• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.204-214
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• 2023

This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the potential impact of deforestation and forest restoration on carbon storage in North Korea until 2050, employing rigorous analyses of trends of land use change in the past periods and projecting future land use change scenarios. We utilized the CA-Markov model, which can reflect spatial trends in land use changes, and verified the impact of forest restoration strategies on carbon storage by creating land use change scenarios (reforestation and non-reforestation). We employed two distinct periods of land use maps (2000 to 2010 and 2010 to 2020). To verify the overall terrestrial carbon storage in North Korea, our evaluation included estimations of carbon storage for various elements such as above-ground, below-ground, soil, and debris (including litters) for settlement, forest, cultivated, grass, and bare areas. Our results demonstrated that effective forest restoration strategies in North Korea have the potential to increase carbon storage by 4.4% by the year 2050, relative to the carbon storage observed in 2020. In contrast, if deforestation continues without forest restoration efforts, we predict a concerning decrease in carbon storage by 11.5% by the year 2050, compared to the levels in 2020. Our findings underscore the significance of prioritizing and continuing forest restoration efforts to effectively increase carbon storage in North Korea. Furthermore, the implications presented in this study are expected to be used in the formulation and implementation of long-term forest restoration strategies in North Korea, while fostering international cooperation towards this common environmental goal.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.110 no.4
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• pp.569-576
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• 2021

This study developed an estimation model for litterfall input using the stand parameters (basal area, stand density, mean DBH, and carbon stocks of the aboveground tree biomass) collected from the Korean red pine (Pinus densiflora S. et Z.) stands of seven regions in Gyeongsangnam-do. The mean annual litterfall was 2,779 kg ha^-1 year^-1 for needles, 883 kg ha^-1 year^-1 for miscellaneous, 611 kg ha^-1 year^-1 for broadleaved, 513 kg ha^-1 year^-1 for branches, and 340 kg ha^-1 year^-1 for bark litter. The mean annual total litterfall was 5,051 kg ha^-1 year^-1. Litterfall components were significantly correlated with stand parameters, except for broadleaved litter. A stronger correlation was observed between the carbon stock of the aboveground tree biomass and all the litterfall components compared with the other stand variables. The allometric equations for all the litterfall components were significant (P < 0.05), with the stand parameters accounting for 5%-43% and 8%-42% of the variation in the needle litter and total litterfall, respectively. The results indicated that the annual litterfall inputs of the Korean red pine stands on a regional scale can be effectively estimated by allometric equations using the basal area and carbon stocks of the aboveground tree biomass.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.62-69
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• 2007

This study has been carried out to estimate aboveground carbon contents in an average 30-years-old Betula platyphylla and 32-years-old Juglans mandshurica stands in Chungju, Chungbuk Province. Nine sample trees were cut in each forest and soil samples were collected. Carbon concentration in stemwood, stembark, branch, and foliage were ranged from 54.6% to 57.0% in Betula platyphylla and 53.5% to 56.9% in Juglans mandshurica stands. Aboveground carbon contents was estimated by the equation model logWt=A+BlogD where Wt is oven-dry weight in kg and D is DBH in cm. Total aboveground carbon contents was 34.31t/ha in Betula platyphylla stand and 21.10t/ha in Juglans mandshurica stand. Aboveground net primary carbon production was estimated at 2.31t/ha/yr in Betula platyphylla stand and 2.03t/ha/yr in Juglans mandshurica stand.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.93-100
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• 2004

