• Journal of Climate Change Research
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.369-375
• /
• 2017

In this study, it was intended to compare the two methodologies for forest management project through extension of rotation age: Korean Forest Carbon Offset Standard (KFOS) and Verified Carbon Standard (VCS). The amount of carbon removals and offset credits based on the two methodologies and their trends were analyzed in this study. The major difference between two methodologies were found at the process of estimation of baseline carbon removals. For instance, average carbon stock during the project period was used for estimation of baseline carbon removals in KFOS, while average carbon stock change during the 100 years was used in VCS. Due to the different approach for estimation of baseline carbon removal, the estimated offset credits were also different according to the two methodologies. In this study, 15 project scenarios were considered for comparison of two methodologies : 5 major coniferous stands in Korea (Pinus densiflora in Gangwon region, Pinus densiflora in Central region, Pinus koraiensis, Larix leptolepis, Chamaecyparis obtusa) with 3 project periods (30, 35, 40 years). The results showed that estimated carbon offset credits based on the KFOS methodology were higher for all 15 scenarios compared to those based on the VCS methodology. The KFOS showed a steep decline in the annual offset credit as project period gets longer, thus it is not desirable for projects with longer period. VCS is more acceptable for longer projects with a small difference according to the project periods. The results also indicated that Pinus densiflora in Gangwon, Pinus koraiensis, and Larix leptolepis are more desirable species for forest management project through the extension of ration age.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
• /
• 2023.05a
• /
• pp.167-167
• /
• 2023

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a critical component of soil health and is crucial in mitigating climate change by sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. Accurate estimation of SOC storage is essential for understanding SOC dynamics and developing effective soil management strategies. This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing the spatial distribution of SOC storage in South Korea, using bulk density (BD) prediction to estimate SOC stock. The study utilized data from 393 soil series collected from various land uses across South Korea established by Korea Rural Development Administration from 1968-1999. The samples were analyzed for soil properties such as soil texture, pH, and BD, and SOC stock was estimated using a predictive model based on BD. The average SOC stock in South Korea at 30 cm topsoil was 49.1 Mg/ha. The study results revealed that soil texture and land use were the most significant factors influencing the spatial distribution of SOC storage in South Korea. Forested areas had significantly higher SOC storage than other land use types. Climate variables such as temperature and precipitation had a relative influence on SOC storage. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the factors influencing the spatial distribution of SOC storage in South Korea.

• Journal of Korean Society for Geospatial Information Science
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.119-129
• /
• 2010

The joint use of remotely sensed data and field measurements has been widely used to estimate aboveground carbon stock in many countries. Recently, Korea Forest Research Institute has developed new carbon emission factors for kind of tree, thus more accurate estimate is possible. In this study, the aboveground carbon stock of Danyang area in South Korea was estimated using k-Nearest Neighbor(kNN) algorithm with the 5th National Forest Inventory(NFI) data. Considering the spectral response of forested area under the climate condition in Korea peninsular which has 4 distinct seasons, Landsat TM seasonal satellite images were collected. As a result, the estimated total carbon stock of Danyang area was ranged from 3542768.49tonC to 3329037.51tonC but seasonal trends were not found.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
• /
• v.6 no.4
• /
• pp.303-310
• /
• 2015

This study was conducted to estimate of carbon stock and greenhouse gas (GHGs) removals by tree species and forest type at Gangwon province. We used a point sampling data with permanent sample plots in national forest inventory and national emission factors. GHGs emissions was caclulated using the stock change method related to K-MRV and IPCC guidance. Total carbon stock and greenhouse gas removals were high in deciduous forest and species than in coniferous. The range of annual net greenhouse gas emissions in other deciduous species was from $-11,564.83Gg\;CO_2\;yr^{-1}$ to $-13,500.60Gg\;CO_2\;yr^{-1}$ during 3 years (2011~2013). On the other hand, coniferous forest was temporally converted to source due to reducing of growing stock in 2012. It was that growing stocks and forest area were likely to reduce by the deforestation and clear cutting. This study did not consider other carbon pools (soil and dead organic matter) due to the lack of data. This study needs to complement the activity data and emission factors, and then will find the way to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions and removals in the near future.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.128-140
• /
• 2021

