Annual Carbon Sequestration Patterns in Trees: A Case Study from Scots Pine Monospecific Stands and Mixed Stands with Sessile Oak in Central Poland

The need to understand the carbon sequestration ability of trees under current and future climatic scenarios is fundamental to predict the role of forest in counterbalancing the global warming. In this study, we investigated the carbon sequestration ability of Pinus sylvestris L. in a setting of pure and mixed forests with Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl. in Central Poland. Beside the traditional growth measures, i.e., Ring Width, Basal Area Increment, and wood density, we utilized also a new Index called BAIden, which combines Basal Area Increment and mean ring wood density to depict the carbon sequestration ability of trees. Pinus sylvestris showed different sensitivity to climatic variability depending on tree admixture, while the Basal Area Increment and wood density presented few differences between pure and mixed forests. According to the BAIden index, carbon accumulation in P. sylvestris showed similar sensitivity to climatic variability in pure and mixed forests. The new index was also informative on the main climatic drivers of carbon sequestration. Considering future climatic scenarios, the carbon sequestration ability of P. sylvestris will be facilitated by rising temperatures in late winter-early spring and reduced by decreasing precipitation and rising temperatures during summer. Finally, we discussed the perspective and applicability of BAIden for further studies on carbon sequestration ability under climate change.

Automated summary

Understanding the carbon sequestration ability of trees under different climatic conditions is crucial for predicting the role of forests in mitigating global warming. This study focused on the carbon sequestration ability of Pinus sylvestris in pure and mixed forests in Central Poland. A new index called BAIden, which combines Basal Area Increment and mean ring wood density, was used to assess tree carbon sequestration ability. The results showed that the sensitivity of Pinus sylvestris to climatic variability varied depending on tree admixture, while Basal Area Increment and wood density had minimal differences between pure and mixed forests. Carbon accumulation in Pinus sylvestris was similarly sensitive to climatic variability in both forest types according to the BAIden index.