桫椤生态系统生物量与生产力

 活化石植物是最接近于化石物种的现存相似种, 并且具有一定的生态学保守性。利用活化石植物生态系统来估算陆地生态系统碳固存能力的进化趋势是一种有效的手段。该研究中利用标准地-标准木法调查了活化石物种树蕨桫椤(Alsophila spinulosa)生态系统的生物量和生产力。与现存的裸子植物为优势种的生态系统和被子植物为优势种的生态系统相比, 桫椤的生物量(36.151±8.159 Mg C•hm^–2)和生产力(2.535±0.174 Mg C•hm^–2•a^–1)都比较小。与植物化石调查方法相比, 活化石生态系统生物量和生产力数据在描述古生态系统碳固存能力进化趋势方面提供了一种有意义的手段, 并且有助于进一步的理解全球碳平衡演变的过程。

BIOMASS AND PRODUCTIVITY OF A TREE FERN ECOSYSTEM IN CHINA

Aims A living fossil is the nearest extant equivalent of an extinct species. Our objective is to utilize the biomass and productivity of living-fossil ecosystems to estimate the evolutionary trend in carbon sequestration capacity of terrestrial ecosystems. Methods We investigated biomass and productivity of a living-fossil tree fern (Alsophila spinulosa) ecosystem in Sichuan Province of China using standard tree sampling methods. Important findings The biomass and productivity of this living-fossil ecosystem ((36.151 ± 8.159) Mg C•hm^–2 and (2.535 ± 0.174) Mg C•hm^–2•a^–1, respectively) were smaller than that in current gymnosperm- or angiosperm-dominated ecosystems. This provides insight into the evolutionary trend in paleo-ecosystem carbon sequestration capacity and, hence, into understanding global carbon balance.