• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.198-221
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• 2021

After large-scale reforestation in the 1960s and 1970s, forests in Korea have gradually been aging. Net ecosystem CO₂ exchange of old-growth forests is theoretically near zero; however, it can be a CO₂ sink or source depending on the intervention of disturbance or management. In this study, we report the CO₂ budget dynamics of the Gwangneung deciduous old-growth forest (GDK) in Korea and examined the following two questions: (1) is the preserved GDK indeed CO₂ neutral as theoretically known? and (2) can we explain the dynamics of CO₂ budget by the common mechanisms reported in the literature? To answer, we analyzed the 15-year long CO₂ flux data measured by eddy covariance technique along with other biometeorological data at the KoFlux GDK site from 2006 to 2020. The results showed that (1) GDK switched back-and-forth between sink and source of CO₂ but averaged to be a week CO₂ source (and turning to a moderate CO₂ source for the recent five years) and (2) the interannual variability of solar radiation, growing season length, and leaf area index showed a positive correlation with that of gross primary production (GPP) (R²=0.32~0.45); whereas the interannual variability of both air and surface temperature was not significantly correlated with that of ecosystem respiration (RE). Furthermore, the machine learning-based model trained using the dataset of early monitoring period (first 10 years) failed to reproduce the observed interannual variations of GPP and RE for the recent five years. Biomass data analysis suggests that carbon emissions from coarse woody debris may have contributed partly to the conversion to a moderate CO₂ source. To properly understand and interpret the long-term CO₂ budget dynamics of GDK, new framework of analysis and modeling based on complex systems science is needed. Also, it is important to maintain the flux monitoring and data quality along with the monitoring of coarse woody debris and disturbances.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.100 no.1
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• pp.52-61
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• 2011

Whereas recent researches have elucidated the positive ecological roles of large wood (LW) in fishbearing channels, LW is also recognized as a negative factor of log-laden debris flows and floods in densely populated areas. However in Republic of Korea, no study has investigated longitudinal variations of LW distribution and dynamic along the stream corridor. Hence to elucidate 1) physical factors controlling longitudinal distribution of LW and 2) their effect on variation in LW load amount, we surveyed the amount of LW with respect to channel morphology in a mountain stream, originated from Mt. Ki-ryong in Inje, Gangwondo. Model selection in the Generalized Linear Model procedure revealed that number of boulder (greater than or equal to 1.0 m in diameter), bankfull channel width and their interaction were the best predictors explaining LW load volume per unit channel segment area (unit LW load). In general, boulders scattered within small mountain streams influence LW retention as flow obstructions. However, in this study, we found that the effect of the boulders vary with the channel width; that is, whereas the unit LW load in the segment with narrow channel width increased continuously with increasing boulder number, it in the segment with wide channel width did not depend on the boulder number. This should be because that, in two channels having different widths, the rates of channel widths reduced by boulders are different although boulder numbers are same. Our findings on LW load varying with physical factors (i.e., interaction of boulder number and channel width) along the stream corridor suggest understanding for longitudinal continuum of hydrogeomorphic and ecologic characteristics in stream environments, and these should be carefully applied into the erosion control works for systematic watershed management and subsequent disaster prevention.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.81 no.3
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• pp.263-272
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• 1992

In a torrential river, the flow of debris forms deposits in the river bed, which show the characteristics of the channel bed movement in the watershed. The annual rings of the trees, in the natural evenaged forests on the deposits, indicate when each deposit occurred. Based on the topographical and vegetational indicators on the sediment of Yongcheon and Yeounae rivers, the movement occurrence years were estimated. 1. The cross sectional shapes of deposits in torrential river are in tiers and even-aged forests tend to establish on each tier. 2. Generally the older the forest age is, the higher the height of step from the lowest base tend to become, which indicates discrete movement in magnitude and frequency. 3. The ages of trees indicate the year when deposition occurred, and so may be useful as plant indicator to get spatial-temporal information of deposits. 4. The deposits volumes(F. V.) were dependent on the age distribution of deposits in length, average width and average height. And the average width and the average height of deposits were increasing with the age.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.785-790
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• 2015

As an alternative to large-scale clear cutting silviculture, strip clear cutting (SC) is being considered as a system compatible with ecological conservation and forest regeneration. In South Korea, application and effectiveness of SCC in varying forest types were rarely found. In this study, under the subject of strip clear cutting lands of pinus densiflora forest at Samcheok, Gangwon-do Province, the developmental aspect of low vegetation prior to and after deforestation and the correlation between environmental factor and pine regeneration were analyzed. The cover rate of understory vegetation was appeared to be increased after deforestation and rapidly increased two years after deforestation, and it was evaluated to be affected by vigorous tree species and photophilic species. From the perspective of relative importance value, Quercus mongolica, Artemisia keiskeana, and Rubus crataegifolius that influence the cover rate showed the inclination of continuous growth. The diversity of species showed increment inclination as well due to introduction and settlement of early transient species. As a result of analyzing the correlation between vegetation and environmental factor and generation of pine tree size, the soil exposure rate, intensity of light, and canopy openness showed positive relationship, and the understory vegetation cover and woody debris cover rate showed negative relationship.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.104 no.4
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• pp.527-535
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• 2015

