Changes in forest biomass carbon stock in the Pearl River Delta between 1989 and 2003

Forest ecosystems play a significant role in maintaining climate stability at the regional and global scales as an important carbon sink. Regional forest carbon storage and its dynamic changes in the Pearl River Delta have been estimated using the continuous biomass expansion factor (BEF) method based on field measurements of forests plots in different age classes and forest inventory data of three periods (1989–1993, 1994–1998, 1999–2003). The results show that regional carbon storage increased by 16.76%, from 48.57×106 to 56.71×106 tons, 80% of which was stored in forest stands. Carbon storage of other types of vegetation, with the exception of shrubland and woodland, increased. Carbon density of the regional forest increased by 14.31%, from 19.08 to 21.81 ton/hm2. Potential carbon storage of the regional forest may reach 39.96×107 tons when the forest biomass peaks with succession.