Changbaishan

The 25 ha Changbaishan Forest Dynamics Plot was established in 2004 in the Changbai Mountains and joined the ForestGEO network in 2008. The plot is characterized as Broadleaved-Korean pine mixed forest. The plot is not only the first temperate forest dynamics plot in China but also worldwide, with the geographical coordinate 42.38°N, 128.08°E. The mean elevation of the plot is 801.5 m, and the terrain is relatively gentle with very little elevation change of 17.7 m. Seasonal changes are distinctly recognizable here. Mean annual temperature is 3.6℃, and mean annual precipitation is approximately 700 mm.

The main constructive species of the plot include Pinus koraiensis, Tilia amurensis, Quercus mongolica and Fraxinus mandshurica, etc. 38,902 individuals with DBH ≥ 1 cm were recorded, belonging to 18 families, 32 genera and 52 species. It is a typical old-growth multi-storied uneven aged forest with obvious dominant species. The height of main canopy species was nearly 30 m, and the oldest trees are about 300 years. The mean DBH and basal area were 10.52 cm and 43.23 m²/ha, respectively.

Principal Investigator: Zhanqing Hao, professor of Institute of Applied Ecology, CAS. He mainly conducts studies on forest ecology and biodiversity.

Research Team:  Xugao Wang, Ye Ji, Lin Fei, Yuan Zuoqiang