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Forests
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Forests Carbon and Water Dynamics
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Forests Carbon and Water Dynamics

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecology and Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 October 2020) | Viewed by 17195

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. George L. Vourlitis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, San Marcos, CA 92096, USA
Interests: carbon cycling; nitrogen cycling; net primary production; tropical forests and savanna
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Rosvel Bracho

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
School of Forest Resources & Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0410, USA
Interests: climatic variability; carbon balance; water cycling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forests cover about one third of the world’s land surface, over four billion hectares, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. Forests provide a wealth of ecosystem services, including fiber and biomass production, carbon sequestration, and regulation of water quality and quantity.  These water and carbon cycles are tightly linked at scales from the leaf to the globe, and perturbation of one cycle tends to cascade through to the other. Current and future predicted changes in climate are likely to affect coupled forest carbon-water cycles through a range of impacts, such as altered precipitation and drought patterns, elevated CO2, rising temperatures and altered heatwave cycles, and changing disturbance regimes. There is an increasing need to better understand forest carbon-water interactions under existing and projected future climate. This understanding will help to predict how critical ecosystem services of forests may be impacted by climatic change, and can underpin mitigation and adaptation strategies to cope with the expected changes.

We are asking for contribution papers examining coupled carbon and water cycles in forests under current and projected climatic changes, going from stands to larger scales.

Dr. Rosvel Bracho
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Drought
  • Climate change
  • Forest carbon
  • Carbon-water interactions

