• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.105 no.3
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• pp.275-283
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• 2016

The objective of this study was to examine carbon dynamics with biomass, soil $CO_2$ efflux, litter and root decomposition after tree density control in young Pinus densiflora stands. The stands were established with 50% thinning, clear-cut, and control stands with three pseudo-replicated plots and a bare soil plot in 8-year-old Pinus densiflora nursery field. Monthly measurements were conducted from March 2012 to February 2014 and aboveground biomass and coarse-roots were estimated by derived allometric equations. Average diameter growth at root collar in control and thinned was 0.89 cm and 1.48 cm per year, respectively, and the diameter growth of control stand was significantly higher than that of thinned stands (p<0.05). Total biomass was estimated to 5.17, $4.85kg\;C\;m^{-2}$ per year in control and thinned, respectively. Annual soil $CO_2$ efflux in control, thinned, clear cut, and bare soil was 3.71, 3.90, 4.17, $4.56kg\;CO_2\;m^{-2}\;yr^{-1}$, respectively and removing trees significantly increased soil $CO_2$ efflux (p<0.05). Net Ecosystem Production (NEP) was 1.57, 1.36, -0.67, $-1.25kg\;C\;m^{-2}\;yr^{-1}$ in control, thinned, clear cut and bare soil in the young Pinus densiflora stands. NEP was significantly decreased by removing trees. Thinning increased diameter at root collar and carbon of individual tree and recovered 86% of carbon removed by thinning after one-year. In addition, soil $CO_2$ efflux increased and NEP increased by thinning. Results of this study, tree density control such as thinning increased the carbon storage and growth of the young Pinus densiflora stands.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.109 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2020

In order to evaluate the vertical distribution and distributional pattern of vascular plants in the Samga district of Sobaeksan National Park, vascular plants were surveyed along a hiking trail from the Samga Tour Support Center to the top of a mountain. The elevation range was divided into 11 sections with 100 m intervals from 400 m to 1439 m above sea level.A total of 375 taxa were listed, comprising 92 families, 235 genera, 332 species, 3 subspecies, 37 varieties, and 3 forms. The pattern of species richness along the elevational gradient showed a reverse hump-shaped trend. The species distribution pattern was positively correlated with the soil exchangeable cations Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺, soil pH, available phosphate, and the warmth index. Furthermore, slope, soil moisture content, and soil exchangeable cations were significantly correlated with species distribution. DCA grouped herb species into two groups. Stands of each section were sequentially arranged from 400 m to 1500 m along an altitudinal gradient. Soil moisture content, soil pH, soil K²⁺ and Na²⁺, available phosphate, and slope were significantly correlated with stand distribution. This study provides important data that could be useful for conservation and the sustainable use of biodiversity in the study area. In order to understand the ecological and environmental characteristics and distribution of plant species, it will be necessary to continuously develop relative studies with continuous monitoring.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.295-303
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• 2018

Inland wetlands in the Republic of Korea provide key breeding and wintering habitats, while coastal wetlands provide nutrient-rich habitats for stopover sites for East Asia/Australasia Flyway(EAAF) migrants. However, since the 1960's, Korea has reclaimed these coastal wetlands gradually for agriculture and urban expansion. The habitat loss has rippled across global populations of migrant shorebirds in EAAF. To protect a similar loss, the United States, specifically Missouri, developed the moist-soil management technique. Wetland impoundments are constructed from levees with water-flow control gates with specific soils, topography, available water sources, and target goals. The impoundments are subjected to a combination of carefully timed and regulated flooding and drawdown regimes with occasional soil disturbance. This serves a dual purpose of removing undesirable vegetation, while maximizing habitat and forage for wildlife. Flooding and drawdown schedules must be dynamic with constantly shifting climate conditions. Korea's latitude ($N33^{\circ}25^{\prime}{\sim}N38^{\circ}37^{\prime}$) is comparable to Missouri ($N36^{\circ}69^{\prime}{\sim}N40^{\circ}41^{\prime}$); as such, moist-soil management could prove to be an effective wetland restoration technique for Korea. In order to meet specific conservation goals (i.e. shorebird staging site restoration), it is necessary to test the proposed methodology on a site that can meet the required specifications for moist-soil management. Moist-soil management has the potential to not only create key habitat for endangered wildlife, but also provide valuable ecosystem services, including water filtration.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.45-52
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• 2015

