• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.11-21
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• 2015

The method to replace asphalt and cement is needed to reduce the carbon emission on road. Polymeric material which is light and easy to handle while having complex function with less carbon emission would be highly effective when it replaced soil pavement containing cement. This study is intended to identify the usability of soil pavement containing organic solidification agent only through the field test. Pavement on bike trail still satisfied required bearing capacity coefficient in 3 months. Pavement after passing 1.6 bil units of bike through pavement acceleration test that simulated a long-term serviceability during a short-time still remained unaffected, demonstrating a long-term serviceability of soil pavement.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.21-37
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• 2022

The present study was carried out to evaluate the chemical properties of soil in relation to forest structure and composition at different altitudes (900-2,600 m asl) in a part of Western Himalaya. The composite soil samples were taken from three (viz. upper, middle and lower) depths. The soils of the whole study area were acidic in nature (pH=4.90-5.51). Contents of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Carbon (C) and soil organic matter (SOM) showed much fluctuation during different seasons of year. Nitrogen content showed significant positive correlations with altitude (r=0.924, p<0.05) and different community parameters like species diversity (r=0.892, p<0.01) and species richness (r=0.941, p<0.05). Phosphorus exhibited direct correlations with carbon (r=0.637) while weak negative correlations with different community parameters like species richness & diversity, total basal cover (TBC), density and canopy cover. Carbon content and hence SOM showed direct correlations with Nitrogen (r=0.821, p<0.01); Phosphorus (r=0.637, ns) and Potassium (r=0.540, ns). But no significant relationship was observed between K content and species richness (p=0.30, r=-0.504); between K content and species diversity (p=0.14, r=-0.672); between P content and species diversity (p=0.29, r=-0.513) and species richness (p=0.23, r=-0.575). Among the different soil nutrients, only N showed a significant positive correlation with altitude while all others exhibited negative (but non-significant) correlation with it. The study revealed that the chemical properties affect and are reciprocally affected by forest structure and composition and that N rich soils of higher altitudes are best for the growth and development of forests.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.229-243
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• 2011

Consumers' interest and government's support for the fruits rapidly increased organic fruit productions. This study was examined to compare the soil physicochemical and microbial properties of orchards soil in conventionally and organically management systems. Organic cultivation had lower soil bulk density, solid phase, and penetration resistance than the conventional cultivation. Soil pH and organic matter contents increased from March to August, and the values were greater in the organic cultivation than the conventional cultivation. Total nitrogen (N) and phosphorous concentrations decreased from March to August, and the organic soils had greater N but lower phosphorous concentrations than the conventional soils. Soil microbial carbon biomass increased 36% and 15% for organic and conventional cultivations, respectively, from March to August. Soil microbial N biomass was greater in June than March or August, and the organic cultivation had a greater biomass N compared to the conventional cultivation. Soil dehydrogenase and chitinase activities were greater in June than in March or August. ${\beta}$-glucosidase activity declined in both cultivations, while the phosphatase activity increased. Organic cultivation had greater enzyme activities in March, June, and August, except for the acid phosphatase activity in June.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.923-938
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• 2015

This study was conducted to serve as the basis for establishing a standard cultivation, which enhances the alternative utilization of pig manure, a major cause of environmental pollution, by finding a means for reducing greenhouse gas emissions for eco-friendly cultivation. In a laboratory, $CH_4$ and $CO_2$ emission patterns were investigated corresponding to incremental pig manure treatments in paddy soil. The emissions peaked 12 to 27 days after manure application in the 100~400% applications. It was found that increasing applications of pig manure resulted an increase in $CH_4$ and $CO_2$ emissions. Additionally, application of more than 150% emitted a larger amount of these gasses than applying chemical fertilizer. However, the test application of 100% pig manure emitted a smaller amount of $CH_4$ and hence Global Warming Potential (GWP) than those emitted by chemical fertilizer. If appropriate amount of fertilization is applied in compliance with the standard application rate, the pig manure may be effective in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the soil environment made more favorable than with the use of chemical fertilizer.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.407-412
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate removal efficiencies of contaminants in night soil treatment plant using the B3 system. The samples were collected from retaining tank and settlement tank in Yechon night soil plant. We experimented concentrations of BOD, COD, SS, TN and TP. Concentration data were processed using removal efficiencies by season and correlation analysis with pilot running parameters. Removal efficiencies of total organic carbon was over 96%, TN was 98% during summer, 80.9% during winter. In the case of TP, the highest removal efficiencies was 94.1% during fall and the lowest removal efficiencies was 82% during spring. Results of correlation analysis showed two positive correlation groups and one negative group. Positive correlations were among temperature, BOD and TN. The others were pH, BOD, COD, SS, TN and TP. Negative correlation were among MLSS, BOD, COD, SS, TN, TP.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.74-84
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• 2017

