Carbon accumulation rate peaks at 1,000-m elevation in tropical planted and regrowth forests

Yongxian Su; Xueyan Li; Chaoqun Zhang; Wenting Yan; Philippe Ciais; Susan C. Cook-Patton; Oliver L. Phillips; Jiali Shang; Alessandro Cescatti; Jing Ming Chen; Jane Liu; Jerome Chave; Christopher E. Doughty; Viola Heinrich; Feng Tian; Yiqi Luo; Yi Liu; Zhen Yu; Dalei Hao; Shengli Tao; Yongguang Zhang; Zhenzhong Zeng; Raffaele Lafortezza; Yuanyuan Huang; Lei Fan; Xuhui Wang; Yuanwei Qin; Qinwei Ran; Kai Yan; Xiaoping Liu; Liyang Liu; Yuemin Yue; Jiashun Ren; Wenping Yuan; Xiuzhi Chen

doi:10.1016/j.oneear.2024.11.001

Carbon accumulation rate peaks at 1,000-m elevation in tropical planted and regrowth forests

Yongxian Su, Xueyan Li, Chaoqun Zhang, Wenting Yan, Philippe Ciais, Susan C. Cook-Patton, Oliver L. Phillips, Jiali Shang, Alessandro Cescatti, Jing Ming Chen, Jane Liu, Jerome Chave, Christopher E. Doughty, Viola Heinrich, Feng Tian, Yiqi Luo, Yi Liu, Zhen Yu, Dalei Hao, Shengli TaoYongguang Zhang, Zhenzhong Zeng, Raffaele Lafortezza, Yuanyuan Huang, Lei Fan, Xuhui Wang, Yuanwei Qin, Qinwei Ran, Kai Yan, Xiaoping Liu, Liyang Liu, Yuemin Yue, Jiashun Ren, Wenping Yuan, Xiuzhi Chen

Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, School of

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Tropical planted and regrowth forests (TPRFs) are one of the most low-cost components for recovering biomass-stored carbon in the tropics. Nevertheless, challenges persist in pinpointing which elevational ranges exhibit the largest carbon accumulation rate (γ_rapid) due to the highly inconsistent previous assessments. This prevents the selection of optimal locations for implementing large-scale reforestation in the tropics. Here, we proposed a refined approach that used a carbon accumulation threshold (<80% of the maximum value) to quantify γ_rapid in TPRFs at various elevations. We find that γ_rapid increases with elevations from 300 to 1,000 m and declines at elevations >1,000 m. TPRFs at elevations ∼1,000 m exhibit three times more γ_rapid than lowland TPRFs. This optimal elevation, highly dependent on background temperatures, varies slightly but significantly across different mountains. These findings provide guidelines for policymakers to determine the optimal elevations from regional to continental scales when implementing reforestation initiatives in the tropics.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	101147
Journal	One Earth
Volume	8
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2024.11.001
State	Published - Jan 17 2025

Keywords

biomass carbon accumulations rate
elevation pattern
natural growth forests
planted forests
rapid growth stage
relieve high-temperature stress
tropical forests

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Environmental Science
Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)

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10.1016/j.oneear.2024.11.001

Cite this

Su, Y., Li, X., Zhang, C., Yan, W., Ciais, P., Cook-Patton, S. C., Phillips, O. L., Shang, J., Cescatti, A., Chen, J. M., Liu, J., Chave, J., Doughty, C. E., Heinrich, V., Tian, F., Luo, Y., Liu, Y., Yu, Z., Hao, D., ... Chen, X. (2025). Carbon accumulation rate peaks at 1,000-m elevation in tropical planted and regrowth forests. One Earth, 8(1), Article 101147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2024.11.001

Su, Y, Li, X, Zhang, C, Yan, W, Ciais, P, Cook-Patton, SC, Phillips, OL, Shang, J, Cescatti, A, Chen, JM, Liu, J, Chave, J, Doughty, CE, Heinrich, V, Tian, F, Luo, Y, Liu, Y, Yu, Z, Hao, D, Tao, S, Zhang, Y, Zeng, Z, Lafortezza, R, Huang, Y, Fan, L, Wang, X, Qin, Y, Ran, Q, Yan, K, Liu, X, Liu, L, Yue, Y, Ren, J, Yuan, W & Chen, X 2025, 'Carbon accumulation rate peaks at 1,000-m elevation in tropical planted and regrowth forests', One Earth, vol. 8, no. 1, 101147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2024.11.001

