• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.85-96
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• 2023

This study proposes a method for forest vegetation monitoring using high-resolution aerial imagery captured by unmanned aerial vehicles(UAV) and deep learning technology. The research site was selected in the forested area of Mountain Dogo, Asan City, Chungcheongnam-do, and the target species for monitoring included Pinus densiflora, Quercus mongolica, and Quercus acutissima. To classify vegetation species at the pixel level in UAV imagery based on characteristics such as leaf shape, size, and color, the study employed the semantic segmentation method using the prominent U-net deep learning model. The research results indicated that it was possible to visually distinguish Pinus densiflora Siebold & Zucc, Quercus mongolica Fisch. ex Ledeb, and Quercus acutissima Carruth in 135 aerial images captured by UAV. Out of these, 104 images were used as training data for the deep learning model, while 31 images were used for inference. The optimization of the deep learning model resulted in an overall average pixel accuracy of 92.60, with mIoU at 0.80 and FIoU at 0.82, demonstrating the successful construction of a reliable deep learning model. This study is significant as a pilot case for the application of UAV and deep learning to monitor and manage representative species among climate-vulnerable vegetation, including Pinus densiflora, Quercus mongolica, and Quercus acutissima. It is expected that in the future, UAV and deep learning models can be applied to a variety of vegetation species to better address forest management.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.513-525
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• 2023

This study was conducted to compare the level of vegetation recovery based on the forest restoration techniques (natural restoration and artificial restoration) determined using the satellite imagery that targeted forest fire damaged areas in Goseong-gun, Gangwon-do. The study site included the area affected by the Goseong forest fire (1996) and the East Coast forest fire (2000). We conducted a time-series analysis of satellite imagery on the natural restoration sites (19 sites) and artificial restoration sites (12 sites) that were created after the forest fire in 1996. In the analysis of satellite imagery, the difference normalized burn ratio (dNBR) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were calculated to compare the level of vegetation recovery between the two groups. We discovered that vegetation was restored at all of the study sites (31 locations). The satellite image-based analysis showed that the artificial restoration sites were relatively better than the natural restoration sites, but there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (p > 0.05). Therefore, it is necessary to select a restoration technique that can achieve the goal of forest restoration, taking the topography and environment of the target site into account. We also believe that in the future, accurate diagnosis and analysis of the vegetation will be necessary through a field survey of the forest fire-damaged sites.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.1-9
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• 2024

This study aims to estimate the cover classification and carbon respiration of halophytes based on the issues of utilising blue carbon in recent context of climate change. To address the aims, the study classified halophytes(Triglochin maritimum L and Phragmites australis), Intertidal(non-vegetated tidal flats) and Supratidal(sandy tidal flats) to measure carbon respiration and classify cover. The results are revealed that first, the carbon respiration in vegetated areas was less than that in non-vegetated areas. Second, the cover classification could be divided into halophyte communities(Triglochin maritimum L, Phragmites australis), Intertidal and Supratidal by NDWI(Moisture Index, Normalized Difference Water Index) Third, the total carbon respiration of blue carbon was calculated to be -0.0121 Ton km² hr^-1 with halophyte communities at -0.0011 Ton km² hr^-1, Intertidal respiration at -0.0113 Ton km² hr^-1 and Supratidal respiration at 0.0003 Ton km² hr^-1. As this challenge is a fundamental study that calculates the quantitative net carbon storage based on the blue carbon-based marine ecosystem, contributing to firstly, measuring the carbon respiration of cordgrass communities, reed communities, and non-vegetated tidal flats, which are potential blue carbon candidates in the study area, to establish representative values for carbon respiration, secondly, verifying the reliability of cover classification of native halophytes extracted through image classification technology, and thirdly, challenging to create a thematic map of carbon respiration, calculating the area and carbon respiration for each classification category.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.304-317
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• 2024

This study proposes a soil moisture retrieval method from ground reflection signals received by Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna modules consisting of an up-looking (UP) right-hand circular polarization (RHCP) and two down-looking (DW) RHCP and left-hand circular polarization (LHCP) signals. Field experiments at four different surface types (asphalt, grassland, dry soil, and moist soil) revealed that the DW RHCP and LHCP signals are affected by antenna height and multipath interference signals. The strength differences between the DW LHCP and UP RHCP signals were in good agreement with the DW LHCP signals. Methodologically, this study applied a spectrum analysis to the detrended surface-reflected signals for RHCP and LHCP. The study indicated that the down-looking antenna exhibited greater sensitivity to reflected GPS signals than the up-looking antenna. We demonstrated the feasibility of estimating soil moisture using GPS signals, by comparing LHCP signals received by the down-looking antenna with theoretical values. This study presents a novel method for estimating soil moisture in vegetated areas, leveraging the advantage of cross-polarization comparisons to achieve stronger signal strength than single-polarization reflection signals. With further research, including long-term observations and detailed analysis, the proposed method has the potential to enhance performance significantly.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.318-326
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• 2024