We obtained the following results from investigation on vegetation damage from 5 to 6 August, 2013, about one year after an accident that hydrofluoric acid leaked from a chemical maker, Hube Globe in Gumi. Pinus densiflora and Pinus strobus showed very severe damage. Ginko biloba, Quercus acutissima, Pinus rigida, Salix glandulosa, Hibiscus syriacus, and Lagerstroemia indica showed severe damage. Quercus variabilis, Lespedeza cyrtobotrya, and Miscanthus sinensis showed moderate damage. Quercus aliena, Smilax china, Arundidinella hirta, Ailanthus altissima, Robinia pseudoacacia, and Paulowinia coreana showed slight damage. We did not find any plants without leaf damage around there. This result means that fluoride damage still persists in this area as was known that fluoride remains for a long time in air, soil and water and exerts negative effects at all levels of an ecosystem. In addition, fluoride content contained in plant leaf depended on the distance from a fertilizer producing factory and vegetation damage tended to proportionate to the concentration in the Yeocheon industrial complex. In these respects, a measure for removal or detoxification of the remaining fluoride is urgently required around the hydrofluoric acid leak spot. Fertilizing of dolomite containing Ca and Mg, which can trap fluoride, was prepared as one of the restoration plans. In addition, phosphate fertilizing was added in order to enhance soil ameliorating effects. Furthermore, we recommend the introduction of tolerant plants as the second measure to mitigate fluoride damage. As the tolerant plants to make a new forest by replacing trees died due to hydrofluoric acid gas damage, we recommended Q. aliena and S. china, A. hirta, etc. were recommended as plant species to add mantle vegetation to the forest margin to ensure stable interior environment of the forest.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.98 no.6
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• pp.772-779
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• 2009

This study was conducted to estimate the carbon (C) contents in pure and mixed stands of pine (Pinus densiflora) and oak (Quercus spp.) trees for establishing the C inventory of forest ecosystems. A total of fifteen 20 m${\times}$20 m pure and mixed stands of pine and oak trees were chosen in natural forests in Hoengseong, Kangwon based on the basal area of all trees ${\geq}$ 5 cm DBH: three of 95% of pine and 5% oak trees [pine stand], three of 100% of oak trees [oak stand], and nine of 20 to 70% of pine and 80 to 30% of oak trees [mixed stand]. To estimate C contents in the study stands, biomass in vegetation, forest floor and coarse woody debris (CWD) were calculated and C concentrations in vegetation, forest floor, CWD and soil (0-30 cm) were analyzed. There was no significant difference in vegetation C contents among the stands; 147.6 Mg C/ha for the oak stand, 141.4 Mg C/ha for the pine stand and 115.8 Mg C/ha for the mixed stand. Forest floor C contents were significantly different among the stands (p<0.05); 12.7 Mg/ha for the pine stand, 9.9 Mg/ha for the oak stand, and 8.4 Mg/ha for the mixed stand. However, CWD C contents were not significantly different among the stands (p>0.05); 2.2 Mg/ha for the mixed stand, 1.7 Mg/ha for the oak stand, and 1.1 Mg/ha for the pine stand. Soil C contents up to 30 cm depth were not significantly different among the study stands; 44.4 Mg C/ha for the pine stand, 41.6 Mg C/ha for the mixed stand, and 33.3 Mg C/ha for the oak stand. Total ecosystem C contents were lower in the mixed stand than those in the pure stands, because vegetation C contents which occupied almost total ecosystem C contents were lower in the mixed stand than those in the pure stands; 199.6 Mg C/ha for the pine stand, 192.5 Mg C/ha for the oak stand and 169.1 Mg C/ha for the mixed stand. Lower vegetation C contents in the mixed stand might be influenced by interspecific competition between pine and oak trees and intraspecific competition among the oak trees resulted from high stand density. We suggest that forest management such as thinning to enhance C storage is indispensible for minimizing the competition in forest ecosystems.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.18 no.2 s.23
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• pp.107-107
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• 2004

In this paper we have introduced some results of study on stand growth pattern and stand structure of larch forest which are located in selected forest sites of Khangai and Gobi-Altai mountain ranges of Mongolia. Our investigations showed that growth intensity and stand structure in western Mongolia are very specific from the other forest vegetation zones of Mongolia. Studies on the stand structure and growth trend indicate that tree types of stand structure and different types of growth of Larix sibrica are very common in Western Mongolia. These peculiarities of stand structure and growth of larch stands in Western Monolia could be used for inventory work and an improvement of the forest management in Western Mongolian region. The larch tree is the dominant tree species in Western Mogolia. Forest cover of the region is about 15%, which is two times higher than the country's average. In this region forest area is divided into 4 forest sub-regions: the Central Khangai, Western Khangai, North Eastern Khangai and South Easterun Khangai sub-regions including taiga, pseudo taiga, sub taiga, sub-alpine and forest steppe belts. Silviculture practices and forest research management request to study forest growth trends in local and general conditions, which means to indicate a change of taxonomic characteristics of stand from time to time including diameter, height, basal area, growth stock etc. The forest management practice mostly uses tables of forest growth and yield based on the results of long term research on forest growth. Forest yield tables and other relevant forest standards of Russia are used for the forest inventory and forest management. They are not able to determine forest structure and growth peculiatities of Mongolian forests. Studies on forest resource assessment in Mongolia indicate that after logging operations and forest fires the natural regeneration of desired species such as pine and larch often does not succeed. This situation forces to take a different approach of forest management and silviculture practice depending on the stand structure and growth rate of the forest stands. According to our investigation in last years, forest growth pattern of larch forest depends mostly on stand structure, stand age and growth condition including forest soil, climate and location in different slopes. Due to improve environmental function of forest ecosystem in the region, it is needed to conduct very comprehensive study of high mountain forest ecosystem in selected sub-regions.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.173-181
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• 2015

