• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.27 no.5
• /
• pp.571-578
• /
• 2013

This study generated regression models through a direct harvesting method to estimate carbon storage and uptake by Pinus densiflora and Pinus koraiensis, the major evergreen tree species in urban landscape, and established essential information to quantify carbon reduction by urban trees. Open-grown landscape tree individuals for each species were sampled reflecting various diameter sizes at a given interval. The study measured biomass for each part including the roots of sample trees to compute the total carbon storage per tree. Annual carbon uptake per tree was quantified by analyzing radial growth rates of stem samples at breast height. The study then derived a regression model easily applicable in estimating carbon storage and uptake per tree for the two species by using diameter at breast height (DBH) as an independent variable. All the regression models showed high fitness with $r^2$ values of higher than 0.98. While carbon storage and uptake by young trees tended to be greater for P. densiflora than for P. koraiensis in the same diameter sizes, those by mature trees with DBH sizes of larger than 20 cm showed results to the contrary due to a difference in growth rates. A tree of P. densiflora and P. koraiensis with DBH of 25 cm stored 115.6 kg and 130.0 kg of carbon, respectively, and annually sequestered 9.4 kg and 14.6 kg. The study has broken new grounds to overcome limitations of the past studies which quantified carbon reduction of the study species by substituting, due to a difficulty in direct cutting and root digging of landscape trees, coefficients from forest trees such as biomass expansion factors, ratios of below ground/above ground biomass, and diameter growth rates.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
• /
• v.47 no.3
• /
• pp.31-38
• /
• 2019

This study quantified, through a direct harvesting method, storage and annual uptake of carbon from open-grown trees for three landscape tree species frequently planted in the southern region of Korea, and developed quantitative models to easily estimate the carbon reduction by tree growth for each species. The tree species for the study included Camellia japonica, Lagerstroemia indica, and Quercus myrsinaefolia, for which no information on carbon storage and uptake was available. Ten tree individuals for each species (a total of 30 individuals) were sampled considering various stem diameter sizes at given intervals. The study measured biomass for each part of the sample trees to quantify the total carbon storage per tree. Annual carbon uptake per tree was computed by analyzing the radial growth rates of the stem samples at breast height or ground level. Quantitative models were developed using stem diameter as an independent variable to easily calculate storage and annual uptake of carbon per tree for study species. All the quantitative models showed high fitness with $r^2$ values of 0.94-0.98. The storage and annual uptake of carbon from a Q. myrsinaefolia tree with dbh of 10 cm were 24.0 kg and 4.5 kg/yr, respectively. A C. japonica tree and L. indica tree with dg of 10 cm stored 11.2 kg and 8.1 kg of carbon and annually sequestered 2.6 kg and 1.2 kg, respectively. The above-mentioned carbon storage equaled the amount of carbon emitted from the gasoline consumption of about 42 L for Q. myrsinaefolia, 20 L for C. japonica, and 14 L for L. indica. A tree with the diameter size of 10 cm annually offset carbon emissions from gasoline use of approximately 8 L for Q. myrsinaefolia, 5 L for C. japonica, and 2 L for L. indica. The study pioneers in quantifying biomass and carbon reduction for the landscape tree species in the southern region despite difficulties in direct cutting and root digging of the planted trees.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.199-212
• /
• 2014

The physiological responses of three common temperate species, Pinus densiflora, Fraxinus rhynchophylla, Sorbus alnifolia to elevated $CO_2$ was investigated using open top chambers with different $CO_2$ concentrations. Morphological (stomatal size, density and area) and physiological characteristics (maximum rates of photosynthesis, carboxylation and electron transport) were compared among trees grown under ambient, ambient ${\times}1.4$ (~550 ppm) and ambient ${\times}1.8$ (~700 ppm) $CO_2$ concentrations for last four years. Morphological responses were different among species. F. rhynchophyllar increased their stomatal size and S. alnifolia had higher stomatal density under elevated $CO_2$ than ambient. Stomatal area decreased in P. densiflora, whereas it increased in S. alnifolia. However, the maximum photosynthesis rate increased in all species up to 43.5% by S. alnifolia under elevated $CO_2$ and the enhancement increased with time. Even with four years of exposure to elevated $CO_2$, there was no sign of acclimation in the maximum carboxylation rate and the maximum electron transport rates in all species. Especially, S. alnifolia even showed the temporary increase of photosynthetic capacities in spring, when leaf nitrogen concentration was high with new leaf development. There was no significant differences in diameter growth rate in any species due to high variation in their tree sizes, however accumulated diameter and biomass for four years showed significantly increment in all species under elevated $CO_2$. For example, S. alnifolia showed 59% increase in diameter at the ambient ${\times}1.8$ (~700 ppm) compared to ambient.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.169-180
• /
• 2014

Chemical weathering of forest soils can reduce atmospheric $CO_2$ concentration over geologic time scales, providing many essential elements for life. Although many studies have been conducted on the effects of elevated atmospheric $CO_2$ on forest carbon storage using open top chambers and FACE (Free air $CO_2$ enrichment) facilities since the 1990s, studies on chemical weathering of forest soils under elevated $CO_2$ are relatively rare. Here I review on how elevated atmospheric $CO_2$ can affect the chemical weathering of forest soils and suggest directions on future research. Despite the recent advances in chemical weathering of forest soils under elevated atmospheric $CO_2$, it is still not clear how the large volume of forest soils would react under the condition. Future studies on weathering of forest soils covering large areas from the tropics to the polar regions with carefully monitored pre-treatment data would provide key information on how soils, the Earth's life sustaining engine, change under climate change.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
• /
• v.50 no.2
• /
• pp.41-63
• /
• 2022

The purpose of this study is to secure objective and precise data through ecosystem monitoring, to reveal ecological characteristics through comparison and analysis with past survey data, and to accumulate basic data for diagnosing the current situation and predicting changes in the ecosystem. The target site is the 'Quercus mongolica forest on the Buksa-myeon of Namsan', which was designated as an Ecological Landscape Conservation Area (ELCA) of Seoul in July 2006. The research contents are analysis of soil environment change (1986~2016), change of actual vegetation (1978~2016), and change of plant community structure (1994~2016). A total of 8 fixed surveys (400~1,200m²) were established in 1994 and 2000. Analysis items are importance value, species and population, and Shannon's species diversity. The soil environment of Namsan is acidic (pH 4.40 in 2016), which is expected to have a negative impact on tree growth and vegetation structure due to its low capacity for exchangeable cations. Quercus mongolica forest in Namsan is mainly distributed on the northern slopes. The actual vegetation area changed from 49.4% in 1978 → 80.7% in 1986 → 82.4% in 2000 → 88.3% in 2005 → 88.3% in 2009 → 70.3% in 2016. In 2016, the forest decreased by 18% compared to 2009. While there was increased growth of Quercus mongolica in the tree layer from 2009 to 2016, the overall decline in vegetation area was due to logging and fumigation management following the spread of oak wilt in 2012. As for the changes in the plant community structure, Quercus mongolica of the tree layer was damaged by oak wilt, and the potential vegetation that can form the next generation was ambiguous. In the subtree layer, the force of urbanization tree species such as Styrax japonicus, Sorbus alnifolia, and Acer palmatum. was maintained or increased. In the shrub layer, the number of trees and species increased significantly due to the open tree crown, and accordingly, the species diversity of Shannon for woody plants also increased. In Quercus mongolica forest of Namsan, various ecological changes are occurring due to the effects of urban environments such as air pollution and acid rain, the limitation of Quercus mongolica pure forest due to oak wilt, and the introduction of exotic species, thus, it is necessary to establish a management plan through continuous monitoring.