Black ice, a thin and nearly invisible ice layer on roads and pavements, poses a significant danger to drivers and pedestrians during winter due to its transparency. We propose an efficient black ice detection system and technique utilizing Global Positioning System (GPS)-reflected signals. This system consists of a GPS antenna and receiver configured to measure the power of GPS L1 band signal strength. The GPS receiver system was designed to measure the signal power of the Right-Handed Circular Polarization (RHCP) and Left-Handed Circular Polarization (LHCP) from direct and reflected signals using two GPS antennas. Field experiments for GPS LHCP and RHCP reflection measurements were conducted at two distinct sites. We present a Normalized Polarized Reflection Index (NPRI) as a methodological approach for determining the presence of black ice on road surfaces. The field experiments at both sites successfully detected black ice on asphalt roads, indicated by NPRI values greater than -0.1 for elevation angles between 45° and 55°. Our findings demonstrate the potential of the proposed GPS-based system as a cost-effective and scalable solution for large-scale black ice detection, significantly enhancing road safety in cold climates. The scientific significance of this study lies in its novel application of GPS reflection signals for environmental monitoring, offering a new approach that can be integrated into existing GPS infrastructure to detect widespread black ice in real-time.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.120-132
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• 2008

Remotely sensed images from a satellite can be applied for detecting and quantifying spatial and temporal variations in terms of landuse & landcover, crop growth, and disaster for agricultural applications. The purposes of this study were to analyze topography using DEM(digital elevation model) and classify landuse & landcover into 10 classes-paddy field, dry field, forest, bare land, grass & bush, water body, reclaimed land, salt farm, residence & building, and others-using Landsat TM images in North Korea. Elevation was greater than 1,000 meters in the eastern part of North Korea around Ranggang-do where Kaemagowon was located. Pyeongnam and Hwangnam in the western part of North Korea were low in elevation. Topography of North Korea showed typical 'east-high and west-low' landform characteristics. Landcover classification of North Korea using spectral reflectance of multi-temporal Landsat TM images was performed and the statistics of each landcover by administrative district, slope, and agroclimatic zone were calculated in terms of area. Forest areas accounted for 69.6 percent of the whole area while the areas of dry fields and paddy fields were 15.7 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively. Bare land and water body occupied 6.6 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively. Residence & building reached less than 1 percent of the country. Paddy field areas concentrated in the A slope ranged from 0 to 2 percent(greater than 80 percent). The dry field areas were shown in the A slope the most, followed by D, E, C, B, and F slopes. According to the statistics by agroclimatic zone, paddy and dry fields were mainly distributed in the North plain region(N-6) and North western coastal region(N-7). Forest areas were evenly distributed all over the agroclimatic regions. Periodic landcover analysis of North Korea based on remote sensing technique using satellite imagery can produce spatial and temporal statistics information for future landuse management and planning of North Korea.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.127-134
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• 2012

Microwave remote sensing can help monitor the land surface water cycle, crop growth and soil moisture. A ground-based polarimetric scatterometer has an advantage for continuous crop using multi-polarization and multi-frequencies and various incident angles have been used extensively in a frequency range expanding from L-band to Ka-band. In this study, we analyzed the relationships between L-, C- and X-band signatures and soil moisture content over the whole soybean growth period. Polarimetric backscatter data at L-, C- and X-bands were acquired every 10 minutes. L-band backscattering coefficients were higher than those observed using C- or X-band over the period. Backscattering coefficients for all frequencies and polarizations increased until Day Of Year (DOY) 271 and then decreased until harvesting stage (DOY 294). Time serious of soil moisture content was not a corresponding with backscattering over the whole growth stage, although it increased relatively until early August (R2, DOY 224). We conducted the relationship between the backscattering coefficients of each band and soil moisture content. Backscattering coefficients for all frequencies were not correlated with soil moisture content when considered over the entire stage ($r{\leq}0.50$). However, we found that L-band HH polarization was correlated with soil moisture content (r=0.90) when Leaf Area Index (LAI)<2. Retrieval equations were developed for estimating soil moisture content using L-band HH polarization. Relation between L-HH and soil moisture shows exponential pattern and highly related with soil moisture content ($R^2=0.92$). Results from this study show that backscattering coefficients of radar scatterometer appear effective to estimate soil moisture content.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.80-90
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• 2014

