Radial growth change of temperate tree species in response to altered regional climate and air quality in the period 1901–2008

Both increasing and decreasing 20th century growth trends have been reported in forests throughout Europe, but only for few species and areas suitable modelling techniques have been used to distinguish individual tree growth (operating on a local scale) from growth change due to exogenous factors (operating on a broad geographical scale). This study relates for the first time observed growth changes, in terms of basal area increment (BAI) of dominant trees of pedunculate oak, common beech and Scots pine, in north-west European temperate lowland forests (Flanders) to climate, atmospheric CO₂ and tropospheric O₃ concentrations, N deposition, site quality and forest structure for more than a century (the period 1901?C2008), applying mixed models. Growth change during the 20th century is observed for oak (increasing growth) and beech (increasing growth until the 1960s, growth decline afterwards), but not for pine. It was possible to relate growth change of oak and beech to climate time series and N deposition trends. Adding time series for CO₂ and O₃ concentration did not significantly improve model results. For oak and beech a switch from positive to negative growth response with increasing nitrogen deposition throughout time is observed. Growth increase for oak is mainly determined by the interaction between growing season temperature and soil water recharge. It is reasonable to assume that the observed growth trend for oak will continue for as long as early season water availability is not compromised. The decreasing trend in summer relative air humidity observed since the 1960s in the study area can be a main cause of recent beech BAI decrease. A further growth decline of beech can be expected, independent of site quality.     

International wood trade and forest change: A global analysis

Throughout history, humans have transformed natural forests into agricultural land, settlement areas and managed forests. Studies on the dynamics of forest change are one of the mainstays in land change science. The forest transition theory offers a powerful tool to analyze changes in human interference with forests. At the national level, a range of factors have been found to influence a country's forest change. The role of international wood product trade has, however, rarely been studied based on empirical data. We offer a global assessment of how this trade helps shape observed forest change, by relating forest stock change to net trade of wood products for the period 1997-2007 and by localizing the origin of wood consumed in a given nation. For many nations, traded wood products have a relevant impact on the course of ongoing forest transitions. We develop a general typology of how wood product trade can influence forest change and place various nations within this framework. We find that many wealthy nations with returning forests seem to accelerate this return by importing wood products. These imports appear to be provided by two main types of wood exporters: (a) by wealthy countries with low population densities and stable forests and (b) by relatively poor countries with declining forests, employing increasing population and welfare levels. We discuss these findings in the light of general theories on land use transitions and forest change and conclude by highlighting implications for national forest policies and global environmental governance, aiming at reducing negative impacts of wood products and enhancing the positive role they can play in replacing more fossil fuel intensive products.     

What risks matter? Public views about assisted migration and other climate-adaptive reforestation strategies

The world’s forests play an important role in regulating climate change through their capacity to sequester carbon. At the same time, they are also increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In the western Canadian province of British Columbia, changes in temperature, precipitation, and disturbance regimes are already impacting forests. In response to these observed and anticipated changes, adapted reforestation practices are being developed and proposed as a means to help forest ecosystems adjust to changing climatic conditions. One such practice under consideration is assisted migration—planting species within or outside of the native historical range into areas that are anticipated to be climatically suitable in the future. We used a survey of British Columbia’s population at large (n?=?1923) to quantify levels of support for a range of potential reforestation options (including assisted migration) to adapt to climate change, and to explore what factors can help predict this support. Our findings reveal that the likely location of potential public controversy resides not with the potential implementation of assisted migration strategies per se, but rather with assisted migration strategies that involve movement of tree species beyond their native range.     

Phenology-mediated effects of climatic change on some simulated British Columbia forests

We added certain aspects of species-specific phenology, and of local frost regimes to a standard invididual-based patch model of forest stand dynamics, which we used to explore the possible consequences of four climate-change scenarios in eight distinct forest regions in British Columbia, Canada. According to model projections, lowland temperate coastal forests will be severely stressed because forest tree species will no longer have their winter-chilling requirements met. High-elevation coastal forests may either remain stable or decrease in productivity, while interior subalpine forests may eventually resemble those now found in the coastal mountains. Southern interior forests are likely to persist relatively unchanged, while boreal and sub-boreal forests of the northern interior may become dominated by Douglas-fir and western larch, rather than by spruce and pine as at present. The rate of change in forest composition may be very high in some cases. Changes under the four climate-change scenarios generally vary in magnitude but not in direction. This exercise illustrates that different forest types might respond to a changing climate for different reasons, and at different rates.     

