Tree Growth and Coarse Woody Debris in Regenerating Forests at Harvard Forest since 2008

This project is a field-based study to measure sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide in a regenerating New England forest. This study established long-term biometric plots suitable for measuring changes in carbon storage through time in three forest stands: an early-20th-century conifer plantation, a naturally regenerating former conifer plantation harvested in the 1990s, and a conifer plantation scheduled for harvest next winter. The first three years of this project determined the initial carbon budget of these forest stands, measured carbon fluxes into and out of these stands, and laid the groundwork for future investigations. Subsequent years will investigate larger-scale questions, such as how successional patterns affect carbon sequestration, and how these patterns change with stand age. The work also addresses how forestry practices influence carbon sequestration, and provide guidance for how forest management could enhance terrestrial carbon uptake in the future.

本项目为一项野外实地研究，旨在量化恢复中的新英格兰森林对大气二氧化碳的碳固存能力。本研究设立了长期生物测量样地，可用于追踪三类林分的碳储量随时间的变化：20世纪早期营造的针叶人工林、1990年代被采伐后自然恢复的原针叶人工林，以及计划于明年冬季采伐的针叶人工林。本项目的前三年完成了上述林分的初始碳收支核算，测定了林分的碳输入与输出通量，并为后续研究奠定了基础。后续研究将聚焦更宏观的科学问题，例如林分演替模式如何影响碳固存能力，以及此类模式随林分年龄的变化规律。本研究同时探讨林业经营措施对碳固存的影响，并可为未来如何通过森林管理提升陆地碳吸收能力提供指导依据。