Long-term estimates of live above-ground tree carbon stocks and net change in managed uneven-aged mixed species forests of sub-tropical Queensland, Australia

SummaryEstimates of carbon stocks and their annual change for extensive Australian sub-tropical forests are based on indirect estimates or on data derived from temperate forests. We estimated live above-ground tree carbon (LAC) stocks at landscape level from 355 000 measurements of 94 127 tree stems from 604 permanently monitored plots representing 2.6 million ha of managed uneven-aged mixed-species native forests in sub-tropical Queensland. These plots were established between 1936 and 1998 and re-measured every 2 to 10 years up to 2011. Landscapes were represented by 16 broad vegetation groups growing across a mean annual rainfall range of 500 to 2000 mm. Landscape-mean LAC stocks varied from 20.8 ± 4.3 t C ha−1 in inland eucalypt woodlands to 146.4 ± 11.1 t C ha−1 in coastal wet tall open forests. Landscape maximum LAC stock, defined as the mean of maximum LAC stocks over the entire measurement history for a specified landscape under prevailing environmental conditions and disturbance regimes, includin...