The purpose of this study was to predict culm height development and to evaluate biomass accumulation and carbon storage in the initial growth stage of moso bamboos (Phyllostachys pubescens). A total of 30 bamboos were sampled based on their diameter at breast height (DBH). I predicted the culm heights daily based on the Richards growth function for these bamboo samples. After they reached their maximum heights, the biomass and carbon storage were determined. The results showed that the Richards function accurately simulated the height growth of bamboos and that the growth potential of culm heights increased with increasing DBH classes. In contrast, the time when the maximum growth rate occurred (t max ) appeared to not be influenced by DBH classes and was close to 20 days for all DBH classes. The culms arrived at their maximum heights in about 40 days regardless of DBH class. In addition, astonishing biomass accumulation and carbon storage was found during this period, and the aboveground biomass and carbon storage were predicted to be 3.44–17.33 and 1.58–8.04 kg culm−1 for moso bamboos, respectively. The allometric model was used to predict the relationships between DBH and aboveground biomass in this stage. I compared the biomass accumulation between this stage and the entire yield period (5 years) and found that the bamboos accumulated three-fourths of their biomass for the entire yield period in only 40 days. This revealed that biomass accumulation and carbon storage mainly occurs in the initial growth stage for individual moso bamboos.

The purpose of this study was to compare aboveground carbon storage capacities of different management strategies of an age series of moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) forests. The study site was located in the lower mountain area of central Taiwan. Stand structure and aboveground carbon storage were compared between moso bamboo stands that were subjected to two management strategies, intensive management (IM) and extensive management (EM). The Chi squared (χ ²) test was utilized to examine the frequency distribution of culms among the age classes in each stand. All the IM stands passed the χ ² test, while only 41.7 % of the EM stands passed the test. This result suggests that the IM stands contain culms that are homogeneously distributed within an age series, while more than one-half of the EM stands did not follow this distribution. In addition, the relative root mean square errors (RRMSEs) of carbon storage in the age classes were calculated as an indicator of the variations of carbon storage in the age classes of each stand. A non-parametric test (Wilcoxon Scores) was utilized to compare the RRMSEs of the IM and EM stands; the results indicated that the RRMSEs were significantly different between these two management strategies. The IE stands displayed a smaller RRMSE than the EM stands, suggesting that the IE stands had stable carbon storage in the age series.

The purpose of this study was to assess the carbon storage (CS) and mean carbon sequestration (MCS) for natural forests, man-made forests, and bamboo forests. The study site was located in central Taiwan. We predicted the CS and MCS for a natural forest and two man-made forests (Taiwan red cypress and Japanese cedar) and cited the CS and MCS for two bamboo forests (Makino and Moso) from the previous studies. The results showed that the CS and MCS, respectively, were 192.84 Mg ha⁻¹ and 0.67 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for the natural forest; 68.85–96.81 Mg ha⁻¹ and 3.47–4.45 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for the Taiwan red cypress; 101.14–164.80 Mg ha⁻¹ and 2.66–5.23 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for the Japanese cedar; 49.8 Mg ha⁻¹ and 9.89 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for the Makino bamboo; and 40.6 Mg ha⁻¹ and 8.13 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for the Moso bamboo. The natural forest had the highest CS and the lowest MCS; conversely, bamboo forests had the lowest CS and the highest MCS. Moreover, the ratios of MSC to CS (R_MCS/CS) were 0.0034, 0.0229–0.0562, and 0.2 for the natural forests, man-made forests, and bamboo forests, respectively.

The purpose of this study was to predict aboveground biomass (AGB) and aboveground carbon storage (AGCS) in Ma bamboo (Dendrocalamus latiflorus Munro) plantations. A total of 25 bamboo samples were selected and felled based on age and diameter at breast height (DBH) classes. Two types of allometric equations (with and without an age factor) were used to develop biomass models for foliage, branches, culms and aboveground parts. Moreover, three intensively managed Ma bamboo plantations were used in this study to predict AGB and AGCS. The above two biomass models and a diameter distribution model were used to predict AGB for the three bamboo stands. The AGCS was predicted based on the AGB and percent carbon content. The results showed that the proportions of foliage, branches and culms to AGB were 11.1, 23.7 and 65.2%, respectively, at the individual bamboo level. The mean percent carbon content was predicted to be 41.68, 44.21 and 46.72% for foliage, branches and culms, respectively. The allometric equation with the age factor had better predictive ability than that without the age factor, with the former having higher R² and lower root mean square error values. Compared to the AGB predicted by the allometric model with the age factor at the stand level, the range of relative error was from −16.56 to 5.26% and from −40.0 to 71.7% for the AGB predicted by the allometric model without the age factor and that by the diameter distribution model, respectively. According to the allometric model with the age factor, the AGB and AGCS were predicted to be 35.7 ± 3.4 and 16.3 ± 1.5 Mg ha⁻¹, respectively, in Ma bamboo plantations. The results also reflected that the current status of Ma bamboo management is intensive management, where the focus is on harvesting bamboo shoots.

Plantation forests play a critical role in forest management due to their high productivity and large contribution to carbon sequestration (CSE). The purpose of this study was to assess the CSE of plantations containing four important conifer species distributed across Taiwan, namely, the China fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata), Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica), Taiwania (Taiwania cryptomerioides) and Taiwan red cypress (Chamaecyparis formosensis). Data regarding the plantations were obtained from a survey of permanent sample plots (PSPs). We used these data to calculate the CSE in each PSP and adopted CSEmean and CSEperiod as indicators to assess the CSE of the four conifers. According to the CSEmean obtained from analysis of variance and the least significant difference method, two groups were identified among these four conifers: the Japanese cedar (4.03 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1)) and Taiwania (3.52 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1)) yielded higher CSEmean values and the China fir (1.79 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1)) and Taiwan red cypress (2.36 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1)) yielded lower CSEmean values. The same patterns were observed in the CSEperiod values; however, no significant difference in CSEperiod was observed between Taiwan red cypress and either of the two groups. Therefore, Japanese cedar and Taiwania have high CSE potential among conifers.