• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.399-403
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• 2002

Cellulose mass loss by cellulose filter papers was measured for 3 time (35 days, 70 days, 105 days) incubation during the growing season (from May to September 2002) with different tree density and after fertilization in a Japanese larch (Larix leptolepis) plantation. Cellulose mass loss rates were significantly different between tree density types and fertilization treatments during the study periods. After 105 day incubation of cellulose filter paper, cellulose mass loss rates were significantly higher in the low tree density (70.1 $\%$) than in the high tree density (49.9$\%$). Cellulose mass loss rates averaged 62.8$\%$ in the fertilization and 58.9% in the unfertilization treatments during the same periods. However, cellulose mass loss was not significantly different between the forest floor and the mineral soil layer except for 35 day incubation. The results indicate that cellulose decomposition rates are a useful index to express differences in organic matter decomposition activity in different tree density and after fertilizer treatments.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.116-124
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• 2013

Differences in rates and patterns of nitrogen cycling have been correlated with nitrogen stable isotope measurements in forest ecosystems of tropical and temperate regions, but limited similar work has been conducted in sub-tropical forests. This study investigated patterns in stable N isotopic composition in a subtropical forest in Taiwan by sampling three soil profiles and overstory and understory foliage. Soil ${\delta}^{15}N$ in the forest floor ranged from -1.8 to -1.8‰. Mineral soils had higher ${\delta}^{15}N$ (4.1 to 6.0‰). Foliage ${\delta}^{15}N$ in overstory trees ranged from -6.6 to -2.0‰, and understory foliage ${\delta}^{15}N$ ranged from -5.0 to -1.2‰. There was a weak correlation between foliar % N and ${\delta}^{15}N$ ($r^2=0.214$). Compared to results from similar surveys in tropical and temperate forests, foliar ${\delta}^{15}N$ values were generally lower. These results help highlight the need for improved knowledge regarding the relationships between patterns in N stable isotopes and processes affecting rates of N cycling, especially as related to wider scale patterns in forest ecosystems within the east-Asia region.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.315-321
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• 2012

Fate of acetamiprid and imidacloprid aerially sprayed to control pine wood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) were studied in a forest of Haman area. Acetamiprid 20% SL or imidacloprid 20% DC were diluted 100 times and applied two times as rate of 50 L/ha using an aircraft of Bell 206 L helicopter. Average acetamiprid deposits on forest floor ranged from 2 to 4% of standard aerial application rate. Following to the second application, acetamiprid deposits in the pine needle ranged 1.8~8.5 mg/kg and then gradually decreased to 1.2~2.1 mg/kg after 48 days. Deposits on the plant washed off by rainfall and reached to soil surface was ca. 17% of the application rate. All of acetamiprid on the ground resided in the forest floor covering the soil surface, where acetamiprid residues were decreased to a quarter at 48 days after the second application, but they were not detected in soil beneath it. And the only low level of acetamiprid residues, 0.0003 mg/L, was detected in the reservoir nearby the experimental forest on the day of aerial application. The acetamiprid detection was presumably due to spray drift. And average imidacloprid deposits on forest floor ranged from 1 to 3% of standard aerial application rate. Following to the second application, imidacloprid deposits in the pine needle analysed very low concentration of 0.1 mg/kg, but the amount of imidacloprid in wash-off in standard and two-fold treatment were ca. 8% and 4% of the application rate, respectively. Most of imidacloprid on the ground also resided in the forest floor, where imidacloprid residues were decreased to a twentieth at 111 days after the second application, and they were detected below 0.5% of the application rate in sol beneath it. And the low level of imidacloprid, 0.0003~0.0017 mg/L, were detected in the streams in the experimental forest. It was not to the level of contamination concerns.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.29-37
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• 2013

The study was carried out in two different forest types viz., Banj oak and Chir pine forests to assess the variation in forest species composition and soil properties along altitudinal gradients in the Garhwal Himalayas. The results of the study showed that between the forests soil moisture was higher in Banj oak forest because of closed canopy and dense forest compared to Chir pine forest. The sand particles were reported higher in Banj oak forest which might be due to the addition of organic matter favouring coarse structure of soil, helping in holding maximum water in soils. However in the Chir pine forest low amount of soil organic matter and presence of clayey soil, develops soil compactness which reduces the penetration of water resulting in high soil bulk density. The higher accumulation of litter and presence of moisture in Banj oak forest favours higher nutrient level of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compared to Chir pine forest. The soil organic carbon also reduced with increasing altitude at both gradients. While bulk density has reverse trend with soil organic carbon in both the forests at different peaks of same region. In Banj oak forest, the highest density and total basal cover was reported 1,100 tree $ha^{-1}$ and 58.86 $m^2\;ha^{-1}$ respectively. However, the highest values of density and total basal cover of Chir pine forest was 560 tree$ha^{-1}$ and 56.94 $m^2\;ha^{-1}$ respectively. The total density and basal cover of both the forests reduced with increasing altitude. The study concludes that Banj oak forest has better nutrient cycling ability, well developed foest floor and has a greater protective and productive features compared to the Chir pine forest which is without lower vegetation cover and having only pine litter accumulation which does not allow any other species to grow.

