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Effects of logging on carbon dynamics of a jack pine forest in Saskatchewan, Canada
Author(s) -
Howard Erica A.,
Gower Stith T.,
Foley Jonathan A.,
Kucharik Christopher J.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
global change biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.146
H-Index - 255
eISSN - 1365-2486
pISSN - 1354-1013
DOI - 10.1111/j.1529-8817.2003.00804.x
Subject(s) - chronosequence , primary production , environmental science , forestry , coarse woody debris , productivity , atmospheric sciences , ecosystem , soil respiration , zoology , soil water , ecology , soil science , biology , geography , physics , macroeconomics , habitat , economics
We calculated carbon budgets for a chronosequence of harvested jack pine ( Pinus banksiana Lamb.) stands (0‐, 5‐, 10‐, and∼29‐year‐old) and a∼79‐year‐old stand that originated after wildfire. We measured total ecosystem C content (TEC), above‐, and belowground net primary productivity (NPP) for each stand. All values are reported in order for the 0‐, 5‐, 10‐, 29‐, and 79‐year‐old stands, respectively, for May 1999 through April 2000. Total annual NPP (NPP T ) for the stands (Mg C ha −1 yr −1 ±1 SD) was 0.9±0.3, 1.3±0.1, 2.7±0.6, 3.5±0.3, and 1.7±0.4. We correlated periodic soil surface CO 2 fluxes ( R S ) with soil temperature to model annual R S for the stands (Mg C ha −1 yr −1 ±1 SD) as 4.4±0.1, 2.4±0.0, 3.3±0.1, 5.7±0.3, and 3.2±0.2. We estimated net ecosystem productivity (NEP) as NPP T minus R H (where R H was calculated using a Monte Carlo approach as coarse woody debris respiration plus 30–70% of total annual R S ). Excluding C losses during wood processing, NEP (Mg C ha −1 yr −1 ±1 SD) for the stands was estimated to be −1.9±0.7, −0.4±0.6, 0.4±0.9, 0.4±1.0, and −0.2±0.7 (negative values indicate net sources to the atmosphere.) We also calculated NEP values from the changes in TEC among stands. Only the 0‐year‐old stand showed significantly different NEP between the two methods, suggesting a possible mismatch for the chronosequence. The spatial and methodological uncertainties allow us to say little for certain except that the stand becomes a source of C to the atmosphere following logging.