The biomass and aboveground net primary productivity of Schima superba-Castanopsis carlesii forests in east China

The biomass and productivity of Schima superba-Castanopsis carlesii forests in Tiantong, Zhejiang Province, were determined using overlapping quadrants and stem analyses. The total community biomass was (225.3 +/- 30.1) t hm(-2), of which the aboveground parts accounted for 72.0% and the underground parts accounted for 28.0%. About 87.2% of biomass existed in the tree layer. The resprouting biomass was small, of which over 95.0% occurred in the shrub layer. The productivity of the aboveground parts of the community was (386.8 +/- 98.9) g m(-2)a(-1), in which more than 96.0% was present at the tree level. The trunk's contribution to productivity was the greatest, while that of leaves was the smallest. In China, the community biomass of subtropical evergreen broadleaved forests differs significantly with the age of the forest. The community biomass of the 52-year-old S. superba-C. carlesii forests in this study was lower than the average biomass of subtropical evergreen broadleaved forests in China, and was lower than the biomass of other subtropical evergreen broadleaved forests elsewhere in the world. Moreover, its productivity was lower than the model estimate, indicating that without disturbance, this community has great developmental potential in terms of community biomass and productivity.