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
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• 2009.10a
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• pp.458-460
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• 2009

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 2022

The African swine fever virus (ASFV) remains contagious for a long time, not only in the carcass, but also in the bone marrow of an infected animal. The scavenging activity of various animals on ASFV-infected carcasses is a likely risk factor for ASFV transmission. Thus, we conducted this study to determine whether scavengers are potential vectors for ASFV. In nonprotected wild boar carcasses on the forest floor, we investigated the seasonal patterns of carcass decomposition and scavenger visits for feeding on them. The duration from fresh to early skeletonization (only bones and leather remaining) of adult carcasses was 37.6±23.1 days (n=3, range=11-51 days) in winter. The duration from fresh to later skeletonization (only bones and some fur remaining) of all carcasses, including subadult carcasses, was 8.3±2.5 days (n=4, range=7-12 days) in summer. At all three study sites, leopard cats (30.3%), large-billed crows (21.6%), and golden eagles (18.1%) were the frequently visiting species, representing more than 10% of the total visits (343 visits) in winter, whereas raccoons (21.9%), grey-backed thrushes (39.4%), and eyebrowed thrushes (14.7%) were the most frequent visitors in summer. In winter, crows or cinereous vultures were the first animals to arrive at a carcass; in summer, raccoons or crows arrived first. Our results showed that wild boars, raccoons, and leopard cats relatively frequently visited wild boar carcasses and stayed there for a long time. Wild rodents chewing on or staying near carcasses were photographed during winter. In addition to wild boars, thus, mammals, such as raccoons, leopard cats and rodents, and birds, such as accipitrids and thrushes, may be spreaders of ASFV in South Korea.

• 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 Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.96 no.2
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• pp.151-159
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• 2007

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of thinning on changes in stand characteristics and understory vegetation in a silvopasture practiced Japanese larch plantation in the Research Forest of Kangwon National University, Korea. Three different thinning intensities (64%, 35%, and control) were applied. Before and after thinning, the understory plant species increased its number from 48 (7 tree species, 7 shrubs species, 28 herbaceous species, and 6 woody climbers) to 100 (11 tree species, 15 shrub species, 67 herbaceous species, and 7 woody climbers). Thinning made plants invade easily on the forest floor, and plot A (325 stems/ha) had much higher number of undersory species than those Of plot B (575 stems/ha) and control plot (1,150 stems/ha). In three years after thinning, understory aboveground biomass (kg/ha) of herbs were 523 for control, 1,230 for plot B, and 1,288 for plot A. The canopy coverage had remarkable influence on the understory biomass production, resulting in relatively small amount of herbage production on control plot. The differences were statistically significant between thinned plots and unthinned plot, but there were no significant differences among the thinned plots (p<0.05).

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.85 no.3
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• pp.416-425
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• 1996

Aboveground biomass, distribution of N and P in tree components, forest floor and the top 20cm of mineral soil, and litterfall were determined in adjacent 37-year-old plantations of Pinus rigida Mill. and Larix leptolepis Gord. on a sandy clay loam soil in Yangpyeong, Kyonggi Province. Total above-ground tree biomass for P. rigida and L. leptolepis were 138.2 and 127.2 t/ha, respectively, and did not differ between the two species. Nitrogen concentrations in stembark and foliage were all greater in L. leptolepis. Understory biomass contributed less than 2.0% of the total aboveground biomass but contributed up to 12.0% of the aboveground nutrient contents. Soil below L. leptolepis had higher concentrations of N and P. Total ecosystem N content (kg/ha) was greater for L. leptolepis (5,579) than P. rigida (4,147). Litterfall dry mass (kg/ha/yr) was greater for P. rigida (6,020) than L. leptolepis (4,191) whereas N contents in leaf litterfall (kg/ha/yr) was almost twice as large in L. leptolepis (28) than P. rigida (16). This common garden experiment suggests a strong influence of tree species on nutrient distribution and cycling in a forest ecosystem.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.390-399
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• 2019

Background: The Northern Hemisphere forest ecosystem is a major sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide, and the subalpine zone stores large amounts of carbon; however, their magnitude and distribution of stored carbon are still unclear. Results: To clarify the carbon distribution and carbon budget in the subalpine zone at volcanic Jeju Island, Korea, we report the C stock and changes therein owing to vegetation form, litter production, forest floor, and soil, and soil respiration between 2014 and 2016, for three subalpine forest ecosystems, namely, Abies koreana forest, Taxus cuspidata forest, and Juniperus chinensis var. sargentii forest. Organic carbon distribution of vegetation and NPP were bigger in the A. koreana forest than in the other two forests. However, the amount of soil organic carbon distribution was the highest in the J. chinensis var. sargentii forest. Compared to the amount of organic carbon distribution (AOCD) of aboveground vegetation (57.15 t C ha^-1) on the subalpine-alpine forest in India, AOCD of vegetation in the subalpine forest in Mt. Halla was below 50%, but AOCD of soil in Mt. Halla was higher. We also compared our results of organic carbon budget in subalpine forest at volcanic island with data synthesized from subalpine forests in various countries. Conclusions: The subalpine forest is a carbon reservoir that stores a large amount of organic carbon in the forest soils and is expected to provide a high level of ecosystem services.