• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.119-127
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• 2023

In this study, quantitative models were applied to case parks to estimate the carbon reduction by trees, which was compared and analyzed at the tree and park levels. At the tree level, quantitative models of carbon storage and uptake differed by up to 7.9 times, even for the same species and size. At the park level, the carbon reduction from quantitative models varied by up to 3.7 times for the same park. In other words, carbon reduction by quantitative models exhibited considerable variation at the tree and park levels. These differences are likely due to the use of different growth environment coefficients and annual diameter at breast height growth rates and the overestimation of carbon reduction due to the substitution of the same genus and group model for each tree species. Extending the annual carbon uptake per unit area of the case park to the total park area of Chuncheon a carbon uptake ranging from a minimum of 370.4 t/yr and a maximum of 929.3 t/yr, and the difference can reach up to 558.9 t/yr. This is equivalent to the carbon emissions from the annual household electricity consumption of approximately 2,430 people. These results suggest that the indiscriminate application of quantitative models to estimate carbon reduction in urban trees can lead to significant errors and deviations in estimating carbon storage and uptake in urban greenspaces. The findings of this study can serve as a basis for estimating carbon reduction in urban greening research, projects, and policies.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.39-53
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• 1999

This study quantified carbon uptake and emissions in urban landscape, and the role of urban greenspace in atmospheric carbon reduction for several cities of Chuncheon and Kangleung in Kangwon province. Mean carbon storage by trees and shrubs was 26.0 t (mertric tons)/ha in Chuncheon and 46.7 t/ha in Kangleung for natural lands, and ranged from 4.7 to 6.3 t/ha for urban lands (all land use types except natural and agricultural lands) in both cities. Mean annual carbon uptake by trees and shrubs ranged from 1.60 to 1.71 t/ha/yr for natural lands, and from 0.56 to 0.71 t/ha/yr for urban lands. There was no significant difference (95% confidence level) between the two cities in the carbon storage and annual carbon uptake per ha, except the carbon storage for natural lands. Organic carbon storage in soils (to a depth of 60 cm) of Chuncheon average 24.8 t/ha for urban lands and 31.6 t/ha for natural lands, 1.3 times greater than for urban lands. Annual carbon accumulation in soils was 1.3 t/hr/yr for natural lands of the study cities. Annual per capita carbon emissions from fossil fuel consumption were 1.3 t/yr in Chunceon and 1.8 t/yr in Kangleung. The principal carbon release in urban landscapes was from transport and industry. Total carbon storage by urban greenspace (trees, shrubs, and soils) equaled 66% of total carbon emissions in Chuncheon and 101% in Kangleung. Carbon uptake by urban greenspace annually offset total carbon emissions by approximately 4% in the study cities. Thus, urban greenspace played a partial important role in reducing atmospheric $CO_2$ concentrations. To increase $CO_2$ uptake and storage by urban greenspace, suggested are conservation of natural lands, minimization of hard surfaces and more plantings, selection of tree species with high growth rate, and proper management for longer healthy tree growth.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.38-53
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• 1998

This study quantified annual net carbon uptake by urban landscape trees and provided equations to estimate it for Ginkgo biloba, platanus occidentalis, Zelkova serrata and Acer palmatum, based on measurement of exchange rate for two years growing seasons from Sep., 1995 to Aug., 1997. The carbon uptake was significantly influenced by photosynthetic capacity, photon flux density and pruning. Ginkgo biloba showed the highest rate of net CO\sub 2\ uptake per unit leaf area and Acer palmatum did the lowest rate among those species. A tree shaded by adjacent building over the growing seasons showed net CO\sub2\ uptake per unit leaf area much lower than another tree of the same species less shaded. Annual net carbon uptake per tree was 19kg for Zelkova serrata, but only 1 kg for Ginkgo biloba and Platanus occidentalis with crown volume dwarfed from pruning. One Zekoval serrata tree annually offset carbon emission from consumption of about 32 liter of gasoline or 83 kWh of electricity. Strategies to improve CO\sub 2\ uptake by urban landscape trees include planting of species with high potosynthetic capacity, sunlight-guaranteed road and building layout for street trees, planting of shade-tolerant species in the north of buildings, and relocation of utility lines to underground and minimized pruning.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.38-47
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• 2000

