Carbon Storage in Aboveground, Root, and Soil of Pinus densiflora Stand in Six Different Sites, Korea

Due to the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and global warming, the importance of forest ecosystems, as a place of carbon accumulation and emission, has received a great amount of recognition lately. This study was performed to help understand and provide the current status of carbon cycle in the pinus densiflora stand, Korea. The samples were collected from average 35-years-old Pinus densifiora rands in Gongju, Youngdong, Chungsan, Muju, Mupung, and Jangsu regions. Total thirty aboveground sample trees were cut, and ten roots were sampled, and soil samples were collected. Average carbon concentrations in foliage, branch, stem bark, stem wood, and root were 55.7%, 56.0%, 56.0%, 57.3%, and 56.5%, respectively. Carbon content was estimated by the model $Wt=aD^b$ where Wt is oven-dry weight in kg and D is DBH in cm. Total carbon content (aboveground and root) was 42.39tonC/ha in the Pinus densiflora stand. The proportion of each tree component to total carbon content was high in order of stemwood, root, branch, stem bark, and foliage. Total net primary production (aboveground and root) was estimated at 6.51tonC/ha/yr in Pinus densiflora stand. The proportion of each tree component to total net primary carbon content was high in order of sternwood, root, branch, foliage and stembark. Soil carbon contents in the study sites was 43.51tonC/ha at 0-50cm soil depth.