The principal morphological characters used for identification of hydrangea cultivars are often dependent on agroclimatic conditions. Furthermore, information on the selection or the genetic background of the hydrangea breeding is so rare that a molecular marker system for cultivar identification is needed. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers were employed for fingerprinting Hydrangea macrophylla cultivars and candidate cultivars of H. macrophylla selected in Korea. One AFLP primer combination was sufficient to distinguish 17 H. macrophylla cultivars and 4 candidate cultivars. The profile of 19 loci that can minimize the error of amplification peak detection was constructed. AFLP markers were efficient for identification, estimation of genetic distances between cultivars, and cultivar discrimination. Based on the observed AFLP markers, genetic relationship was reconstructed by the UPGMA method. Seventeen H. macrophylla cultivars and H. macrophylla for. normalis formed a major cluster, and candidate cultivars selected in Korea formed another cluster.

The first evidence has been provided about the variation within trnL-trnV and trnF-trnT spacer regions of cpDNAs in Korean fir and Manchurian fir, revealed by PCR-RFLP analysis. Four cpDNA haplotypes have accordingly been recognized by being analyzed using the trnL-trnV/Tru11 primer-enzyme combination and 3 haplotypes using the trnF-trnT/TagI combination, which exhibited inter and intraspecific variation. A total of 6 cpDNA haplotypes were recognized by pooling the PCR-RFLP variants observed in both combinations. Haplotypes 2 and 3 were common for both species investigated, whereas haplotypes 1, 4, and 5 were detected only in Korean fir and haplotype 6 was detected only in Manchurian fir. Although haplotypes 2 and 3 were common in both species, haplotype 2 was major haplotype for Korean fir and haplotype 3 was one of the 2 major haplotypes for Manchurian fir. Restricted occurrence of haplotype 4 in Mt. Halla and haplotype 5 in Mt. Jiri of the Korean fir may represent the existence of geographic isolation by the sea between them. Diagnostic potential of individual haplotypes in discriminating between the two species as well as between their populations is discussed.

This study was undertaken to compare the biomass of Abies koreana growing at two sites. A $10{\times}10m$ plot was established in each site of a natural stand in Mt. Jiri and a plantation in Gyeongsan nursery. Five trees of A. koreana were randomly selected in each site. The following traits were investigated from each tree : height, basal diameter, age, weight of stem, branches, and needles as above-ground traits and weight of total roots, horizontal roots, and vertical roots as below-ground traits. In Gyeongsan nursery, age of sample trees was negatively correlated with both height and weight of total stem, while height was highly correlated with weight of horizontal roots. There was high correlation between the basal diameter and weight of total stem, and between the basal diameter and weight of roots. In Mt. Jiri stand, most of the above-ground traits except age were significantly correlated with the below-ground traits. The linear regression equation between the cross section area of base (X) and the weight of total stem (Y) in Gyeongsan nursery was Y=12.66X-12.92, and correlation was significant ($R^2=0.89$). The linear regression equation between the cross section area of base(X) and the weight of total branches (Y) in Mt. Jiri stand was Y=25.51X+6.00, and correlation was highly significant ($R^2=1.0$).

This study was conducted to elucidate the mid-growth of Norway spruce at the age of 27 and select the superior provenances in Korea. Growth performance of twenty-four provenances from Germany and Rumania were investigated in four plantations. Significant differences were found in growth (height, DBH, volume) with plantations. Maximum growth were detected on plantation Chuncheon which located in most northern area, and minimum growth were detected on plantation Wanju located in most southern area. The rank of height in provenances has fluctuated, but superior/inferior groups have been almost fixed. 840-23, 840-10, 840-19 in Germany, G1-64-57, G1-64-54 in Rumania proved excellent provenances. Height in early stage positively correlated with that in late stage. The growth was positively correlated with latitude and altitude of plantations, but negatively correlated with temperature.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of thinning on changes in stand characteristics and understory vegetation in a silvopasture practiced Japanese larch plantation in the Research Forest of Kangwon National University, Korea. Three different thinning intensities (64%, 35%, and control) were applied. Before and after thinning, the understory plant species increased its number from 48 (7 tree species, 7 shrubs species, 28 herbaceous species, and 6 woody climbers) to 100 (11 tree species, 15 shrub species, 67 herbaceous species, and 7 woody climbers). Thinning made plants invade easily on the forest floor, and plot A (325 stems/ha) had much higher number of undersory species than those Of plot B (575 stems/ha) and control plot (1,150 stems/ha). In three years after thinning, understory aboveground biomass (kg/ha) of herbs were 523 for control, 1,230 for plot B, and 1,288 for plot A. The canopy coverage had remarkable influence on the understory biomass production, resulting in relatively small amount of herbage production on control plot. The differences were statistically significant between thinned plots and unthinned plot, but there were no significant differences among the thinned plots (p<0.05).

