Carbon Dynamics of Larch Plantations in Northeastern China and Japan

Abstract

Larix gmelinii (Rupr.) Rupr. is naturally distributed in central Siberia and have been artificially and experimentally planted for timber production in northern Asia. Its distribution ranges from permafrost to nonpermafrost areas (Abaimov et al. 1998; Kasischke and Stocks 2000). Recently, these forests have been studied widely from the viewpoint of CO2 sequestration (Schulze et al. 1999). Several studies have treated carbon sequestration and accumulation capacity of the forest ecosystem to determine their sustainability as the carbon sink (e.g., Roy et al. 2001).