Evaluating the effectiveness of Shennongjia National Nature Reserve based on the dynamics of forest carbon pools

doi:10.17520/biods.2017240

Abstract

Abstract:

Nature reserves are a cornerstone of global conservation strategies. However, the effectiveness of the reserve in conserving ecosystem function such as carbon storage is poorly understood. The Shennongjia National Nature Reserve is a conservation icon and has taken exceptional efforts to protect forests. It provides a unique case to address this question. Here, we quantified the carbon storage from aboveground carbon, belowground carbon, litter, coarse woody debris, and soil organic carbon inside and outside the Shennongjia National Nature Reserve between 1990 and 2010, based on inventory data and digitized historical land cover maps. The result showed that the woodland covered 92.76% of the reserve, most of which was coniferous forest (51.85%), deciduous broad-leaved forest (35.11%), and evergreen broad-leaved forest (4.47%). Between 1990 and 2010, the area of the woodland has increased 0.11%, while the area of shrubland and cropland has declined 8.85% and 6.06%, respectively. The Shennongjia National Natural Reserve has accumulated 24.24 Tg carbon (22.57-26.62 Tg C) until 2010, of which 90.68% was contributed by soil organic carbon and aboveground carbon. A total of 95% of the carbon storage in Shennongjia National Nature Reserve are contributed by evergreen broad-leaved forest, deciduous broad-leaved forest and coniferous forest. Between 1990 and 2010, the aboveground carbon pool and soil organic carbon pool has increased 14.50 kt C (11.81-18.31 kt C) and 6.84 kt C, respectively. The carbon density inside the reserve is 22.37 t C/ha higher than that outside the reserve. Our results indicated that the Shennongjia National Nature Reserve is efficiently conserving forest carbon.

http://jtp.cnki.net/bilingual/detail/html/SWDY201801003

Key words: Shennongjia National Nature Reserve, carbon sequestration, conservation effectiveness, forest ecosystem, carbon pool

Shuyu Deng, Xiangzhong Dong, Mingzhe Ma, Zhenhua Zang, Wenting Xu, Changming Zhao, Zongqiang Xie, Guozhen Shen. Evaluating the effectiveness of Shennongjia National Nature Reserve based on the dynamics of forest carbon pools[J]. Biodiv Sci, 2018, 26(1): 27-35.

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URL: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/10.17520/biods.2017240

https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/Y2018/V26/I1/27

Figures/Tables 5

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土地利用类型 Land use type	1990年面积 Area in 1990 (ha)	1990年占比 Proportion in 1990 (%)	2010年面积 Area in 2010 (ha)	2010年占比 Proportion in 2010 (%)
常绿阔叶林 Evergreen broad-leaved forest	3,245.71	4.46	3,249.13	4.47
落叶阔叶林 Deciduous broad-leaved forest	25,448.97	34.99	25,532.75	35.11
针叶林 Coniferous forest	37,694.08	51.83	37,713.32	51.85
针阔混交林 Coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest	622.14	0.86	624.78	0.86
灌木林 Shrubland	380.97	0.52	347.26	0.48
耕地 Cropland	2,056.3	2.83	1,931.7	2.66
其他 Other	3,281.99	4.51	3,331.22	4.58

土地利用类型 Land use type	1990年面积 Area in 1990 (ha)	1990年占比 Proportion in 1990 (%)	2010年面积 Area in 2010 (ha)	2010年占比 Proportion in 2010 (%)
常绿阔叶林 Evergreen broad-leaved forest	3,245.71	4.46	3,249.13	4.47
落叶阔叶林 Deciduous broad-leaved forest	25,448.97	34.99	25,532.75	35.11
针叶林 Coniferous forest	37,694.08	51.83	37,713.32	51.85
针阔混交林 Coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest	622.14	0.86	624.78	0.86
灌木林 Shrubland	380.97	0.52	347.26	0.48
耕地 Cropland	2,056.3	2.83	1,931.7	2.66
其他 Other	3,281.99	4.51	3,331.22	4.58

	地上碳库 Aboveground carbon	地下碳库 Belowground carbon	凋落物碳库 Litter carbon	粗木质残体碳库 Coarse woody debris carbon	土壤有机碳库 Soil organic carbon	总计 Total
1990 (Tg C)	8.57	1.80	0.29	0.16	13.40	24.21
2000 (Tg C)	8.58	1.81	0.29	0.16	13.40	24.23
2010 (Tg C)	8.58	1.81	0.29	0.16	13.40	24.24
1990-2010年变化量 △C_storage1990-2010 (kt C) (1990-2000; 2000-2010)	14.50 (13.93; 0.57)	3.01 (2.88; 0.13)	0.21 (0.44; -0.24)	0.49 (0.52; -0.03)	6.84 (3.97; 2.87)	25.04 (21.74; 3.30)
1990-2010年变化率 Change rate of carbon storage during 1990-2010 (%) (1990-2000; 2000-2010)	0.17 (0.16; 0.01)	0.17 (0.16; 0.01)	0.07 (0.16; -0.02)	0.30 (0.32; -0.02)	0.05 (0.03; 0.02)	0.10 (0.09; 0.01)

	地上碳库 Aboveground carbon	地下碳库 Belowground carbon	凋落物碳库 Litter carbon	粗木质残体碳库 Coarse woody debris carbon	土壤有机碳库 Soil organic carbon	总计 Total
1990 (Tg C)	8.57	1.80	0.29	0.16	13.40	24.21
2000 (Tg C)	8.58	1.81	0.29	0.16	13.40	24.23
2010 (Tg C)	8.58	1.81	0.29	0.16	13.40	24.24
1990-2010年变化量 △C_storage1990-2010 (kt C) (1990-2000; 2000-2010)	14.50 (13.93; 0.57)	3.01 (2.88; 0.13)	0.21 (0.44; -0.24)	0.49 (0.52; -0.03)	6.84 (3.97; 2.87)	25.04 (21.74; 3.30)
1990-2010年变化率 Change rate of carbon storage during 1990-2010 (%) (1990-2000; 2000-2010)	0.17 (0.16; 0.01)	0.17 (0.16; 0.01)	0.07 (0.16; -0.02)	0.30 (0.32; -0.02)	0.05 (0.03; 0.02)	0.10 (0.09; 0.01)

	地上碳库 Aboveground carbon		地下碳库 Belowground carbon		凋落物碳库 Litter carbon		粗木质残体碳库 Coarse woody debris carbon		土壤有机碳库 Soil organic carbon		总计 Total
	内 Inside	外 Outside	内 Inside	外 Outside	内 Inside	外 Outside	内 Inside	外 Outside	内 Inside	外 Outside	内 Inside	外 Outside
1990	117.76	121.10	24.77	25.42	3.92	4.00	2.22	2.51	184.21	157.04	332.87	310.08
2000	117.95	121.63	24.81	25.53	3.93	4.02	2.22	2.52	184.26	157.20	333.17	310.90
2010	117.96	121.60	24.81	25.53	3.92	4.02	2.22	2.51	184.30	157.19	333.22	310.85
1990-2010年增加量 △C_dendity1990-2010 (1990-2000; 2000-2010)	0.20 (0.19; 0.01)	0.50 (0.52; -0.02)	0.04 (0.04; 0)	0.10 (0.11; -0.01)	0 (0.01; 0)	0.02 (0.02; -0.01)	0.01 (0.01;0)	0.01 (0.01; 0)	0.09 (0.05; 0.04)	0.15 (0.16; -0.01)	0.34 (0.30; 0.04)	0.77 (0.82; -0.05)