Carbon dioxide is a major greenhouse gas causing climate change. This study quantified annual direct and indirect uptake of carbon by urban greenspace, and annual carbon release from vegetation maintenance and fossil fuel consumption. The study area was whole Chuncheon and Kangleung, and also two districts of Kangnam and Junglang in Seoul, cities located in middle Korea. Carbon uptake by urban greenspace played an important role through offsetting carbon release by 6-7% annually in Chuncheon and Kangleung. For Kangnam and Junglang, where the population density was relatively higher, urban greenspace annually offset carbon release by 1-2%. Future possible tree plantings could double annual carbon uptake by existing trees in urban lands (except natural and agricultural lands) of a study city. Based on study results, planning and management guidelines for urban greenspace were suggested to save energy and to reduce atmospheric $CO_2$ concentrations. They included selection of optimum tree species, proper planting location from buildings, design of multilayered planting, amendment of existing regulations for greenspace enlargement, avoidance f intensive vegetation maintenance, and conservation of natural vegetation.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.240-247
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• 2019

This study quantified carbon reduction services through direct harvesting of Ilex rotunda and Machilus thunbergii, which are the typical urban landscape tree species in southern Korea. A total of 20 open-grown tree specimens (10 specimens for each species) were selected reflecting various sizes of stem diameter at breast height of 1.2 m (DBH) at a regular interval. The study measured biomass for each part of the tree specimens including roots to compute total carbon storage per tree. Annual carbon uptake per tree was also calculated analyzing the DBH growth rate of stem disk specimens. Quantitative models were developed using DBH as an independent variable to easily estimate storage and annual uptake of carbon by tree growth for each species. All the models had a high goodness-of-fit with R²=0.95-0.99. The difference in carbon reduction services between DBH sizes increased with increasing DBH. The storage and annual uptake of carbon from a tree with DBH of 10 cm were 13.5 kg and 2.4 kg/yr for I. rotunda, and 19.1 kg and 3.6 kg/yr for M. thunbergii, respectively. The tree of this size stored the amount of carbon equivalent to that emitted from a gasoline use of approximately 24 L for I. rotunda and 34 L for M. thunbergii, respectively. The study provides actual measurement data to quantify carbon reduction services of urban open-grown landscape trees for the warm-temperate species that have been little known until now.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.64-72
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• 2014

This study quantified the storage and annual uptake of carbon by apple trees in orchards as a production-type greenspace, and computed the annual carbon emissions from apple cultivation. Tree individuals in the study orchards were sampled to include the range of stem diameter sizes. The study measured biomass for each part including the roots of sample trees through a direct harvesting method to compute total carbon storage per tree. Annual carbon uptake per tree was quantified by analyzing the radial growth rates of stem samples at ground level. Annual carbon emissions from management practices such as pruning, mowing, irrigation, fertilization, and use of pesticides and fungicides were estimated based on maintenance data, interviews with managers, and actual measurements. Regression models were developed using stem diameter at ground level (D) as an independent variable to easily estimate storage and annual uptake of the carbon. Storage and annual uptake of carbon per tree increased as D sizes got larger. Apple trees with D sizes of 10 and 15 cm stored 9.1 and 21.0 kg of carbon and annually sequestered 1.0 and 1.6 kg, respectively. Storage and annual uptake of carbon per unit area in study orchards were 3.81 t/ha and 0.42 t/ha/yr, respectively, and annual carbon emissions were 1.30 t/ha/yr. Thus, the carbon emissions were about 3 times greater than the annual carbon uptake. The study identified management practices to reduce the carbon footprint of production-type greenspace, including efficient uses of water, pesticides, fungicides, and fertilizers. It breaks new ground by including measured biomass of roots and a detailed inventory of carbon emissions.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.162-164
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• 2018

This study quantified the carbon storage and uptake by street trees in Seoul and explored suitable planting and management strategies. A systematic sampling model was used to select 50 plots to survey the structures of street trees. The average density and cover of street trees were approximately 5.8 trees/$100m^2$ and 12.1%, respectively. Trees with a dbh of less than 30 cm accounted for about 66.3% of the total number of trees surveyed. The total carbon storage and uptake by the street trees were approximately 103,641 t and 10,992 t/yr, respectively. The total carbon uptake equaled the amount of annual carbon emissions from driving of about 11,000 cars. Street tree planting and management strategies were proposed to enhance carbon uptake. They included multi-layered and multi-aged planting, securing ground and space for plant growth, and avoiding excessive tree pruning.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.219-227
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• 2021

