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Forest aging, disturbance and the carbon cycle
Peter S Curtis1, Christopher M Gough2
1Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
The New Phytologist
|May 17, 2018
Summary
As forests in North America age, their capacity to store carbon is questioned. However, studies show that older deciduous forests maintain significant carbon storage rates due to increased complexity.
Area of Science:
- Forest Ecology
- Ecosystem Science
- Carbon Cycle Research
Background:
- Temperate North American forests are aging, entering late successional stages over 100 years old.
- These forests have historically acted as carbon sinks during recovery from disturbances.
- The future carbon storage capacity of aging forests is uncertain, challenging traditional ecosystem development theory.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the net ecosystem exchange (NEP) of carbon in aging temperate deciduous forests.
- To determine if carbon storage rates decline in mid-successional forests.
- To identify mechanisms that sustain carbon storage in mature forest ecosystems.
Main Methods:
- Direct measurements of net carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange in forests.
- Analysis of forest successional trends and age-related changes in carbon storage.
- Evaluation of physical and biological complexity in relation to resource-use efficiency.
Main Results:
- Direct measurements challenge the prediction of declining carbon storage in aging forests.
- Temperate deciduous forests show little evidence of reduced carbon storage rates in mid-succession.
- Increased physical and biological complexity appears to sustain significant carbon storage well past 100 years.
Conclusions:
- Aging deciduous forests, particularly under moderate disturbance regimes, can maintain substantial carbon storage.
- Forest conservation efforts are crucial for sustaining the terrestrial carbon sink.
- Complex, mature forest ecosystems provide essential ecological services beyond carbon sequestration.
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