Carbon sink patterns of old-growth Korean pine forests in Changbai Mountain revealed
On December 23, the project "Study on Carbon Sink Function of Old-Growth Broad-Leaved Korean Pine Forests in Changbai Mountain," completed under the auspices of the Jilin Changbai Mountain Forest Ecosystem National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station, passed expert review organized by the Changchun Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Changchun. Experts held that the integration of multiple methods in this project, along with research on flux changes of components and process mechanisms, has reached the international advanced level.
As the main body of terrestrial ecosystems, forests' carbon cycle processes and mechanisms play an important role in understanding forest carbon sink functions and their impact on and response to global climate change. The carbon sink function of old-growth forests has long been a key scientific issue in current research assessing the uncertainty of forest carbon balance, attracting widespread attention. The primary broad-leaved Korean pine forest in Changbai Mountain is currently approaching the climax stage of forest succession (stand age exceeding 200 years), and systematic research on its carbon cycle processes and its role in the global balance has long lacked scientific verification.
In order to explore the relationship between forest ecosystem management and carbon sink enhancement in the Changbai Mountain region, scientifically assess the carbon budget trends of China's temperate forests, and provide scientific evidence for the country's carbon sink diplomacy, the Jilin Changbai Mountain Ecological Station undertook the Chinese Academy of Sciences Knowledge Innovation Project and National Science Foundation project "Study on Carbon Sink Function of Old-Growth Broad-Leaved Korean Pine Forests in Changbai Mountain" in 2000. After more than 7 years of research, scientists adopted the internationally advanced micrometeorological observation technique -- the eddy covariance method -- combined with ecosystem surveys and model simulation methods to quantitatively reveal the processes and mechanisms of the carbon cycle in the old-growth broad-leaved Korean pine forest of Changbai Mountain, finding that the old-growth broad-leaved Korean pine forest in Changbai Mountain is still a carbon sink; quantitatively determining the carbon fluxes of different components of the old-growth broad-leaved Korean pine forest ecosystem in Changbai Mountain, and correcting the winter carbon flux observation method, which gained recognition from international peers, providing scientific evidence for scientifically evaluating the impact on and response to climate change of China's temperate forests and their carbon sink intensity. At the same time, a complete temperate broad-leaved Korean pine forest carbon flux observation platform was established, multiple carbon flux observation techniques were developed, a large amount of observation data was accumulated, and a database was constructed.
This innovative achievement of carbon sink function research targeting the old-growth broad-leaved Korean pine forest in Changbai Mountain has important scientific significance for revealing the carbon budget patterns and roles of old-growth forests, and has important practical significance in guiding regional forest carbon sink enhancement and emission reduction management to address global climate change.