• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.112 no.3
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• pp.363-373
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• 2023

Forest biomass surveys are regularly conducted to assess and manage forests as carbon sinks. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a remote sensing technology, has attracted considerable attention, as it allows for objective acquisition of forest structure information with minimal labor. In this study, we propose a method for estimating overstory and understory biomass in forest stands using backpack laser scanning (BPLS) and unmanned aerial vehicle laser scanning (UAV-LS), and assessed its accuracy. For overstory biomass, we analyzed the accuracy of BPLS and UAV-LS in estimating diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree height. For understory biomass, we developed a multiple regression model for estimating understory biomass using the best combination of vertical structure metrics extracted from the BPLS data. The results indicated that BPLS provided accurate estimations of DBH (R² =0.92), but underestimated tree height (R² =0.63, bias=-5.56 m), whereas UAV-LS showed strong performance in estimating tree height (R² =0.91). For understory biomass, metrics representing the mean height of the points and the point density of the fourth layer were selected to develop the model. The cross-validation result of the understory biomass estimation model showed a coefficient of determination of 0.68. The study findings suggest that the proposed overstory and understory biomass survey methods using BPLS and UAV-LS can effectively replace traditional biomass survey methods.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.235-242
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• 2012

Mikania micrantha, a neo-tropical vine, is spreading rapidly in the tropical part of Nepal and is now threatening the rural ecosystem including biodiversity and rural livelihoods. However, no attempt has been made to control the spread of M. micrantha. As a result, the vines are spreading freely and rapidly. After a thorough literature review and assessment of forest management practices, we proposed a manual cutting method, as it suits the Nepalese situation for several reasons: required labor is readily available, as local communities are managing forest patches, and the method does not have any potential adverse effects on non-target native species. Experimental plots were laid out in August 2011 to examine the effectiveness of manual cutting. Two different site types based on canopy coverage were selected and divided into three blocks based on cutting strategy. Four treatments were assigned across the experimental plots following a complete block design. We harvested above-ground biomass according to the assigned treatment. The results suggested that there should be at least two consecutive cuttings within a 3-week interval before flowering, and that three consecutive cuttings resulted in 91% mortality of the vines. In addition, cutting promoted regeneration of native plant species. Employing regular cutting operations can modify understory shade enhancing regeneration of native species, which is a desirable condition to constrain proliferation of M. micrantha. Periodic cuttings reduced the competitiveness of M. micrantha regardless of canopy openness, but native ground cover should be retained.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.7
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• pp.519-529
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• 2020

Livelihood capitals have a clear influence on livelihood development. As for the livelihood results, it has been pointed out in the analysis of the poor households that the ability of people to escape poverty depends especially on the access to livelihood capitals. This study aims to analyze the impacts of livelihood capital on poverty among mountain people who depend on forests through human capital, social capital, natural capital, physical capital and financial capital. This research employs the model of binary regression function. Independent variables x1, x2, …, xn are targets of livelihood strategy, vulnerability context, and livelihood capitals. These variables were selected to be included in the original model with dependent variable Y as poor and non-poor households. This study surveys households living in upland areas, near forests, and households of ethnic minorities. The results show that,out of the poor household rate, nearly 4% are newly-poor households or those falling back into poverty. Therefore, the government needs to pay more attention to this disadvantaged group and implements policies such as education and training policies, credit support policies, policies to support forest development, and payment for forest environmental services in the context of emerging countries like Vietnam.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.607-616
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• 2019

On account of the lack of education of Brazilian worker, this paper analyzed the characteristics of those professionals working in the production sector of timber houses. A sectoral survey was carried out with respective entrepreneurs to investigate the available professionals (career and contract types), evaluate the demands of skilled workers, and indicate solutions to improve the quality of labor qualification. Similarly, over 65% of sampled producers presented both direct-hired and outsourced workforce. For such contract ways, Civil Engineers and Architects were the main careers. Carpenters, Civil Engineers and Architects experienced on timber were the main sectoral demands. Timber Engineers have good potentials of service for this sector. The creation of courses on timber products can emerge as a key alternative to train people.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.108 no.3
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• pp.405-417
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• 2019

