Impact of the 2008 ice storm on China's forests

An unprecedented ice storm occurred in south China in early 2008, bringing extensive damages and huge losses to China's forests. By site specific survey, coupled with review of the government documents and reports, we made an impact assessment of the ice storm on China's forests at regional and local scale. The ice storm affected one-tenth of the forests in 19 provinces, with masson pine, Chinese fir and bamboo plantation among the most extensively slashed. The damage degree for the subtropical typical forest types ranged from 25% to 66%. Ice-damage to tree/bamboo exhibited different patterns, with uprooting and bending being the most common. The topographical variables (altitude, slope aspect), stand density, tree size and age, and management practice were all found to have effects on damage severity. High altitude and north-faced slope aggravated ice damage; native pine exhibited better resistance to damage than exotic. The effect of stand age and tree size on damage seemed to vary with species. The ice storm taught us valuable lessons. Native species should be put at the most priority in large scale forestation. Good management practice may help to reduce the risk of extreme climatic events. Sustainable extraction of non-timber goods is essential to planning for the risk of extreme events in forest resources use.