; IPCC 2006; Eriksson and Berg 2007). To reduce this major greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, there is a need to increase the sink in the form of biomass (Zhao et al. 2014). Biomass and carbon (C) storage in forest ecosystems play an important role in global carbon cycle (Goodale et al. 2002; Houghton 2005; Li et al. 2011; Zhao et al. 2014) because forest ecosystems act as a major carbon sink and store more carbon per unit area than any other terrestrial ecosystem (Houghton 2007). Forests act as an effective measure to mitigate elevated CO2 concentrations by increasing forested land area (Taylor et al. 2007). Forests cover 4.03 billion hectares globally, approximately 30 % of the Earth’s total land area (FAO 2010). They account for 80 % of the Earth’s total plant biomass (Kindermann et al. 2008) and contain more carbon in biomass and soils than stored in the atmosphere (Pan et al. 2011). Temperate forests cover 767 million hectares worldwide and account for approximately 14 % of forest carbon storage (Pan et al. 2011). The greatest potential for C storage in temperate forests is usually found within the tree biomass (Son et al. 2001; Peichl and Arain 2006), whereas the biomass of understory, deadwood, and litter also contribute considerably (Whittaker and Woodwell 1986). Thus, neglecting the C contained in the biomass and other components may lead to a significant underestimation of the total carbon storage. According to IPCC, forest carbon stocks may be divided into three main pools and five subpools: biomass (aboveground biomass and belowground biomass), dead organic matter (dead wood and litter), and soils (soil organic matter). The present carbon stock in the world’s forests is estimated to be 861 ±66 Pg C, with 42 % in live biomass (above- and belowground), 8 % in deadwood, 5 % in litter, and 44 % in soil (Pan et al. 2011). The carbon pool of a forest ecosystem varies with the age structure (Clark et al. 2004) and forest type (Wei et al. 2013; Zhang et al. 2013). Carbon pools in forest ecosystems are strongly affected by climate, forest type, stand age, disturbance regimes, and edaphic conditions (Pregitzer and Euskirchen 2004; Somogyi et al. 2007). Tree species composition is important for carbon storage in regions of the same climate range (Chen et al. 2011). Wei et al. (2013) found that biomass accumulation increases with stand age and forest type. Forest biomass
Environ Monit Assess (2015) 187: 55
carbon is significantly affected by land use, timber harvesting, climate change, and other natural as well as human-induced disturbances (Canadell et al. 2007). So, the study of temporal changes in forest biomass is fundamental to the prediction of future C accumulation in ecosystems. Currently, there is a strong demand for estimates of the current and future C sequestration potential in forests and the role of management practices. Determination of carbon sequestration potential in terrestrial ecosystems through biomass estimation has been widely followed and has long been considered to be the most appropriate approach (Brown et al. 1989; Brown 1997). Forests are the major carbon sink in India, and therefore, accurate estimates of different forest carbon pools and their changes are critical for understanding the C budget. The role of temperate forests in India is important because of their potential to accumulate a large amount of carbon in different pools; however, there is a lack of data on different carbon pools in temperate forests of the Himalayas, especially that of Kashmir Himalaya, and hence, the present study was undertaken in seven temperate forest types of Kashmir Himalaya with the following objectives: (1) to estimate the biomass and C pools of the main ecosystem components among the seven temperate forest types of Kashmir Himalaya and (2) to assess the changes in the size and contribution of these carbon pools to the total ecosystem carbon stock. The basic aim is to provide information on different C pools in temperate forests of Kashmir Himalaya, and this would be useful to improve the management practices intended to increase carbon storage and also to predict regional and global C balance in response to future climate change.
Materials and methods Study area The study was carried out at a temperate zone of Anantnag District of Kashmir Himalaya in Jammu and Kashmir, India, between 33° 45′–34° 15′ N latitude and 74° 02′–75° 32′ E longitude (Fig. 1), covering an area of about 3984 km2, of which 36.09 % (1438 km2) is forested (FSI 2011). Altitude ranges from 1550 to 5425 m above mean sea level at Kolahoi glaciers. This area has a temperate climate with dry summer and a cold snowy winter. This area receives moderate to high
Environ Monit Assess (2015) 187: 55
Page 3 of 17 55
snowfall from December to February. Average annual precipitation in this area ranged from 844 to 1213 mm and the mean monthly temperature ranged from −8.3 to 26 °C (Fig. 2). The soils of the area are mostly sandy loam or clayey. There is a great altitudinal variation among the forest types in Anantnag District of Kashmir Himalaya. The low-lying (1550–2000 m) temperate forests in the area are mainly composed of broadleaved species such as Populus deltoides, Juglans regia, Salix species, Ulmus villosa, etc., whereas the midaltitude (2000–2800 m) forests are composed of conifers like Pinus wallichiana, Cedrus deodara, Abies pindrow, and Picea smithiana; however, in high altitude (2800– 3250 m), broad-leaved species Betula utilis is dominant and constitutes as the timber line. These seven forest types are the major ones in the study area. P. deltoides and J. regia forest types are managed plantations and are monodominant. Understory shrub vegetation is absent in these forest types as they are managed plantations, and these are highly disturbed due to anthropogenic pressure and grazing by local livestock. The midelevation coniferous (C. deodara, P. wallichiana, mixed coniferous, and A. pindrow) forests are natural and understory vegetation is dominated by shrub and herb species of Viburnum grandiflorum and Stipa sibirica, respectively. However, in high altitude, broad-leaved natural forests have low tree density and understory vegetation is dominated by Rhododendron anthopogon and Malva neglecta. For the present study, 111 plots of 50 m×50 m size each were laid in the seven temperate forest types (three are broad-leaved forests (P. deltoides (PD), J. regia (JR), and B. utilis (BU)) and four are coniferous forests (C. deodara (CD), P. wallichiana (PW), mixed coniferous (MC), and A. pindrow (AP)) of Kashmir Himalaya (Table 1). The selected forest types were named on the basis of the dominant tree species. The detailed information of plots selected in each forest type is shown in Table 1.
