Carbon Sequestration in Old-Growth Forest and Plantations on Changbai Mountain in Northeast China

Forest management can significantly impact carbon sequestration, which has been a key focus of research topic in relation to climate change at various scales. Based on field data collected from old-growth forests and forest plantations in Lushuihe Forestry Bureau on Changbai Mountain in northeast China, we compared carbon pools of vegetation (arbor, shrub and herbage), woody debris (WD), and soil (0-100cm depth) among different types of forests. Our results showed that arbor carbon increased with the age of larch plantations on Changbai Mountain; however, soil carbon declined with age. WD stored more carbon than did shrub or herbage, especially in old-growth forests. Carbon sequestration in old-growth forests was higher than that in forest plantations. Carbon storage in 35-year-old plantations was about 220.83 Mg· ha^-1, still less than carbon storage in old-growth forests 341.27 Mg· ha^-1. Accordingly, we suggested that plantation rotation age should be lengthened to at least 35 years for maximizing forest carbon sequestration in the forest landscapes on Changbai Mountain.