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.

本项目为一项实地研究，旨在量化新英格兰（New England）更新林分的大气二氧化碳碳固存（carbon sequestration）能力。本研究设置了长期生物测量样地，用于长期监测三类林分的碳储量动态变化：20世纪早期营造的针叶人工林、1990年代采伐后自然更新的原针叶人工林，以及计划于次年冬季采伐的针叶人工林。本项目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。后续研究将聚焦更大尺度的科学问题，例如演替模式如何影响碳固存，以及此类模式随林分年龄的变化规律。本研究同时探讨了林业经营措施对碳固存的影响，并可为未来通过森林管理提升陆地碳吸收能力提供决策参考。