• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.163-173
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• 2018

Background: Deforestation and degradation are currently affecting the ecosystem services of forests. Among the ecosystem services affected by deforestation and degradation are the amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) stored in forest soils which have greater impacts in global climate change. This study aimed at examining the amount of SOC and TN in the forest fragments which were separated from the continuous tracts of forests of Jibat and Chillimo through fragmentation processes over four decades. Methods: We have sampled soils from 15 forest fragments of Chillimo and Jibat in the central highlands of Ethiopia. The soil samples obtained in two separate soil depths (0-30 and 30-60 cm) were bulked, dried, and sieved for analysis. Results: Our results have shown that the two sites (Jibat and Chillimo forest fragments) differed in their SOC and TN contents. While the values for Jibat were found to be 29.89 Mg/ha of SOC and 2.84 Mg/ha for TN, it was 14. 06 Mg/ha of SOC and 1.40 Mg/ha for TN for Chillimo. When all forest fragment soil samples were bulked together, Jibat site had twice the value of SOC and TN than Chillimo. When disaggregated on the basis of each fragments, there existed differences in SOC (1.86 Mg/ha and 42.15 Mg/ha) and TN (0.24 Mg/ha and 4.23 Mg/ha) values. Among the forest fragments, fragment four ($F_4$) had the highest Relative Soil Improvement Index (RSII) value of 3826.82% and fragment fifteen ($F_{15}$) had the lowest RSII value (726.87%) which indicated that the former had a better quality of soil properties than the latter. Conclusion: SOC and TN differed across sampled fragments and sites. Variations in soil properties are the reflections of inherent soil parent material, aboveground vegetation, human interferences, and other physical factors. Such differences could be very important for identifying intervention measures for restoration and enhancing ecosystem services of those fragments.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.181-193
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• 2016

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of carbonized rice hull (CRH) application on soil carbon storage and $N_2O$ emissions from upland soil. It was used at different rates of 0, 5, 10 and $20Mg\;ha^{-1}$. During the Chinese cabbage cultivation, several soil chemical characteristics such as soil moisture, temperature and soil carbon were observed. Also, $CO_2$ and $N_2O$ emissions were monitored. Soil organic matter contents slightly increased with carbonized rice hull applied in all the treatments. The soil carbon contents with application rate of 0, 5, 10 and $20Mg\;ha^{-1}$ were 0, 1.3, 1.2 and $2.6g\;kg^{-1}$, respectively. It was observed that soil carbon content was higher with increasing CRH application rate. Total nitrogen contents of soil applied with CRH relatively decreased with the course of time. However, $NO_3$-N contents in the soil with CRH application rate of 5, 10 and $20Mg\;ha^{-1}$ were 28.6, 25.7 and $21.5mg\;kg^{-1}$ at the end of experiment, respectively. $CO_2$ emission at the $5Mg\;ha^{-1}$ application of CRH was higher about 18.9% than non-treatment, whereas those of $10Mg\;ha^{-1}$ and $20Mg\;ha^{-1}$ treatment were lower 14.4% and 11.8% compared to non-treatment, respectively. Also, it was shown that $N_2O$ emission reduced by 19.9, 28.3 and 54.0% when CRH was applied at 5, 10 and $5Mg\;ha^{-1}$, respectively.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.128-138
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• 2018