Tropical dry forests are one of the most threatened, widely distributed ecosystems in tropics and estimation of forest biomass is a crucial component of global carbon emission estimation. Therefore, the present study was aimed to quantify the biomass and carbon storage in trees on large scale (10, 1 ha plots) in the dry mixed evergreen forest of Javadhu forest of Eastern Ghats. Biomass of adult (≥10 cm DBH) trees was estimated by non-harvest methods. The total biomass of trees in this tropical dry mixed evergreen forest was ranged from 160.02 to 250.8 Mg/ha, with a mean of 202.04±24.64 Mg/ha. Among the 62 tree species enumerated, Memecylon umbellatum accumulated greater biomass and carbon stocks (24.29%) more than the other species in the 10 ha study plots. ANOVA revealed that there existed a significant variation in the total biomass and carbon stock among the three plant types (Evergreen, brevi-deciduous and deciduous (F (2, 17)=15.343, p<0.001). Basal area and density was significant positively correlated with aboveground biomass (R² 0.980; 0.680) while species richness exhibited negative correlation with above ground biomass (R² 0.167). Finding of present study may be interpreted as most of the trees in this forest are yet to be matured and there is a net addition to standing biomass leading to carbon storage.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.103 no.3
• /
• pp.446-452
• /
• 2014

This research aimed to provide a method to estimate growing stock and carbon stock using the characteristics of forest type map such as the age-class, DBH class and crown density class. We transformed the growing stock data of national forest inventory (mainly Kangwon-do province) onto those of time when the forest type map was established. We developed a simulation model for the growing stock using the transformed data and the characteristics of forest type map by the quantification method I. By comparing partial correlation coefficient, we found that quantification of growing stock was largely affected by age-class followed by crown density class, forest type and DBH class. The growing stock, was estimated as minimum in the broadleaved forest with age-class II, DBH class 'Small', and crown density class 'Low' as $20.0m^3/ha$, whereas showed maximum value in the coniferous forest with age-class VI, DBH class 'Large', and crown density class 'High' as $305.0m^3/ha$. The growing stock for coniferous, broadleaved, and mixed forest were estimated as $30.5{\sim}305.0m^3/ha$, $20.0{\sim}200.4m^3/ha$, and $23.8{\sim}238.1m^3/ha$, respectively. When we compared the carbon stock by forest type, the carbon stock by age class based on growing stock was maximum when DBH class was 'Large' and crown density class was 'High' regardless of forest type. This estimation of growing stock by using characteristic of forest type can be used to estimate the changes in growing stock and carbon stock resulting from deforestation or natural disaster. In addition, we hope it provide a useful advice when forest officials and policy makers have to make decisions in regard to forest management.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.415-424
• /
• 2017

This study was conducted to estimate carbon stocks of Pinus densiflora with drawing volume of trees in each tree height and DBH applying the suitable stem taper equation and tree specific carbon emission factors, using collected growth data from all over the country. Information on distribution area, tree age, tree number per hectare, tree volume and volume stocks were obtained from the $5^{th}$ National Forest Inventory (2006~2010) and Statistical yearbook of forest (2016), and method provided in IPCC GPG was applied to estimate carbon stock and uptake. Performance in predicting stem diameter at a specific point along a stem in Pinus densiflora by applying Kozak's model, $d=a_{1}DBH^{a_2}a_3^{DBH}X^{b_{1}Z^2+b_2ln(Z+0.001)+b_3\sqrt{Z}+b_4e^z+b_5(\frac{DBH}{H})}$, which is well known equation in stem taper estimation, was evaluated with validations statistics, Fitness Index, Bias and Standard Error of Bias. Consequently, Kozak's model turned out to be suitable in all validations statistics. Stem volume table of P. densiflora was derived by applying Kozak's model and carbon stock tables in each tree height and DBH were developed with country-specific carbon emission factors ($WD=0.445t/m^3$, BEF = 1.445, R = 0.255) of P. densiflora. As the results of analysis in carbon uptake for each province, the values were high with Gangwon-do $9.4tCO_2/ha/yr$, Gyeongsandnam-do and Gyeonggi-do $8.7tCO_2/ha/yr$, Chungcheongnam-do $7.9tCO_2/ha/yr$ and Gyeongsangbuk-do $7.8tCO_2/ha/yr$ in order, and Jeju-do was the lowest with $6.8tC/ha/yr$. Total carbon stocks of P. densiflora were 127,677 thousands tC which is 25.5% compared with total percentage of forest and carbon stock per hectare (ha) was $84.5tC/ha/yr$ and $7.8tCO_2/ha/yr$, respectively.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.95 no.4
• /
• pp.405-414
• /
• 2006