Background and objective: Urban street trees play an important role in carbon reduction in cities where greenspace is scarce. There are ongoing studies on carbon reduction by street trees. However, information on the carbon reduction capacity of street trees based on field surveys is still limited. This study aimed to quantify carbon uptake and storage by urban street trees and suggest a method to improve planting of trees in order to increase their carbon reduction capacity. Methods: The cities selected were Sejong, Chungju, and Jeonju among cities without research on carbon reduction, considering the regional distribution in Korea. In the cities, 155 sample sites were selected using systematic sampling to conduct a field survey on street environments and planting structures. The surveyed data included tree species, diameter at breast height (DBH), diameter at root collar (DRC), height, crown width, and vertical structures. The carbon uptake and storage per tree were calculated using the quantification models developed for the urban trees of each species. Results: The average carbon uptake and storage of street trees were approximately 7.2 ± 0.6 kg/tree/yr and 87.1 ± 10.2 kg/tree, respectively. The key factors determining carbon uptake and storage were tree size, vertical structure, the composition of tree species, and growth conditions. The annual total carbon uptake and storage were approximately 1,135.8 tons and 22,737.8 tons, respectively. The total carbon uptake was about the same amount as carbon emitted by 2,272 vehicles a year. Conclusion: This study has significance in providing the basic unit to quantify carbon uptake and storage of street trees based on field surveys. To improve the carbon reduction capacity of street trees, it is necessary to consider planning strategies such as securing and extending available grounds and spaces for high-density street trees with a multi-layered structure.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.17-28
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• 2022

We evaluated the effect of CO₂ offsetting by estimating changes in carbon uptake under various forest management scenarios and proposed forest management strategies to achieve carbon neutrality. Paju and Goseong, which have relatively large forest areas but different industrial characteristics, were selected for the study sites. The current state of forest distribution was analyzed using forest type maps and aerial photographs, and the amount of carbon uptake was calculated using the equation presented by the IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories and the national emission/absorption coefficients from the Korea National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report. As of 2015, the forest carbon absorption in Paju and Goseong was 49,931 t/yr and 94,225 t/yr, respectively, and the annual carbon absorption per unit area was 2.28 t/ha/yr and 2.16 t/ha/yr. Under the forest management scenarios, the annual maximum carbon absorption per unit area is estimated to increase to 5.68 t/ha/yr in Paju and 4.22 t/ha/yr in Goseong, and this absorption would increase further if urban forests were additionally created. Even if the current forests of Paju and Goseong are maintained as they are, emissions from electricity use can be sufficiently offset. However, by applying appropriate forest management strategies, emissions from sectors other than electricity use could be offset. This study can be applied to the establishment of carbon absorption strategies in the forest sector to achieve carbon neutrality.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.64-73
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• 2022

Increasing carbon and PM_2.5 concentrations have been emerging as serious environmental issues worldwide. The purpose of this study was to quantify carbon and PM_2.5 reduction by urban parks in Gangneung, Korea. A total of 35 parks were sampled by applying a random sampling method to survey tree planting structures and the areal distribution of land cover types of urban parks. These survey data and the Green Evaluation Technique (GET) computer program were used to estimate carbon and PM_2.5 reduction by trees. Mean tree density and cover in the study parks were 3.5±0.2 tree/100 m² and 44.5±3.0%, respectively. Annual carbon uptake and PM_2.5 deposition per unit area by trees averaged 2.8±0.2 t/ha/yr and 30.2±2.8 kg/ha/yr. Gangneung's urban parks annually offset the carbon emissions by 3.4% and the PM_2.5 emissions by 3.5%. Thus, urban parks played a significant role in reducing atmospheric carbon and PM_2.5 concentrations. Total annual carbon uptake and PM_2.5 deposition of urban parks in Gangneung were about 1,338.2 t/yr and 14,433.2 kg/yr. This study is expected to contribute to raising awareness of the role and importance of urban parks regarding carbon and PM_2.5 reduction.