Spatiotemporal heterogeneity of Moso bamboo aboveground carbon storage with Landsat Thematic Mapper images: a case study from Anji County, China

Bamboo forest, especially Moso bamboo forest (Phyllostachys heterocycla var. pubescens), has a powerful carbon sequestration capability and plays an important role in the global carbon sink. This research examines the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of Moso bamboo aboveground carbon storage (AGC) in Anji County of Zhejiang Province, China. Five dates of Landsat Thematic Mapper images and field measurements were used to estimate Moso bamboo AGC between 1986 and 2008. Geostatistics were used to analyse AGC spatiotemporal heterogeneity. The results indicate that Moso bamboo AGC increases gradually and its spatial heterogeneity over five dates has moderate autocorrelation. Spatial heterogeneity increased dramatically after 1986, implying the influence of random factors such as management on the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of AGC. This research provides an alternative insight into the carbon cycling process of a bamboo forest ecosystem, and has implications for ongoing efforts in regard to carbon sequestration management.