The carbon sequestration in moso bamboo plantation and its spatial variation in anji county of Southeastern China

Abstract

Forest ecosystems play an important role in sequestering carbon in their biomass and soils. In order to estimate the C sequestration in moso bamboo plantations which is a special forest type distributed in southern China, this study investigated the aboveground biomass carbon (AGC) and soil organic carbon (SOC) in moso bamboo plantations and their spatial distribution in Anji County. The AGC values were very variable, ranging from 9.92 to 38.70tha-1, with an average of 20.85tha-1. AGC and SOC exhibited different patterns in different management options. The plots under intensive management had the largest AGC, while SOC was highest under extensive management. The total moso bamboo AGC was estimated at approximate 1.26×107t, which account for about 16.5% of total forest biomass C in Zhejiang Province. Further geostatistical analysis revealed that high AGC values were located in the southwestern part of Anji County and low values were in the northern parts of the county. However, there was weak spatial correlation between AGC and SOC within the study area.