We analyzed the profitability of Korea's forestry by evaluating stumpage prices of the main economic tree species. Stumpage prices are evaluated with a market value formula, subtracting logging and transporting costs from market prices of logs. If trees are sold at the current cutting age, the stumpage price of larch is about 4.5 million KRW per hectare and that of Korean pine is about 3.7 million KRW per hectare. The stumpage prices do not cover reforestation cost, which is about 6.1 million KRW per hectare. If government subsidies did not support the cost of reforestation and silviculture, there would be no profits at all. The cost of forestry is very high in terms of planting and silviculture. In the future, the prices of logs are not predicted to rise and the wages for labor are not predicted to fall. Without reforming the current forestry regime, Korean forestry is, thus, not sustainable. Therefore, low-cost forestry efforts like natural regeneration should be adopted to make forestry viable. Investments in forestry infrastructure like forest roads are also required to decrease the timber logging and transporting costs.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.112 no.4
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• pp.561-573
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• 2023

National forests have an advantage over private forests in terms of higher investment in capital, technology, and labor, allowing for more intensive management. As such, national forests are expected to serve not only as a strategic reserve of forest resources to address the long-term demand for timber but also to stably perform various essential forest functions demanded by society. However, most forest stands in the current national forests belong to the fourth age class or above, indicating an imminent timber harvesting period amid an imbalanced age class structure. Therefore, if timber harvesting is not conducted based on systematic management planning, it will become difficult to ensure the continuity of the national forests' diverse functions. This study was conducted to determine the optimal volume of timber production in the national forests to improve the age-class structure while sustainably maintaining their economic and public functions. To achieve this, the study first identified areas within the national forests suitable for timber production. Subsequently, a forest management planning model was developed using multi-objective linear programming, taking into account both the national forests' economic role and their public benefits. The findings suggest that approximately 488,000 hectares within the national forests are suitable for timber production. By focusing on management of these areas, it is possible to not only improve the age-class distribution but also to sustainably uphold the forests' public benefits. Furthermore, the potential volume of timber production from the national forests for the next 100 years would be around 2 million m³ per year, constituting about 44% of the annual domestic timber supply.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.98 no.4
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• pp.426-434
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• 2009

This study was carried out to derive the most optimal production process for the wood fuels(chip and pellet), by collecting cost data on each procedure through the life cycle assessment approach, and to compare between the profitability and efficiency, from the view points of producers and consumers, irrespectively. The costs accounted in this analysis were based on the opportunity cost. The results show that wood chips are cheaper than wood pellets in production costs. In respect to the process with the lowest production cost, while wood chips should be to crush collected residues into pieces on the spot for merchandizing, wood pellets need to be transported to manufactory for pelletizing. The study findings also include that the profits, which is estimated by subtracting expenses from gained sale revenue, were a bit higher for wood chips than wood pellets. Additionally, the price ratio of wood pellets to wood chips for getting the same caloric value appears to be 1.27. Despite of economic benefits of processing wood chips, there are several problems in practice. For producers, there is a possible increase in not only transportation cost for conveying crushers to the dispersed places, but storage cost due to the lack of the marketplaces in the immediate surroundings. For consumers, on the other hand, there are some challenging issues, such as bulky storage facility requirement, additional labor for fuel supplement, frequent ashes disposal, and decomposition in summer and freezing in winter caused by wood chips' own moisture.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.30-40
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• 1992