Korea is expected to be included in the countries of compulsory reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the 2nd commitment period (2013~2017). For the negotiations in the future, this study was designed to review the tendency of discussions about carbon account in harvested wood products (HWP), which is currently underway around the globe and approach-specific characteristics, and analyze effects on carbon emissions in our country. As a result, most importantly, except the current IPC default approach there is no big difference among the 3 approaches of carbon account in HWP, which were newly suggested on the basis importers because all the HWP circulated at home are accounted for by carbon-stock changes. Under production approach, those HWP produced at home only are evaluated according to carbon-stock changes with the exception of imported HWP. Atmospheric-flow approach is favorable to net wood exporters, because the spot where ultimate decomposition and combustion arising out of the use of HWP occur is regarded as the place of carbon emission. Meanwhile, the estimation of korean carbon-stock change in HWP showed that as of 2004, stock-change approach was 1.567 Tg C, with production approach being 0.581 Tg C and atmospheric-flow approach being -1.425 Tg C, which means stock-change approach is most favorable to Korea as a net wood importer, while atmospheric-flow approach is the least favorable one, in terms of carbon emissions reduction in Korea.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
• /
• 2022.05a
• /
• pp.159-159
• /
• 2022

Soil represents a substantial component within the global carbon cycle and small changes in the SOC stock may result in large changes of atmospheric CO₂ particularly over tens to hundreds of years. In this study, we aim to (i) evaluate the SOC stock in the topsoil 0 - 15 cm from soil physical and chemical characteristics and (ii) find the correlation of SOC and soil organic matter (SOM) for national-scale in South Korea. First of all, based on the characteristics of the soil to calculate the soil hydraulic properties, SOC stock is the SOC mass per unit area for a given depth. It depends on bulk density (BD-g/cm³), SOC content (%), the depth of topsoil (cm), and gravel content (%). Due to insufficient data on BD observation, we establish a correlation between BD and SOC content, sand content, clay content parameter. Next, we present linear and non-linear regression models of BD and the interrelationship between SOC and SOM using a linear regression model and determine the conversion factor for them, comparing with Van Bemmelen 1890's factor value for the country scale. The results obtained, helps managers come up with suitable solutions to conserve land resources.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.75-84
• /
• 2015

Tropical forests play a critical role in mitigating climate change, and therefore, an accurate and precise estimation of tropical forest carbon (C) is needed. However, there are many uncertainties associated with C stock estimation in a tropical forest, mainly due to its large variations in biomass. Hence, we quantified C stocks in an intact lowland mixed dipterocarp forest (MDF) in Brunei, and investigated variations in biomass and topography. Tree, deadwood, and soil C stocks were estimated by using the allometric equation method, the line intersect method, and the sampling method, respectively. Understory vegetation and litter were also sampled. We then analyzed spatial variations in tree and deadwood biomass in relation to topography. The total C stock was 321.4 Mg C $ha^{-1}$, and living biomass, dead organic matter, and soil C stocks accounted for 67%, 11%, and 23%, respectively, of the total. The results reveal that there was a relatively high C stock, even compared to other tropical forests, and that there was no significant relationship between biomass and topography. Our results provide useful reference data and a greater understanding of biomass variations in lowland MDFs, which could be used for greenhouse gas emission-reduction projects.