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 9097 KiB  
Article
Tree-Ring Width and Carbon Isotope Chronologies Track Temperature, Humidity, and Baseflow in the Tianshan Mountains, Central Asia
by Yuting Fan, Huaming Shang, Ye Wu and Qian Li
Forests 2020, 11(12), 1308; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11121308 - 7 Dec 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2585
Abstract
Concerns have been raised about the negative impacts of global warming on the hydrological climate change and ecosystems of Asia. Research on the high-altitude mountainous regions of Asia with relatively short meteorological and hydrological records relies on paleoclimate proxy data with long time [...] Read more.
Concerns have been raised about the negative impacts of global warming on the hydrological climate change and ecosystems of Asia. Research on the high-altitude mountainous regions of Asia with relatively short meteorological and hydrological records relies on paleoclimate proxy data with long time scales. The stable isotopes of tree-rings are insightful agents that provide information on pre-instrumental climatic and hydrological fluctuations, yet the variability of these data from different regions along the Tianshan Mountains has not been fully explored. Herein, we related climate data with tree-ring width (TRW) chronologies and δ13C (stable carbon isotope discrimination) series to discern if the Picea schrenkiana in the Ili and Manas River Basins are sensitive to climatic factors and baseflow (BF). The results show significant correlations between temperature and TRW chronologies, temperature and δ13C, relative humidity and TRW chronologies, and BF and δ13C. Temperature, particularly the mean late summer to early winter temperature, is a pronounced limiting factor for the tree-ring and the δ13C series in the Manas River Basin, located in the middle of the North Tianshan Mountains. Meanwhile, mean early spring to early autumn temperature is a limiting factor for that of the Ili River Basin, located on the southern slope of the North Tianshan Mountains. We conclude that different seasonal variations in temperature and precipitation of the two river basins exerted significant control on tree growth dynamics. Tree-ring width and tree-ring δ13C differ in their sensitivity to climate and hydrological parameters to which tree-ring δ13C is more sensitive. δ13C showed significant lag with precipitation, and the lag correlation showed that BF, temperature, and precipitation were the most affected factors that are often associated with source water environments. δ13C series correlated positively to winter precipitation, suggesting baseflow was controlling the length of the growing season. The tree-ring δ13C provided information that coincided with TRW chronologies, and supplied some indications that were different from TRW chronologies. The carbon stable isotopes of tree-rings have proven to be powerful evidence of climatic signals and source water variations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests Carbon and Water Dynamics)
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14 pages, 5292 KiB  
Article
Influence of Climate on Carbon Sequestration in Conifers Growing under Contrasting Hydro-Climatic Conditions
by Andrea Cecilia Acosta-Hernández, Jaime Roberto Padilla-Martínez, José Ciro Hernández-Díaz, José Angel Prieto-Ruiz, José Rodolfo Goche-Telles, Juan Abel Nájera-Luna and Marín Pompa-García
Forests 2020, 11(11), 1134; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11111134 - 26 Oct 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2748
Abstract
Research Highlights: Analyzing the contrasting ecological gradients makes it easier to understand the influence of climate on carbon accumulation. Background and Objectives: The increasing climatic variability has implications for vegetation, impacting on its ecological functions, among which carbon accumulation stands out. In the [...] Read more.
Research Highlights: Analyzing the contrasting ecological gradients makes it easier to understand the influence of climate on carbon accumulation. Background and Objectives: The increasing climatic variability has implications for vegetation, impacting on its ecological functions, among which carbon accumulation stands out. In the present study, we used climate-dendrochronology relationships to evaluate carbon accumulation in two conifer species that grow in contrasting humidity sites: Pinus strobiformis Engelm (mesic sites) and Pinus leiophylla var. chihuahuana (Engelm.) Shaw (arid sites). Materials and Methods: Using a dendrochronological approach, we estimated the correlation of biomass and carbon accumulation of each species with some climatic variables (temperature, precipitation, and a drought index) and generated a linear mixed model. Results: The response in carbon accumulation between species with respect to climate was significantly different. P. strobiformis showed a positive correlation with the climatic variables analyzed, while in P. leiophylla the correlation was negative, except with precipitation. Conclusions: These results show that forests in both mesic and arid sites are prone to climate changes, although their responses are different, impacting the productivity and carbon cycles of forest ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests Carbon and Water Dynamics)
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22 pages, 8140 KiB  
Article
Seasonal Variation of Soil Respiration in the Mongolian Oak (Quercus mongolica Fisch. Ex Ledeb.) Forests at the Cool Temperate Zone in Korea
by Gyung Soon Kim, Seung Jin Joo and Chang Seok Lee
Forests 2020, 11(9), 984; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11090984 - 12 Sep 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2474
Abstract
To investigate the variation in seasonal soil respiration (SR) as a function of soil temperature (Ts) and soil water content (SWC) in Mongolian oak (Quercus mongolica) forests in urban (Mt. Nam) and well-reserved (Mt. Jeombong) areas in South Korea, we conducted [...] Read more.
To investigate the variation in seasonal soil respiration (SR) as a function of soil temperature (Ts) and soil water content (SWC) in Mongolian oak (Quercus mongolica) forests in urban (Mt. Nam) and well-reserved (Mt. Jeombong) areas in South Korea, we conducted continuous field measurements of SR and other environmental parameters (Ts and SWC) using an automated chamber system. Overall, the SR rates in both stands were strongly correlated with the Ts variable during all seasons. However, abrupt fluctuations in SR were significantly related to episodic increases in SWC on a short time scale during the growing season. The integrated optimal regression models for SR using Ts at a depth of 5 cm and SWC at a depth of 15 cm yielded the following: the SR rate in Mt. Nam = SR(Ts) + ΔSR(Ts) = 104.87 exp(0.1108Ts) − 10.09(SWC)2 + 604.2(SWC) − 8627.7 for Ts ≥ 0 °C, and the SR rate in Mt. Jeombong = SR(Ts) + ΔSR(Ts) = 95.608 exp(0.1304Ts) − 33.086(SWC)2 + 1949.2(SWC) − 28499 for Ts ≥ 0 °C. In both cases, SR = 0 for Ts < 0 °C. As per these equations, the estimated annual total SRs were 1339.4 g C m−2 for Mt. Nam and 1003.0 g C m−2 for Mt. Jeombong. These values were quite similar to the measured values in field. Our results demonstrate that the improved empirical equation is an effective tool for estimating and predicting SR variability and provide evidence that the SR of Q. mongolica forests in the cool temperate zone of Korean Peninsula depends on Ts and SWC variables. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests Carbon and Water Dynamics)
