The recent mountain pine beetle (MPB) outbreak has had an impact on the carbon (C) cycling of lodgepole pine forests in British Columbia. This study examines how partial harvesting as a forest management response to MPB infestation affects the net ecosystem production (NEP) of a mixed conifer forest (MPB-09) in Interior BC. MPB-09 is a 70-year-old stand that was partially harvested in 2009 after it had been attacked by MPB. Using the eddy-covariance technique, the C dynamics of the stand were studied over two years and compared to an adjacent clear-cut (MPB-09C) over the summertime. The annual NEP at MPB-09 increased from-108 g C m-2 in 2010 to-57 g C m-2 in 2011. The increase of NEP was due to the associated increase in annual gross ecosystem photosynthesis (GEP) from 812 g C m-2 in 2010 to 954 g C m-2 in 2011, exceeding the increase in annual respiration (R e) from 920 g C m-2 to 1011 g C m-2 during the two years. During the four month period between June and September 2010, NEP at MPB-09C was-103 g C m-2, indicating high C losses in the clear-cut. MPB-09 was a C sink during the growing season of both years, increasing from 9 g C m-2 in 2010 to 47 g C m-2 in 2011. The increase of NEP in the partially harvested stand amounted to a recovery corresponding to a 26% increase in the maximum assimilation rate in the second year. This study shows that retaining the healthy residual forest can result in higher C sequestration of MPB-attacked stands compared to clear-cut harvesting. © 2013 Author(s).
CITATION STYLE
Mathys, A., Black, T. A., Nesic, Z., Nishio, G., Brown, M., Spittlehouse, D. L., … Meyer, G. (2013). Carbon balance of a partially harvested mixed conifer forest following mountain pine beetle attack and its comparison to a clear-cut. Biogeosciences, 10(8), 5451–5463. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-5451-2013
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