气候变化领域集成服务门户

Afforestation sequesters carbon from atmosphere and thus is a primary strategy for mitigating global warming. To further the development and management of future plantations, this study examined the monthly CO2 assimilation of four young broadleaf tree species to select the best performer. From December 2010 to December 2011, data were collected from a plantation in southern Taiwan, which experiences a typical tropical monsoon climate. Monthly measurements of diurnal gas exchange revealed that Melia azedarach maintained a high net photosynthesis rate during the dry season, whereas Swietenia macrophylla exhibited a low net photosynthesis rate and stomatal conductance in both the dry and wet seasons. Annual CO2 assimilation occurred primarily during summer and autumn for all species. We measured leaf area indices and generated analytical models involving light response curves to calculate canopy-level, net assimilation rate. M. azedarach, S. macrophylla, Cassia fistula, and Pterocarpus indicus assimilated 38.15, 9.65, 32.19, and 19.14 kilograms tree(-1) yr(-1) of CO2 at the canopy level and 52.65, 10.33, 46.35, and 22.59 megagrams ha(-1) yr(-1) at the stand level, respectively. Based on our results, we recommend M. azedarach and C. fistula as the most appropriate plantation tree species for increasing carbon assimilation in monsoon climates.