Ecological Implications of Changes in Drought Patterns: Shifts in Forest Composition in Panama

CO₂ concentration is increasing, temperature is likely to rise, and precipitation patterns might change. Of these potential climatic shifts, it is precipitation that will have the most impact on tropical forests, and seasonal patterns of rainfall and drought will probably be more important than the total quantity of precipitation. Many tree species are limited in distribution by their inability to survive drought. In a 50 ha forest plot at Barro Colorado Island in Panama (BCI), nearly all tree and shrub species associated with moist microhabitats are declining in abundance due to a decline in rainfall and lengthening dry seasons. This information forms the basis for a simple, general prediction: drying trends can rapidly remove drought-sensitive species from a forest. If the drying trend continues at BCI, the invasion of drought-tolerant species would be anticipated, but computer models predict that it could take 500 or more years for tree species to invade and become established. Predicting climate-induced changes in tropical forest also requires geographic information on tree distribution relative to precipitation patterns. In central Panama, species with the most restricted ranges are those from areas with a short dry season (10–14 weeks): 26–39% of the tree species in these wet regions do not occur where it is drier. In comparison, just 11–19% of species from the drier side of Panama (18 week dry season) are restricted to the dry region. From this information, I predict that a four-week extension of the dry season could eliminate 25% of the species locally; a nine-week extension in very wet regions could cause 40% extinction. Since drier forests are more deciduous than wetter forests, satellite images that monitor deciduousness might provide a way to assess long-term forest changes caused by changes in drought patterns. I predict that increasing rainfall and shorter dry seasons would not cause major extinction in tropical forest, but that drying trends are a much greater concern. Longer dry seasons may cause considerable local extinction of tree species and rapid forest change, and they will also tend to exacerbate direct human damage, which tends to favor drought-adapted and invasive tree species in favor of moisture-demanding ones.     

Simulation of regional temperature change effect of land cover change in agroforestry ecotone of Nenjiang River Basin in China

Currently, US forests constitute a large carbon sink, comprising about 9 % of the global terrestrial carbon sink. Wildfire is the most significant disturbance influencing carbon dynamics in US forests. Our objective is to estimate impacts of climate change, CO₂ concentration, and nitrogen deposition on the future net biome productivity (NBP) of US forests until the end of twenty-first century under a range of disturbance conditions. We designate three forest disturbance scenarios under one future climate scenario to evaluate factor impacts for the future period (2011–2100): (1) no wildfires occur but forests continue to age (S_aging), (2) no wildfires occur and forest ages are fixed in 2010 (S_{fixed_nodis}), and (3) wildfires occur according to a historical pattern, consequently changing forest age (S_{dis_age_change}). Results indicate that US forests remain a large carbon sink in the late twenty-first century under the S_{fixed_nodis} scenario; however, they become a carbon source under the S_aging and S_{dis_age_change} scenarios. During the period of 2011 to 2100, climate is projected to have a small direct effect on NBP, while atmospheric CO₂ concentration and nitrogen deposition have large positive effects on NBP regardless of the future climate and disturbance scenarios. Meanwhile, responses to past disturbances under the S_{fixed_nodis} scenario increase NBP regardless of the future climate scenarios. Although disturbance effects on NBP under the S_aging and S_{dis_age_change} scenarios decrease with time, both scenarios experience an increase in NBP prior to the 2050s and then a decrease in NBP until the end of the twenty-first century. This study indicates that there is potential to increase or at least maintain the carbon sink of conterminous US forests at the current level if future wildfires are reduced and age structures are maintained at a productive mix. The effects of CO₂ on the future carbon sink may overwhelm effects of other factors at the end of the twenty-first century. Although our model in conjunction with multiple disturbance scenarios may not reflect the true conditions of future forests, it provides a range of potential conditions as well as a useful guide to both current and future forest carbon management.     