With results from previous Korean studies on forest thinning, we conducted a meta-analysis on the effect of thinning on diameter at breast height (DBH) growth and carbon (C) stocks (tree, litter layer, coarse woody debris (CWD), and soils) in Korean forests. Thinning increased the DBH growth and the C stocks in soils by 39.2% and 12.8%, respectively, while it decreased the C stocks in tree by 30.9%. In contrast, thinning had no significant effect on the C stocks in litter layer and CWD. The DBH growth and the C stocks in tree showed significant correlations with thinning intensity and recovery time. The C stocks in litter layer correlated with recovery time while those in CWD and soils did not show significant correlation neither with thinning intensity nor with recovery time. Regression models of the DBH growth and the C stocks in tree were developed to quantify the effect of thinning intensity and recovery time. An integration of the regression model of the tree C stock into forest carbon models is expected to be essential to quantify the effect of thinning on the C stocks in litter layer, CWD, and soils. We also suggested expansion of study species, long-term and frequent monitoring, and investigation on understory vegetation in order to elucidate changes in Korean forests following thinning practices.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.103 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2014

Open- to closed canopy stage and it's ecological characteristics in vegetation succession are commonly described, but poorly understood in Korea. Vegetation development on structure, environment and understory abundance were studied for 16 yr in post-clearcut Pinus densiflora forests in the southern Gangwon-do province by applying space-for-time approach. We sampled 210 plots (10 for structure and 200 for understory) for four seral stages (1yr, 3yr, 10yr and 16yr). After clear-cut, mean stem density increased gradually to $5,714{\pm}645$ stems/ha after 16 years and mean basal area was also from $5.5{\pm}0.7m^2/ha$ after 10 years and doubled at $10.0{\pm}1.6m^2/ha$ in 16 years. Woody debris and bared soil on the forest floor peaked at 11--- after 10 years and at 10.3--- after 3 years, respectively. In understory mean cover declined with all growth form groups following succession, but in richness, forb specie increased with structural development during 16 years. Our study suggested that overstory development did not suppressed whole understory properties especially in richness, thus appeared to act as a filter selectively constraining the understory characteristics. However only long-term studies are essential for elucidating patterns and processes that cannot be inferred form short-term or space-for-time researches. Strong negative relationship between overstory and understory characteristics in conventional models surely reexamined.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.56 no.12
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• pp.837-844
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• 2023

Small and medium-sized mountain rivers that flow through steep, confined valleys carry large amounts of coarse-grained sediment and woody debris during floods. It causes an increase in flood water level by aggrading the riverbed and the cross-section blockage due to driftwood accumulation during flooding. However, the existing flood level calculation in the river basic plan does not consider these changes. In this study, using the Typhoon Hinnamnor flood in September 2022 as an example, we performed numerical simulations using the HEC-RAS model, taking into account the blockage of a cross-section at the bridge and changes in riverbed elevation that occurred during floods, and analyzed the flood level to predict flood risk. This study's results show that flooding occurs if more than 30% of the cross-section is blocked. The rise of flood water levels corresponds to that of the riverbed due to sediment deposition. These results can be used as basic data to prevent and effectively manage flood damage and contribute to establishing flood defense measures that consider actual phenomena.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.87 no.2
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• pp.276-285
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• 1998

The aboveground biomass and nutrient content (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) of Pinus koraiensis S. et Z., aged 9, 22, 34, 46, 66 years, were measured in the Experiment Forest of Kangwon National University of Kangwondo province. The site index of the stands ranged from 13.5 to 14.2. Allometric equations (logY=alogX+b, where Y, X is ovendry mass and DBH, respectively) relating dry weights of stem, branches and needles to diameter at breast height (DBH) were developed to estimate aboveground tree biomass. Total above ground tree biomass increased with stand age from $21.8t\;ha^{-1}$ in the 9-year-old stand to $130t\;ha^{-1}$ in the 66-Year-old stand. Aboveground biomass was allocated as follows : stem> branch > foliage, except for the 9-year-old stand which had a greater proportion of foliage biomass than branch biomass. As stand age increased, an increasing proportion of annual biomass increment was allocated to stems. The aboveground biomass of shrubs and herbs ranged from 0.4 to $3.9t\;ha^{-1}$ and from 0.05 to $0.6t\;ha^{-1}$, respectively. No relationship was found between aboveground understory biomass and stand age. The mass of woody debris and forest floor varied between 0.59 to $1.54t\;ha^{-1}$ and 6.0 to $21.63t\;ha^{-1}$, respectively. Nutrient accumulation in aboveground tree biomass increased with stand age and was in the order of N > Ca > K > P > Mg. Average rates of nutrients accumulation in biomass were greatest in the early stages of stand development, and less marked as stand aged. The nutrient concentrations in different tree components decreased in the order of needle > branch > stem. There were no detectable trends in nutrient content of the forest floor and mineral soils with stand age. Understory vegetation contributed little to the nutrient pool of these Korean pine ecosystems. Mineral soil contained the Breast proportion of nutrient capital of the various ecosystem compartments.