(digital). The height of the trees on different slope positions was measured by following the procedure of MacDicken et al. (1991). The growing stock volume (GSV; m3 ha−1) of each tree species was estimated by using species-specific volume equations that were developed using multiple regression methods by Forest Survey of India (FSI 1996) in which girth or diameter at breast height (DBH), basal area along with height or form factor, was taken into account. The estimated GSV was then converted into aboveground biomass (AGB) of tree components (stems, branches, twigs, and leaves), which was calculated by multiplying GSVof the species with its appropriate biomass expansion factor (BEF). BEF (Mg m3) is defined as the ratio of AGB of all the living trees of DBH ≥25 cm to GSV for all trees of DBH ≥12.7 cm (Brown et al. 1999). The BEFs for hardwoods, spruce, and pine were calculated using the following equations:
Sampling and data analysis
The understory included ground vegetation of shrubs and herbs with diameter 100 m3 ha−1 Spruce−fir : BE F ¼ exp f1:77 − 0:34 ln ðGSVÞg f or GSV ≤ 160 m3 ha−1 ; BE F ¼ 1:0 f or GSV ≥ 160 m3 ha−1
The equation of spruce-fir was applied to other coniferous species. Hardwoods: BE F ¼ exp f1:91 − 0:34 ln ðGSVÞg f o r G S V ≤ 200 m3 ha−1 B E F ¼ 1:0 f or GSV ≥ 200 m3 ha−1 Using the regression equation of Cairns et al. (1997), the belowground biomass (BGB) was estimated as follows: BGB ¼ exp f−1:059 þ 0:884 ln ðAGBÞ þ 0:284g
Understory carbon stocks
55 Page 4 of 17
Environ Monit Assess (2015) 187: 55
Fig. 1 Location of the study site plots of seven temperate forest types of Kashmir Himalaya, India
(accuracy ±0.01 g) in the field, after which the representative samples were taken in triplicates to the laboratory where they were oven-dried for 48 h at 65 °C, and then
the dry weight was measured. Understory C stock was obtained by multiplying the dry mass with the corresponding C concentration.
Environ Monit Assess (2015) 187: 55
Page 5 of 17 55
Fig. 2 Mean monthly maximum and minimum temperature and precipitation (including snowfall) pattern (2002–2012) of the study area in temperate forests of Kashmir Himalaya, India
Deadwood and forest floor litter biomass and carbon stocks
were separately calculated and then summed up to estimate the detritus C stock of the whole plot.
For each sample plot, carbon stocks in standing dead trees, fallen trees, and stumps were estimated by using the procedure of Zhu et al. (2010). Forest floor litter was collected from 10 randomly laid quadrats (1 m×1 m) in each plot, and their fresh weights were obtained in the field, after which the representative samples were taken in triplicates to the laboratory where they were oven-dried for 48 h at 65 °C, and then the dry weight was measured. Forest floor litter C stock was obtained by multiplying the dry mass with the corresponding C concentration. Detritus C content was calculated as the product of dry mass. Standing dead trees, fallen trees, stumps, and standing forest floor litter C stock
Soil organic carbon Five composite soil samples were collected at three depths 0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm from 59 plots in all the forests. Soil samples were collected from June to October (2013), and analysis for determination of soil organic carbon (SOC) was done after air-drying and sieving the soil samples through a 2-mm mesh sieve. Walkley and Black’s method (Walkley 1947) was used for organic carbon estimation. In Walkley and Black’s method, about 60–86 % SOC is oxidized, and therefore, a highly recommended standard correction factor of 1.58 was used to obtain corrected SOC values (de Vos et al. 2007; Latte et al. 2013). AGB, BGB, understory, and detritus biomass (DB) were added to get the total ecosystem
Table 1 Study site characteristics of seven temperate forest types of Kashmir Himalaya Forest type
Altitude (m)
Latitude (o)
Longitude (o)
No. of plots
Basal areaa (m2 ha−1)
Tree densitya (no. ha−1) 1201±79.1
PD
1550–1800
75.08–75.20
33.72–33.78
15
36.1±5.49
JR
1800–2000
75.25–75.35
33.75–33.89
13
38.5±3.35
220±21.1
CD
2050–2300
75.31–75.40
33.73–33.99
14
43.6±2.50
195±9.7
PW
2000–2300
75.27–75.35
33.93–34.03
20
44.9±1.75
199±8.04
MT
2200–2400
75.19–75.47
33.60–34.07
12
46.7±2.25
196±14.4
AP
2300–2800
75.28–75.47
33.59–34.10
22
51.9±1.55
197±10.3
BU
2800–3250
75.36–75.50
33.59–33.99
15
19.4±1.03
103±6.1
a
Plots mean±standard error (SE)
258.6±28.3 Total biomass
Mean value±standard error (SE). Different letter(s) in the same row indicates significant differences at P
