The relative roles of fire and climate in determining canopy species composition and
aboveground carbon stocks were investigated. Measurements were made along a transect
extending from the dark taiga zone of Central Siberia, where Picea and Abies
dominate the 5 canopy, into the Larix zone of Eastern Siberia. We test the hypotheses
that the change in canopy species composition is based (1) on climate-driven performance
only, (2) on fire only, or (3) on fire-performance interactions. We show that the
evergreen conifers Picea obovata and Abies sibirica are the natural late-successional
species both in Central and Eastern Siberia, provided there has been no fire for an
10 extended period of time. There are no changes in the climate-driven performance of
the observed species. Fire appears to be the main factor explaining the dominance of
Larix. Of lesser influence were longitude, hydrology and active-layer thickness.
Stand-replacing fires decreased from 300 to 50 yr between the Yenisei Ridge and the
upper Tunguska. Repeated non-stand-replacing surface fires eliminated the regenera15
tion of Abies and Picea. With every 100 yr since the last fire, the percentage of Larix
decreased by 20 %.
Biomass of stems of single trees did not show signs of age-related decline. Relative
diameter increment was 0.41±0.20% at breast height and stem volume increased
linearly over time with a rate of about 0.36 tCha−1 yr−1 independent of age class and
20 species. Stand volumes reached about 130 tCha−1 (equivalent to about 520m3 ha−1).
Individual trees of Larix were older than 600 yr. The maximum age and biomass
seemed to be limited by fungal rot of heart wood. 60% of old Larix and Picea and
30% of Pinus sibirica trees were affected by stem rot. Implications for the future role
of fire and of plant diseases are discussed.
SCHULZE Ernest Detlef;
WIRTH Christian;
MOLLICONE Danilo;
VON LUPKE N.;
ZIEGLER Waldemar;
ACHARD Frederic;
MUND Martina;
PROKUSHKIN A;
SCHERBINA S;
2012-04-20
COPERNICUS GESELLSCHAFT MBH
JRC68624
1726-4170,
http://www.biogeosciences.net/9/1405/2012/bg-9-1405-2012.html,
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC68624,
10.5194/bg-9-1405-2012,
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