Title: Biomass Allocation and Net Primary Productivities at Treeline Ecotone on the Changbai Mountains,Northeast China
Abstract: Increasing severity of environment and altitude in mountain ecosystems can affect relative and absolute biomass-allocation patterns in plants.Biomass allocation and net primary productivities were examined in two alpine treeline stands,i.e.Larix Changbaiensis mixed forest and Betula ermanii forest(1900 m a.s.l)on the Changbai Mountains in Northeast China.The biomass and their productivity were measured based on average standard tree with canopy and quadrat-harvesting method for shrub layer and herb layer.The total biomass and net primary production(NPP)of the Larix Changbaiensis mixed forest were 15.16t/ha and 1.68t/(ha·a)respectively,with 3.72,10.34 and 1.1t/ha of biomass allocation and with 0.43,0.46 and 0.79t/(ha·a)of NPP in canopy,shrub and herb layers as well.And the total biomass and NPP of the Betula ermanni forest were 19.44t/ha and 2.58t/(ha·a)respectively,with 5.14,12.68 and 1.62t/ha of biomass and 0.80,0.56 and 1.23t/(ha·a)of NPP in canopy,shrub and herb layers respectively.In comparison with counterparts at lower altitudes,the relative and absolute stem mass decreased significantly with increasing altitude,the ratio of branch and leaf mass to total arbor biomass increased with altitude for larch and birch.However,root ratio and root to shoot ratio present different responses.Root ratio of larch increased a lot but birch had no significant difference.The increase of leaf ratio is favorable for carbon uptake and carbon balance in severe environment at treeline ecotone.Variation in stem mass was caused by multi-stem plasticity and krummholz due to snow accumulation and heavy wind.Net primary productivities of larch mixed forest and birch forest decreased sharply at treeline in comparison with lower altitudinal stands,whilst the ratio of root production was much higher than that of lower altitude.This made it profitable to take water and nutrients in soil.
Publication Year: 2006
Publication Date: 2006-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 3
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