基于森林资源清查的江西省森林贮碳功能研究

利用江西省1999--2003年森林资源二类清查资料,结合大岗山森林生态站的实测数据以及已公布的调查资料,运用材积源生物量法对江西省森林的碳储量和碳密度进行了估算和评价。结果表明,江西省不同类型森林乔木层碳密度,由大到小依次为硬阔林、针阔混交林、毛竹林、国外松林、杉木林、软阔林、灌木林、马尾松林和经济林,且碳密度随着林龄的增大而增大,随人口密度的增大而减小。森林碳密度土壤层最大,植被层次之,枯落物层最小。不同森林类型乔木层碳储量,由大到小依次为杉木林、硬阔林、马尾松林、毛竹林、灌木林、国外松林、经济林、针阔混交林、软阔林。从森林类型分布看,除杉木和国外松林外,其他森林类型天然林乔木层碳储量远大于人工林;从地理分布看,除南昌、萍乡、新余三市外,其余各市均是天然林乔木层碳储量远大于人工林。不同年龄森林乔木层碳储量,由大到小依次为中龄林、幼龄林、近熟林、成熟林、过熟林。不同森林碳储量由大到小依次为杉木林、马尾松林、硬阔林、灌木林、经济林、毛竹林、针阔混交林、国外松林和软阔林,南部和中西部要高于中东部和北部。江西省森林总碳储量为1．5Gt,占全国森林总碳储量的5．33％。     

The feasibility of carbon incentives to private forest management in Korea

Forest management is regarded as one possible approach to reducing greenhouse gases by absorbing carbon at a relatively low cost. In Korea, the forest comprises 64% of the total land area, so forests are expected to play a key role in mitigating climate change on the one hand. On the other hand, since 70% of the forest area is owned by the private sector, there is considerable uncertainty about managing forests for the national carbon sink strategy. The objective of this study is to examine the levels of carbon incentives to private forest management for the purpose of maximizing forests’ carbon absorption. First, in the context of present forest management policies, this study discusses applicable measures for the promotion of carbon sequestration in private forests. Next, considering the implications of policies related to forestry, the study develops a hypothetical carbon incentive scheme to compensate for economic revenue loss derived from accepting a rotation period that maximizes carbon sequestration. Carbon incentive levels are estimated by assessing the difference of financial revenue between a financially optimal rotation plan and a carbon-sink maximizing rotation plan. This study found that for red pine forests, the levels of the carbon incentives vary US$2–6 at 5% discount rate and US$ 34–88 at 7% discount rate while the values for oak forests are differing US$2–22 at 5% discount rate and US$ 20–52 at 7% discount rate. The study concludes that the carbon incentive scheme could be effective for increasing the carbon sink. However, given related governmental policies, it may not be desirable to employ the scheme without considering changes in government policy toward land use and regional development.     

‘New Estimates of Carbon Storage and Sequestration in China’S Forests: Effects of Age–Class and Method On Inventory-Based Carbon Estimation’

We developed a volume-to-biomass method based on age groups representative of forest development stages to estimate live tree biomass, C, and biomass and C accumulation rates of Chinas forests between 1973 and 1993. The data were from plot-level forest inventory, national-level inventory statistics, and ecological site studies specified to estimate biomass in different tree components. Our results indicate that carbon storage in Chinas forests was 4.34 Pg C in the early 1990s, an increase of 13% since the early 1970s. The annual forest C sequestration rate from the late 1980s to early 1990s was 0.068 Pg C/yr and approximately four- to five-times higher than in the 1970s and 1980s. The large C sink in Chinas forests in the early 1990s was likely related to age structure changes that had developed to more productive stages, a consequence of reforestation and afforestation programs from the 1960s. The results were compared with other C store estimates, which were based on the same inventory data. Various methods can produce estimates that differ in the direction of C flux as well as its magnitude. Separating age groups with the volume–biomass method could cause a 27% difference in estimated carbon pools but an 89% difference in C sequestration rates whereas the biomass density method would provide an estimate that differs by 65% in the C pools.     

