Distribution of Organic Carbon in Pitch Pine Plantation in Kongju, Korea

Abstract

Organic carbon (OC) distribution in 32-year-old pitch pine plantation at Mt. Hotae in Kongju, Korea, was studied from August 2007 to July 2008. In order to investigate the OC distribution, OC in plant biomass, litterfall, litter layer on forest floor, and soil within 50cm depth were estimated. The density of P. rigida plantation was 3,200 trees/ha, average DBH was 18.7 ± 5.53 cm and average tree height was 11.1 ± 1.85 m. Organic carbon stored in plant biomass, litterlayer on forest floor and soil in 2008 was 89.46 ton C/ha (46.09%), 4.32 ton C/ha (2.23%) and 100.32 ton C ha-1 50cm-depth-1 (51.68%), respectively. Amount of OC returned to forest floor via litterfall was 2.21 ton C ha-1 yr-1. Total amount of OC stored in this P. rigida plantation was 194.1 ton C/ha. Net increase of OC in above-and below-ground biomass in this pitch pine plantation was 4.82 ton C ha-1 yr-1 .