The stage-classified matrix models project a significant increase in biomass carbon stocks in China's forests between 2005 and 2050.

ABSTRACT: China's forests are characterized by young age, low carbon (C) density and a large plantation area, implying a high potential for increasing C sinks in the future. Using data of provincial forest area and biomass C density from China's forest inventories between 1994 and 2008 and the planned forest coverage of the country by 2050, we developed a stage-classified matrix model to predict biomass C stocks of China's forests from 2005 to 2050. The results showed that total forest biomass C stock would increase from 6.43?Pg C (1 Pg?=?10(15)?g) in 2005 to 9.97 Pg C (95% confidence interval: 8.98?~?11.07?Pg C) in 2050, with an overall net C gain of 78.8?Tg C yr(-1) (56.7?~?103.3?Tg C yr(-1); 1 Tg?=?10(12)?g). Our findings suggest that China's forests will be a large and persistent biomass C sink through 2050.

SUBMITTER: Hu H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4480144 | biostudies-other | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other