• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.155-158
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• 2008

Site index is the essential tool for forest management to estimate the productivity of forest land Generally, site index equation is developed and used by relationship between stand age and dominant tree heights. However, there is a limit to use the site index equation in the application of variable ages, environmental influence, and estimation of site index for unstocked land. Therefore, it was attempted to develop a new site index equations based on various environmental factors including site and topographical variables. This study was conducted to develop regional site index equations based on the relationship between site index and soil factors for Pinus densiflora. Environmental factors that obtained from GIS application, were selected by stepwise-regression. Site index Equation was estimated by multiple regression from selected factors. Four environmental factors were selected in the final site index equations by stepwise regression. It was observed that coefficients of determination for site index equations were ranged from 0.34 which seem to be relatively low but good enough for estimation of forest stand productivity. The site index equations developed in this study were also verified to be useful by three evaluation statistics such as model's estimation bias, model's precision and mean square error type of measure.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.429-434
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• 2007

This study was conducted to estimate site productivity of Quercus acutissima and Quercus mongolica by four forest climatic zones. We used site environmental variables (28 geographical and pedological factors) and site index as a site productivity indicator from nation-wide 23,315 stands. Based on multiple regression analysis between site index and major environmental variables, the best-fit multivaliate models were made by each species and forest climatic zone. Most of site index prediction models by species were regressed with seven to eight factors, including altitude, relief, soil depth, and soil moisture etc. For those models, three evaluation statistics such as mean difference, standard deviation of difference, and standard error of difference were applied to the test data set for the validation of the results. According to the evaluation statistics, it was found that the models by climatic zones and species fitted well to the test data set with relatively low bias and variation. Also having above middle of site index range, total area of productive sites for the two Quercus spp. estimated by those models would be about 6% of total forest area. Northern temperate forest zone and central temperate forest zone had more productive area than southern temperate forest zone and warm temperate forest zone. As a result, it was concluded that the regressive prediction with site environmental variables by climatic zones and species had enough estimation capability of forest site productivity.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.160-166
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• 2009

We estimated site productivity for unstocked land based on the relationship between site index (i.e., average height of dominant trees at fixed age) and soil physico-chemical properties of Pinus densiflora stands. Site index relates to a direct method of determining a tree's response to a specific environment such as forest soil and climate conditions. We selected 78 sites in 22 P. densiflora stands of central temperate forest zone, and sampled soils for physicochemical analyzing. And 13 properties of soils were statistically treated by stepwise regression. In the degree of contribution of the variables to site index, the highly effective variables in A horizon were OM, clay content, sand content, available $P_2O_5$, and Exch. $Ca^{{+}{+}}$ inorder, and in B horizon T.N., O.M., Soil pH, cation exchange capacity(C.E.C.), and sand content in order. In both A and B horizon of the soil for P. densiflora stands, the variables commonly contributed to the site index were sand content and OM. These results may be useful to provide not only important criteria for establishment of Pinus densiflora stand sespecially in unstocked land but also aguidance for reforestation.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.97-106
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• 2006

Site index is an essential tool to estimate forest productivity. Generally, a site index equation is developed and used from the relationship between stand age and dominant tree heights. However, there is a limit to the use of the site index equation in the application of variable ages, environmental influence, and estimation of site index for the unstocked forest. Therefore, it has been attempted to develop a new site index equation based on various environmental factors including site, climate, and topographical variables. This study was conducted to develop a site index equation based on the relationship between site index and environmental factors for the species of Pinus koraiensis in Yangpyung-Gun, Gyunggi Province. The influence of climatic factors (temperature and solar irradiation ratio), topographical factors (elevation, slope, ratio of slope to valley and aspect) and soil profiles (soil depth by layer and soil consistency) on site index were evaluated by multiple regression analysis. Five environmental factors were selected in the final site index equation for Pinus koraiensis. The site index equation developed in this study was also verified by three evaluation statistics: model's estimation bias, model's precision, and mean square error of measurement. Based on the site index equation, the number of productive areas for Pinus koraiensis were estimated by applying GIS technique to digitized forest maps. In addition, the distribution of productive areas was compared with the areas of current distribution of Pinus koraiensis. It is expected that the results obtained in this study could provide valuable information about the amount and distribution of productive areas for Pinus koraiensis reforestation.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.29-31
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• 2002

The purpose of this study is to estimate height growth patterns and site index cuties (base index age 50 years) for Japanese red cedar trees(Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) grown in southern regions of Korea. The Chapman-Richards growth function was selected for stand height prediction using on the results of stem analysis data sets. Anamorphic base age invariant site index cuties were presented based on this height prediction equation. The resulting site index prediction equation can provide an indication of the productivity of the site quality based on Japanese red cedar trees plantation ages planted in southern regions of Korea.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.89-97
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• 2012

