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Abstract

Forest management has the potential to impact the net forest carbon (C) balance, and a better understanding of how tree species influence soil C provides a potential tool to promote higher C uptake and storage in forests. In this study, we utilized two common garden experiments located in northern and central Sweden to compare soil organic C stocks associated with six different boreal tree species (Betula pendula, Larix sp., Picea abies, Picea glauca, Pinus contorta and Pinus sylvestris), approximately 30 years after planting. We measured both above-and below-ground C inputs and C outputs via decomposition and analyzed how these factors influenced soil C stocks. Our results showed that the vertical distribution of SOC differed between the species, and furthermore, many of the SOC input and output processes measured were species-dependent. Despite this, we found no differences in total belowground soil C stock between the species. The aboveground biomass C stocks, in contrast, were highly species-specific, with the rank order of species differing between the two sites. As such, our study indicates that tree species choice may serve as a tool to promote ecosystem C stocks, and in turn enhance the climate change mitigation potential of forests.

Keywords

Boreal tree species; Soil organic carbon; Forest growth; Boreal forest; Litter input; Root production

Published in

Forest Ecology and Management
2025, volume: 596, article number: 123060
Publisher: ELSEVIER

SLU Authors

UKÄ Subject classification

Forest Science

Publication identifier

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123060

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/144413