This study was performed in 14 unthinned Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris L. var. mongolica Litvin) plantations in northeast China. Data were collected on 70 sample trees of different canopy position with diameter at breast height (DBH) ranging from 6.9 cm to 34.5 cm. Diameter and length of knots per whorl below the living crown were studied by different vertical levels divided by relative knot height (RHK) in this paper. Models taking DBH and height to the crown base (HCB) as independent variables were developed to predict knot diameter (KD) in a sample whorl. According to the vertical distribution tendency and range of sound knot length (KLsound), KLsound was modeled as multiple linear function of DBH, KD and relative knot height (RHK). The loose knot length (KLloose) was described as a function of DBH, KD and height above the ground for knots (HK) in a mixed log-linear model. Results from this study can provide abundant knot information so as to describe the knot size and vertical distribution tendency of Mongolian pine plantation.

Since vegetation significantly influences on soil carbon and nutrient storage, vegetation change has been focused on terrestrial carbon and nutrient cycling studies. In this study we investigated soil carbon and major nutrient capitals at the abandoned fields, which had different vegetation composition: a three year abandoned field ($AGR_3$), two ten years abandoned fields ($PD_{10}$ dominant with Pinus densiflora and Fraxinus rhynchophylla and $PM_{10}$ dominant with Populus maximowiczii), and an over sixty years forest ($FOR_{60}$). which were located at Hongcheon-gun, Kangwon-do, South Korea. Both main effects for organic matter (%) were significant: shallow soil > deep soil and $FOR_{60}=PM_{10}$ > $AGR_3=PD_{10}$. Nitrogen concentrations at $PM_{10}$ were the highest, while the lowest at $PD_{10}$. Available phosphorus concentrations were the highest at $PD_{10}$, which were over 10 times of site $FOR_{60}$ and $AGR_3$ at 0-10 cm soil depth. The average organic matter ($173Mg\;ha^{-1}$) and nitrogen contents ($10Mg\;ha^{-1}$) of $PM_{10}$ and $FOR_{60}$ were higher than those of $AGR_3$ and $PD_{10}$ by 57% and 42%, respectively. The available phosphorus contents above 30 cm mineral soil at $PD_{10}$ ($3.8Mg\;ha^{-1}$) and $PM_{10}$ ($1.3Mg\;ha^{-1}$) were over 120 times and 40 times more than at $FOR_{60}$. Calcium ($3.7Mg\;ha^{-1}$) and magnesium contents ($2.8Mg\;ha^{-1}$) at $FOR_{60}$ were twice or three times higher than at other sites. Organic matter amounts in 0-10 cm and 10-30 em soil had significant positive relationships with nitrogen, calcium, and magnesium contents, but not available phosphorus and potassium contents. This study could not identify the effect of chronological factor and vegetation composition on soil carbon and nutrient capital owing to diverse topography as well as limited study sites. However, this study suggests the accuracy of investigation for regional carbon and nutrient sequestration can be achieved by considering the period of abandoned time on the fields and the land use types. These results may suggest the benefits of forest restoration for soil carbon and nutrient accumulation in marginal agricultural lands in South Korea.

The data of crown width with 4 directions, DBH, tree height, and coordinate for sample trees were collected from 30 permanent sample plots in secondary fore st of the Maoershan Experimental Forestry Farm, Northeast China. In this paper, the competition of individual trees in stand were discussed for secondary forest by using iterative Hegyi competition index and crown overlap index that represented the competitive and cooperative interactions among neighboring trees. Active competitors of subject tree in the competition zone were selected to calculate the iterative competition index. Using the results of crown classification based on the equal crown projection area, a new distance dependent competition index called crown overlap index (COI) was developed for secondary forest. The COI performed well in describing the crown competition rather than crown competition factor (CCF). The individual-based competition index discussed in this paper will provide more precise for developing individual tree growth models for secondary forest and it can also use to adjust the stand structure for spatial optimal management.

Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis L.) seedlings were grown under low light intensity and ozone treatments to investigate the role of the light environment in their response to chronic ozone stress. One-year-old seedlings of Platanus occidentalis L. were grown in pots for 3 weeks under low light (OL, $150{\mu}mol{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$) and high light (OH, $300{\mu}mol{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$) irradiance in combination with 150 ppb of ozone fumigation. After three weeks of ozone and light treatment, seedlings were placed in ozone free clean chamber for 3 weeks for recovery from ozone stress with same light conditions to compare recovery capacity. Ozone fumigation determined an impairment of the photosynthetic process. Reduction of leaf dry weight (14%) and shoo/root ratio (17%) were observed in OH treatment. OL treatment also showed severe reductions in leaf dry weight and shoot/root ratio by 48% and 36% comparing to control, respectively. At the recovery phase, OH-treated plants recovered their biomass, whereas OL-treated plant showed reduction in leaf dry weight (52%) and shoot/root ratio (49%). OH-treated plants reached similar relative growth rate (RGR) comparing to control, whereas OL-treated plants showed lower RGR in stem height. However, there were no significant differences in response to those treatments in stem diameter RGR at the recovery phase. Ozone treatment produced significant reduction of net photosynthesis in both high and low light treatments. Carboxylation efficiency and apparent quantum yield in OL-treated plants showed significant reductions rate to 10% and 45%, respectively. At the recovery stage, ozone exposed seedlings under high light had similar photosynthetic capacity comparing to control plants. Antioxidant enzymes activities such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase (GR) were increased in ozone fumigated plants only under low light. The present work shows that the physiological changes occur in photosynthesis-related parameters and growth due to ozone and low light stress. Thus, low light seems to enhance the detrimental effects of ozone on growth, photosynthesis, and antioxidant enzyme responses.

We investigated on the distribution of nutrient contents (N. P and K) in current and one-year old needles of Korean pine, Pinus koraiensis, to understand the physiological effects of alternate bearing. One experimental set was designed with three types of cone number (one, three and five) under natural state and cone number of another one was controlled by thinning. Test samples were separated to collect into three fractions; current needles on the shoot and one-year old needles above and under the cone. On the branch without cone, N, P and K concentrations in needles on the shoot were higher than those in needles of one-year old branch. At natural state, needle P concentration was the lowest in needles on the five-cone branch in August. Macronutrient concentrations were the lowest in needles above the cone, which was remarkably observed in needle K concentration. Under cone thinning, N. P and K concentrations were the highest in needles on one-cone branch and the lowest in needles on five-cone branch. Needle nutrient concentrations were the lowest in needles above the cone, which was remarkably observed in the needle on five-cone branch. In conclusion, the current needles of the shoot and cones are a strong sink of nutrient like N. P and K, and the increase of cone number influences nutrient removal from needles.

The purpose of this paper is to examine willingness to pay (WTP) for endangered species, the Korean goral, of Woraksan National Park in South Korea. The median of the WTP is adopted to estimate the value because it will not be affected by the extreme values. The estimated household median WTP using a logit model for Korean goral conservation in Woraksan National Park was 15,221 won. The estimated value of the WTP in relation to the Korean goral has some policy implications. especially in terms of implementing policy to protect the Korean goral. The result shows that the public conservation program does have a positive WTP for the conservation of the Korean goral. This implies that the Korean goral is an important species that needs to be maintained, the government has been expended a large sum of money in an attempt to protect it.

The study evaluates the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction potential of paper recycling by paper industry in South Korea and determines the positive impact on global warming by conserving the world's forests through decreasing pulp wood use. South Korea is one of the leading countries in the world thai recycle papers with a collection rate of 71.8 percent and a recycling rate of 74.4 percent in 2005. Greenhouse gas emission reduction potential in terms of carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) equivalent from paper recycling was assessed scientifically by the use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Three types of papers including newsprint, container-board, and white-board were used for assessment in this study. Results of this study indicate that $CO_2$ emission reduction potential of recycling paper varies according to its types and recycling rates. Greenhouse gas emission reduction factor of 0.74869 $tCO_2$ per ton of recycled paper was derived from this study. In applying this factor. it was found out that the South Korean paper industry reduced GHG emission of around 6,364,550 $tCO_2$ by recycling paper in 2005. With this. the country's paper industry could claim that by recycling in thai particular year. approximately $23.8million\;m^3$ of woods were not harvested and thus 212,500 ha of world's forests were estimated to be saved in that particular year. Overall. it could be concluded that the Korean paper industry was able to reduce $CO_2$ emission and was able to conserve world's forests by its high rates of paper recycling.

