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Evaluating the Carbon Budget and Seeking Alternatives to Improve Carbon Absorption Capacity at Pinus rigida Plantations in South Korea

Chang Seok Lee,J. Seok,Gyu Tae Kang,B. Lim,S. Joo

Published 2025 in Forests

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to investigate stand structure, growth dynamics, and carbon fluxes in Pinus rigida plantations of varying ages in South Korea. Field measurements across four mountain sites quantified diameter-class distributions, net primary productivity (NPP), soil respiration, and net ecosystem production (NEP). P. rigida exhibited normally distributed diameter structures in larger classes, whereas Quercus spp. showed reverse J-shaped patterns, indicating active regeneration and ongoing succession toward mixed broadleaved stands. Individual NPP was highest in P. densiflora (4.77 kg yr−1) and P. rigida (4.31 kg yr−1), while Quercus spp. displayed lower growth due to light limitation. Stand-level NPP peaked in 20–40-year-old stands (4.27–4.88 ton C ha−1 yr−1) and declined with age (2.30 ton C ha−1 yr−1). Soil respiration averaged 1.0 ton C ha−1 yr−1 and was strongly temperature dependent (R2 = 0.56; Q10 = 2.70). NEP on Mt. Galmi reached 4.38 ton C ha−1 yr−1, demonstrating substantial carbon sink capacity. These findings indicate that aging P. rigida plantations maintain ecosystem-level carbon uptake through successional compensation. Policy efforts should prioritize adaptive thinning, assisted natural regeneration, and long-term monitoring frameworks to accelerate the transition toward climate-resilient mixed forests and to strengthen national forest carbon neutrality strategies. Future research should integrate long-term carbon flux observations, species interaction modeling, and assessments of climate-driven disturbance regimes to refine management pathways for resilient mixed-forest landscapes.

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