Biomass carbon pools of Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook. forests in subtropical China: Characteristics and potential

Abstract Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.) is one of the most important indigenous tree species in China. Owing to their rapid growth, good timber quality and short rotation time, increasing numbers of plantations are being established with successive rotations. Numerous competing hypotheses have been described to explain the decline in yield that occurs with successive rotations of the plantations. In addition, there are some uncertainties regarding the changes and characteristics of biomass carbon pools in Chinese fir forests in subtropical China, and information is lacking regarding how to improve carbon sequestration by this biomass sink. The total biomass carbon stock of the Chinese fir forest in China increased from 91.57 Tg C in 1977–1981 to 238.50 Tg C in 2004–2008, accounting for 2.48–4.32% of the national forest biomass carbon in the corresponding period. Due to the decreased yield during successive rotation for Chinese fir plantations before the 1990s, the biomass carbon stock...