• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.703-715
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• 2011

Forests have been considered one of the most important ecosystems on the earth, affecting the lives and environment. The sustainable forest management requires accurate and timely information of forest and tree parameters. Appropriately interpreted remotely sensed imagery can provide quantitative data for deriving forest information temporally and spatially. Especially, analysis of individual tree detection and crown delineation is significant issue, because individual trees are basic units for forest management. Individual trees in aerial imagery have reflectance characteristics according to tree species, crown shape and hierarchical status. This study suggested a method that identified individual trees and delineated crown boundaries through adopting gradient method algorithm to amplified greenness data using red and green band of aerial imagery. The amplification of specific band value improved possibility of detecting individual trees, and gradient method algorithm was performed to apply to identify individual tree tops. Additionally, tree crown boundaries were explored using spectral intensity pattern created by geometric characteristic of tree crown shape. Finally, accuracy of result derived from this method was evaluated by comparing with the reference data about individual tree location, number and crown boundary acquired by visual interpretation. The accuracy ($\hat{K}$) of suggested method to identify individual trees was 0.89 and adequate window size for delineating crown boundaries was $19{\times}19$ window size (maximum crown size: 9.4m) with accuracy ($\hat{K}$) at 0.80.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.1-12
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• 2019

It is important to measure the height of trees as an essential element for assessing the forest health in urban areas. Therefore, an automated method that can measure the height of individual tree as a three-dimensional forest information is needed in an extensive and dense forest. Since airborne LiDAR dataset is easy to analyze the tree height(z-coordinate) of forests, studies on individual tree height measurement could be performed as an assessment forest health. Especially in urban forests, that adversely affected by habitat fragmentation and isolation. So this study was analyzed to measure the height of individual trees for assessing the urban forests health, Furthermore to identify environmental factors that affect forest growth. The survey was conducted in the Mt. Bongseo located in Seobuk-gu. Cheonan-si(Middle Chungcheong Province). We segment the individual trees on coniferous by automatic method using the airborne LiDAR dataset of the two periods (year of 2016 and 2017) and to find out individual tree growth. Segmentation of individual trees was performed by using the watershed algorithm and the local maximum, and the tree growth was determined by the difference of the tree height according to the two periods. After we clarify the relationship between the environmental factors affecting the tree growth. The tree growth of Mt. Bongseo was about 20cm for a year, and it was analyzed to be lower than 23.9cm/year of the growth of the dominant species, Pinus rigida. This may have an adverse effect on the growth of isolated urban forests. It also determined different trees growth according to age, diameter and density class in the stock map, effective soil depth and drainage grade in the soil map. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the distance to the road and the solar radiation as an environmental factor affecting the tree growth. Since there is less correlation, it is necessary to determine other influencing factors affecting tree growth in urban forests besides anthropogenic influences. This study is the first data for the analysis of segmentation and the growth of the individual tree, and it can be used as a scientific data of the urban forest health assessment and management.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.41-44
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• 2008

In this paper, major species of tree were discriminated in compartment by using LiDAR data and optic imagery. This is an important work in forest field. A current digital stock map has created the aerial photo and collecting survey data. Unlike high resolution imagery, LiDAR data is not influenced by topographic effects since it is an active sensory system. LiDAR system can measure three dimension information of individual tree. And the main methods of this study were to extract reliable the individual tree and analysis techniques to facilitate the used LiDAR data for calculating tree crown 2D parameter. We should estimate the forest inventory for calculating parameter. 2D parameter has need of area, perimeter, diameter, height, crown shape, etc. Eventually, major species of tree were determined the tree parameters, compared a digital stock map.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.279-288
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• 2008

Vertical forest distribution is one of the important factors to understand various ecological mechanism such as succession, disturbance and environmental effects. LiDAR data provide information, both the horizontal and vertical distribution of forest structure. The laser scanner survey provided a point cloud, in which the x, y, and z coordinates of the points are known. The objectives of this study were 1) to analyze factors of forest structure such as individual tree isolation, tree height, canopy closure and tree density using LiDAR data and 2) to compare the forest structure between outer and interior forest. The paper conducted to extract the individual tree using watershed algorithm and to interpolate using the first return of LiDAR data for yielding digital surface model (DSM). The results of the study show characters of edge such as more isolated individual trees, higher density, lower canopy closure, and lower tree height than those of interior forest. LiDAR data is to be useful for analyzing of forest structure. Further study should be undertaken with species for more accurate results.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.96 no.2
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• pp.160-169
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• 2007

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.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2007.10a
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• pp.642-645
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• 2007

