Abstract Detail

Ecological Section

McEwan, Ryan [1], Chiang, Jyh-Min  [2], Yi-Ching , Lin [3].

Topographic and biotic regulation of aboveground carbon storage in subtropical broadleaved forests of central Taiwan.

There is a growing need to understand, and ultimately manage, carbon storage by forest ecosystems. Broadleaved evergreen forests of Taiwan provide an outstanding opportunity to examine factors that regulate ecosystem carbon storage. We utilized data from three Taiwan Forest Dynamics Plots (FS, LHC, and PTY) in which every tree is tagged and mapped, to examine factors regulating carbon storage as estimated from aboveground biomass. Allometric equations were used to estimate the aboveground biomass of each tree, and a maximum-likelihood model building procedure was used to examine relationships between plot-level aboveground biomass (AGB; Mg/ha) and a suite of topographic and biotic factors. We found that our study sites have AGB values comparable to some of the most carbon dense forests in the world. Across all three sites, maximum biomass was contained in the taxonomic families Fagaceae, Lauraceae and Theaceae. In the FS site, we identified slope convexity (P = 0.03) and elevation (P < 0.001) as topographic predictors of AGB. Within plots, maximum AGB was found in topographically flat areas. In FS, stem density (P < 0.001) was a significant biotic predictor of AGB and the maxima occurred at intermediate densities. In LHC, we found that convexity (P < 0.001) and slope (P < 0.001) were significantly related to AGB which was maximized along a topographic ridge in the plot. Species richness (P < 0.001) was a significant biotic predictor of AGB in LHC, and the relationship indicated slightly higher AGB at higher levels of species richness. The only significant factor related to AGB in PTY was species richness (P = 0.02). Additional work is needed to further understanding of topographic factors as regulators of AGB and to carefully scrutinize the role of species richness in forest carbon storage. In particular, future work will test the hypothesis that AGB is positively correlated with species richness because of complementarity among species where adding species increases functional diversity, increasing the sites carbon storage.

Broader Impacts:

1 - University Of Dayton, Biology, 300 College Park, Dayton, OH, 45469-2320, USA
2 - Tunghai University, Department of Life Science, No. 181, Sec. 3, Taichung Port Rd. , Taichung, 40704, Taiwan
3 - Tunghai University, Department of Life Science, No. 181, Sec. 3, Taichung Port Rd, Taichung, 40704, Taiwan

Keywords:
broadleaved evergreen forest
Biodiversity
carbon sequestration
Taiwan
topographic variation
forest ecology.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 34
Location: Portland Room/Chase Park Plaza
Date: Tuesday, July 12th, 2011
Time: 2:15 PM
Number: 34004
Abstract ID:235