• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.2 s.130
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• pp.56-64
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• 2005

This study was performed to investigate the frequency of blue staining fungal species collected from pine trees, Experimental Forests of Kangwon National University in Korea based on their morphological characteristics. In addition the tolerance to fungicide, Woodguard, was assessed to get basic knowledges for preventing blue stain of wood. Totally Leptographium-type fungi were dominated by 79.3% among Ophiostomatoid fungi associated with scolityd bark beetles in pine trees. Leptographium-type Ds-isolates which have unusual morphology were collected as frequency of 17.0%. The most distinct differeneces of these Ds-isolates from L. procerum were the presence of roughened hyphae and flask-shaped conidiophores that have never been mentioned formerly for L. procerum, but since these Ds-isolates formed black concentric rings being a property of L. procerum, the Df-isolates were characterized as Leptographium-type fungi, which are the most common species with the highest frequency by 33.2% in this particular area. According to our experimental results, Leptographium-type Ds- and Df-isolates were very resistant to fungicide, Woodguard, therefore it was suggested that a new method for wood protection from the blue staining fungi should be developed. Exact identification of blue staining isolates collected from pine trees is keep going.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.472-480
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• 2018

This study was conducted to estimate carbon storage in Quercus mongolica stands based on stand age class, and to provide basic data on the carbon balance of broad-leaved forests of Korea. The research was conducted at the experimental forest of Kangwon National University, Hongcheon-gun County, Gangwon-do Province, Korea. Three plots were set up in each of three Q. mongolica forest stands (III, V, and VII) to estimate the amount of carbon stored in Q. mongolica aboveground vegetation, coarse woody debris (CWD), organic layer, mineral soil, and litterfall. The carbon storage of the aboveground vegetation increased with an increase in stand age, while the carbon storage ratio of stems decreased. The carbon storage of the organic layer, CWD, and litterfall did not show any significant differences among age classes. In addition, the carbon concentration and storage in the forest soils decreased with depth, and there were no differences among age classes for any soil horizon. Finally, the total carbon storage in the III, V, and VII stands of Q. mongolica were 132.2, 241.1, and $374.4Mg\;C\;ha^{-1}$, respectively. In order to predict and effectively manage forest carbon dynamics in Korea, further study on deciduous forests with other tree species in different regions will be needed.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.298-310
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• 2020

Fuel management can play enormous role in fire management in tropical dry forests. However, unlike the temperate forests, knowledge on implications of different fuel management methods in tropical forests is often inadequate. In this study, the implications of prescribed burning and hand thinning treatments on implementation cost, fuel loading and post-treatment fire behaviour were tested and compared in degraded forests and teak plantations in two forest reserves of different levels of dryness in Ghana. The study found that prescribed burning was less expensive (62.02 US Dollars ha-1) than hand thinning (95.37 US Dollars ha-1). The study also indicated that the two fuel management methods were able to reduce fuel loading in degraded forests and teak plantations. However, prescribed burning was more effective in reducing fuel loading than hand thinning. While the relative change of fuel reduction was 13% higher in prescribed burning than the hand thinning in degraded forest, it was 41% higher in prescribed burning than hand thinning in teak plantations. The fire behaviour of post-treatment experimental fire was also lower in prescribed burning than the hand thinning and control plots. Fuel management, therefore, has a great potential in fire management in degraded forests and teak plantations in Ghana.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.96 no.5
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• pp.503-509
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• 2007

The major objective of this study was to analyze the difference of the chemical characteristics of acid deposition in Quercus forests in Korea and Japan. The pH values of rainfall at the experimental forest of Kangwon National University (KS site) were higher than those at the Foresta Hills in Japan (JP site), and all chemical contents of throughfall and stemflow were much higher than those of rainfall in Quercus forest stands at the KS and JP site. The pH values, $Ca^{2+}$, $NO_3{^-}$ and $SO{_4}^{2-}$ concentration of throughfall and stemflow at the KS site showed seasonal variation. While at the JP site, the same pattern was shown in the pH values of throughfall and stemflow, however, did not show any difference among seasons. Also, the annual input of all nutrients in these two contrasting forests varied seasonally. These results can be used to predict the amounts of air pollutant that are washed off and leached by the rainfall and Yellow Sand (Asian dust), including NOx and SOx acid pollutants transported easterly from China in the spring. Therefore, it is necessary to quantify the inputs of dry and wet deposition throughout a full year to gain a more complete understanding of the effects of acid deposition on the nutrient cycles in these forest ecosystems.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.213-222
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• 2019

Climate change has been intensifying and affecting forest ecosystems. Over the years, the intensity and frequency of climate change have increased and the effects of climate change have been aggravating due to cumulative greenhouse gases such as CO₂, which has resulted in several negative consequences, drought being the main threat among all. Drought affects forest ecosystems directly and indirectly. Insufficient soil moisture, due to drought, may affect the growth of plants and soil respiration (SR), and soil temperature may increase because of desiccated soil. In addition, the mortality rate of plants and soil microorganisms increases. As a result, these effects could reduce forest productivity. Thus, in this article, we have presented various research studies on artificial drought using throughfall exclusion, and we have mainly focused on SR, which is significantly related to forest productivity. The research studies done worldwide were sorted as per the main groups of Köppen-Geiger climate classification and intensively reviewed, especially in tropical climates and temperate climates. We briefly reviewed the properties among the exclusion experiments about the temperate climate, which mostly includes Korean forests. Our review is not a proof of concept, but an assumption for adequate investigation of drought effects in the Korean forest.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.94 no.2 s.159
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• pp.96-102
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• 2005