This study was conducted to estimate forest site productivity and productive areas of Quercus acutissima and Quercus mongolica using environmental factors including climatic variables. Using the data set from digital forest site map and forest climatic map, a total of 42 environmental variables were regressed on site index for developing the best site index equations for Quercus acutissima and Quercus mongolica. Five to six environmental factors by species were selected as independent variables in the best site index equations. For the site index equations, three evaluation statistics (i.e., mean difference, standard deviation of difference, and standard error of difference) were applied to the test data set for the validation of the results, The site index equations fitted well to the test data set with relatively low bias and variation. As a result, it was concluded that the site index equations by species were well capable of estimating site quality. Finally, based on the site index equations, the productive areas by species were estimated by applying GIS technique to the digital forest maps. In addition, the distribution of productive areas by species was illustrated.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.101 no.3
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• pp.395-404
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• 2012

This study was conducted to develop site index equations and to estimate productive areas for major coniferous species in Korea such as Pinus densiflora Sieb. et. Zucc, Pinus densiflora for. erect, Larix leptolepis and Pinus koraiensis using environmental factors. Using the large data set from both a digital forest site map and a climatic map, a total of 43 environmental factors including 15 climatic variables were regressed on site index by tree species to develop site index equations. Six environmental factors by species were selected as independent variables in the final site index equations. The result showed that the coefficients of determination for site index equations by species were ranged from 0.36 to 0.56, which seem to be relatively low but good enough for the estimation of forest stand productivity. The site index equations developed in this study were also verified by three evaluation statistics such as the estimation bias of model, precision of model, and mean square error of measurement. According to the evaluation statistics, it was found that the site index equations by species fitted well to the test data sets with relatively low bias and variation. As a result, it was concluded that the site index equations by species were well capable of estimating site quality. Based on the site index equations, the productive areas by species for all forest areas were estimated by applying GIS technique to the digital forest site map and climate map. In addition, the distribution of productive areas by species was illustrated by using GIS technique.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.102 no.3
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• pp.437-445
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• 2013

This study was conducted to develop site index equations and to estimate productive areas of Quercus acutissima by ecoprovince in Korea using environmental factors. Using the large data set from both a digital forest site map and a climatic map, a total of 48 environmental factors including 19 climatic variables were regressed on site index to develop site index equations. Four to six environmental factors for Quercus acutissima by ecoprovince were selected as independent variables in the final site index equations. The result showed that the coefficients of determination for site index equations were ranged from 0.30 to 0.41, which seem to be relatively low but good enough for the estimation of forest stand productivity. The site index equations developed in this study were also verified by three evaluation statistics such as the estimation bias of model, precision of model, and mean square error of measurement. According to the evaluation statistics, it was found that the site index equations fitted well to the test data sets with relatively low bias and variation. As a result, it was concluded that the site index equations were well capable of estimating site quality. Based on the site index equations of Quercus acutissima by ecoprovince, the productive areas by ecoprovince were estimated by applying GIS technique to the digital forest site map and climate map. In addition, the distribution of productive areas by ecoprovince was illustrated by using GIS technique.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.111 no.3
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• pp.428-434
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• 2022

This study was conducted to derive the site index of forest productivity of Robinia pseudoacacia (honey plant) to characterize suitable planting sites and to investigate the effect of the site environmental factors on the site index using the quantification theory I method. The data used in the analysis were growth factors (stand age, dominant height, etc.) of the 6th national forest resources survey and various site environmental factors of a forest soil map (1:5,000). The average site index value of the R. pseudoacacia stand in Korea was 14 (range, 8 to 18). The environmental factors affecting the site index were parent rock, climatic zone, soil texture, local topography, and altitude. The accuracy of the estimation model using quantification theory I was only 33%. However, the correlation between the site index and the site environmental factors was statistically significant at the 1% level. Results of quantification analysis between site index and site environmental factors revealed that metamorphic and igneous rocks received high grades as parent rocks, climate zones received higher grades than central temperate zone, clay loam and silt loam received high grades in soil texture, and hillside received a high grade in local topography. Analysis of the partial correlation between site topographical factors and forest productivity (site index) found that soil class and altitude were partially correlated to x by 0.4129 and 0.4023, respectively, indicating that these factors are the most influential variables.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.179-187
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• 2007

This study was conducted to develop site index equations for some pine species by climatic zones based on the relationships between site index and environmental factors. The selected pine species were Pinus densiflora Sieb. et. Zucc., Pinus densiflora for, erecta, and Pinus thunbergii. A total of 28 environmental factors were obtained from a digital forest site map. The influence of 28 environmental factors on site index was evaluated by multiple regression analysis. Four to eight environmental factors were selected in the final site index equation for pine species by climatic zones. The site index equations developed in this study was then verified by three evaluation statistics such as model's estimation bias, model's precision and mean square error type of measure. We concluded that the site index equations for the pine species by climatic Bones were capable of estimating forest site productivity. Based on these site index equations, the amount of productive areas for the species by climatic zones was estimated by applying the GIS technique to digital forest maps.