Successional change in carbon dynamics in northern forest ecosystems after severe disturbance

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25241002
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Environmental dynamic analysis
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: HIRANO Takashi 北海道大学, 農学研究院, 教授 (20208838)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 高木 健太郎 北海道大学, 北方生物圏フィールド科学センター, 准教授 (20322844) ; 梁 乃申 国立研究開発法人国立環境研究所, 地球環境研究センター, 主任研究員 (50391173) ; 渡辺 力 北海道大学, 低温科学研究所, 教授 (60353918)
• Research Collaborator: IDE Reiko
• Project Period (FY): 2013-10-21 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 台風 / 皆伐 / 植林 / カラマツ林 / 渦相関法 / チャンバー法 / バイオマス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to investigate the carbon balance of northern forest ecosystems in succession, long-term field experiments have been conducted in two differently disturbed forest ecosystems in Hokkaido, Japan: a naturally re-growing ex-larch forest after sever disturbance due to windthrow (Tomakomai) and a newly opened larch forest (Teshio). The experiments include vegetation survey, soil assessment and CO2 flux measurement by the eddy covariance and chamber techniques. In Tomakomai, annual net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) had approached to zero (carbon neutral) until the 7th year after disturbance, though NEE remained positive (a carbon source) after that. In Teshio, however, the young larch forest became carbon neutral in 7 years. The difference between the two forests suggests that undergrowth vegetation and coarse woody debris plays important roles in NEE.

Free Research Field

農林気象学