The content of nutrients such as organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium accumulated on soil layers in Quercus mongolica forest of Mt. Songnisan National Park located at central part of Korea was measured, and then the decomposition constants and decay times of the nutrients were also calculated by the negative coefficience model(O1son,1963). The quantities of organic carton of L-layer, F-layer, H-layer and $A_1$-layer of the forest stand were 231.25 g $m^{-2}$, 291.50 g $m^{-2}$,166.91 g$m^{-2}$ and 174.51 g $m^{-2}$, respectively. The content of organic carbon and nitrogen contained in L-layer and F-layer showed large quantity than those of other layers. The large amount of phosphorus and potassium was observed at the B-layer and $A_1$-layer. On the other hand, the decomposition constants(k) of soil organic matter were as follows : organic carbon (k = 0.3657), nitrogen (k = 0.3319), phosphorus (k = 0.2050), and potassium (k = 0.0934) and the decay times needed to 99% decomposition of nutrients in soil organic matter were as follows: that is, organic carton, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium was 13.94 years, 15.18 years, 24.79 years, and 55.11 years, respectively. By the application of Turbo Pascal Program on the inflowed and outflowed nutrients to the forest stand,87.67% (714.84 g $m^{-2}$) of organic carbon inflowed was decomposed and 81.62% (1,594.62 g $m^{-2}$) of organic carbon accumulated was decomposed. And 84.98% of nitrogen inflowed was decomposed and 70.26% of nitrogen accumulated was also decayed.50.00% of phosphorus input and 40.31% of potassium input were decomposed, and 38.40% of phosphoyus and 33.03% of potassium accumulated were also decayed, respectively. Therefore, it is suggested that Quercus mongolica forest surveyed in the present study is maintaining in steady state because input and output amounts of nutrients is shown a similar pattern.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.165-173
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• 2010

Soil respiration ($R_S$) is a critical component of the annual carbon balance of forests, but few studies thus far have attempted to evaluate empirical regression models in $R_S$. The principal objectives of this study were to evaluate the relationship between $R_S$ rates and soil temperature (ST) and soil water content (SWC) in soil from a cool-temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest, and to evaluate empirical regression models for the prediction of $R_S$ using ST and SWC. We have been measuring $R_S$, using an open-flow gas-exchange system with an infrared gas analyzer during the snowfree season from 1999 to 2001 at the Takayama Forest, Japan. To evaluate the empirical regression models used for the prediction of $R_S$, we compared a simple exponential regression (flux = $ae^{bt}$Eq. [1]) and two polynomial multiple-regression models (flux = $ae^{bt}{\times}({\theta}{\nu}-c){\times}(d-{\theta}{\nu})^f:$ Eq. [2] and flux = $ae^{bt}{\times}(1-(1-({\theta}{\nu}/c))^2)$: Eq. [3]) that included two variables (ST: t and SWC: ${\theta}{\nu}$) and that utilized hourly data for $R_S$. In general, daily mean $R_S$ rates were positively well-correlated with ST, but no significant correlations were observed with any significant frequency between the ST and $R_S$ rates on periods of a day based on the hourly $R_S$ data. Eq. (2) has many more site-specific parameters than Eq. (3) and resulted in some significant underestimation. The empirical regression, Eq. (3) was best explained by temporal variations, as it provided a more unbiased fit to the data compared to Eq. (2). The Eq. (3) (ST $\times$ SWC function) also increased the predictive ability as compared to Eq. (1) (only ST exponential function), increasing the $R^2$ from 0.71 to 0.78.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.757-765
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to estimate the spatial-temporal NPP(Net Primary Productivity) and SCS(Soil Carbon Storage) of forest ecosystem under climate change in the capital area of South Korea using Mapss-Century1 (MC1), one of Dynamic Global Vegetation Models (DGVMs). The characteristics of the NPP and SCS changes were simulated based on a biogeochemical module in this model. As results of the simulation, the NPP varies from 2.02 to 7.43 tC $ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$ and the SCS varies from 34.55 to 84.81 tC $ha^{-1}$ during 1971~2000 respectively. Spatial mean NPP showed a little decreasing tendency in near future (2021~2050) and then increased in far future (2071~2100) under the condition of increasing air temperature and precipitation which were simulated by the A1B climate change scenario of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). But it was estimated that the temporal change of spatial mean NPP indicates 4.62% increasing tendency in which elevation is over 150m in this area. However, spatial mean SCS was decreased in the two future periods under same climate condition.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.109-120
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• 2007