Soil erosion is often extreme in Korea due to high rainfall intensities and steep slopes, and climate change has also increased the risk of erosion. Despite its significane, erosion-induced soil organic carbon (SOC) emission and water resource loss are not well understood, along with the lack of an integrated surface soil erosion protection policy. Therefore, to design adequate protection policies, land users, scientists, engineers and decision makers need proper information about surface soil and watershed properties related to greenhouse gas emission potential and water conservation capability, respectively. Assuming the total soil erosion of $346Tg\;yr^{-1}$, soil organic matter (SOM) content of 2% (58% of SOM is SOC), and mineralization rate of 20% of the displaced carbon, erosion-induced carbon emission could reach $800Gg\;C\;yr^{-1}$. Also the available water capacity of the soil was estimated to be 15.8 billion tons, which was 14 times higher than the yearly water supply demand in Seoul, Korea. Therefore, in order to prevent of soil erosion, this study proposes a three-stage plan for surface soil erosion prevention: 1) classification of soil erosion risk and scoring of surface soil quality, 2) selection of priority areas for conservation and best management practices (BMP), and 3) application of BMP and post management.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2019

This study presents a technical perspective to the fate characteristics of phenol and m-cresol, which represent some of the most common organic chemicals found in chemical spill accidents, and likely to persist in soil and groundwater due to their highly stable physicochemical properties. Some cases of domestic and foreign chemical accidents linked to phenol and m-cresol contamination were compiled. Due to their low organic carbon-water partitioning coefficient (Koc), phenol and m-cresol tend to migrate into groundwater and remained as dissolved phase. On the other hands, phenol and m-cresol can be readily decomposed by microbes in soil and groundwater under appropriate conditions. Therefore, the fate characteristics of these chemicals are highly contingent on environmental conditions. Thus, if a great quantity of leakage is occurred by chemical accidents, the up-to-date and correct information about fate characteristics taking into account both the chemical and environmental conditions is greatly needed to minimized the potential hazards from these chemicals.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.667-676
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• 2022

The soil physical and chemical properties are the main factors that influence plant productivity and soil fertility. Since 1999, South Korea has been conducting a survey on changes in the agricultural environment survey every four years. The purpose of the present study is to monitor the physical and chemical properties of soil in Chungcheongbuk-do. Soil samples were collected from the exact sites of the aforementioned environment survey, and land use and cultivated crops were also investigated. From a Pearson correlation analysis, it was found that the total carbon contents were most negatively affected by the soil depth. The bulk density of soil increased up to a depth of 40 cm but decreased to a depth of 60 cm. The porosity and moisture of soil generally decreased, but the porosity increased at a depth of 50 - 60 cm. Chemical properties of soil gradually decreased with an increase of the soil depth from 0 to 70 cm, but little change was observed in soil pH with soil depth. In addition, the organic matter contents of the soil at a depth of 30 cm or more were below the optimal range. The soil of Chungcheongbuk-do thus requires organic matter application as a whole, and correction of items that are partially out of the optimal range is necessary.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.281-291
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• 2015

To clarify the effects of forest fire on the carbon budget of a forest ecosystem, this study compared the seasonal variation of soil respiration, net primary production and net ecosystem production (NEP) over the year in unburned and burned Pinus densiflora forest areas. The annual net carbon storage (i.e., NPP) was $5.75t\;C\;ha^{-1}$ in the unburned site and $2.14t\;C\;ha^{-1}$ in the burned site in 2012. The temperature sensitivity of soil respiration (i.e., $Q_{10}$ value) was higher in the unburned site than in the burned site. The annual soil respiration rate was estimated by the exponential regression equation with the soil temperatures continuously measured at the soil depth of 10 cm. The estimated annual soil respiration and heterotrophic respiration (HR) rates were 8.66 and $4.50t\;C\;ha^{-1}yr^{-1}$ in the unburned site and 4.08 and $2.12t\;C\;ha^{-1}yr^{-1}$ in the burned site, respectively. The estimated annual NEP in the unburned and burned forest areas was found to be 1.25 and $0.02t\;C\;ha^{-1}yr^{-1}$, respectively. Our results indicate that the differences of carbon budget and cycling between both study sites are considerably correlated with the losses of living plant biomass, insufficient nutrients and low organic materials in the forest soil due to severe damages caused by the forest fire. The burned Pinus densiflora forest area requires at least 50 years to attain the natural conditions of the forest ecosystem prior to the forest fire.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.365-374
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• 2016

In high-latitude regions, temperature has risen ($0.6^{\circ}C$ per decade) and this leads to the increase in microbial degradability against soil organic carbon (SOC). Furthermore, the decomposed SOC is converted into green-house gases ($CO_2$ and $CH_4$) and their release could further increase the rate of climate change. Thus, understanding the microbial diversity and their functions linked with SOC degradation in soil-thawing model is necessary. In this study, we divided tundra soil from Council, Alaska into two depth regions (30-40 cm and 50-60 cm of depth, designated as SPF and PF, respectively) and incubated that for 108 days at $0^{\circ}C$. A total of 111,804 reads were obtained through a pyrosequencing-based metagenomic study during the microcosm experiments, and 574-1,128 of bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and 30-57 of archaeal OTUs were observed. Taxonomic analysis showed that the distribution of bacterial taxa was significantly different between two samples. In detail, the relative abundance of phyla Actinobacteria and Firmicutes largely increased in SPF and PF soil, respectively, while phyla Crenarchaeota was increased in both soil samples. Weight measurement and gel permeation chromatography of the SOC extracts demonstrated that polymerization of humic acids, main component of SOC, occurred during the microcosm experiments. Taken together our results indicate that these bacterial and archaeal phyla could play a key function in SOC degradation and utilization in cold tundra soil.