• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.666-674
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• 2014

In this study, we investigated mechanical properties of Korean softwoods after applying thermal compression. Density of compressed woods was notably increased with thermal compression. In case of 50% compression set, density of Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis), Japanese red pine (P. densiflora), and Larch (Larix kaempferi) wood was increased by 71%, 74%, and 76%, respectively, when compared to the control group. The strength of woods was increased and quality of the woods became homogeneous with an increases in the compression set. On the 50% compression set, the compressive strength, bending strength, and hardness of Korean pine wood was increased by 76%, 83%, and 55%, respectively compared to the control group. Longitudinal compressive strengths of Japanese red pine wood increased by 69%, 130%, and 76%, respectively and those of Larch wood increased by 77%, 120%, and 44%, respectively. In thermal compression wood, mechanical properties of Larch wood was the highest, while those of Korean pine wood were the lowest. However, Japanese red pine wood showed the highest in the increase rate of mechanical properties after the thermal compression.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.157-164
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• 2011

Long-term annual water balances are analyzed for two forest catchments located in Gwangneung covered with forests of different types and ages. The water balance trends of the two catchments from 1982 to 2009 are compared to identify the effect of forest growth and thinning on the water balance in a planted coniferous forest catchment. According to the averaged annual precipitation and runoff for the four designated periods from 1982 to 2009, the water balance of the old natural broad-leaved forest catchment (GB) remained relatively unchanged. In contrast, the young planted coniferous forest catchment (GC) showed significant changes in the water balance due to the forest growing and thinning. The results showed that the catchment runoff decreases with increasing tree age whereas the forest thinning results in an increase in catchment runoff. The mean annual runoff from the catchment GC after thinning increased by 1.7 times, compared with the mean annual runoff before forest thinning. The mean annual runoff from the catchment GB was very stable throughout the period. However, such an effect of forest thinning appeared to last only for about 10 year-period, after which the water yield increment in the catchment GC disappeared. It indicates that the proper forest management should be reconsidered at the interval of 10 years to effectively reduce water loss and increase water yield in the planted coniferous forest.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 2001

Chlorophyll fluorescence of needles of Korean fir (Abies koreana) plants and environmental factors of their natural habitat were investigated in order to obtain the information for environmental adaptation and conservation of Korean fir plants. The photochemical efficiency of photosystem II, Fv/Fm, of Korean fir needles was significantly low (0.19-0.36) in the winter, whereas it was high (0.8-0.86) in the summer. The Fv/Fm value of the winter was slightly higher at mid-day than at dawn, suggesting that mid-day environmental conditions of the winter were favorable on needles of Korean fir plants. In contrast, the mid-day Fv/Fm value of the summer maintained high (around 0.8). It indicates that mid-day environmental conditions of the summer did not induce photodamage, although it caused a slight decrease in the Fv/Fm values. The non-photochemical fluorescence quenching (NPQ) of Korean fir needles was very low (0-0.01) all through the day in the winter. However, it was high (0.76) at mid-day in the summer. These results suggest that Korean fir plants have a system for the protection of PS II from mid-day environmental stresses of the summer. In the winter, the Fv/Fm values were positively correlated with temperature, light intensity and relative humidity, although NPQ values showed no correlation with any of them. In the summer, the Fv/Fm values were positively correlated with relative humidity but negatively correlated with temperature and light intensity. These results indicate that increase of tempera-ture, light intensity and relative humidity lead to promotion of the photochemical efficiency in the winter and high temperature and light intensity may cause photoinhibition in the summer.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.251-258
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• 2006

