Biomass Characteristics of Tropical Montane Rain Forest in National Park of Hainan Tropical Rainforest

Abstract

Forest biomass, as a carrier of carbon, is an important indicator for judging forest productivity, stability and sustainable development capacity. Using the survey data of sample plots in eight forest areas in central Hainan, the biomass distribution of tropical mountain rainforests in National Park of Hainan Tropical Rainforest in different community sizes, diameter classes, altitudes and spaces was measured to explore the relationship between forest biomass and environmental factors. The results show that (1) the total area of tropical montane rainforests in National Park of Hainan Tropical Rainforest was about 983.70 km2, distributed within an altitude range of 700–1300 m; the total aboveground biomass was about 25.208 million tons, which decreased first and then increased with increasing altitude, with an average aboveground biomass per unit area of 236.00 t·hm−2; (2) the primary forest accounted for 83.23% of the total aboveground biomass of the tropical mountain rainforest with only 29.84% of the total area, and the aboveground biomass per unit area was generally higher than that of the secondary forest; and (3) medium- and large-diameter trees were the main carriers of aboveground biomass in tropical mountain rain forests. More than 83.73% of the aboveground biomass was concentrated in large-diameter trees. The results of this study provide a reference for others aiming to perform measurement and evaluation of the carbon sink and the capacity for carbon neutrality in tropical rainforest ecosystems or to maintain regional biodiversity.