Productivity of forests in the Eurosiberian boreal region and their potential to act as a carbon sink - a synthesis Export

@article{citeulike:4449361, abstract = {Based on review and original data, this synthesis investigates carbon pools and fluxes of Siberian and European forests (600 and 300 million ha, respectively). We examine the productivity of ecosystems, expressed as positive rate when the amount of carbon in the ecosystem increases, while (following micrometeorological convention) downward fluxes from the atmosphere to the vegetation (NEE = Net Ecosystem Exchange) are expressed as negative numbers. Productivity parameters are Net Primary Productivity (NPP=whole plant growth), Net Ecosystem Productivity (NEP = CO2 assimilation minus ecosystem respiration), and Net Biome Productivity (NBP = NEP minus carbon losses through disturbances bypassing respiration, e.g. by fire and logging). Based on chronosequence studies and national forestry statistics we estimate a low average NPP for boreal forests in Siberia: 123 gC m20132 y20131. This contrasts with a similar calculation for Europe which suggests a much higher average NPP of 460 gC m20132 y20131 for the forests there. Despite a smaller area, European forests have a higher total NPP than Siberia (1.220131.6 vs. 0.620130.9 נ1015 gC region20131 y20131). This arises as a consequence of differences in growing season length, climate and nutrition.   For a chronosequence of Pinus sylvestris stands studied in central Siberia during summer, NEE was most negative in a 67-y old stand regenerating after fire (2013 192 mmol m20132 d20131) which is close to NEE in a cultivated forest of Germany (2013 210 mmol m20132 d20131). Considerable net ecosystem CO2-uptake was also measured in Siberia in 200- and 215-y old stands (NEE:174 and 2013 63 mmol m20132 d20131) while NEP of 7- and 13-y old logging areas were close to the ecosystem compensation point. Two Siberian bogs and a bog in European Russia were also significant carbon sinks (2013 102 to 2013 104 mmol m20132 d20131). Integrated over a growing season (June to September) we measured a total growing season NEE of 2013 14 mol m20132 summer20131 (2013 168 gC m20132 summer20131) in a 200-y Siberian pine stand and 2013 5 mol m20132 summer20131 (2013 60 gC m20132 summer20131) in Siberian and European Russian bogs. By contrast, over the same period, a spruce forest in European Russia was a carbon source to the atmosphere of (NEE: + 7 mol m20132 summer20131 = + 84 gC m20132 summer20131). Two years after a windthrow in European Russia, with all trees being uplifted and few successional species, lost 16 mol C m20132 to the atmosphere over a 3-month in summer, compared to the cumulative NEE over a growing season in a German forest of 2013 15.5 mol m20132 summer20131 (2013 186 gC m20132 summer20131; European flux network annual averaged 2013 205 gC m20132 y20131).   Differences in CO2-exchange rates coincided with differences in the Bowen ratio, with logging areas partitioning most incoming radiation into sensible heat whereas bogs partitioned most into evaporation (latent heat). Effects of these different surface energy exchanges on local climate (convective storms and fires) and comparisons with the Canadian BOREAS experiment are discussed.   Following a classification of disturbances and their effects on ecosystem carbon balances, fire and logging are discussed as the main processes causing carbon losses that bypass heterotrophic respiration in Siberia. Following two approaches, NBP was estimated to be only about 13201316 mmol m20132 y20131 for Siberia. It may reach 67 mmol m20132 y20131 in North America, and about 1402013400 mmol m20132 y20131 in Scandinavia.   We conclude that fire speeds up the carbon cycle, but that it results also in long-term carbon sequestration by charcoal formation. For at least 14 years after logging, regrowth forests remain net sources of CO2 to the atmosphere. This has important implications regarding the effects of Siberian forest management on atmospheric concentrations. For many years after logging has taken place, regrowth forests remain weaker sinks for atmospheric CO2 than are nearby old-growth forests.}, address = {Max-Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, PO Box 100164, 07701 Jena, Germany, ; Manaaki Whenua, Landcare Research, POBox 69, Lincoln, New Zealand, ; Institute of Evolution and Ecology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 33, 117071 Moscow, Russia, ; Botanisches Institut, University Tbingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 1, 72076 Tbingen, Germany, ; Department of Biophysics and chemical Physics, Comenius University, Mlynska Dolina F1, 84215 Bratislava, Slovakia, ; Deptof Forest Science and Environment, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy, ; Ecological Travel Centre, Scientific Park, Korp.1, r.127, Moscow State University, 119899 Moscow, Russia, ; Forest Institute, Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Akademgorodok, Krasnoyarsk, 660036 Russia}, author = {Schulze, -D E. and Lloyd, J. and Kelliher, F. M. and Wirth, C. and Rebmann, C. and L\"{u}hker, B. and Mund, M. and Knohl, A. and Milyukova, I. M. and Schulze, W. and Ziegler, W. and Varlagin, A. B. and Sogachev, A. F. and Valentini, R. and Dore, S. and Grigoriev, S. and Kolle, O. and Panfyorov, M. I. and Tchebakova, N. and Vygodskaya, N. N.