The Potential Effects of Elevated Co2 and Climate Change on Tropical Forest Soils and Biogeochemical Cycling

Tropical forests are responsible for a large proportion of the global terrestrial C flux annually for natural ecosystems. Increased atmospheric CO₂ and changes in climate are likely to affect the distribution of C pools in the tropics and the rate of cycling through vegetation and soils. In this paper, I review the literature on the pools and fluxes of carbon in tropical forests, and the relationship of these to nutrient cycling and climate. Tropical moist and humid forests have the highest rates of annual net primary productivity and the greatest carbon flux from soil respiration globally. Tropical dry forests have lower rates of carbon circulation, but may have greater soil organic carbon storage, especially at depths below 1 meter. Data from tropical elevation gradients were used to examine the sensitivity of biogeochemical cycling to incremental changes in temperature and rainfall. These data show significant positive correlations of litterfall N concentrations with temperature and decomposition rates. Increased atmospheric CO₂ and changes in climate are expected to alter carbon and nutrient allocation patterns and storage in tropical forest. Modeling and experimental studies suggest that even a small increase in temperature and CO₂ concentrations results in more rapid decomposition rates, and a large initial CO₂ efflux from moist tropical soils. Soil P limitation or reductions in C:N and C:P ratios of litterfall could eventually limit the size of this flux. Increased frequency of fires in dry forest and hurricanes in moist and humid forests are expected to reduce the ecosystem carbon storage capacity over longer time periods.     

黔东南低效林改造碳汇潜力情景分析

对黔东南以杉木和马尾松为主的低效林改造规划的案例分析表明,相对于维持现状的基线情景,低效林改造的碳汇效益的有无或大小取决于现有基线林分状况、低改措施以及林分的经营目的。如果以培育长周期大径材为目标,即项目期内无主伐,则将有明显的碳汇效益;但是,如果以短周期工业原料林或速生丰产林为经营目标,即项目期内发生一次或多次主伐,则碳汇效益十分有限,甚至相对基线情景,生物量中的长期碳储量将减少;择伐可大大提高低效林改造的碳汇效益。因此,要使低效林改造产生较大的净碳汇效益,甚至纳入碳交易,应尽可能避免短轮伐期;如果必须要主伐,也应尽可能采用择伐方式,以提高碳储量的长期平均水平。     

Synergistic Effects of Nitrogen Amendments and Ethylene on Atmospheric Methane Uptake under a Temperate Old-growth Forest

An increase in atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition can promote soil acidification, which may increase the release of ethylene (C2H4) under forest floors. Unfortunately, knowledge of whether increasing N deposition and C2H4 releases have synergistic effects on soil methane (CH4) uptake is limited and certainly deserves to be examined. We conducted some field measurements and laboratory experiments to examine this issue. The addition of (NH4)2SO4 or NH4Cl at a rate of 45 kg N ha-1 yr-1 reduced the soil CH4 uptake under a temperate old-growth forest in northeast China, and there were synergistic effects of N amendments in the presence of C2H4 concentrations equal to atmospheric CH4 concentration on the soil CH4 uptake, particularly in the NH4Cl-treated plots. Effective concentrations of added C2H4 on the soil CH4 uptake were smaller in NH+4 -treated plots than in KNO3-treated plots. The concentration of ca 0.3 μl C2H4 L-1 in the headspace gases reduced by 20% soil atmospheric CH4 uptake in the NH4Cl-treated plots, and this concentration was easily produced in temperate forest topsoils under short-term anoxic conditions. Together with short-term stimulating effects of N amendments and soil acidification on C2H4 production from forest soils, our observations suggest that knowledge of synergistic effects of NH+4 , rather than NO3- , amendments and C2H4 on the in situ soil CH4 uptake is critical for understanding the role of atmospheric N deposition and cycling of C2H4 under forest floors in reducing global atmospheric CH4 uptake by forests. Synergistic functions of NH4+ -N deposition and C2H4 release due to soil acidification in reducing atmospheric CH4 uptake by forests are discussed.     