Background: This study investigated the variation of soil organic carbon in four land cover types: natural and mixed forest, cultivated land, Eucalyptus plantation and open bush land. The study was conducted in the Birr watershed of the upper Blue Nile ('Abbay') river basin. Methods: The data was subjected to a two-way of ANOVA analysis using the general linear model (GLM) procedures of SAS. Pairwise comparison method was also used to assess the mean difference of the land uses and depth levels depending on soil properties. Total of 148 soil samples were collected from two depth layers: 0-10 and 10-20 cm. Results: The results showed that overall mean soil organic carbon stock was higher under natural and mixed forest land use compared with other land use types and at all depths ($29.62{\pm}1.95Mg\;C\;ha^{-1}$), which was 36.14, 28.36, and 27.63% more than in cultivated land, open bush land, and Eucalyptus plantation, respectively. This could be due to greater inputs of vegetation and reduced decomposition of organic matter. On the other hand, the lowest soil organic carbon stock under cultivated land could be due to reduced inputs of organic matter and frequent tillage which encouraged oxidation of organic matter. Conclusions: Hence, carbon concentrations and stocks under natural and mixed forest and Eucalyptus plantation were higher than other land use types suggesting that two management strategies for improving soil conditions in the watershed: to maintain and preserve the forest in order to maintain carbon storage in the future and to recover abandoned crop land and degraded lands by establishing tree plantations to avoid overharvesting in natural forests.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.369-377
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• 2014

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of rice husk (RHB) and food waste biochar (FWB) on upland soil with sandy loam texture, in terms of physico-chemical analysis, lettuce seed germination test, and orgainc carbon leaching experiment. RHB and FWB had different physico-chemical properties each other. Carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N ratio) of RHB was 32, showing two times higher than that of FWB. FWB had high salt and heavy metal content, compared to RHB. This is probably due to different ingredients and production processing between two biochars each other. Results of germination test with Lettuce showed lower germination rate when FWB was applied because of higher salt concentration compared to control and RHB. Organic carbon leaching test using saturated soil column (${\Phi}75{\times}h75mm$) with $10MT\;ha^{-1}$ biochar application rate, showed higher saturated hydraulic conductivity in rice husk biochar treatment column, compared to control and food waste biochar treatment. The highest total organic carbon concentration in column effluent was lower than those in both of rice husk biochar and food waste biochar, whereas the differences was negligible after 9 pore volumes of effluent. Consequently, biochars from byproducts such as rice husk and food waste in sandy loam textured upland soil could enhance a buffer function such as reduction of leaching from soil, but the harmful ingredient to crops such as high salt and heavy metals could limit the agricultural use of biochars.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.67-78
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• 2016

Soil carbon(C) is an essential property for characterizing soil quality. Understanding spatial patterns of soil C is particularly limited for mountain areas. This study aims to predict the spatial pattern of soil C using terrain analysis in a steep mountainous area. Specifically, model performances and prediction uncertainties were investigated based on the number of resampling repetitions. Further, important predictors for soil C were also identified. Finally, the spatial distribution of uncertainty was analyzed. A total of 91 soil samples were collected via conditioned latin hypercube sampling and a digital soil C map was developed using support vector regression which is one of the powerful machine learning methods. Results showed that there were no distinct differences of model performances depending on the number of repetitions except for 10-fold cross validation. For soil C, elevation and surface curvature were selected as important predictors by recursive feature elimination. Soil C showed higher values in higher elevation and concave slopes. The spatial pattern of soil C might possibly reflect lateral movement of water and materials along the surface configuration of the study area. The higher values of uncertainty in higher elevation and concave slopes might be related to geomorphological characteristics of the research area and the sampling design. This study is believed to provide a better understanding of the relationship between geomorphology and soil C in the mountainous ecosystem.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.307-311
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• 2012

This study was conducted to evaluate the dynamics of soil respiration (total soil and heterotrophic respiration) following fertilizer application in red pine forests. Fertilizer (N:P:K = 113:150:37 kg/ha), which reflects current practices in Korean forest, was applied in April 2011, and total soil and heterotrophic respiration rates were monitored from April 2011 to March 2012. Monthly variation of total soil and heterotrophic respiration rates were similar between the fertilizer and control treatments, as soil temperature was the dominant factor controlling the both rates. Total soil respiration rates during the study period were not significantly different between the fertilizer (0.504 g $CO_2\;m^{-2}\;h^{-1}$) and control (0.501 g $CO_2\;m^{-2}\;h^{-1}$) treatments. However, the proportion of heterotrophic respiration was higher in the fertilizer (78% of total soil respiration rates) than in the control (62% of total soil respiration rates) treatments. These results suggest that current fertilizer practices in Korea forest soil do not substantially affect total soil respiration rates.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.281-285
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• 2007

