• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.51-58
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• 1990

The rates of litter production and decomposition of litters from grasslands and forests in Mt. Guryong were studied. The annual litter production of Glycine soja showed the highest value 1950.88 g/$m^2$/yr in the grasslands and that in Quercus acutissima, as 2202.38 g/$m^2$/yr in the forests. The highest decay rate of the grasslands was found in G. soja as k=0.713 and that of the forests was in Salix koreensis as k=0.319. The Z values of k in the grasslands was higher than that in the forests. The shortest half-time of the litter decay in the grasslands was 0.9 years in G. soja and the longest one of the forests was S. koreensis as 2.1 years and the longest of all was Q. mongolica as 5.2 years. In the amount of total nitrogen of litters, G. soja was the highest of the grasslands and S. koreensis was the highest of the forest. The content of the total nitrogen in litters was directly propotional to the decay rates.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.23-27
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• 2006

This study was conducted to evaluate forest carbon cycling and soil $CO_2$ efflux rates in a 42-year-old pine (Pinus densiflora) stand located in Hamyang-gun, Korea. Aboveground and soil organic carbon storage, litterfall, litter decomposition, and soil $CO_2$ efflux rates were measured for one year. Estimated aboveground biomass carbon storage and increment in this stand were $3,250gC/m^2\;and\;156gC\;m^{-2}yr^{-1}$, respectively. Soil organic carbon storage at the depth of 30 cm was $10,260gC/m^2$ Mean organic carbon inputs by needle and total litterfall were $176gC\;m^{-2}yr^{-1}\;and\;235gC\;m^{-2}yr^{-1}$, respectively. Litter decomposition rates were faster in nne roots less than 2 mm diameter size ($<220\;g\;kg^{-1}yr^{-1}$) than in needle litter ($<120\;g\;kg^{-1}yr^{-1}$). Annual mean and total soil respiration rates were $0.37g\;CO_2m^{-2}h^{-1}$ and $2,732g\;CO_2m^{-2}yr^{-1}$ during the study period. A strong positive relationship existed between soil $CO_2$ efflux and soil temperature (r=0.8149), while soil $CO_2$ efflux responded negatively to soil pH (r=-0.3582).

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.566-573
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• 2014

Decay rate and nutrient dynamics during leaf litter decomposition of deciduous broad leaf Quercus mongolica and evergreen needle leaf Pinus densiflora were investigated for 69 months from December 2005 to September 2011 in Mt. Worak National Park as a part of National Long-Term Ecological Research Program in Korea. Percent remaining weight of Q. mongolica and P. densiflora leaf litter after 69 months elapsed was $35.4{\pm}2.3%$ and $16.1{\pm}1.3%$, respectively. Decomposition of P. densiflora leaf litter was significantly faster than that of Q. mongolica leaf litter. Decay constant (k) of Q. mongolica and P. densiflora leaf litter after 69 months elapsed was 5.97 and 10.50, respectively. Initial C/N and C/P ratio of Q. mongolica leaf litter was 43.1 and 543.9 respectively. After 69 months elapsed, C/N and C/P ratio of decomposing Q. mongolica leaf litter decreased to 8.7 and 141.2, respectively. Initial C/N and C/P ratio of P. densiflora leaf litter was 151.2 and 391.4, respectively. After 69 months elapsed, C/N and C/P ratio of decomposing P. densiflora leaf litter decreased to 22.9. and 136.5. respectively. Initial concentration of N, P, K, Ca and Mg in leaf litter was 9.30, 0.23, 2.36, 3.14, 1.11 mg/g in Q. mongolica, and 3.02, 0.09, 1.00, 3.84, 0.62 mg/g in P. densiflora, respectively. Initial concentration of N and P in Q. mongolica leaf litter was significantly higher than those in P. densiflora. After 69 months elapsed, remaining N, P, K, Ca and Mg in decomposing leaf litter were 73.8, 60.9, 17.2, 20.3, 35.1 % in Q. mongolica, and 69.5, 75.3, 12.3, 10.9, 10.8 % in P. densiflora, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.887-892
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• 2011

This study was to find out influence of heavy metal concentration in plant on microbial activities during decomposition of Artenmisia princeps var. orientalis and Equisetum arvense collected from an abandoned mine and control site in Cheongyang-gun Chungcheongnam-do. Microbial respiration rate showed the highest value at the time of the first collection, and then tended to decline over time. The highest microbial respiration rate appeared in leaf litters with low heavy metal contents, and A. princeps var. orientalis and E. arvense collected and decomposed at the control site showed the fastest decomposition rate. For both A. princeps var. orientalis and E. arvense, litters with low heavy metal content appeared to have higher microbial biomass. There was apparent quantitative correlation between decomposition rate and cumulative respiration rate of leaf litters, and between decomposition rate and microbial biomass of leaf litters. Thus, the study result showed that leaf litter with higher heavy metal content had a negative impacts on the growth and activity of microbial decomposer during decomposition processes.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1995.10b
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• pp.189.2-189
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• 1995