海南岛橡胶园的小气候特征

海南岛橡胶园是由“防护林—橡胶林(或间种热带作物)—地面人工或天然覆盖”多层复合的人工生态系统。由于太阳能量丰富(净辐射量大),胶林净生产力高。胶林的净收入热量,主要消耗于蒸散耗热,其次是湍流热交换;胶林内得到的净辐射量较小,湍流交换微弱,土壤热通量也不大。林内温度变化和缓、湿润、静风,橡胶人工林生态群落具有森林小气候生态环境的基本特征,其小气候效应类似于热带季雨林(次生林)。      

The urban heat island in the city of Poznań as derived from Landsat 5 TM

Deforestation is expanding and accelerating into the remaining areas of undisturbed forest, and the quality of the remaining forests is declining today. Assessing the climatic impacts of deforestation can help to rectify this alarming situation. In this paper, how historical deforestation may affect global climate through interactive ocean and surface albedo is examined using an Earth system model of intermediate complexity (EMIC). Control and anomaly integrations are performed for 1000 years. In the anomaly case, cropland is significantly expanded since AD 1700. The response of climate in deforested areas is not uniform between the regions. In the background of a global cooling of 0.08 °C occurring with cooler surface air above 0.4 °C across 30° N to 75° N from March to September, the surface albedo increase has a global cooling effect in response to global-scale replacement of forests by cropland, especially over northern mid-high latitudes. The northern mid-latitude (30° N–60° N) suffers a prominent cooling in June, suggesting that this area is most sensitive to cropland expansion through surface albedo. Most regions show a consistent trend between the overall cooling in response to historical deforestation and its resulting cooling due to surface albedo anomaly. Furthermore, the effect of the interactive ocean on shaping the climate response to deforestation is greater than that of prescribed SSTs in most years with a maximum spread of 0.05 °C. This difference is more prominent after year 1800 than that before due to the more marked deforestation. These findings show the importance of the land cover change and the land surface albedo, stressing the necessity to analyze other biogeophysical processes of deforestation using interactive ocean.     

How the future of the global forest sink depends on timber demand,forest management,and carbon policies

Deforestation has contributed significantly to net greenhouse gas emissions, but slowing deforestation, regrowing forests and other ecosystem processes have made forests a net sink. Deforestation will still influence future carbon fluxes, but the role of forest growth through aging, management, and other silvicultural inputs on future carbon fluxes are critically important but not always recognized by bookkeeping and integrated assessment models. When projecting the future, it is vital to capture how management processes affect carbon storage in ecosystems and wood products. This study uses multiple global forest sector models to project forest carbon impacts across 81 shared socioeconomic (SSP) and climate mitigation pathway scenarios. We illustrate the importance of modeling management decisions in existing forests in response to changing demands for land resources, wood products and carbon. Although the models vary in key attributes, there is general agreement across a majority of scenarios that the global forest sector could remain a carbon sink in the future, sequestering 1.2–5.8 GtCO2e/yr over the next century. Carbon fluxes in the baseline scenarios that exclude climate mitigation policy ranged from −0.8 to 4.9 GtCO2e/yr, highlighting the strong influence of SSPs on forest sector model estimates. Improved forest management can jointly increase carbon stocks and harvests without expanding forest area, suggesting that carbon fluxes from managed forests systems deserve more careful consideration by the climate policy community.     

Influence of the temperate and boreal forests on the Northern Hemisphere climate in the Météo-France climate model

A temperate and boreal deforestation experiment has been performed at Météo-France using the ARPEGE climate model. A first simulation was performed as a control with a present-day vegetation map, and another one with all forests north of 45 °N replaced by meadows. Prescribed monthly mean climatological SSTs were used in both integrations. The ARPEGE climate model includes a physically based land surface scheme, which has been tested both on snowfree and snow-covered sites, and has a relatively high horizontal resolution. Results of the 4-year integrations suggest that forests exert a strong influence on the surface climate of the temperate and boreal regions. Deforestation induces a significant cooling which modifies the atmospheric circulation simulated in the high latitudes, and also in the tropics. The most important impact is observed during the melting season which is delayed by the forest removal. This result is consistent with preliminary stand-alone experiments showing that the atmospheric boundary layer can be heated by the forest, even if the ground is covered by snow. The study confirms that vegetation feedbacks should be included when performing future climate studies such as doubled CO₂ experiments, eventhough many uncertainties still remain with regard to other physical aspects of the climate models. Received: 5 September 1995 / Accepted: 12 August 1996     