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21 pages, 4726 KiB  
Article
Effects of Experimental Throughfall Exclusion on Soil Respiration in a Continental Coniferous Stand, South Korea
by Ikhyun Kim, Hee Mun Chae and Byoungkoo Choi
Forests 2020, 11(9), 972; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11090972 - 8 Sep 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2966
Abstract
Severe droughts and changing precipitation patterns could alter the biogeochemical properties of the soil, affecting soil carbon cycles in forest ecosystems. A throughfall exclusion (TFE) experiment was conducted in a continental climate coniferous stand in Gangwon Province, Korea, to examine the effects of [...] Read more.
Severe droughts and changing precipitation patterns could alter the biogeochemical properties of the soil, affecting soil carbon cycles in forest ecosystems. A throughfall exclusion (TFE) experiment was conducted in a continental climate coniferous stand in Gangwon Province, Korea, to examine the effects of excluding rainfall on total soil respiration (SR), heterotrophic soil respiration (HR), autotrophic soil respiration (AR), sapling diameter growth, and soil bacterial communities from July 2016 to October 2017. The soil water content (SWC) was significantly decreased by the exclusion of the throughfall, resulting in changes in the bacterial communities, and subsequently a decrease in HR. Although AR did not present significant differences between the control and TFE plots, the rate of sapling growth was significantly lower in the TFE plots compared with that in the control plots. An exponential function relating SR to soil temperature accounted for 0.61% and 0.82% of the variance in SR in the control and TFE plots, respectively (Q10 = 2.48 and 2.86, respectively). Furthermore, a multivariate nonlinear model based on soil temperature and SWC explained 0.89% and 0.88% of the variance in SR in the control and TFE plots, respectively. When soil temperature was high, SR showed high fluctuations due to SWC variation. However, when SWC was low, we detected relatively small fluctuations in SR due to soil temperature. The results of this study show that the activity of soil microbial and root respiration during the growing season may be lower under future drought conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests Carbon and Water Dynamics)
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15 pages, 2326 KiB  
Article
Aboveground Carbon Storage and Cycling of Flooded and Upland Forests of the Brazilian Pantanal
by Osvaldo Borges Pinto, Jr., Ana Carolina Amorim Marques and George L. Vourlitis
Forests 2020, 11(6), 665; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11060665 - 11 Jun 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2522
Abstract
Tropical forests and savanna (cerrado) are important carbon (C) sinks; however, few data exist for seasonally flooded forests. We quantified the annual rates of aboveground net primary production (ANPP) over a five-year period for two forests, an upland mixed forest and a seasonally [...] Read more.
Tropical forests and savanna (cerrado) are important carbon (C) sinks; however, few data exist for seasonally flooded forests. We quantified the annual rates of aboveground net primary production (ANPP) over a five-year period for two forests, an upland mixed forest and a seasonally flooded cerrado forest, located in the northern Pantanal region of Brazil. We hypothesized that rates of ANPP would be higher for the mixed forest than the cerrado forest because seasonal flooding can limit rates of tree growth. ANPP was calculated as the sum of the annual litter production measured from litterfall traps and the stem growth increment measured from dendrometers and tree density. ANPP varied between 3.8–5.5 MgC ha−1 y−1 for the flooded forest and 1.6–4.6 MgC ha−1 y−1 for the upland forest. Litter production accounted for 57% of the ANPP, and the difference in ANPP between the upland and flooded forests was due to consistently higher litter production in the flooded forest. Annual variations in ANPP were not correlated with annual precipitation, presumably because the hydrology of these sites is driven more by the flood stage of the Cuiaba River than by local precipitation. However, consistent declines in forest floor litter mass occurred at both sites, suggesting that C storage may be responding to some unknown disturbance that occurred prior to our sampling campaign. Seasonal variation in rainfall exerted an important control on litter production dynamics, with leaf litter production increasing during the dry season and stem and reproductive litter production increasing during the wet season. While there are few studies of seasonally flooded tropical forests, our data suggest that the seasonally flooded and upland forests of the northern Pantanal can act as appreciable aboveground C sinks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests Carbon and Water Dynamics)
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20 pages, 3987 KiB  
Article
Interspecific Differences in Canopy-Derived Water, Carbon, and Nitrogen in Upland Oak-Hickory Forest
by Katy Limpert and Courtney Siegert
Forests 2019, 10(12), 1121; https://doi.org/10.3390/f10121121 - 9 Dec 2019
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3063
Abstract
Oaks (Quercus) are a dominant forest species throughout much of the eastern United States. However, oak regeneration failure due to a myriad of issues (e.g., suppression of natural fire, excess nitrogen deposition, pressure from herbivore activity) is leading to a decline [...] Read more.
Oaks (Quercus) are a dominant forest species throughout much of the eastern United States. However, oak regeneration failure due to a myriad of issues (e.g., suppression of natural fire, excess nitrogen deposition, pressure from herbivore activity) is leading to a decline in oak dominance. This change may alter forest hydrology and nutrients through variation in species characteristics. Throughfall (TF) and stemflow (SF) quantity and chemistry were sampled during storm events under oak and non-oak (hickory, Carya) species to quantify differences in canopy-derived water and nutrients from an upland oak-hickory forest in Mississippi. Stemflow partitioning was 86% higher in hickory species compared to oak species (394.50 L m−2; p < 0.001). Across all species, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was 1.5 times greater in throughfall (p = 0.024) and 8.7 times greater in stemflow (p < 0.001) compared to rainfall. White oak DOC concentrations (TF: 22.8 ± 5.5 mg L−1; SF: 75.1 ± 9.5 mg L−1) were greater compared to hickory species (TF: 21.0 ± 18.3 mg L−1; SF: 34.5 ± 21.0 mg L−1) (p = 0.048). Results show that while smoother-barked hickory species generate more stemflow volume, rougher-barked oak species generate stemflow that is more enriched in nutrients, which is a function of the canopy characteristics of each species. Within a single stand, this study demonstrates how variable water and nutrient fluxes may be and provide insights into species-level variability in oak-hickory forest types that may be undergoing compositional changes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests Carbon and Water Dynamics)
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