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1996.10a
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• pp.104.2-104
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• 1996

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.28-33
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• 1990

The turnover rates of nitrogen(N), phosphorus(P), calcium(Ca), potassium(K), and sodium(Na) during the decomposition of litter were studied in the Pinus koraiensis forest in Choon Chun and in the Pinus rigida forest in Mt. Gwanak, Seoul. The turnover rates of N, P, K, Ca, and Na were 0.064, 0.068, 0.040, 0.417, and 0.058 for the P. korai ensis litter and 0.049, 0.049, 0.023, 0.346, and 0.058 for the P. rigida litter respectively. The loss of elements follows the order Ca>P>N>Na>K in the P. koraiensis litter and the order Ca>Na>N=P>K in the P. rigida litter. Generally the turnover rates of cations were greater than those of anions.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.374-382
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• 2021

In the present study, we analyzed the decay rate and nutrient dynamics during leaf litter decomposition of Pinus densiflora and Pinus thunbergii in Gongju for 60 months, from 2014 to 2019. P. thunbergii leaf litter decomposed faster than that of P. densiflora. The decay constant of P. densiflora and P. thunbergii leaf litter after 60 months was 3.02 and 3.59, respectively. The initial C/N ratio of P. densiflora and P. thunbergii leaf litter were 14.4 and 14.5, respectively. After 60 months, C/N ratio of decomposing P. densiflora and P. thunbergii leaf litter decreased to 2.26 and 3.0, respectively. The initial C/P ratio of P. densiflora and P. thunbergii leaf litter were 144.1 and 111.3. After 60 months elapsed, the C/P ratio of decomposing P. densiflora and P. thunbergii leaf litter decreased to 40.1 and 45.8, respectively. After 60 months, the percentage of the remaining N, P, K, Ca, and Mg in decomposing P. densiflora leaf litter was 231.08, 130.13, 35.68, 48.58, and 36.03%, respectively. After 60 months, the percentage of the remaining N, P, K, Ca, and Mg in decomposing P. thunbergii leaf litter was 143.91, 74.02, 28.59, 45.08, and 44.99%, respectively. The findings of the present study provide an insight into the forest ecosystem function of coniferous forests through the analysis of the amount of nutrient transfer into the soil through a long-term decomposition process; this information is intended to be used as basic data for preparing counter measures for future climate and ecosystem changes.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.279-285
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• 2010

This study was conducted to evaluate the differences between the heavy metal contaminated and non-contaminated Artemisia princeps var. orientalis and Equisetum arvense in litter decomposition processes. The plant samples were collected from abandoned mine tailings and control sites in Cheongyang, South Korea. The abandoned mine tailings have high heavy metal concentration and low soil organic matter contents. The heavy metal contents of mine tailings were about 13 and 28 times higher in As and Cd, compared to those in control soils. Also, the contents of the Cr, Ni and Zn in mine tailings were about 3 to 6 times higher than those in control soil. Samples of two plant species from mine tailings have high heavy metal concentrations compared to those from control sites. The leaf of A. princeps var. orientalis and shoot of E. arvense collected from mine tailings have approximately 23 and 58 times more in As, and 25 and 11 times more in Cd. The mass loss rates of plant litter from mine tailings were slower than those from control sites. During the experimental period, the decomposition of A. princeps var. orientalis leaf from mine tailings and control site showed 50.4% and 65.7% mass loss on the control soil area, respectively. The decomposition of A princeps var. orientalis leaf from mine tailings and control site showed 31.6% and 57.5% mass loss on the mine tailings area, respectively. The decomposition of A. princeps var. orientalis stem from mine tailings and control site showed similar patterns with their leaf decomposition. The decomposition of E. arvense shoot from mine tailings and control site showed 77.8% and 89.3% mass loss on the control soil area, respectively. The decomposition of E. arvense shoot from mine tailings and control site showed 67.6% and 82.1% mass loss on the mine tailings area, respectively. Therefor, the higher contents of heavy metals showed slow decomposition. The results suggested that heavy metal contamination affected the plant litter decomposition processes.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.45-48
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• 1980

Effects of habitat and substrate quality on decomposition rate of litters of Larix kaempferi and Quercus serrata were estimated in Kwangnung forest. The amount of organic matter under the canopy of Quercus serrata stand was higher than that under the canopy of Larix kaempferi. The loss constant of litters in the Larix kaempferi stand was higher than that in the Quercus serrata stand.