Carbon Stock and Environmental Variations of Typical Plantations in Mufu Mountain in Hubei Province, China

ABSTRACT Forest ecosystems play a critical role in the global carbon cycle. As a significant terrestrial carbon sink, plantations exhibit carbon stock patterns that are shaped by tree species composition, stand structure, and environmental conditions. Here, we investigated typical plantation types in the Mufu Mountain, Hubei Province. Total carbon stock and its distribution across different stand types were quantified by establishing permanent monitoring plots and conducting tree surveys, applying general biomass models to estimate biomass, and employing elemental analysis to measure soil carbon content. Our results indicated that total carbon stock ranged from 37,452.54 to 184,909.38 kg/ha among six forest subplots in the Mufu Mountain. Broadleaf and coniferous stands accumulated substantially more carbon than Phyllostachys edulis (Carrière) J. Houz. forests. Higher soil temperature, illuminance, and increased shrub cover promoted carbon accumulation in trees and shrubs. In contrast, multiple environmental factors regulated carbon stock in herbaceous plants, litter, and soil organic matter, demonstrating clear carbon pool‐specific effects. Our findings clarify key environmental drivers of carbon dynamics in subtropical plantations, and based on these results, we propose concrete management strategies including the selection of high‐carbon stock tree species, maintenance of understory shrub layers, and implementation of strategic canopy thinning to enhance forest carbon sequestration.