气候与植被覆盖变化对中国西南亚高山区流域碳水循环的影响模拟

正确认识气候变化对流域森林植被和水文的影响对于林业经营管理与流域生态修复具有重要意义。为了揭示气候与植被覆盖变化对西南亚高山区流域碳水循环过程的影响,用生物物理/动态植被模型SSiB4/TRIFFID（Simplified Simple Biosphere model version 4, coupled with the Top-down Representation of Interactive Foliage and Flora Including Dynamics model）与流域地形指数水文模型TOPMODEL（Topographic Index Model）的耦合模型（以下记为SSiB4T/TRIFFID）模拟了不同气候情景下西南亚高山区的梭磨河流域植被演替和碳水循环过程。结果表明,所有试验流域植被经历了从C3到苔原灌木最后到森林的变化;控制试验流域蒸散在流域植被主要为苔原灌木时达到最大而径流深最小;增温5 ℃并且增雨40%试验[记为T+5, (1+40%) P试验]流域蒸散在流域为森林覆盖时达到最大而径流深最小。随着温度增加,森林蒸腾、冠层截留蒸发和蒸散的增加幅度明显大于草和苔原灌木,导致森林从控制试验的增加径流量变为减小径流量。从控制试验到T+5, (1+40%) P试验,温度增加使森林净初级生产力有所增加,但对草和苔原灌木的净初级生产力影响很小;植被水分利用效率随温度增加明显减小。西南山区随着海拔高度降低（温度升高）,森林从增加径流量转变为减少径流量,植被水分利用效率也相应明显减小。西南山区气候的垂直地带性对森林—径流关系和水分利用效率的空间变化有着重要的影响。     

Evaluating the Tree Population Density and Its Impacts in CLM-DGVM

Vegetation population dynamics play an essential role in shaping the structure and function of terrestrial ecosystems.However,large uncertainties remain in the parameterizations of population dynamics in current Dynamic Global Vegetation Models(DGVMs).In this study,the global distribution and probability density functions of tree population densities in the revised Community Land Model-Dynamic Global Vegetation Model(CLM-DGVM) were evaluated,and the impacts of population densities on ecosystem characteristics were investigated.The results showed that the model predicted unrealistically high population density with small individual size of tree PFTs(Plant Functional Types) in boreal forests,as well as peripheral areas of tropical and temperate forests.Such biases then led to the underestimation of forest carbon storage and incorrect carbon allocation among plant leaves,stems and root pools,and hence predicted shorter time scales for the building/recovering of mature forests.These results imply that further improvements in the parameterizations of population dynamics in the model are needed in order for the model to correctly represent the response of ecosystems to climate change.     

Empirical models of monthly and annual albedo in managed boreal forests of interior Norway

An 11-year remotely sensed surface albedo dataset coupled with historical meteorological and stand-level forest management data for a variety of stands in Norway’s most productive logging region is used to develop regression models describing temporal changes in forest albedo following clear-cut harvest disturbance events. Datasets are grouped by dominant tree species, and two alternate multiple regression models are developed and tested following a potential-modifier approach. This result in models with statistically significant parameters (p?<?0.05) that explain a large proportion of the observed variation, requiring a single canopy modifier predictor coupled with either monthly or annual mean air temperature as a predictor of a stand’s potential albedo. Models based on annual mean temperature predict annual albedo with errors (RMSE) in the range of 0.025–0.027, while models based on monthly mean temperature predict monthly albedo with errors ranging between of 0.057–0.065 depending on the dominant tree species. While both models have the potential to be transferable to other boreal regions with similar forest management regimes, further validation efforts are required. As active management of boreal forests is increasingly seen as a means to mitigate climate change, the presented models can be used with routine forest inventory and meteorological data to predict albedo evolution in managed forests throughout the region, which, together with carbon cycle modeling, can lead to more holistic climate impact assessments of alternative forest harvest scenarios and forest product systems.     

Assessing the world's forests

Global environmental data have grown in abundance in recent decades: this paper reviews this growth in respect of forests. Assessments of world forests were undertaken at intervals during the 20th century, notably by FAO. Yet data problems persist: it is impossible, for example, to compile reliable time-series data for the global forest area. Assessment was initially geared to timber resources, and adaptation to include environmental concerns was slow. While methodologies have evolved, even the most recent global forest assessment has attracted criticism. It can be argued, however, that to focus only on the product of assessments (in terms of quantitative data) is to overlook their role as process. The process is a potentially significant instrument of global forest governance.