홍천지역 굴참나무림에서 간벌 강도가 지하부 탄소 저장량의 장기 변화에 미치는 영향

초록

This study evaluated the long-term effects of thinning on belowground carbon stocks in a forest ecosystem, focusing on a sixth age-class stand of Quercus variabilis Blume located in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province, South Korea. In 2010, three treatment groups based on thinning intensity by basal area were established: control (no thinning), 15% thinning, and 30% thinning (three replicate plots per treatment). Soil (0-30 cm), forest floor litter, and coarse woody debris samples were collected at 2-5-year intervals to monitor changes in carbon stocks until 2023. As of 2023, the total belowground carbon stock (soil + litter + coarse woody debris) was highest in the 30% thinning treatment (54.6 ± 2.1 t C ha-1), followed by the 15% thinning treatment (48.2 ± 2.4 t C ha-1) and the control (39.4 ± 1.4 t C ha-1), revealing significantly greater values in the thinned plots than in the control. Belowground carbon stock increased over time across all treatments; however, the magnitude of the increase gradually declined, and these temporal patterns varied with thinning intensity. In particular, soil carbon stock was significantly higher in the thinned plots, and showed a consistent increasing trend over time. Conversely, carbon stocks in forest floor litter and coarse woody debris did not differ significantly among the treatments. These results indicate that thinning can enhance belowground carbon accumulation, primarily through increases in soil carbon, in Q. variabilis stands over a period of 13 years. This study provides fundamental insights into the effects of thinning intensity on belowground carbon dynamics in oak-dominated forests with similar growth characteristics and nutrient cycling structures, and highlights its potential application in developing forest management strategies that consider belowground carbon sequestration. Further studies integrating aboveground carbon pools are needed to comprehensively evaluate ecosystem-level carbon stocks.

키워드