Open AccessCarbon stock of Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) forests along a latitude gradient in the subtropical region of China
Author(s) -
Mengjie Xu,
Haibao Ji,
Shunyao Zhuang
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0193024
Subject(s) - bamboo , phyllostachys , phyllostachys edulis , carbon sequestration , environmental science , latitude , carbon stock , carbon sink , subtropics , diameter at breast height , biomass (ecology) , carbon fibers , forestry , agroforestry , agronomy , botany , biology , ecosystem , carbon dioxide , materials science , geography , ecology , composite material , climate change , geodesy , composite number
Latitude is an important factor that influences the carbon stock of Moso bamboo ( Phyllostachys pubescens ) forests. Accurate estimation of the carbon stock of Moso bamboo forest can contribute to sufficient evaluation of forests in carbon sequestration worldwide. Nevertheless, the effect of latitude on the carbon stock of Moso bamboo remains unclear. In this study, a field survey with 36 plots of Moso bamboo forests along a latitude gradient was conducted to investigate carbon stock. Results showed that the diameter at breast height (DBH) of Moso bamboo culms increased from 8.37 cm to 10.12 cm that well fitted by Weibull model, whereas the bamboo culm density decreased from 4722 culm ha −1 to 3400 culm ha −1 with increasing latitude. The bamboo biomass carbon decreased from 60.58 Mg C ha −1 to 48.31 Mg C ha −1 from north to south. The total carbon stock of Moso bamboo forests, which comprises soil and biomass carbon, ranged from 87.83 Mg C ha −1 to 119.5 Mg C ha −1 and linearly increased with latitude. As a fast-growing plant, Moso bamboo could be harvested amounts of 6.0 Mg C ha −1 to 7.6 Mg C ha −1 annually, which indicates a high potential of this species for carbon sequestration. Parameters obtained in this study can be used to accurately estimate the carbon stock of Moso bamboo forest to establish models of the global carbon balance.