Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Effects of Forest Plantation on the Concentration of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide in Taiwan.

Chao-Ming Lai1, Kuei-Long Liu2, Guang-Ruei Ke1, Hung-Ming Li3, Chi-Fong Feng1, Yuan-Hao Chien2, Ming-Kuang Wang4, Chiang-Her Yen5, and Ji-Shong Yang6. (1) National Taiwan University, Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan, (2) National Taiwan University, Department of Agricultural Chemistry,, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan, (3) National Taiwan University. Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan, (4) , National Taiwan University, Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan, (5) National Chung Hsing University, Department of Forest,, Taichung, 40227, Taiwan, (6) Liukuei Research Center, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Kaohsiung, 84443, Taiwan

Changes in concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide were measured by using a CO2 analyzer in Forest District III (Taiwania plantation) and Forest District XII (native forest) in the Liukuei Experimental Forest, Taiwan from 2000 to 2005, to examine the effects of forest plantation on the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The results showed that the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide of 5.0 and 1.2 m height in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 for native forest were 329 ± 11, 353 ± 4, 340 ± 11, 379 ± 8, 359 ± 8, 333 ± 9 and 331 ± 8, 358 ± 4, 344 ± 11, 379 ± 9, 359 ± 8, 334 ± 8 ppm, respectively; the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide of 5.0 and 1.2 m height in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 for Taiwania plantation were 316 ± 7, 335 ± 6, 335 ± 9, 353 ± 13, 314± 8, 317 ± 7 and 318 ± 5, 336 ± 5, 336 ± 8, 356 ± 12, 314± 8, 323 ± 9 ppm, respectively. It indicated that Taiwania plantation reduced the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The reduced concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide of 5.0 m height were 13, 18, 5, 26, 44, and 16 ppm, with a mean value of 20 ± 14 ppm, for 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005, respectively. The reduced concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide of 1.2 m height were 13, 22, 8, 23, 45, and 11 ppm, with a mean value of 20 ± 14 ppm, for 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005, respectively. The results also showed that the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide was significantly negatively correlated with air temperature (P<0.001).