Theoretical analysis of change in forest carbon use efficiency with stand development: A case study on Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa (Sieb. et Zucc.) Endl.) plantation from the seedling stage

Changes in carbon use efficiency (CUE), which is defined as the ratio of net primary production (NPP) to gross primary production (GPP), were estimated for the aerial parts of the Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa (Sieb. et Zucc.) Endl.) with respect to stand development. The analysis incorporated previously published data from the early stages of stand development, namely the seedling stages of the cypress. For this analysis, a simple mathematical model to assess the changes in CUE was developed by incorporating data on physiological variables and mass of woody species. The CUE tended to increase with increases in the aboveground biomass of the stand, and then decreased gradually despite increases in the aboveground biomass. The CUE-value (0.28, 0.39) of the seedling stage was lower than that (0.33–0.58) of the young or mature trees. To examine the effect of physiological variables and mass on CUE, the ratios of the specific respiration rate to the specific photosynthetic rate (r/a) and the leaf biomass to the aboveground biomass or leaf mass ratio (yL/yT) were calculated. The low value of CUE at the seedling stage was due to the high ratio of specific respiration rate to specific photosynthetic rate r/a, but was not due to the high value of the leaf mass ratio yL/yT. In addition, the decline in CUE associated with older stages of stand development was due to the decreasing changes in yL/yT, and the r/a ratio did not influence the change in CUE.