Mounted in aircraft, LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) technology uses pulses of light to collect data about the terrain below. The main objective of this study was to extract reliable the individual tree and analysis techniques to facilitate the used LiDAR data for estimating tree crown diameter by measuring individual trees identifiable on the three dimensional LiDAR surface. In addition, this study can be quantitative analysis of individual tree through the canopy parameter.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.371-376
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• 2008

For the purpose of breeding a high-yield superior variety of Korean raisin tree (Hovenia dulcis var. koreana Nakai), whose value as an edible and medicinal resource is increasing, tree candidates for superior individuals were selected from its 11 habitats in Korea from 1996 to 1998. A clone bank preserve was created in 1998 with 70 clones proliferated by grafting; the fruition traits (e.g., the number of fructified laterals, the average number of bunches per fructified lateral, the average number of bunches per fruiting lateral, the fruitpetiole weight per individual, and the yield per individual) of 47 clones that had bloomed and borne fruit were investigated and analyzed in 2002; five upper-ranking clones whose yield per individual exhibited a 261% improvement against the total average were picked in 2005; and three clones, including 'Poong-Sung 1', that showed a difference in their fruit petiole ripening stage, were finally selected in 2007 as high-yield new cultivars of Korean raisin tree.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.97 no.5
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• pp.501-507
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• 2008

The data of crown width with 4 directions, DBH, tree height, and coordinate for sample trees were collected from 30 permanent sample plots in secondary fore st of the Maoershan Experimental Forestry Farm, Northeast China. In this paper, the competition of individual trees in stand were discussed for secondary forest by using iterative Hegyi competition index and crown overlap index that represented the competitive and cooperative interactions among neighboring trees. Active competitors of subject tree in the competition zone were selected to calculate the iterative competition index. Using the results of crown classification based on the equal crown projection area, a new distance dependent competition index called crown overlap index (COI) was developed for secondary forest. The COI performed well in describing the crown competition rather than crown competition factor (CCF). The individual-based competition index discussed in this paper will provide more precise for developing individual tree growth models for secondary forest and it can also use to adjust the stand structure for spatial optimal management.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.97-105
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• 2011

This study was carried out to investigate vegetation and tree vitality of Berchemia berchemiaefolia habitat to recommend basic information for synecological characteristics. Totally 9 vegetation data were collected and analyzed. And one plant community (Quercus serrata-Berchemia berchemiaefolia community) including 43 families 66genera 72 species 8 varieties and 3 forma was differentiated. Quercus serrata-Berchemia berchemiaefolia community was subdivided into Typical subunit and Quercus mongolica subunit. Species showing the higer r-NCD value in the plant community were Berchemia berchemiaefolia, Quercus serrata, Lindera obtusiloba, Fraxinus rhynchophylla, Acer pseudo-sieboldianum, Corylus heterophylla var. thunbergii. In tree vitality result, Berchemia berchemiaefolia population containing 35 individual was estimated 3 monitoring categories; 1) General 2) Principal 3) Absolute. These categories frequencies arranged by the order General Monitoring (85.7%; 30 individual), Principal Monitoring (11.4%; 4 individual) and Absolute Monitoring (2.9%; 1 individual).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.65-73
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• 2018

Although the road construction in forest is increasing and there is a need for development ecological restoration on deforest area, no consideration has been given to individual trees in there. This study analyzed aerial photographs of deforest area before and after road construction for determining the degree of forest destruction by extracting individual trees. Study area was selected in the sites where are damaged by road construction in GongJu-si, YuSung-gu, and YeongDong-gun. The aerial photograph taken 1979 before construction is panchromatic image of 80cm in GSD (Ground Sample Distance) and other photograph taken 2016 after construction is multi-spectral image of 10cm in GSD. In order to minimize the difference of GSD, we conducted image re-sampling process for setting to same GSD for the two photographs. After that we carried out visual interpretation method for determining to change of individual tree. The result found that for GongJu-si of the number of individual tree was 1,014 in 1979 and 886 in 2016, which decreased by 128 (12.6%) and the average width of those decreased from 5.77m to 5.75m by 0.47%. In case of YoungDong-gun, the number of it was 761 in 1979 and 746 in 2016, which decreased by 2.0% and the average width of it decreased from 8.99mm to 8.90m by 1.1%. Lastly in case of YuSung-gu, the number of it was 1,578 in 1979 and 988 in 2016, which decreased by 37.4% and the average width of it decreased from 7.09m to 6.65m by 6.21%. these result imply that road construction causes destruction of forests. Since there are limitations such as errors due to researcher, it is necessary to construct a quantitative analysis method for the change of the deforest area. It is need to study the method of extracting individual tree in deforest area more accurately using high-resolution image of GSD 10cm or more as well. This study can be used as a basic data for the ecological restoration of the deforest area considering characteristics of individual tree such as height, diameter at breast height, and biomass.