• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.347-356
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• 2008

Forest-grown American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) is exposed to daily and seasonal light variations. Our goal was to determine the effect of understory light changes on the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II, expressed as $F_v/F_m$, and photosynthetic pigment composition of two-year-old plants. Understory light photon flux density and sunfleck durations were characterized using hemispherical canopy photography. Our results showed that understory light significantly affected the $F_v/F_m$ of American ginseng, especially during the initial development of the plants when light levels were the highest, averaging 28 mol $m^{-2}d^{-1}$. Associated with low $F_v/F_m$ during its initial development, American ginseng had the lowest levels of epoxidation state of the xanthophyll cycle of the season, suggesting an active dissipation of excess light energy absorbed by the chlorophyll pigments. As photon flux density decreased after the deployment of the forest canopy to less than 10 mol $m^{-2}d^{-1}$, chlorophyll a/b decreased suggesting a greater investment in light harvesting pigments to reaction centers in order to absorb the fleeting light energy.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.87-96
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• 2009

Pinus thunbergii plantations in Pohang-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea, are of low ecological quality, with arrested succession and a high proportion of ruderal species. To improve the quality of the habitat, we created canopy gaps ($\sim42\;m^2$) and monitored changes in abiotic (light availability, canopy openness) and biotic (survival and growth of seedlings and understory communities) variables in 2007 and 2008 in plots that had received one of five types of treatment: cutting of canopy trees and removal of the understory (CU), cutting of canopy trees only (C), girdling of canopy trees and removal of the understory (GU), girdling of canopy trees (G) or control. Each treatment was applied to three replicate plots. Abiotic variables did not significantly differ among treatments. Survival rates of target species were slightly lower in the CU, G and control conditions. Based on logistic regression analysis, the only significant growth factor affecting survival was height growth. Positive effects of seedling height and leaf area growth on survival were also detected, but did not reach statistical significance. In treatment G, gradual improvement of overstory conditions and mitigation of competition by limitation of disturbance to the understory community were likely to have promoted seedling growth. There were no significant effects of gap treatments on changes in species abundance (cover and richness) and composition of understory between the study years. This result implies that the small gaps created in our study may be below the threshold size to affect understory growth. However, the results of this study are based on a short-term investigation of only two years. Long-term research is strongly recommended to clarify the effects of gap treatment on plant communities in afforested areas.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.112 no.3
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• pp.363-373
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• 2023

Forest biomass surveys are regularly conducted to assess and manage forests as carbon sinks. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a remote sensing technology, has attracted considerable attention, as it allows for objective acquisition of forest structure information with minimal labor. In this study, we propose a method for estimating overstory and understory biomass in forest stands using backpack laser scanning (BPLS) and unmanned aerial vehicle laser scanning (UAV-LS), and assessed its accuracy. For overstory biomass, we analyzed the accuracy of BPLS and UAV-LS in estimating diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree height. For understory biomass, we developed a multiple regression model for estimating understory biomass using the best combination of vertical structure metrics extracted from the BPLS data. The results indicated that BPLS provided accurate estimations of DBH (R² =0.92), but underestimated tree height (R² =0.63, bias=-5.56 m), whereas UAV-LS showed strong performance in estimating tree height (R² =0.91). For understory biomass, metrics representing the mean height of the points and the point density of the fourth layer were selected to develop the model. The cross-validation result of the understory biomass estimation model showed a coefficient of determination of 0.68. The study findings suggest that the proposed overstory and understory biomass survey methods using BPLS and UAV-LS can effectively replace traditional biomass survey methods.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.96 no.5
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• pp.520-527
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• 2007