The area of grassland established and the arable land in forage production have been decreased recently in Korea. As a result, forages available from the grassland and the arable land provided only 40% of the total roughage consumed by cattle in 1991, compared with 54% in 1989. The decreasing trend of the forage production has been impinged on by a number of legislative. socio-economic. technical and other constraints negatively affecting grassland and forage development. Consequently. effective systems and strategies are quite necessary to have sustainable grassland farming in Korea. In spring and autumn, temperatures are too low for subtropical forage crops, and the summer monsoon climate is another serious limitation to the use of cool-season species. Therefore it is an imperative that not only the research-based grassland development but also the forage crop production should be strongly supported by the government authorities to overcome such climatic limitations. Private forest land holdings are of relatively small units in Korea. Accordingly. it is necessary and important to enlarge the forest land holdings per farm to develop as economic units of grassland. For this the government should introduce new policy measures such as for example: long-term leases of Sorest land and the idle arable land of absentee owners ; rational rental system of national and public forest lands; integrating livestock and forest production. All the laws and regulations standing in the way of the grassland development in forest lands should be modified and revised to open the way for much easier development of grassland. It is also proposed that a high level of financial incentives -hould be provided for structural improvements for the grassland development. They may be: mechanization facilitation, construction of new roads relating to grassland, and land exchange and consolidation. And it is basically necessary that financial enumeration or profits must be garanteed in order to motivate farmers to keep up farming continuously. For more efficient grassland development in mountainous areas, reorganization of Alpine Experiment Station and NAB1 Namwon Branch Station may be needed. Research should be strengthened for completion of pasture mixtures, development of maximum forage production methods with a view to saving labor and reducing production costs, introduction of grazing and forage conservation techniques. and utilization of rice straw as more palatable and nutritious forage source. In order to have more efficient and effective transfer of advanced forage production technologies to livestock farmers the user-clients. it is also essential that special training measures should be given to livestock farmers through making greater use of specialized research and extension workers.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.87 no.3
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• pp.391-403
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• 1998

The study was carried out to devise a proper measure to increase the income of mountain villagers by producing sap water of Acer mono, and to make the most of sap water as local specialty to contribute to the local economy of mountain villages. All the processes from collecting to marketing of sap water of Acer mono was investigated. The survey was done from mid-January to mid-February in the 3 major sap water collecting regions, Toji-myon Kurey-gun(Piagol area of Mt. Chiri), Okryong-myon Kwangyang city(Mt. Baekun), and Jookhack-ri Sunchon(Mt. Chokey). A total of 90 householders who collect sap water, to say again, 30 householders in each region, were interviewed personally to make up questionnaires. The habitual or general practices about collecting sap water, the selling price, the sales process, labor power to collect and carry down, carrying distance and facilities, sales income and side income, and family income were investigated and examined. Spots of collecting sap water were not concentrated but scattered all over the collecting area. Collecting method, collecting amount, sales process, and selling price varied with the village and region. Sap water was collected by tapping or boring method, the latter of which was widely used in lots of regions except in Sunchon. Although the amount of sap production per family varied with region, the average amount was about 1,350 liters. Of all the sap water collected, 44% was consumed by drinking of on-the-spot visitors and 36% was sold by order, etc. Sap water was sold at the price varying from 10,000 won to 60,000 won per 18 liters. The average selling price was 41,000 won, but selling prices of 43,000 won and 45,000 wan amounted to 38% and 25%, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2020

This study compared RGB color images with canopy light interception (LI) and leaf area index (LAI) measurements for low cost and low labor. LAI and LI were measured from vertical gap fraction derived from top of digital image in soybean canopy cover (cv Daewonkong, Deapongkong and Pungsannamulkong). RGB color images, LAI, and LI were collected from V4.5 stage to R5stage. Image segmentation was based on excess green minus excess red index (ExG-ExR). There was a linear relationship between LAI measured with LI (r²=0.84). There was alinear relation ship between LI measured with canopy cover on image (CCI) (r²=0.94). There was a significant positive relationship(r²=0.74) between LAI and CCI at all grow ingseason. Therefore, it is expected that in the future, the RGB color image could be able to easily measure the LAI and the LI at low cost and low labor.