The Picea schrenkiana (P. schrenkiana) forest is currently the most dominant and widespread boreal forest in the Tianshan Mountains. Changes of carbon sequestration potential capacity in P. schrenkiana forest play a critical role in carbon storage and the carbon cycle in the Tianshan Mountains.
However, the impact of long-term global climate change on forest carbon sequestration potential capacity in aboveground biomass of P. schrenkiana forest in the Tianshan Mountains remains unclear.
Researchers from Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences reconstructed dynamic change of carbon sequestration capacity in aboveground biomass of P. schrenkiana in the Tianshan Mountains, northwestern China, from 1850-2017 and investigated the main climate drivers that affected carbon sequestration capacity.
The study was published in Forests on August 10.
The results showed that Although the annual carbon sequestration potential capacity in aboveground biomass of P. schrenkiana in 1850-1880 decreased at a rate of 0.29 kg C.y-1, it exhibited an increasing tendency from 1881-2017 at a rate of 0.13 kg C.y-1.
During the 70 years from 1881-1950, the annual carbon sequestration potential capacity increased relatively slowly at a rate of 0.03 kg C.y-1. However, it increased rapidly from 1951-2017 with a rate of 0.21 kg C.y-1.
The researchers found that temperature, especially minimum temperature, constituted the key climatic driver resulting in increased carbon sequestration capacity. The contribution rates of temperature and minimum temperature to the change of P. schrenkiana carbon sequestration capacity was 75% and 44%, respectively.
The significant increase of winter temperature and minimum temperature led to warming in the Tianshan Mountains, resulting in a significant increase in carbon sequestration capacity of P. schrenkiana.
The results indicate that, with the continuous increase of winter temperature and minimum temperature, carbon sequestration of P. schrenkiana in the Tianshan Mountains is predicted to increase markedly in the future.