Fluxes of carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) were measured above crop canopy using the Eddy Covariance (EC) method, and emission rate of methane ($CH_4$) was measured using Automatic Open/Close Chamber (AOCC) method during the 2012-2013 barley and rice growing season in a barley-rice double cropping field of Gimje, Korea. The net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of $CO_2$ in the paddy field was analyzed to be affected by crop growth (biomass, LAI, etc.) and environment (air temperature, solar radiation, etc.) factors. On the other hand, the emission rate of $CH_4$ was estimated to be affected by water management (soil condition). NEE of $CO_2$ in barley, rice and fallow period was -100.2, -374.1 and $+41.2g\;C\;m^{-2}$, respectively, and $CH_4$ emission in barley and rice period was 0.2 and $17.3g\;C\;m^{-2}$, respectively. When considering only $CO_2$, the barley-rice double cropping ecosystem was estimated as a carbon sink ($-433.0g\;C\;m^{-2}$). However, after considering the harvested crop biomass ($+600.3g\;C\;m^{-2}$) and $CH_4$ emission ($+17.5g\;C\;m^{-2}$), it turned into a carbon source ($+184.7g\;C\;m^{-2}$).

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.173-182
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• 2016

Although the ecosystem extends numerous functions for the benefit of humankind, construction of horticultural facilities can potentially lead to the degeneration of some of these functions owing to the expansion of impervious regions and loss of habitats. Thus, this study aimed to examine the effect of construction of horticultural facilities on plant biodiversity. Analysis of the vegetation distribution characteristics showed that horticultural facilities had significantly lower plant diversity than did rice paddies. Hence, the proposed approach involved low-impact development, arrangement of habitat space, plant preservation, restricted use of chemical fertilizer, habitat creation, and reduced preservation cost. Lifestyle analysis suggested the importance of developing favorable environments for the growth of annual plants and aquatic plants. In all, 20 species of naturalized plants belonging to 10 families were identified. Furthermore, the proportion of these naturalized plants was higher in glass greenhouses and multi-span greenhouses, suggesting the advantages of employing natural soil mulching while avoiding concrete mulching. Statistical analysis was performed to validate the results, which suggested that impervious regions be converted to natural soils. Collectively, the findings of this study are expected to be used for establishing policies for the construction of eco-friendly and ecological horticultural facilities; this may aid the maintenance of sustainable agricultural landscapes and large-scale development of the reclaimed lands.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2015

Climate change caused by elevated greenhouse gases would affect crop production through different pathways in agricultural ecosystems. Because an agricultural ecosystem has complex interactions between societal and economical environment as well as organisms, climate, and soil, adaptation measures in response to climate change on a specific sector could cause undesirable impacts on other sectors inadvertently. An integrated system, which links individual models for components of agricultural ecosystems, would allow to take into account complex interactions existing in a given agricultural ecosystem under climate change and to derive proper adaptation measures in order to improve crop productivity. Most of models for agricultural ecosystems have been used in a separate sector, e.g., prediction of water resources or crop growth. Few of those models have been desiged to be connected to other models as a module of an integrated system. Threfore, it would be crucial to redesign and to refine individual models that have been used for simulation of individual sectors. To improve models for each sector in terms of accuracy and algorithm, it would also be needed to obtain crop growth data through construction of super-sites and satellite sites for long-term monitoring of agricultural ecosystems. It would be advantageous to design a model in a sector from abstraction and inheritance of a simple model, which would facilitate development of modules compatible to the integrated prediction system. Because agricultural production is influenced by social and economical sectors considerably, construction of an integreated system that simulates agricultural production as well as economical activities including trade and demand is merited for prediction of crop production under climate change.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.99-103
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• 2005

Actual vegetation map drown with the scale 1 to 100 and Alnus japonica population in Ja-neup and Woong-neup of the Mujechi moor were described in order to monitor long-termly and preserve permanently, where is a very rare Molinietea moor and a legally protected area. A total of 3036 plots of 5m $\times$ 5m were surveyed during summer 1996. Thiessen polygons of 1491 alder trees were derived from the plot data. Actual vegetation map was illustrated by 6 cover types such as needle spike-rush type, moor-grass type, alder-moor type, eulalia type, oak forest type, and exposed site. Molinia grasses native to the moor and Miscanthus grasses alien to the moor are reciprocally dominant. The area of Molinia grasslands was rapidly in decline and alder population size was dramatically in increase in the moor, particularly in Woong-neup. In Molinietea moor preservation more attention should be focused on the regulation of a nutrient rich soil from forest road and fire.