Enrichment planting has been used as one of the promising restoration techniques to accelerate the natural restoration process of secondary forests or logged-over forests in Myanmar, The objectives of this study were to examine the growth performances of two commercial species such as Teak (Tectona grandis Linn f.) and Padauk (Pterocarpus macrocarpus Kurz) in response to different canopy opening treatments and to examine the suitability of these species in enrichment planting activities for the restoration of degraded tropical forests in Myanmar. In this study, split plot design was applied, and three levels of canopy openings were experimented. The survival rate and height growth of two species were measured four times with 6 month interval. The root collar diameter (RCD) was also measured in the last assessment. Although the survival rate of seedlings was not significantly different among the three treatments (p>0.05) as well as between two species (p>0.05) for all consecutive measurements, height (p<0.05) and RCD were significantly different (p<0.001) among the treatments, T. grandis seedlings thrived best under complete canopy opening (i.e., 5 m width canopy opening with strip-clear cutting) while P. macrocarpus seedlings under partial canopy opening (without felling of marketable tree species). Because this study is concerned with only for young stage of seedlings, continuous assessment and follow-up tending activities are needed to verify the species suitability and optimum width of canopy opening for enrichment planting activities in restoration of degraded forests of Myanmar.

The study aimed to develop a cryopreservation method for long-term storage using mature somatic embryo of Japanese larch. In this study, desiccation treatments significantly affected re-induction rates of embryogenic tissue (ET) from dried somatic embryos. In the effect of different dehydration temperature and duration on the re-initiation ET. the highest frequency was shown when somatic embryos were dehydrated at $25^{\circ}C$ for 2 (45.5%) or 1 day (43.3%), respectively. In addition, low temperatures [$4^{\circ}C$, 2 days (44.2%) or 3 days (43.5%)] were marked higher ET initiation. After that, the initiation value was declined with dehydration duration. For comparison of different relative humidity on re-induction frequency of ET, the best re-induction (43.5%) was obtained from somatic embryos pre-dried at $(NH_4)_2SO_4$ (RH 79%). Both $Na_2HPO_4$ (RH 97%) and $Na_2CO_3$ (RH 88%) treatments were showed the similar rate, 34.6, 34.2%, respectively. However the lowest rate (19.6%) was observed in distilled water (RH 100%). In comparison of the various storage temperatures and duration of the dried somatic embryos, the highest frequency (66.9%) of re-initiation was obtained when somatic embryos were cryopreserved for one day. However, the frequency was gradually decreased as the time length of storage increased regardless of types of storage. None of ET re-initiated when stored at $4^{\circ}C$ for 1, 2 and 84 days.

Acer palmatum was selected and its responses to elevated ozone were subsequently measured during growing periods. Ozone concentration of this study was compared to the calculated AOT40 value. A. palmatum had significantly many but small stomata size to the ozone stress. The length of stomata of A. palmatum was reduced from 5.6 to $5.0{\mu}m$ to the ozone exposure. However, the number of stomata (density) was increased from 102 to 131 in the $500{\times}500{\mu}m$ leaf area.

Trapping efficiency of various sex pheromone blends of the peach pyralid moth, Dichocrocis punctiferalis was compared by field study to develop monitoring system with its sex pheromone at chestnut orchards in Korea. Five candidates of the sex pheromone blends used for the field trapping of D. punctiferalis males were 70:30, 75:25, 80:20, 85:15 and 90:10 mixture of (E)-10-hexadecenyl aldehyde (E10-16:Al) and (Z)-10-hexadecenyl aldehyde (Z10-16:Al). All lures were treated with 1 or 2 mg of each blends. During 2 years of field survey, the 75:25 blend was usually the most effective in attracting males among 5 blends tested. For the 2nd generation, the best capturing activity for D. punctiferalis male was observed by lure with 75:25 blend. Both 90:10 and 75:25 blends showed highest efficiency for the 3rd generation. In most cases. lures treated with 1 mg of blend caught more male moths than these treated with 2 mg of blend.