}, citeulike-article-id = {4449361}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2486.1999.00266.x}, citeulike-linkout-1 = {http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/119098781/ABSTRACT}, doi = {10.1046/j.1365-2486.1999.00266.x}, journal = {Global Change Biology}, keywords = {boreal, carbon, carbon-sink, forest, plant-productivity, plants}, number = {6}, pages = {703--722}, posted-at = {2009-05-01 13:50:00}, priority = {2}, title = {Productivity of forests in the Eurosiberian boreal region and their potential to act as a carbon sink - a synthesis}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2486.1999.00266.x}, volume = {5}, year = {1999} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:4449361 L3 - citeulike-article-id:4449361 N2 - Based on review and original data, this synthesis investigates carbon pools and fluxes of Siberian and European forests (600 and 300 million ha, respectively). We examine the productivity of ecosystems, expressed as positive rate when the amount of carbon in the ecosystem increases, while (following micrometeorological convention) downward fluxes from the atmosphere to the vegetation (NEE = Net Ecosystem Exchange) are expressed as negative numbers. Productivity parameters are Net Primary Productivity (NPP=whole plant growth), Net Ecosystem Productivity (NEP = CO2 assimilation minus ecosystem respiration), and Net Biome Productivity (NBP = NEP minus carbon losses through disturbances bypassing respiration, e.g. by fire and logging). Based on chronosequence studies and national forestry statistics we estimate a low average NPP for boreal forests in Siberia: 123 gC m20132 y20131. This contrasts with a similar calculation for Europe which suggests a much higher average NPP of 460 gC m20132 y20131 for the forests there. Despite a smaller area, European forests have a higher total NPP than Siberia (1.220131.6 vs. 0.620130.9 נ1015 gC region20131 y20131). This arises as a consequence of differences in growing season length, climate and nutrition.   For a chronosequence of Pinus sylvestris stands studied in central Siberia during summer, NEE was most negative in a 67-y old stand regenerating after fire (2013 192 mmol m20132 d20131) which is close to NEE in a cultivated forest of Germany (2013 210 mmol m20132 d20131). Considerable net ecosystem CO2-uptake was also measured in Siberia in 200- and 215-y old stands (NEE:174 and 2013 63 mmol m20132 d20131) while NEP of 7- and 13-y old logging areas were close to the ecosystem compensation point. Two Siberian bogs and a bog in European Russia were also significant carbon sinks (2013 102 to 2013 104 mmol m20132 d20131). Integrated over a growing season (June to September) we measured a total growing season NEE of 2013 14 mol m20132 summer20131 (2013 168 gC m20132 summer20131) in a 200-y Siberian pine stand and 2013 5 mol m20132 summer20131 (2013 60 gC m20132 summer20131) in Siberian and European Russian bogs. By contrast, over the same period, a spruce forest in European Russia was a carbon source to the atmosphere of (NEE: + 7 mol m20132 summer20131 = + 84 gC m20132 summer20131). Two years after a windthrow in European Russia, with all trees being uplifted and few successional species, lost 16 mol C m20132 to the atmosphere over a 3-month in summer, compared to the cumulative NEE over a growing season in a German forest of 2013 15.5 mol m20132 summer20131 (2013 186 gC m20132 summer20131; European flux network annual averaged 2013 205 gC m20132 y20131).   Differences in CO2-exchange rates coincided with differences in the Bowen ratio, with logging areas partitioning most incoming radiation into sensible heat whereas bogs partitioned most into evaporation (latent heat). Effects of these different surface energy exchanges on local climate (convective storms and fires) and comparisons with the Canadian BOREAS experiment are discussed.   Following a classification of disturbances and their effects on ecosystem carbon balances, fire and logging are discussed as the main processes causing carbon losses that bypass heterotrophic respiration in Siberia. Following two approaches, NBP was estimated to be only about 13201316 mmol m20132 y20131 for Siberia. It may reach 67 mmol m20132 y20131 in North America, and about 1402013400 mmol m20132 y20131 in Scandinavia.   We conclude that fire speeds up the carbon cycle, but that it results also in long-term carbon sequestration by charcoal formation. For at least 14 years after logging, regrowth forests remain net sources of CO2 to the atmosphere. This has important implications regarding the effects of Siberian forest management on atmospheric concentrations. For many years after logging has taken place, regrowth forests remain weaker sinks for atmospheric CO2 than are nearby old-growth forests. IS - 6 JF - Global Change Biology AD - Max-Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, PO Box 100164, 07701 Jena, Germany, ; Manaaki Whenua, Landcare Research, POBox 69, Lincoln, New Zealand, ; Institute of Evolution and Ecology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 33, 117071 Moscow, Russia, ; Botanisches Institut, University Tbingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 1, 72076 Tbingen, Germany, ; Department of Biophysics and chemical Physics, Comenius University, Mlynska Dolina F1, 84215 Bratislava, Slovakia, ; Deptof Forest Science and Environment, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy, ; Ecological Travel Centre, Scientific Park, Korp.1, r.127, Moscow State University, 119899 Moscow, Russia, ; Forest Institute, Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Akademgorodok, Krasnoyarsk, 660036 Russia EP - 722 TI - Productivity of forests in the Eurosiberian boreal region and their potential to act as a carbon sink - a synthesis VL - 5 SP - 703 KW - boreal KW - carbon KW - carbon-sink KW - forest KW - plant-productivity KW - plants AU - Schulze, -D AU - Lloyd, J AU - Kelliher, FM AU - Wirth, C AU - Rebmann, C AU - Lühker, B AU - Mund, M AU - Knohl, A AU - Milyukova, IM AU - Schulze, W AU - Ziegler, W AU - Varlagin, AB AU - Sogachev, AF AU - Valentini, R AU - Dore, S AU - Grigoriev, S AU - Kolle, O AU - Panfyorov, MI AU - Tchebakova, N AU - Vygodskaya, NN PY - 1999/// UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2486.1999.00266.x ER -