Aerial Seeding: An Effective Forest Restoration Method in Highly Degraded Forest Landscapes of Sub-Tropic Regions
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Methods
2.1. Study Area
2.2. Description of Sample Plots
Type | Age Range (Years) | Average Age (a) | Average DBH (cm) | Average Height (m) | Average BA (m2·ha−1) | Average Stand Density (N·ha−1) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AS | 11–20 | 18 ± 0.3 | 5.4 ± 0.12 | 6.3 ± 0.88 | 5.2 ± 0.66 | 2267 ± 311.0 |
21–30 | 24 ± 1.9 | 10.7 ± 1.10 | 12.2 ± 0.87 | 11.9 ± 0.33 | 1408 ± 283.0 | |
31–40 | 35 ± 1.2 | 13.4 ± 1.00 | 12.3 ± 0.87 | 17.9 ± 1.54 | 1329 ± 285.4 | |
41–50 | 41 ± 0.3 | 16.6 ± 0.32 | 16.6 ± 2.19 | 25.1 ± 4.12 | 1152 ± 168.8 | |
NR | 11–20 | 18 ± 0.7 | 9.0 ± 0.70 | 9.6 ± 0.93 | 11.3 ± 1.41 | 1808 ± 227.1 |
21–30 | 23 ± 0.9 | 11.7 ± 2.16 | 10.9 ± 3.08 | 15.9 ± 4.20 | 1575 ± 343.9 | |
31–40 | 36 ± 2.0 | 13.6 ± 0.70 | 12.0 ± 1.00 | 17.6 ± 2.10 | 1221 ± 145.8 | |
41–50 | 44 ± 1.2 | 16.5 ± 1.95 | 16.1 ± 0.46 | 20.52 ± 2.57 | 1054 ± 281.6 |
2.3. Tree Biomass
2.4. Understory and Forest Floor Litter
2.5. Soil Sampling
2.6. Carbon Stock Calculations
2.7. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Carbon Stocks in Trees
Age Range | Stem | Branch | Leaf | Root | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AS | NR | AS | NR | AS | NR | AS | NR | |
11–20 | 3.9 ± 0.34Aa | 9.4 ± 1.04Ab | 2.1 ± 0.27Cb | 3.9 ± 0.50Ca | 1.3 ± 0.97Ca | 2.0 ± 0.29Aa | 0.9 ± 0.15Db | 1.9 ± 0.23Ca |
(48.0) | (54.8) | (25.4) | (22.2) | (15.5) | (11.7) | (11.1) | (11.1) | |
21–30 | 14.2 ± 0.79Bb | 17.8 ± 5.08BCa | 4.7 ± 0.11Ba | 5.1 ± 0.80BCa | 2.1 ± 0.12BCa | 2.4 ± 0.22Aa | 3.1 ± 0.10Ca | 3.3 ± 0.93BCa |
(58.9) | (62.2) | (19.7) | (18.0) | (8.7) | (8.4) | (12.8) | (11.4) | |
31–40 | 24.2 ± 2.14Cb | 26.5 ± 2.03Ca | 6.8 ± 0.94Ba | 6.8 ± 0.68ABa | 2.7 ± 0.43ABa | 2.6 ± 0.35Aa | 5.3 ± 0.46Ba | 5.3 ± 0.67ABa |
(62.0) | (64.3) | (17.4) | (16.5) | (7.0) | (6.3) | (13.6) | (12.9) | |
41–50 | 35.1 ± 2.26Db | 35.4 ± 4.05Ca | 10.1 ± 0.97Aa | 8.3 ± 1.05Aa | 4.1 ± 0.69Aa | 3.0 ± 0.48Aa | 7.8 ± 0.28Aa | 6.8 ± 0.88Aa |
(61.51) | (66.2) | (17.6) | (15.6) | (7.2) | (5.6) | (13.7) | (12.7) | |
Mean | 19.4 ± 3.55a | 22.3 ± 3.05a | 5.9 ± 0.93a | 6.0 ± 0.58a | 2.6 ± 0.36a | 2.5 ± 0.18a | 4.3 ± 0.78a | 4.3 ± 0.61a |
(60.3) | (63.4) | (18.4) | (17.2) | (8.0) | (7.1) | (13.3) | (12.3) |
3.2. Carbon Stocks in the Understory and Litter
Type | Age Range | Mean | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
11–20 | 21–30 | 31–40 | 41–50 | |||
Understory | AS | 3.1 ± 0.33Aa | 4.4 ± 1.00Aa | 3.1 ± 1.13Aa | 4.0 ± 1.07Aa | 3.7 ± 0.52a |
NR | 8.6 ± 1.85Ab | 6.8 ± 2.76Aa | 5.0 ± 1.70Aa | 5.8 ± 1.98Aa | 6.6 ± 1.11b | |
Litter | AS | 0.4 ± 0.09Aa | 0.6 ± 0.13Aa | 0.6 ± 0.19Aa | 0.5 ± 0.05Aa | 0.5 ± 0.10a |
NR | 0.9 ± 0.14Ab | 1.1 ± 0.17Aa | 0.9 ± 0.09Aa | 1.0 ± 0.30Aa | 1.0 ± 0.08b |
3.3. Carbon Stocks in Soil
3.4. Total Carbon Stocks
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Acknowledgments
Author Contributions
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Xiao, X.; Wei, X.; Liu, Y.; Ouyang, X.; Li, Q.; Ning, J. Aerial Seeding: An Effective Forest Restoration Method in Highly Degraded Forest Landscapes of Sub-Tropic Regions. Forests 2015, 6, 1748-1762. https://doi.org/10.3390/f6061748
Xiao X, Wei X, Liu Y, Ouyang X, Li Q, Ning J. Aerial Seeding: An Effective Forest Restoration Method in Highly Degraded Forest Landscapes of Sub-Tropic Regions. Forests. 2015; 6(6):1748-1762. https://doi.org/10.3390/f6061748
Chicago/Turabian StyleXiao, Xin, Xiaohua Wei, Yuanqiu Liu, Xunzhi Ouyang, Qinglin Li, and Jinkui Ning. 2015. "Aerial Seeding: An Effective Forest Restoration Method in Highly Degraded Forest Landscapes of Sub-Tropic Regions" Forests 6, no. 6: 1748-1762. https://doi.org/10.3390/f6061748