BIOMASS AND CARBON STOCK IN MOSO BAMBOO FORESTS IN SUBTROPICAL CHINA: CHARACTERISTICS AND IMPLICATIONS

Bamboo forests are special forest resources in China with wide distribution, and important economic and ecological values. Of 500 bamboo species native to China, moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) is the most important in the terms of distribution, timber and other economic values. In this study, we examined the variations in biomass carbon stock of moso bamboo forests across subtropical China using national forest resources inventory data (1977–2008), along with stand biomass data compiled from literature. Our results showed that the biomass carbon of moso bamboo forests ranged from 219.56 to 299.31 Tg ha-1, accounting for 4.7–5.9% of the total forest biomass carbon in China from 1977 till 2008. At stand level, mean biomass carbon was 70–85 Mg ha-1 in the northern and middle subtropical subregions, and 35–45 Mg ha-1 in the sout-west mountain and southern subtropical subregions. With high biomass carbon sequestration, along with the quick and low-cost regeneration, high growth rate, short rotation, high phytolith-occluded carbon content and high economic and ecological values, moso bamboo forest can play an important role in carbon sink forestry in subtropical regions of China.