Impact of the 2008 Ice Storm on Forests in Southeast China

This chapter aims to introduce the impact of the 2008 ice storm on forest trees and ecosystem functions in southeast China. The ice storm damaged forests of 20 million hectares, about 10% of the total forestland in China, and caused significant ecological disturbance and damage to the forest ecosystem. There are different damage patterns in natural and plantation forests, with general patterns including uprooting, stem breakage, bending, and leaning. However, there were some differences among the tree species. The severity of forest tree species damage was classified as severe, moderate, or light based on standing volume loss or tree number loss. The chapter also discusses the storm-caused damage to forest ecosystems, which considerably changes the structure and function of the ecosystems. The damage to the ecosystem structure has weakened the capacities for water and soil conservation, water resource management, and has resulted in reduced biodiversity. It is essential to evaluate the impact of massive ice storms on major forest types in southeast China, which will serve as valuable references in tree plantation and forest management in the future.