The objective of this research is to estimate the stand volume of Pinus koraiensis, by using the investigated volume and the information of remote sensing(RS), in the research forest of Kangwon National University. The average volume of the research forest per hectare was $307.7m^3/ha$ and standard deviation was $168.4m^3/ha$. Before and after carrying out 3 by 3 majority filtering on TM image, eleven indices were extracted each time. Independent variables needed for linear regression equation were selected using mean pixel values by indices. The number of indices were eleven: six Bands(except for thermal Band), NDVI, Band Ratio(BR1:Band4/Band3, BR2:Band5/Band4, BR3:Band7/Band4), Tasseled Cap-Greeness. As a result, NDVI and TC G were chosen as the most suitable indices for regression before and after filtering, and R-squared was high: 0.736 before filtering, 0.753 after filtering. As a result of error verification for an exact comparison, RMSE before and after filtering was about $69.1m^3/ha$, $67.5m^3/ha$, respectively, and bias was $-12.8m^3/ha$, $9.7m^3/ha$, respectively. Therefore, the regression conducted with filtering was selected as an appropriate model because of low RMSE and bias. The estimated stand volume applying the regression was $160,758m^3$, and the average volume was $314m^3/ha$. This estimation was 1.2 times higher than the actual stand volume of Pinus koraiensis.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.477-487
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• 2012

Sea surface winds in the sea off the east coast of Korea were derived from L-band ALOS (Advanced Land Observing Satellite) PALSAR (Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar) data and their characteristics of errors were analyzed. We could retrieve high-resolution wind vectors off the east coast of Korea including the coastal region, which has been substantially unavailable from satellite scatterometers. Retrieved SAR-wind speeds showed a good agreement with in-situ buoy measurement by showing relatively small an root-mean-square (RMS) error of 0.67 m/s. Comparisons of the wind vectors from SAR and scatterometer presented RMS errors of 2.16 m/s and $19.24^{\circ}$, 3.62 m/s and $28.02^{\circ}$ for L-band GMF (Geophysical Model Function) algorithm 2009 and 2007, respectively, which tended to be somewhat higher than the expected limit of satellite scatterometer winds errors. L-band SAR-derived wind field exhibited the characteristic dependence on wind direction and incidence angle. The previous version (L-band GMF 2007) revealed large errors at small incidence angles of less than $21^{\circ}$. By contrast, the L-band GMF 2009, which improved the effect of incidence angle on the model function by considering a quadratic function instead of a linear relationship, greatly enhanced the quality of wind speed from 6.80 m/s to 1.14 m/s at small incident angles. This study addressed that the causes of wind retrieval errors should be intensively studied for diverse applications of L-band SAR-derived winds, especially in terms of the effects of wind direction and incidence angle, and other potential error sources.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.33 no.5_2
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• pp.699-708
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• 2017

The present study was to develop an approach for predicting soybean yield using a crop growth simulation model at the regional level where the detailed and site-specific information on cultivation management practices is not easily accessible for model input. CROPGRO-Soybean model included in Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) was employed for this study, and Illinois which is a major soybean production region of USA was selected as a study region. As a first step to predict soybean yield of Illinois using CROPGRO-Soybean model, genetic coefficients representative for each soybean maturity group (MG I~VI) were estimated through sowing date experiments using domestic and foreign cultivars with diverse maturity in Seoul National University Farm ($37.27^{\circ}N$, $126.99^{\circ}E$) for two years. The model using the representative genetic coefficients simulated the developmental stages of cultivars within each maturity group fairly well. Soybean yields for the grids of $10km{\times}10km$ in Illinois state were simulated from 2,000 to 2,011 with weather data under 18 simulation conditions including the combinations of three maturity groups, three seeding dates and two irrigation regimes. Planting dates and maturity groups were assigned differently to the three sub-regions divided longitudinally. The yearly state yields that were estimated by averaging all the grid yields simulated under non-irrigated and fully-Irrigated conditions showed a big difference from the statistical yields and did not explain the annual trend of yield increase due to the improved cultivation technologies. Using the grain yield data of 9 agricultural districts in Illinois observed and estimated from the simulated grid yield under 18 simulation conditions, a multiple regression model was constructed to estimate soybean yield at agricultural district level. In this model a year variable was also added to reflect the yearly yield trend. This model explained the yearly and district yield variation fairly well with a determination coefficients of $R^2=0.61$ (n = 108). Yearly state yields which were calculated by weighting the model-estimated yearly average agricultural district yield by the cultivation area of each agricultural district showed very close correspondence ($R^2=0.80$) to the yearly statistical state yields. Furthermore, the model predicted state yield fairly well in 2012 in which data were not used for the model construction and severe yield reduction was recorded due to drought.