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Recovery and allocation of carbon stocks in boreal forests 64 years after catastrophic windthrow and salvage logging in northern Japan
(Hotta et al. 2020 Forest Ecology and Management)
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We revealed long-term effects of salvaging after windthrows on total carbon stocks.
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The total carbon stock almost recovered 64 years after the windthrow and salvaging.
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Broadleaves and CWD generated after the windthrow have offset CWD lost by salvaging.
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Well-decayed CWD and the organic layer carbon stock were low in salvaged forests.
Forests have the ability to store atmospheric carbon dioxide and reduce climate change. However, when subjected to "natural disturbances" such as fires and typhoons, forests become a source of carbon dioxide. Furthermore, the removal of fallen trees after natural disturbances prevents the recovery of vegetation and delays the recovery of the forest's carbon sequestration and carbon storage functions. However, previous studies have only evaluated the period of about 20 years after disturbance, and the extent to which forest carbon stocks recover after 50 years or more has not yet been revealed.
The 1954 Toyamaru typhoon caused large-scale windfalls in forests in Hokkaido, northern Japan. In order to assess the long-term effects of windthrow on forest carbon stocks, we conducted a survey in and around the windthrow area of Typhoon Toyamaru in the Taisetsu region of Hokkaido.
As a result, 64 years after the windthrow, the carbon stocks in the forests where the fallen trees were removed were not significantly different from those in the forests where the fallen trees were left. It is thought that the reduction in carbon stock caused by the removal of fallen trees was compensated for by the invasion of many fast-growing broad-leaved trees, and the generation of many dead trees in the process of forest development after the windthrow. On the other hand, carbon stock in the decayed dead trees and the sedimentary organic layer (O layer) was lower in the forests where the fallen trees were removed than in the forests where the fallen trees were left behind.
In terms of long-term recovery of carbon stocks, salvage logging after a windthrow will not have a significant impact. However, the impact on biodiversity and other ecosystem services must be taken into consideration when considering forest management methods. In this study, we found that even after 64 years, the number of well-decayed dead woods remained low due to the removal of fallen trees. Well-decayed dead woods function as a habitat for a variety of organisms. In addition, Yezo spruce, a coniferous tree that characterizes Hokkaido's forests, can only be regenerated on well-decayed dead woods. Salvage logging may have a long-term impact on forest biodiversity.
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