Carbon stocks in the litter of the middle taiga deciduous forests of the Komi Republic

Abstract

Data are presented on the stock and content of carbon in the litter-fall and litter of middle-taiga deciduous forests of different ages, which are formed at the site of felling of bilberry-type spruce forests. It has been determined that the litter of birch-spruce young stands accumulates 10 tC/ha, while annually with ground litter 1 tC/ha enters, in aspen-birch stands 8 and 2 tC/ha, respectively. The results of the research have shown that the contribution of the litter of the underground part of vegetation to the accumulation of carbon in the litter is comparable to the above-ground one and is about 1 tC/ha per year for woody plants and 0,61,1 tC/ha per year for ground cover plants. The rate of annual carbon release in the process of litter destruction is 2130%, for the fall of assimilating organs of trees and plants of the ground cover 4279%, for branches, cones and tree roots 724%. The carbon content in the litter is differentiated by subhorizons: its concentration in Oi is higher than in Oe + Oa. In the studied deciduous stands, the increase in litter reserves from the upper subhorizon to the lower subhorizon is inversely proportional to carbon accumulation. The average annual rate of carbon turnover in the litters is about 3 years.