The information on flowpath, storage, residence time, and interactions of water and carbon transport in a catchment is the prerequisite to the understanding and predicting of water and carbon cycling in the mountainous landscapes of Korea. In this paper, along with some up-to-date results, we present the principal methods that are currently used in HydroKorea and CarboKorea research to obtain such information. Various catchment hydrological processes have been examined on the basis of the water table fluctuations, the end-member mixing model, the cross correlation analysis, and cosmogenic radioactive isotope activity. In the Gwangneung catchment, the contribution of surface discharge was relatively large, and the changes in the amount, intensity and patterns of precipitation affected both the flowpath and the mean residence time of water. Particularly during the summer monsoon, changes in precipitation patterns and hydrological processes in the catchment influenced the carbon cycle such that the persistent precipitation increased the discharge of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrated in the surface soil layer. The improved understanding of the hydrological processes presented in this report will enable a more realistic assessment of the effects of climate changes on the water resource management and on the carbon cycling in forest catchments.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.85 no.2
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• pp.210-224
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• 1996

The SLODSVAT consists of interrelated submodels that simulate : the transfer of radiation, water vapour, sensible heat, carbon dioxide and momentum in two canopy layers determined by environmental conditions and ecophysiological properties of the vegetation ; uptake and storage of water in the "root-stem-leaf" system of plants ; interception of rainfall by the canopy layers and infiltration and storage of rain water in the four soil layers. A comparison of the results of modeling experiments and field micro-climatic observations in a spruce forest(Picea abies [L].Karst) in the Soiling hills(Germany) shows, that the SLODSVAT can describe and simulate the short-term(diurnal) as well as the long-term(seasonal) variability of water vapour and sensible heat fluxes adequately to natural processes under different environmental conditions. It proves that it is possible to estimate and predict the transpiration and evapotranspiration rates for spruce forest ecosystems on the patch and landscape scales for one vegetation period, if certain meteorological, botanical and hydrological information for the structure of the atmospheric boundary layer, the canopy and the soil are available.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.459-467
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• 2015

Understanding of a carbon storage in a regional scale ecosystem is a very important data for predicting change of global carbon cycle. Therefore, the real data collected in the various ecosystems are a very useful for enhancing accuracy of model prediction. We tried to estimate total accumulated ecosystem carbon in Deogyusan National Park (DNP) with naturally well preserved ecosystem. In DNP, vegetations were classified to four main communities with Quercus mongolica community (12,636.9 ha, 54.8%), Quercus variabilis community (2,987.0 ha, 13.0%), Pinus densiflora community (5,758.0 ha, 25.0%), and Quercus serrata community (402.9 ha,1.7%). Biomass and soil carbons were estimated by the biomass allometric equations based on the DBH and carbon contents of litter and soil (0~30 cm) layers collected in 3 plots ($30cm{\times}30cm$) in each community. The biomass and soil carbons were shown as high value as 1,759,000 tC and 7,776,000 tC, respectively, in Quercus mongolia community in DNP area. In Quercus mongolica, Quercus variabilis, Quercus serrata, Pinus densiflora communities, the accumulated ecosystem carbon were shown 9,536,000 tC, 1,405,000 tC, 147,000 tC, 346,000 tC, respectively. Also, the total ecosystem carbon was estimated with 11,434,000 tC in DNP.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.66-77
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• 2005

We have investigated microclimatic controls on the spatiotemporal variations of net primary production (NPP) of a rugged forested watershed using the process-based biogeochemical model (BIOME-BGC). To validate the model simulation of water and carbon cycles at the plot scale, we have conducted field survey over deciduous broadleaf forest (DBF) and evergreen needleleaf forest (ENF) since 2000. The modeled values of soil temperature, soil moisture and soil respiration showed high correlation with those from the field measurements. The modeled seasonal changes of NPP showed high correlation with air temperature but no significant correlation with water related parameters. The precipitation frequency turned out to be the best climatic factor to explain the annual variation of NPP. Furthermore, NPP of ENF was more sensitive to precipitation frequency than that of DBF. With changes in vegetation cover and topography, the spatial distribution of NPP was of great heterogeneity, which was negatively correlated with the magnitude of NPP. Despite the annual precipitation of 1,400mm, NPP at the study site was constrained by the amount of water available for the vegetation. Such a modeling result should be verified by the field measurements.