Abstract: A method for estimating forest community respiration based on the morphological features of the trees and structural characteristics of forest was described. The method mainly involved four procedures, viz. establishment of 1 ) an appropriate relationship between the diameter class and the lengths, i.e. an equation to access the diameter distribution function, of woody organs; 2) a quantitative relationship between the respiration rate and the diameter of woody organs; 3) a model with biological significance for estimating the forest respiration; 4) equations for estimating the forest community respiration. The method has been used to estimate community respiration of three temperate forest types in the mountain of Beijing, Pinus tabulaeformis Carr., Betula platyphylla Suk., and Quercus liaotungensis Koidz. forest. The mean respiration rates of these three forest types were between 1 256 and 1 491 mg CO2 (tree • h)-1, showing no clear difference among them. Their annual community respiration rate was estimated to be 15.5, 8.0 and 4.9 tones dry weight (hm2 • a) -1, respectively, indicating close values to most temperate forests which have been reported around the world.

Key words: Beijing, Community respiration, Diameter distribution function, Respiration rate, Temperate Forest