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title = "Carbon accumulation rate peaks at 1,000-m elevation in tropical planted and regrowth forests",

abstract = "Tropical planted and regrowth forests (TPRFs) are one of the most low-cost components for recovering biomass-stored carbon in the tropics. Nevertheless, challenges persist in pinpointing which elevational ranges exhibit the largest carbon accumulation rate (γrapid) due to the highly inconsistent previous assessments. This prevents the selection of optimal locations for implementing large-scale reforestation in the tropics. Here, we proposed a refined approach that used a carbon accumulation threshold (<80% of the maximum value) to quantify γrapid in TPRFs at various elevations. We find that γrapid increases with elevations from 300 to 1,000 m and declines at elevations >1,000 m. TPRFs at elevations ∼1,000 m exhibit three times more γrapid than lowland TPRFs. This optimal elevation, highly dependent on background temperatures, varies slightly but significantly across different mountains. These findings provide guidelines for policymakers to determine the optimal elevations from regional to continental scales when implementing reforestation initiatives in the tropics.",

keywords = "biomass carbon accumulations rate, elevation pattern, natural growth forests, planted forests, rapid growth stage, relieve high-temperature stress, tropical forests",

author = "Yongxian Su and Xueyan Li and Chaoqun Zhang and Wenting Yan and Philippe Ciais and Cook-Patton, {Susan C.} and Phillips, {Oliver L.} and Jiali Shang and Alessandro Cescatti and Chen, {Jing Ming} and Jane Liu and Jerome Chave and Doughty, {Christopher E.} and Viola Heinrich and Feng Tian and Yiqi Luo and Yi Liu and Zhen Yu and Dalei Hao and Shengli Tao and Yongguang Zhang and Zhenzhong Zeng and Raffaele Lafortezza and Yuanyuan Huang and Lei Fan and Xuhui Wang and Yuanwei Qin and Qinwei Ran and Kai Yan and Xiaoping Liu and Liyang Liu and Yuemin Yue and Jiashun Ren and Wenping Yuan and Xiuzhi Chen",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 Elsevier Inc.",

year = "2025",

month = jan,

day = "17",

doi = "10.1016/j.oneear.2024.11.001",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "8",

journal = "One Earth",

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T1 - Carbon accumulation rate peaks at 1,000-m elevation in tropical planted and regrowth forests

AU - Su, Yongxian

AU - Li, Xueyan

AU - Zhang, Chaoqun

AU - Yan, Wenting

AU - Ciais, Philippe

AU - Cook-Patton, Susan C.

AU - Phillips, Oliver L.

AU - Shang, Jiali

AU - Cescatti, Alessandro

AU - Chen, Jing Ming

AU - Liu, Jane

AU - Chave, Jerome

AU - Doughty, Christopher E.

AU - Heinrich, Viola

AU - Tian, Feng

AU - Luo, Yiqi

AU - Liu, Yi

AU - Yu, Zhen

AU - Hao, Dalei

AU - Tao, Shengli

AU - Zhang, Yongguang

AU - Zeng, Zhenzhong

AU - Lafortezza, Raffaele

AU - Huang, Yuanyuan

AU - Fan, Lei

AU - Wang, Xuhui

AU - Qin, Yuanwei

AU - Ran, Qinwei

AU - Yan, Kai

AU - Liu, Xiaoping

AU - Liu, Liyang

AU - Yue, Yuemin

AU - Ren, Jiashun

AU - Yuan, Wenping

AU - Chen, Xiuzhi

PY - 2025/1/17

Y1 - 2025/1/17

N2 - Tropical planted and regrowth forests (TPRFs) are one of the most low-cost components for recovering biomass-stored carbon in the tropics. Nevertheless, challenges persist in pinpointing which elevational ranges exhibit the largest carbon accumulation rate (γrapid) due to the highly inconsistent previous assessments. This prevents the selection of optimal locations for implementing large-scale reforestation in the tropics. Here, we proposed a refined approach that used a carbon accumulation threshold (<80% of the maximum value) to quantify γrapid in TPRFs at various elevations. We find that γrapid increases with elevations from 300 to 1,000 m and declines at elevations >1,000 m. TPRFs at elevations ∼1,000 m exhibit three times more γrapid than lowland TPRFs. This optimal elevation, highly dependent on background temperatures, varies slightly but significantly across different mountains. These findings provide guidelines for policymakers to determine the optimal elevations from regional to continental scales when implementing reforestation initiatives in the tropics.

AB - Tropical planted and regrowth forests (TPRFs) are one of the most low-cost components for recovering biomass-stored carbon in the tropics. Nevertheless, challenges persist in pinpointing which elevational ranges exhibit the largest carbon accumulation rate (γrapid) due to the highly inconsistent previous assessments. This prevents the selection of optimal locations for implementing large-scale reforestation in the tropics. Here, we proposed a refined approach that used a carbon accumulation threshold (<80% of the maximum value) to quantify γrapid in TPRFs at various elevations. We find that γrapid increases with elevations from 300 to 1,000 m and declines at elevations >1,000 m. TPRFs at elevations ∼1,000 m exhibit three times more γrapid than lowland TPRFs. This optimal elevation, highly dependent on background temperatures, varies slightly but significantly across different mountains. These findings provide guidelines for policymakers to determine the optimal elevations from regional to continental scales when implementing reforestation initiatives in the tropics.

KW - biomass carbon accumulations rate

KW - elevation pattern

KW - natural growth forests

KW - planted forests

KW - rapid growth stage

KW - relieve high-temperature stress

KW - tropical forests

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DO - 10.1016/j.oneear.2024.11.001

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85212818658

SN - 2590-3330

VL - 8

JO - One Earth

JF - One Earth

IS - 1

M1 - 101147

ER -

Carbon accumulation rate peaks at 1,000-m elevation in tropical planted and regrowth forests

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Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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