Spatial distribution characteristics of forest soil organic carbon stock in Sichuan Province
四川森林土壤有机碳储量的空间分布特征

Forest soil organic carbon plays an important role in global carbon cycle, as a consequence of which much more attentions have been given to the regional forest soil organic carbon stock. As yet little information was available on the spatial pattern of forest soil organic carbon pool in Sichuan Province, which was difficult to make needs of accurately assessing the regional forest soil organic carbon stock, and managing regional forest soil carbon pool. Forest soil organic carbon stock and distribution traits were therefore analyzed by coupling field investigation and ArcGIS methods with the purpose to assess forest soil carbon storage and spatial distribution in Sichuan Province. The total organic carbon stock of Sichuan forest soil was (2394.26±514.15) TgC with average carbon density of 190.45 Mg hm-2. Forest soil organic carbon stock varied from (5.05±0.37) TgC to (1101.74±205.4) TgC, depending upon forest types. Meanwhile, soil organic carbon density ranged from (102.69±21.09) Mg hm-2 to (264.41±49.24) Mg hm-2 in Sichuan forest, depending upon forest types and the altitude, latitude and longitude. Forest soil carbon content, density and stock declined with the increase of soil depth. Soil carbon density increased with the increase of altitude and latitude, but decreased with longitude. The results implied that the measurement of soil organic carbon stock in the forest ecosystem would benefit to enhance the precision in assessing regional forest soil carbon stock.