Crystal-bearing cells are rarely encountered in the softwoods and their regular occurrence, e.g., in species of Abies, Picea, Ginkgo, and Pinus, is of considerable diagnostic significance. Thus, this study discusses the distribution and types of crystals in North American Abies species to provide additional information for wood anatomy and identification through light and scanning electron microscopies. Prismatic crystals, elongate crystal s, and styloids are identified, in descending order of frequency, in Abies concolor, A. grandis. and A. magnifica, A. nobilis (=A. procera), A. lasiocarpa, and A. amabilis but not in A. balsamea and A. fraseri. Differently from the other species, A. lasiocarpa shows the tendency of more elongate crystals and styloids than prismatic crystals. A. concolor contains crystal sands, prismatic crystals, elongate crystals, and styloids both in the axial and ray parenchyma cells, whereas the other species show prismatic crystals, elongate crystals, and styloids only in the ray parenchyma cells. Ray parenchyma cells containing crystal sand and axial parenchyma cells having crystal sand, prismatic crystals, elongate crystals, and styloids are probably reported here for the first time in A. concolor. In conclusion, the presence or absence of crystals appears to be the most powerful diagnostic character for separating A. concolor, A. grandis, and A. magnifica from A. nobilis (=A. procera), A. lasiocarpa, A. amabilits, A. balsamea, and A. fraseri.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.76-82
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• 2006

Genetic variation of two Juniperus chinensis var. sargentii populations in Mt. Seorak and Mt. Halla was investigated by isozyme analysis at reproducible 11 loci of 7 isozyme systems(Aat-1, Aat-2, Gdh, Idh, Lap, Mdh-1, Mdh-2, Mdh-3, 6Pgd, Pgi-1, and Pgi-2), of which 7 loci were polymorphic. The levels of genetic diversity of two populations were A=2.2, $A_e=1.61,\;P_{95}=54.5,\;H_{o}=0.179,\;H_e=0.287$(Mt. Seorak population) and A=2.1, $A_e=1.48,\;P_{95}=63.6,\;H_{o}=0.270,\;H_e=0.250$(Mt. Halla population), respectively. These values were similar to and/or somewhat higher than those observed in other Korean native conifers. Moderately low degree of genetic differentiation was observed between 2 analyzed populations ($F_{ST}=0.039$). Heterozygosity of the population in Mt. Seorak was significantly lower than expected, and much high level of inbreeding coefficient(F=0.376) was observed. Considering the limited population size and distribution range of the population, the population seemed to be influenced by inbreeding and/or random genetic drift, Consequently, Mt. Seorak population should be considered to be a more important candidate for the conservation of J. chinensis var. sargentii.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.368-373
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• 2010

Juniperus chinensis var. sargentii Henry is a short and creeping evergreen shrub which reaches about 60 cm in height and only occurs in the northeast Asia and in the top of high mountains over the Korea. The Korea Forest Service protects it strictly by law since J. chinensis var. sargentii is an eccentric plant and possibly may be exterminated soon in Korea. This study was carried out to develop the propagation technique by cutting for conservation of genetic resources of J. chinensis var. sargentii. The rooting responses of branch cuttings, obtained from hard(May) and semi-hard wood shoots (August) to four growth regulators, namely, IAA, IBA, NAA and Rooton(exceptionally powder method) applied at various concentrations(0, 100, 200, 500, 1000 and 2000 $mgL^{-1}$) were examined in mixed soil media. Rooting rate showed significant difference between cutting times, among kinds and among concentrations of growth regulators. The optimum cutting time was April to May in hardwood cutting. The application of IBA 1000 $mgL^{-1}$(rooting rate : 36.4%) was most effective in callus formation and rooting of cutting. Relatively, rooting of cutting of the control taken in May was 30.4%. Root characteristics such as number, length and diameter of root were not significantly affected by kinds and concentrations of growth regulators in hardwood cutting.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.307-317
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• 2011