The data used to develop distance-independent individual models for natural mixed forests were collected from 712 remeasured permanent sample plots (25,526 trees) of 10-year periodic from 1990 to 2000 in Baihe Forest Bureau of Changbai Mountains, northeast China. Based on analyzing relationship between diameter increment of individual trees with tree size, competitive status, and site condition, the diameter growth models for individual trees of 15 species growing in mixed-species uneven-aged forest stands, that have simple form, good predicting precision, and easily applicable, were developed using stepwise regression method. The main variables influencing on diameter increment of individual trees were tree size and competition, however, the site conditions were not significantly related with diameter increment. The tree size variables (lnDBH and $DBH^2$) were the most significant and important predictors of diameter growth existing in all 15 growth models. The diameter increment was directly proportional to tree diameter for each species. For the competitive factors in growth model, the relative diameter (RD), canopy closure (P), and the ratio of diameter of subject tree with maximum diameter (DDM) were contributed to the diameter increment at a certain extent. Other measures of stand density, such as basal area of stand (G) and stand density index (SDI), were not significantly influenced on diameter increment. Site factors, such as site index, slope and aspect were not important to diameter increment and excluded in the final models. The total variance explained by the final models of squared diameter increment ($R^2$) for all 15 species ranged from 35% to 72% and these results compared quit closely with those of Wykoff (1990) for mixed conifer stands. Using independent data set, validation measures were evaluated for predicting models of diameter increment developed in this study. The result indicated that the estimated precision was all greater than 94% and the models were suitable to describe diameter increment.

The objectives of this study were to select early, late, and abundant flowering trees of black locust from domesticated and introduced cultivars, and prediction of flowering period by calculation of accumulated temperature in spring. Four cultivars (Debreceni-2, Pusztavacs, Jaszkiseri, and Rozsaszin AC) from Hungary and a cultivar from Beijing, China, were introduced, propagated by seed and planted in a seed orchard. For domesticated black locust, 63 cultivars from 10 locations throughout the country were selected and propagated by root cutting. Criteria for selection of domesticated cultivars were abundant flowering, long flowering period, or abundant nectar production with, if possible, straight stems. Accumulated temperature was calculated from data of a nearby weather station by accumulating daily maximum temperature minus 5 degree Celsius from January 1 up to the date reaching 880 degrees. Daily mean temperature was also used to calculate accumulated temperature up to the date reaching 450 degrees. The percentages of two-year and three-year-old flowering trees propagated by root cutting were higher than that of trees propagated by seeds, while four-year-old trees all flowered regardless of propagation methods. Among the domesticated cultivars, all the cultivars from Ganghwa showed abundant flowering with highest nectar production of 6.5 ul per flower, which was 100% more than other domesticated cultivars and 50% more than Debreceni-2 cultivar with highest nectar production among the introduced cultivars from Hungary. At the end of the eight years of observations, two trees of Debreceni-2 cultivars and a tree from Beijing, China were selected for early flowering trees which flowered 2 to 3 days earlier than average trees, while a tree of Debeceni-2 and three trees from Bejing were selected for late flowering trees which flowered 2 to 3 days later than average trees. It is possible to extend the flowering period of black locust by 4 to 6 days by planting early and late flowering cultivars together. Abundant flowering trees were unable to be selected due to severe damages by leaf gall midges which killed many trees and reduced the crown size of the remaining trees in the seed orchard, and which were first found in Korea in 2001 and now damaging most of the black locust forests in Korea. The prediction of flowering period by accumulated temperature indicated that black locust flowered to a peak when accumulated daily maximum temperature reached 880 degrees Celsius, and when daily mean temperature reached 450 degrees.

