A symposium on APN Funded Projects was held at XTBG during January 17-18. Scientists from China, Lao PDR, and VietNam participated in the meeting.
The participants talked about progress of the projects and made arrangement for further implementation. Afterwards, they made a field visit to Ailaoshan Forest Ecosystem Research Station.
In 2009, two research projects (“Temperature Sensitivity of Soil CO2 Efflux as Altered by Rubber Tree Plantations in Southeast Asia” and “Quantifying the Role of Dead Wood in Carbon Sequestration”) of XTBG were funded by The Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN).
The Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) is an inter-governmental network for the promotion of global change research and links between science and policy making in the Asia-Pacific Region.
Two APN Funded Projects:
|
Title |
Temperature Sensitivity of Soil CO 2 Efflux as Altered by Rubber Tree Plantations in Southeast Asia |
|
Research Theme |
Climate; Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Land Use; Use of Resources and Pathways for Sustainable Development; Science-Policy Linkages |
|
Countries Involved |
China , Lao PDR and Viet Nam |
|
Project Leader |
Drs. Xiaoming ZOU, Fanglin Liu, Min Cao, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CHINA; Email:xzou2000@yahoo.com |
|
Summary of Project |
The rapid economic growth occurring in China and Southeast Asian countries has increased demands for rubber, an essential natural material for a variety of industries including vehicle manufacture. The rapid rise in rubber consumption is resulting in expansion of rubber tree plantations in this region. Large areas of natural forest have been converted to rubber tree plantations, and this conversion can have severe ecological consequences such as altered carbon cycling. Therefore, a better understanding of ecosystem responses to tropical land-use changes is essential for developing smart land-use policies that will guide and regulate land-use planning to promote sustainable economic growth in the region. The project will address two main concerns: 1) How would land-use conversion from tropical forests to rubber tree plantations alter the cycling of carbon in Southeast Asia?; and 2) How do biotic factors regulate the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration to global warming in undisturbed tropical forests and rubber tree plantations? |
|
Title |
Quantifying the Role of Dead Wood in Carbon Sequestration |
|
Research Theme |
Climate; Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Land Use |
|
Countries Involved |
China , Lao PDR and Viet Nam |
|
Project Leader |
Dr. Douglas SCHAEFER, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CHINA; Email:xiedaoan@xtbg.ac.cn |
|
Summary of Project |
Terrestrial carbon sequestration depends on plant material not being released via respiration. Wood decomposition is the central component, but because it is a slow process, it remains poorly understood. This project will use advanced techniques of respiration monitoring, coupled with woody material manipulations in a variety of Asian forests, and under a wide range of soil conditions. The resulting respiration rates will complement previous long-term studies of wood dynamics to provide more accurate information for terrestrial carbon modelling. It will further provide policy guidance on which plant species and site conditions are most suitable to maximise carbon sequestration. |