Ground beetle fauna of Mt. Bangtaesan in Inje-gun, Gangwon-do was investigated from June to October in 2010. Ground beetles were collected by pitfall trapping. A total of 34 species of 18 genera belonging to 7 families were identified from 1,041 collected ground beetles. Species richness was high in Pterostichinae (15 species, 44.1%), Carabinae (7 species, 20.6%), Harpalinae (4 species, 11.8%), Nebriinae (3 species, 8.8%) and others (5 species, 14.7%). Dominant species were Synuchus spp. (260 individuals, 25.0%), Aulonocarabus semiopacus (218 individuals, 20.9%), and Pterostichus audax (205 individuals, 19.7%) in order. Korean endemic species were collected 564 individuals belonging to 10 species. By principal component analysis (PCA), species distribution and abundance of ground beetles were different depending on habitat characteristics of vegetation, surrounding environment and feeding habitat. Carabinae and Pterostichinae which live in the forest were preferred in hardwoods and coniferous in the Bangtansan Natural Recreation Forest, while Callistinae and Harpalinae were collected in forest adjacent to grasslands. Overall, differences of habitat environments within forest are important factors associated with distribution of ground beetles. This result will provide useful informations with establishment of conservation program and long-term monitoring against environmental change within mountain by using ground beetles.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.11-30
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• 1984

This study was executed to offer the basical data needed to the plywood industry as examining on the wood characteristics of veneer species that grow in Korea. According to the aggravation of log import from foreign countries caused by the gradual exhaustion of wood resources in recent years, the study on wood characteristics of veneer species growing in Korea should be carried out preferentially in promotion of the domestic timber utilization and development of it's processing technique for plywood industry. 50 commercial veneer species in this study were selected from 33 genuses, and general macroseopical wood characteristics for them were examined and described by the species. And also keys for the identification based on gross features were briefly prepared and presented by gymnosperm and angiosperm respectively.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.646-655
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• 2015

A phytosociological survey carried out using the Z.-M. School’s methodology and system of numerical-classification analyses, this study sought to classify the syntaxa of forest vegetation on Mt. Byeokbang and to collect basic data on the transitional zones of the southern Korean peninsula’s coastal region. The syntaxa were classified into three physiognomic types and nine communities, including (1) evergreen coniferous forests (Eurya japonica-Pinus thunbergii community and Ardisia japonica-Pinus densiflora community), (2) summer-green, broad-leaved forests (Chloranthus japonicus-Quercus serrate community, Syneilesis palmata-Quercus mongolica community, Quercus acutissima community, Carpinus turczaninovii var. coreana community, Fraxinus siebolidiana-Quercus dentate community, and Deutzia glabrata-Lindera erythrocarpa community), and (3) artificial afforestation (Alnus firma afforestation). The Chloranthus japonicus-Quercus serrata community, Syneilesis palmata-Quercus mongolica community, Fraxinus siebolidiana-Quercus dentata community, Carpinus turczaninovii var. coreana, community and Deutzia glabrata-Lindera erythrocarpa community were closely evaluated for national vegetation naturalness. It was confirmed that the Carpinus turczaninovii var. coreana community was endemic to Korea. Most syntaxa were defined as a secondary forestation due to various human activities (e.g., forest fires, logging, digging, climbing, etc.). The results of a canonical-correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that human activities, altitude, humus depth, rock cover ratio, slope, etc. were the main ecological factors determining the classified plant communities’ distribution patterns.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.184-191
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• 2009

In the southern part of the Korean Peninsula including Jeju-island, the production amount of domestic cedar has increased gradually. However, their low qualities, expected to be caused by the low density and frequent knots, have restricted their practical utilization as the high value-added products. In this study, it is aimed to look for the new uses of domestic cedar and to examine the applicability for lamination lumbers of structural glued laminated timber (glulam). Above all, machine stress ratings for individual sawn lumbers confirmed that modulus of elasticity (MOE) of cedar lumber was lower than that of other common softwood species in Korea. On the other hand, cedar lumbers have enough stiffness to manufacture the structural glulam in accordance with Korean Industrial Standard (KS). The bonding strength and durability also met the KS limitation. Nevertheless, from the result of bending tests for cedar glulam, it was shown that the modulus of elasticity (MOE) did not meet the KS limitation. Therefore, it was concluded that additional researches were needed for reinforcing the stiffness of cedar glulam.