Rauvolfia serpentina (L.) Benth. ex Kurz is a medicinal plant and an endangered tropical rainforest plant species. Since the field cultivation that aims to fulfill the industrial needs is never accomplished, tissue culture appears to be the most feasible way to improve the quality and quantity of R. serpentina. This experiment used two kinds of explants (roots and shoots) to induce optimal root formation in different combinations of auxin and photoperiod. Each explants exhibited different responses on given treatments. Differentiated root could be produced from explants cultured in IBA 20 mg/L with and without light. The highest number of roots, root length and root weight induced from shoot explants were effective on MS medium containing IBA 20 mg/L and incubated under dark condition, while highest total weight (callus and root) from root explants cultured on MS medium supplemented 10 mg/L IBA and 10 mg/L NAA and incubated under day length (11/13 hr). The root induced from shoot explants produced the highest major alkaloid content. The highest content of ajmaline (2.17 ppm fresh weight) and reserpine (1.30 ppm fresh weight) were observed in shoot explants cultured in MS medium containing combination of IBA 10 mg/L and NAA 10 mg/L and incubated under dark condition, yohimbine (1.47 ppm fresh weight) was in the shoot explants cultured in MS medium containing NAA 20 mg/L and incubated under day length, while serpentine was absent.

This study was carried out to examine the perceptions of consumers and forest product manufacturers in South Korea about forest certification and to identify their willingness-to-pay for certified products by personal interviews. Sixteen percent of interviewees knew and heard about forest certification. However, fifty-six percent of interviewees had an intention to participate in forest certification system. The consumers' group can be described in relative terms as the male of 30 age bracket. The average price premium charged to consumers was higher than one paid to manufacturers, and thus manufacturers are willing to include the additional costs for certified products.

Allometry, basal area equations, and volume equations were developed with various tree measurement variables for the major species, Quercus mongolica and Quercus variabilis, in Korean natural hardwood forests. For allometry models, the relationships between total height-DBH, crown width-DBH, height to the widest portion of the crown-total height, and height to base of crown-total height were investigated. Multiple regression methods were used to relate annual basal area growth to tree variables of initial size (DBH, total height, crown width) and relative size (relative diameter, relative height) as well as competition measures (competition index, crown class, exposed crown area, percent exposed crown area, live crown ratio). For tree volume equations, the combined-variable and Schumacher models were fitted with DBH, total height and crown width for both species.

This study is conducted to investigate the factors affecting lumber conversion rate of sawmill industry in South Korea. Data were obtained from the survey of 38 sawmills in all geographic regions of South Korea. The variables examined in this study were region, softwood/hardwood log, domestic/imported/both log, the number of power-driven carriages (PDC) installed, the year when and country where PDCs was manufactured, the horse power of PDC, the number of labors required to operate each PDC, the sawing capacity of mill (mill size), and the types of major product and by-products. The lumber recovery factor (LRF) of sawmills were significantly influenced by the origin of logs, level of PDC automation, sawmill size, and size of logs (measured in diameter and length) while not by the location of the mill, types of major product and by-product, log species, and characteristics of PDC. Although these results provide useful information for understanding the technological characteristics of the Korean sawmill industry, further investigation with larger sample is necessary to reveal the more reliable characteristics of sawmill industry in South Korea.

Restorative effect of forest settings is an emerging issue in the field of forestry. It is also the central question facing those currently engaged in the psychotherapeutic interventions is which treatments work. This study was performed to investigate the efficacy of forest experience on alcoholics' depression. Among 531 participants in forest healing camps, 47 alcoholics who participated all three sessions of the camps were selected for this study. Using pre-test and post-test group design with Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), mean changes in alcoholics' depression by completion of the camp was measured. The result of this study indicated that the 3-session of forest camp played significant role in reducing participants depression levels (i.e., positive changes in depression scores).

This study is designed to provide forest managers and landowners with tools to estimate the effect of forest management on carbon storage, investigating living tree biomass, detritus, and harvested wood products as variables. Thinning, selection cutting, and uncutting were applied to the three different forest types in New York, USA. Carbon storage of the original stands was 90, 56, and $101Mg\;ha^{-1}$ at the Allegheny hardwood forest, Northern hardwood forest, and Oak - black cherry forest, respectively. Among treatments, uncutting generally stored the greatest amount carbon. However, the rate of carbon storage was the smallest at the uncut treatment in all the sites. The 50% thinning, 50% selection, and 50% thinning treatments were the highest rate of carbon storage at the Allegheny hardwood forest, Northern hardwood forest, and Oak - cherry forest, respectively. In this study, only short term was applied to simulate carbon sequestration after silvicultural treatment. So, more research is needed to determine whether any silvicultural treatment can store significantly more carbon than no treatment over the long term.