This study evaluated the chemical characteristics of rainfall and throughfall in Pinus koraiensis and Larix leptolepis forests. We analyzed pH, EC, and concentrations of cations and anions in rainfall, throughfall and stemflow collected from both forest types in the experimental forests of the central Korea. The concentrations of chemical elements were much higher in throughfall and stemflow than in rainfall for both forest types, and were significantly different among the seasons. Comparing the chemical elements between the P. koraiensis and L. leptolepis plantations, there were not significantly differences in throughfall, but the concentrations of almost elements of stemflow in P. koraiensis were almost lower than those in L. leptolepis. For seasonal inputs to the forest floor, more than half of the total input of $Ca^{2+}$, ${NO_3}^-$and ${SO_4}^{2-}$ was observed in spring. This suggests that air pollutants such as NOx and SOx accompanying calcium-rich aeolian Yellow Sand (Asian dust) from China could have an important influence on nutrient cycles in Korean forests.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.172-186
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• 2017

The effects of application of fuel-reduction treatment in wildfire management has not been tested in dry forests of Ghana. Therefore, the short-term ecological effects of prescribed burning and hand thinning treatments followed by experimental wildfire were investigated in degraded forests and Tectona grandis forest plantations in two forest reserves of different levels of dryness in Ghana. The results showed that more trees were killed in prescribed burning (average of 41% in degraded forest and 18% in plantations) than hand thinning (7.2% in degraded forests and 8% in plantation). More tree seedlings were also killed in prescribed burning (72%) than hand thinning (47%). The mortality of trees and seedlings were greater in Worobong South forest, a less dry forest reserve than the Afram Headwaters forest, a drier forest reserve. Fuel treatment especially prescribed burning compared to the control reduced wildfire effects on forest canopy particularly in the less dry forest and tree mortality especially in the drier forest. Prescribed burning temporarily increased pH, exchangeable potassium (52%) and available phosphorus (82%) in the surface soils of the entire plots. The two fuel treatment methods did not have much influence on basal area, organic matter and total nitrogen. Nevertheless, they were able to reduce the adverse wildfire effects on soil pH, exchangeable potassium, available phosphorus, organic matter and total nitrogen concentrations. Fuel treatments therefore have potential application in dry forest management in Ghana due to their ability to retain important forest ecological traits after a wildfire incidence.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.185-194
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• 2024

Purpose: This study investigated changes in psychological and physiological indices in cancer survivors who participated in a forest therapy camp in Korea. Methods: A total of 37 cancer survivors (19 and 18 in the experimental and control groups, respectively) participated in this study. Over a 2-night and 3-day period, the participants in the experimental group took part in a forest therapy camp that included activities such as gymnastics, walking, five-senses experiences, and meditation. Both groups completed self-report questionnaires that measured their stress levels and profile of mood states, both before and after the forest therapy camp. Blood samples were collected to measure the levels of cortisol, serotonin, and natural killer (NK) cells. Results: After the forest therapy camp, the experimental group exhibited reduced stress levels (p = .031) and a significant improvement in total mood disturbance (p = . 047) when compared with the control group. The level of serotonin also significantly increased (p < .001). However, in contrast to the prediction, a significant increase in cortisol was noted in the experimental group relative to the control group (p = .016). Moreover, no significant difference in NK cells was noted between the two groups. Conclusion: Forest therapy can be easily applied to cancer survivors. The positive psychological effects of the forest therapy camp were confirmed by improvements in stress and mood states and the increased level of serotonin in forest therapy camp participants. However, there is a need for a follow-up evaluation of cortisol and NK cells due to the absence of significant between-group differences.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.119-126
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• 2008

Growth and yield prediction methods, ranging from whole-stand models to individual-tree models, have been developed for forest types managed for wood production. The resultant models are used for a host of purposes including inventory updating, management planning, evaluation of silvicultural alternatives, and harvest scheduling. Because of the large investment in developing growth and yield models for improved genotypes and silvicultural practices for loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) in the Southern United States, this region serves to illustrate approaches for modelling intensively managed forests. Analytical methods and computing power generally do not restrict development of reliable growth and yield models. However, long-term empirical observations on stand development, which are time consuming and expensive to obtain, often limit modelling efforts. Given that growth and yield models are used to project present volumes and to evaluate alternative treatment effects, data of both the inventory type and the experimental type are needed. Data for developing stand simulators for loblolly pine plantations have been obtained from a combination of permanent plots in operational forest stands and silvicultural experiments; these data collection efforts are described and summarized. Modelling is essential for integrating and synthesizing diverse information, identifying knowledge gaps, and making informed decisions. The questions being posed today are more complex than in the past, thus further accentuating the need for comprehensive models for stand development.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.100 no.2
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• pp.202-211
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• 2011

The geometric characteristics of step-pool structures and how they are influenced by channel characteristics were investigated in a steep mountain stream in the Experimental Forests of Kangwon National University in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do. Average values of steps for the study reaches were as follows: step spacing, 4.69 m; step height, 0.47 m; step drop, 0.71 m; step-forming particle sizes, 0.68 m; number, 21steps/ 100 m; the ratio of step spacing to channel width, 0.5; and step steepness, 0.13. Relationships between spacing and height of steps and channel gradient showed a negative- and positive correlation, respectively, whereas all geometric variables of steps manifested poor correlation with channel width. Therefore, step steepness, expressed as the ratio of step height to step spacing, increased as channel gradient increased. The ratio of step steepness to channel gradient representing the criterion of maximum flow resistance was 1.2, indicating the channel bed's stable condition. In particular, the relationship between the ratio of step drop to step height and channel gradient showed a significant negative correlation, suggesting the influence of step-pool geometry in trapping sediment and providing an aquatic habitat. Positive correlations also exist between spacing and drop of steps and step particles. Our findings suggest that the dynamics of step-pool structures may strongly control physical and ecological environments in steep mountain streams, so understanding them is essential for stream management.