Vegetation Structure and Carbon Storage of Natural and Restored Mixed Deciduous Forests in Western Thailand

Abstract

Abstract Anthropogenic disturbances are important factors in the dynamics of forests, altering forest structure and carbon storage. This study compared the vegetation structure and forest carbon storage of two tropical mixed deciduous forest sites with different disturbance histories: natural forest (NF) and restored forest (RF). Field surveys and sampling were conducted in April 2022. The NF had significantly higher tree height and basal area than the RF, indicating a more mature and complex forest structure. The two forest communities had 49% similarity in species composition, but the NF was more diverse than the RF and had different dominant species. The J-shaped pattern of forest structure suggested that both communities were in a progressive and healthy stage of development. The NF also had higher aboveground biomass, aboveground carbon, and total carbon storage than the RF, resulting in a greater potential for CO2 sequestration. The insignificant differences in some forest parameters between the restored and natural forests indicated that the restored forests were gradually recovering to their natural condition after decades of restoration. However, other parameters showed that these areas still lacked certain functions due to a history of severe disturbances. These findings suggest that the restoration of degraded forests can lead to the recovery of important ecological parameters, such as forest structure, carbon storage, and tree diversity. However, the recovery process may take several decades, depending on the severity of the degradation and the management practices that are applied.