Biomass and species diversity of understory vegetation after fertilization were studied for 28-year-old Quercus acutissima plantation (MQA), 29-year-old Pinus densiflora plantation (MPD), 8-year-old Betula platyphylla var. japonica plantation after coal reclamation (YBP), and 4-year-old Pinus densiflora plantation after forest fire (YPD) in central Korea. Nitrogen + phosphorus + potassium (6:4:1) fertilizer was applied for 3 years from 2004. Thereafter photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and understory species richness and diversity were measured in late July-early August 2006. PAR (${\mu}mol\;m^{-2}S^{-1}$) was higher at the fertilization treatment (100.9) than at the control (67.0) for MQA while was lower at the fertilization treatment (156.5) than at the control (268.7) for MPD. Total understory biomass (t $ha^{-1}$) was lower at the fertilization plot (1.8) than at the control plot (3.0) for YPD, however, there were no differences in biomass between fertilization and control plots for MQA, MPD and YBP. Total species number of understory vegetation was higher for fertilization than for control at MPD (47 vs. 45) and YPD (21 vs. 13), and was higher for mature plantations (33 vs. 37 for MQA and 47 vs. 45 for MPD) than for young plantations (16 vs. 16 for YBP and 21 vs. 13 for YPD). Species richness and diversity were higher at the fertilization treatment than at the control for MQA, YBP, and YPD while were lower at the fertilization treatment than at the control for MPD, however, the differences were not statistically significant. Our results indicate that there were no consistent patterns in light conditions, biomass and species richness and diversity of understory vegetation following fertilization. More detailed long-term studies with different fertilizer applications would be necessary to conclude the influence of fertilization on understory vegetation in the region.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.97 no.2
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• pp.156-164
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• 2008

Recognizing the importance of the multi-purpose management of natural deciduous forest, this study was carried out to implement the partial cutting for stand regulation to examine agroforestry practice as well as other concurrent forest resource production, and to investigate the changes in stand characteristics and understory vegetation in a silvopasture practiced natural deciduous stand in the Research Forest of Kangwon National University, Korea. Three different partial cutting intensities (68.1%, 48.6%, and control) were performed in the unmanaged natural deciduous stand in order to improve the growing condition, especially light condition, for introducing some commercial herbaceous plants on the forest floor to establish agroforestry and/or silvopastoral system. Dominated by Quercus varibilis Blume (50.5%) and Quercus dentata Thum. ex Murray (42.6%), eight tree species were composed of the study forest, including poles of Pinus desiflora Siebold & Zucc and sapling of Pinus Koraiensis Siebold & Zucc. The total of 87 (13 tree species, 12 shrub species, 58 herbaceous species, and 4 woody climbers) vascular plant species were observed in study site after partial cutting treatments, while that of before partial cutting was 53 species (14 tree species, 8 shrubs species, 30 herbaceous species, and 1 woody climbers). The proportion of life form spectra in plot B was Mi (28.4%)-Na (23.0%)-Ge (17.5%)-Ch (10.8%)-He (9.5%)-MM (6.7%)-Th (4.1%). No statistically significant differences were observed in changes of life form spectra from before to after partial cutting treatment and among partial cutting gradients in this study. Partial cutting and scratching for forage sowing made plants invade easily on the forest floor, and light partial cutting (LPC) plot (500 stems/ha) had much higher number of undersory species than those of heavy partial cutting (HPC) plot (310 stems/ha) and control plot (1,270 stems/ha).

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.1119-1124
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• 2006

Height-growth analysis was used to examine forest structure and compare Pterocarya rhoifolia and Fraxinus spaethiana growth characteristics within and between each species in two P. rhoifolia-dominant and two F. spaethiana established contemporaneously in the sere, species vertical stratification 25 years after stand initiation was such that P. rhoifolia dominated the overstory but F. spaethiana the understory, including that P. rhoifolia grew about 4 times more rapidly Similarly, F. spaethiana dominated the overstory but not the understory, in a stand where it established mainly by itself, 25 years after Initiation. However, comparing the two different stands, P. rhoifolia overstory heights were about two times greater than F. spaethiana. This suggests that in a disturbance regime, forest regeneration is affected by height-growth patterns such that P. rhoifolia's ability to achieverapid height growth allows it to dominate where lights growth allows it to dominate where light resources are continuously abundant.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.27 no.6 s.122
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• pp.363-367
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• 2004

Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) beneath the forest canopy, understory species richness and diversity, and biomass were measured in a Larix leptolepis plantation seven years after thinning in Yangpyeong. Four different thinning intensities (control, $10\%,\;20\%\;and\;40\%$ stocking reduction) were applied in 1997. The current PAR values were lower than those measured four years after thinning, and PAR at the heavy thinning plots was significantly higher than that of other thinning intensities. A total of 23 species including 9 tall-trees and 14 shrubs were found for the high layer while a total of 82 species including 10 tall-trees, 29 shrubs, and 43 herbs for the low layer. Species richness and diversity generally increased with thinning intensities, and the trends were more evident for the low layer. Aboveground biomass significantly differed among thinning intensities for both shrubs and herbs. Also there was a negative correlation between biomass and the current number of stems per hectare. The current study suggested that the effects of thinning on light conditions at the forest floor, species richness and diversity and production of understory vegetation continued seven years after the treatment.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.98 no.1
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• pp.94-105
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• 2009

Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) stand is representative lowland exotic plantation with low ecological quality and arrested succession in South Korea. To facilitate succession and restore natural vegetation, small canopy gaps (${\sim}57m^2$), which can modify minimally structural variables and reduce restoration related disturbances on stand, was established in the black locust stand, and oak (Quercus serrata) seedlings were introduced in the gap. Two types of varying levels were introduced for gap creation; cutting (C) and girdling (G) on canopies. Understory removal (CU and GU) treatment was applied as subtypes of structural modification. Growth (diameter, height and leaf area) of target species and responses (species composition, diversity and coverage) of understory community were monitored during study years (2007~2008). Canopy openness was different significantly among treatments but not for light availability. Based on the result of logistic regression, growth of height and leaf area of seedlings were significant variables on seedling survival. Height and leaf area of seedlings were increased during study years, although radial growth was reduced. During study years, there were no significant differences in species composition and diversity, and total coverage increased about 20%. Increase of resources by gap creation and understory removal likely affect growth of target species. Small gap creation was effective to reduce understory responses in composition and diverstiy. Synthesized, growth of target species and responses of understory community to small canopy gap creation exhibited, in short term, possibility of utilization in alternative forest restoration and management option. Long-term monitoring is necessary to certificate effect of artificial gap creation on forest restoration.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.1599-1605
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• 2011

To evaluate heat environment surrounding plants diurnal change of leaf temperature in the broad-leaved deciduous and evergreen trees was measured with microclimatic environmental factors including global solar radiation, and upward and downward long wave radiation. Maximum daily solar radiation was 961.2 and 976.3 w/$m^2$ in August 9 and 23, respectively. Upward long wave radiation was slightly higher than downward long wave radiation, showing 404.2 w/$m^2$ in August 9 and 394.5 w/$m^2$ in August 23. In addition, daily maximum vapor pressure deficit was 5.42 and 6.84 kPa in August 9 and 23, respectively, indicating high evaporative demand. Quercus glauca and Acer mono was differently responded to changing light regimes. On August 9, leaf temperature at the top-positioned leaves of Acer plants was higher than air temperature as well as those of Quercus plants in the morning. This indicates that stomata in Acer plants were closed by heat stress or water stress in the morning, while Quercus plant maintained active transpiration by opening stomata. These results indicated that improved light regimes such as gap opening in the closed forest may not always affect positively in the physiology of understory plants.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.74-81
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• 2016

Classified into sub-tree of the growth-form, Acer pseudosieboldianum and Carpinus cordata hardly reach the uppermost canopy with limited height growth potentiality in the natural deciduous forest. However, the two species usually dominate lower stories of the forest, playing an important role in overall ecological characteristics in the forest. Based on the vegetation data of 106 $20m{\times}20m$ sample plots in Mt. Jumbong area, this study was carried out to evaluate ecological constitution by several quantitative analysis so as to understand the mechanism of the natural deciduous forest. The results indicated that individuals of A. pseudosieboldianum and C. cordata were absent or few in overstory, but emerged the most dominant species in midstory and understory, providing adequate proof of the ecological importance. The comparison of indices of succession between presented and predicted values in midstory did not make much difference, suggesting that the species composition would not change much and come close to steady state in midstory and understory. The pair combination of species association noted that A. pseudosieboldianum had significant positive association with C. cordata, Quercus mongolica, and Tilia amurensis had significant positive association with A. pseudosieboldianum, A. pictum subsp. mono and Fraxinus mandshurica but negative association with F. rhynchophylla. Being compared with other major canopy tree species in the study forest, the target species of A. pseudosieboldianum and C. cordata had strong regeneration strategies, partially characterized by large number of saplings and pole sized trees and high ratio of live crown, which indicated high shade tolerance to survive in the limited amount of light under the canopy. Even though A. pseudosieboldianum and C. cordata do not reach and occupy the canopy layer mainly due to the inherent growth form, they would have highest competitive potentiality to prosper and dominate in the midstory of the natural deciduous forest.