The effect of nutrient availability and forest type on the nutrient turnover of fine roots is important in terrestrial nutrient cycling, but it is poorly understood. I measured nutrient turnover of hardwoods and softwoods at three well studied sites in the northeastern US: Sleepers River, VT; Hubbard Brook, NH; Cone Pond, NH. Significant differences in nutrient turnover by fine roots were observed among sites, but not between forest types. The magnitude of differences for each element ranged from 3 times for P and N to 8 times for Ca and Mg between sites. Smaller differences of 0.2 to 0.8 times were observed between forest types. In hardwoods, the Sleepers River 'new' site had $23kg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$ Ca, $7kg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$ Mg, and $16kg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$ K turnover, owing to high root nutrient contents and turnover. Cone Pond had the highest turnover for Mn ($0.8kg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$) and Al ($16kg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$), owing to high nutrient contents. The Hubbard Brook hardwood site exhibited the lowest turnover of these elements. In softwoods, the variation in turnover of Ca, Mg, and K was lower than in hardwoods. The Hubbard Brook had the highest turnover for P ($1.6kg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$), N ($31kg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$), Mn ($0.4kg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$), Al ($10kg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$), Fe ($6.4kg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$), Zn ($0.3kg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$), Cu ($34g\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$), and C ($1.1Mg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$). Root Ca turnover exponentially increased as soil percentage Ca saturation increased because of greater root nutrient contents and more rapid turnover at the higher Ca sites. These results imply that nutrient inputs by root turnover significantly increase as soil Ca availability improves in temperate forest ecosystems.

This study developed the Korean roundwood import prediction model using vector autoregressive (VAR) method. The roundwood was divided into softwood and hardwood by species. The VAR model of roundwood import was specified with two lagged endogenous variables, that is, roundwood import volume and roundwood import price. The results showed that the significance levels of F-statistics in the softwood and hardwood roundwood import equations rejected the hypothesis that all coefficients are zero. So, we concluded that roundwood import volume can be explained by lagged import volume and lagged import price in Korea. The coefficient signs of all variables were as expected. Also, the model has good explanatory power, and there is no autocorrelation.

The forest canopy gap has been well known as a substantial process of forest cyclic regeneration and important role in stand structure, dynamics, and biodiversity of the forest ecosystem. Based on 3,600 $5m{\times}5m$ square grids in a 9ha permanent experimental plot, the study was conducted to evaluate the regeneration pattern of woody species by developmental stage {seedlings (<1 m of height), saplingI (>1 m of height, <2 cm of DBH), and saplingII (2 cm$<200m^2$), $201-400m^2$, $400-600m^2$, $601-800m^2$, and $>800m^2$) in the mixed broadleaved-Korean pine forest. The results indicated that the regenerating trees of Populus ussuriensis occurred only in the canopy gap area, considered to be a typical gap-dependent species. The regeneration of Ulmus japonica, Ulmus laciniata, and Maackia amurensis could be generally satisfied with the gap size of $201-600m^2$, Betula costata and Prunus padus with gap size of $401-800m^2$, Picea koraiensis with gap size of $201-800m^2$, Fraxinus mandshurica and Syringa reticulata var. mandshurica with smaller than $800m^2$, respectively. Acer ukurunduense and Acer tegmentosum were likely to have no problem with the gap size to make gap regeneration. Acer mono and Tilia amurensis looked more capable of regenerating in the closed canopy disregarding the upper crown condition. The regeneration of Pinus koraiensis and Abies nephrolepis had no trouble under the canopy condition in less than $800m^2$of gap size. The density of regenerating shrubs was rather high, especially under the closed canopy, considered to be associated with great amount of regeneration production in such shade tolerant species as Lonicera maackii, Corylus mandshurica, Euonymus pauciflorus, and Philadelphus schrenkii under the closed canopy. Pearson correlation coefficient was computed to compare the similarity among non-gap area and five gap size classes by developmental stages for trees and shrubs. The similarity coefficients among closed canopy and the gap size classes were mostly significantly correlated to each other with a few exceptions.