Early differentiation in biomass production and carbon sequestration of white poplar and its two hybrids in Central Iran

Abstract

We assessed the potential of white poplar (Populus alba L.) and its inter-sectional hybridization with euphrates poplar (P. euphratica Oliv.) for carbon storage and sequestration in central Iran. Trials were established at planting density of 2,500 trees per hectare in block randomized design with three replicates. After 6 years, we measured the above-ground biomass of tree components (trunk, branch, bark, twig and leaf), and assessed soil carbon at three depths. P. alba 9 euphratica plantation stored significantly more carbon (22.3 t ha -1 ) than P. alba (16.7 t ha -1 ) and P. euphratica 9 alba (13.1 t ha -1 ). Most of the carbon was accumulated in the above-ground biomass (61.1 % in P. alba, 72.4 % in P. alba 9 euphratica and 56.0 % in P. euphratica 9 alba). There was no significant difference in soil carbon storage. Also, biomass allocation was different between white poplar P. alba and its inter-sectional hybridization. Therefore, there was a yield difference due to genomic imprinting, which increased the possibility that paternally and maternally inherited wood production alleles would be differentially expressed in the new crossing.