Potential response of major tree species to climate warming in Changbai Mountain,Northeast China

The LINKAGES model was used to simulate potential impact of warmer climate to m ajor tree species in each vegetation zone on Changbai Mountain.The model was par ameterized for forests under the current climate conditions and executed under t he current and warmer climates.The warmer climate was defined as the monthly me an temperature plus 5℃ while precipitation remains unchanged.In the zone of mo untain birch forest, the warmer climate does not change the dominant position of the birch species, but helps increasing the biomass of spruce, fir, and larch s pecies.Some of birch trees in the lower elevations of the zone are replaced wit h spruce and fir, resulting in the up shift of spruce fir forest zone.In the z o ne of spruce fir forest, the forest structure stays the same under the warmer c limate but spruce and fir have faster growth rates.The biomass of spruce and fir is dramatically increased whereas the biomass of larch has a small increase.Th e dominant tree species of the mixed forest zone have a minor increase in biomas s, so do the other co dominant species, indicating that the mixed forest zone e xperiences little structural changes under the warmer climate.