Carbon dynamics of Pinus Massoniana plantations following a thinning treatment 5 years and 10 years before

Abstract

The change of carbon storage in Pinus massoniana plantations after thinning is important to improve the plantation management. The forest biomass distribution, biodiversity, soil respiration, and soil total carbon (STC) were investigated in Lishui Pinus massoniana plantations after thinning, the results are as follows: (1)the total community biomass has significantly growth, while the biomass in herb layer has decreased in stands thinned 10 years earlier. (2) Soil total carbon increased first and then decreased, while soil total nitrogen had the opposite trend. And thinning had little influence on soil C/N ratio. (3)The carbon storage of Pinus massoniana plantations in different thinning periods from large to small is as follows: 10 years after thinning > unthinned > 5 years after thinning. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.