We conducted research to determine the effects of forest tending works (FTW) on forest carbon (C) storage in Korean red pine forests by estimating changes in the quantity and distribution of stored organic C in an approximately 40-year-old red pine stand after FTW. We measured organic C storage (above- and belowground biomass C, forest floor C, and soil C at 50 cm depth) in the Hwangmaesan Soopkakkugi model forest in Sancheonggun, Gyeongsangnam-do before and after the forest was thinned from a density of 908 trees/ha to 367 trees/ha. The total C stored in tree biomass was 69.5 Mg C/ha before FTW and 38.6 Mg C/ha after FTW. The change in total C storage in tree biomass primarily resulted from the loss of 19.9 Mg C/ha stored in stem biomass after FTW. The total C pool in this red pine stand was 276 Mg C/ha before FTW and 245.1 Mg C/ha after FTW. Prior to FTW, 71.5% of the total C pool was stored in mineral soil, 25.2% in tree biomass, and 3.3% in the forest floor, where as after FTW 80.5% of the total C pool was stored in mineral soil, 15.7% in tree biomass and 3.7% in the forest floor. These results suggest that the development of site-specific tending techniques may be required to minimize the loss of tree biomass C storage capacity in red pine stands from FTW.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.21
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• pp.39-47
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• 2003

The object of this study was to analyze influence which Black locust afforestation affected to soil, to research change of soil environment of Black locust planted stand and adjacent stands through comparative analyzing physichemical property of soil of them. It was investigated that the soil texture of Black locust planted stand and the adjacent stands was mostly SL. and LS. According to this result I could know that transformation of soil texture by vegetation easily happened because transformation soil texture results from the parent rock. I could ascertain that difference existed between Black locust planted stand and the other stands in soil pH and Carbon content of planted stand of Black locust pH, contents of Available $P_2O_5$ Carbon, Total Nitrogen. In other words, pH and Carbon content of Black locust planted stand were lower than that of Oak forest, higher than that of Pine forest. These results showed that Black locust was which fix nitrogen. I could infer that Black locust afforestation made forest soil fertilized. In soil of Black locust planted stand and the adjacent stands, statistical value appeared highly in pH and existed in content of Carbon, Total nitrogen, too. And high interrelationship appeared in the order of pH, C/N Ratio, CEC, Total nitrogen content was in each stands. I suppose that the trespassing extent of Black locust to Oak forest and Pine forest which are adjacent to planted stand of Black locust is different because of low pH, lackness of Available $P_2O_5$ Carbon, and what not.

• 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.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.551-554
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• 2012

The present laboratory investigation was conducted to assess the effect of heavy metals on carbon mineralization. Soil was treated with three concentrations (50, 100 and $150{\mu}mol\;g^{-1}$ soil) of two heavy metals (Cd and Zn) in a factorial combination of treatments replicated four times. Determination of carbon mineralization was carried out at 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 42 and 56 days after metal treatments.. The amount of $CO_2$-C released from heavy metal treated soils was found to be decreased at an increasing rate during the first 28 days, followed by slow release as incubation progressed. The total amounts of $CO_2$-C released were 448, 382 and $348mg\;kg^{-1}$ soil respectively for soils treated with 50, 100 and $150{\mu}mol\;g^{-1}$ soil of Zn. The corresponding figures for Cd treated soils were 406, 354 and $282mg\;kg^{-1}$ soil implying that dose-dependent reduction in cumulative $CO_2$-C released from soils. The inhibition of carbon mineralization was found to be high in Cd treated soils than that of Zn treated. Therefore, tolerance and adaptation of the microbial community is likely to be related to the concentration and the type of metal. According to the results, carbon mineralization can be considered as possible indicator of soil pollution by means of heavy metals.