Abstract

Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) is a prized timber species, which is grown in China from more than a thousand years. According to 8th national forest inventory data, Chinese fir plantations area expanded over an area of 11 million hectares, which occupies almost 18.2% area of all plantations in China principally in southern China. Successive rotations with clear cutting have become a common practice for Chinese fir plantations. These management practices on continues bases have led to a declining in yield production. Therefore, a serious concern has been raised on the Chinese fir plantations less yield and long-term productivity decline, particularly about the current rotation regime. In this review, we discussed the general causes of Chinese fir productivity decline and their effective solution. In forest conservation, the decline in soil quality is a serious ecological problem and recalcitrant litter, monoculture planting has aggravated the mechanism of soil degradation in Chinese fir plantations. The deteriorated soil properties in Chinese fir plantations were well mirrored in the reduction of plantation growth. Traditional plantation method of successive rotation without the period of fallow and management system of clear cutting, complete ploughing, burning of site and residues removal could be blamed for site degradation resulting in the poor growth and productivity decline of Chinese fir plantations. Complete burning and clear-cutting can lead to soil degradation by the loss of nutrients and organic matter. Therefore, a comprehensive knowledge of Chinese fir in terms of low productivity causes and solutions will allow us better forest management strategies and better development of plantation and afforestation throughout China.

Keywords

productivity; soil quality; soil degradation; forest conservation; Chinese fir; China

Published in

Applied Ecology And Environmental Research
2019, Volume: 17, number: 5, pages: 11055-11067
Publisher: CORVINUS UNIV BUDAPEST

SLU Authors

• Tigabu, Mulualem

  • Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss


UKÄ Subject classification

Forest Science


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15666/aeer/1705_1105511067

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/102413