• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.108 no.1
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• pp.10-20
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to identify the long-term area changes in the subalpine coniferous forests in Korea in order to understand the changes in the subalpine forest ecosystems vulnerable to climate change. We analyzed 20 years of time-series Landsat satellite images (mid 1990s, mid 2010s) for change detection of coniferous forests and compared with the long term changes of climate information to identify their relationship in the study area. As a result, the area of coniferous forests in the study region decreased by 25% over 20 years. The regions with largest changes are Seoraksan, Baegunsan-Hambaeksan-Jangsan, Jirisan, and Hallasan. The region with the largest decrease in area was Baegunsan (reduced area: 542 ha), and the region with large decrease in area and the largest rate of decrease was Hallasan (rate of decrease: 33.3%). As the Jeju region has the most rapid temperature rise, it is projected that Hallasan is the most vulnerable forest ecosystem affected by climate change. The result of this study shows that from a long-term perspective the overall coniferous forests in the subalpine region are declining, but the trend varies in each region. This national and long-term information on the change of coniferous forests in the subalpine region can be utilized as baseline data for the detailed survey of endangered subalpine coniferous trees in the future.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.98-101
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• 2005

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.127-139
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• 2017

Measurements of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of $CO_2$ based on the eddy covariance technique provide reasonable carbon balance estimates in response to local environmental conditions. In South Korea, the forest ecosystems cover approximately 64% of the total area, thereby strongly affecting regional carbon balances. Cultivated croplands that cover about 17% of the total area should also be considered when calculating the carbon balance of the country. In this study, our objectives were (a) to quantify the range and seasonal variation of NEE at forest ecosystems, including deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests, and agricultural ecosystems, including rice paddies and a potato field, in South Korea and (b) to compare NEE at ten Fluxnet sites that have the same or similar ecosystems as found in South Korea. The results showed that the forest and agricultural ecosystems were carbon sinks. In Korea, NEE at the forest ecosystems varied between -31 and $-362gC/m^2/yr$, and NEE at the croplands ranged from -210 to $-248gC/m^2/growing$ season. At the deciduous forest, NEE reached low values in late spring, early summer, and early autumn, while at the coniferous forest, it reached low values in spring, early summer, and mid autumn. The young mixed forest was a much stronger carbon sink than the old-growth deciduous and coniferous forests. During each crop growing season, beet had the lowest NEE value within six crops, followed by wither wheat, maize, rice, potato, and soybean. These results will be useful for designing and applying management strategies for the reduction of $CO_2$ emissions.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.80-96
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• 2023

The expansion of human activities and road development has led to the loss and fragmentation of ecological spaces, which is a negative factor for biodiversity. In particular, urban areas where land use and land cover have rapidly changed into urbanization zones are regions where ecological spaces are lost and isolated, making it difficult for wildlife to inhabit. Furthermore, the loss and fragmentation of ecological spaces due to urbanization can have a negative impact on ecosystem services. Therefore, to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services in urban and national land, it is necessary to establish a practical ecological axis that reflects the current status of the city. Thus, this study analyzed the connectivity of ecological spaces and forest axis that can be used for spatial planning related to urban ecological axis of local governments in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do. The ecological connectivity was analyzed by dividing the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region into 31 local government units, distinguishing between forests and natural areas using land cover data. Subsequently, the study area was divided into 20,483 hexagonal grids of 1 square kilometer each, and the restoration effects for ecological fragmentation within 100 meters were spatially clustered to visualize priority restoration areas. The forest axis was derived by considering regional conditions such as land cover, building area, slope, and others to connect 1,534 forests of 100 hectares or more. The research results are expected to be used as fundamental data for spatial planning, goal setting, and the selection of restoration areas for improving ecological connectivity.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2017

Armillaria species are non-obligate root pathogens, as well as facultative parasites. The genus consists of about 40 species with worldwide distribution that are difficult to identify morphologically. Their hosts include conifers, hardwoods, vines, and even herbs. These fungi contribute to natural thinning and succession of vegetation in forests and decompose wood to develop edible fruiting bodies from spring to autumn. Its genets have a lifespan of up to 2000 years and have been found to occupy as much as 960 ha of forest land. Recently, forest tending work such as thinning of forests has resulted in the creation of tree stumps that support the growth of Armillaria, and these mushrooms have become an income source in mountainous areas. Therefore, identification of these species is needed. We review the difficulties in identification, suggest a species identification key for Korean indigenous species, and discuss the significance of Armillaria in terms of forest ecology and plant pathology.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.109 no.2
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• pp.211-222
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• 2020

This study tried to find out whether there is a change over time in the functional classification of forests in relation to human demand for forests. The level in which the concept of ecosystem services has been considered in national forest management plans was also examined. A total of 98 current and previous national forest management plans were available for this study. The composition ratios of the six functions of forests in both the current and previous national forest management plans were surveyed. We used a parametric t-test when the mean values of two (current and previous) groups were normally distributed and used nonparametric Wilcoxon code rank test when the assumption of normality was not met. Timber production forests were shown to follow a normal distribution, while five others, including water regeneration forests, disaster prevention forests, natural environment conservation forests, recreation forests, and living environment conservation forests were not shown to follow a normal distribution. Timber production forests and natural environment forests showed significant changes in the proportion of forest area between previous and current forest management plans. The concept of 'ecosystem services' began to actively appear in the 6th Basic Forest Plan, which started in 2018. However, the level of frequency of the ecosystem services mentioned varied by Regional Forest Services.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.158-167
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• 2007

A study conducted in NaeSorak Mt. from 1996 to 2006 shows some interesting results indicating general characteristics of natural forests, regeneration and structural patterns on fir stands. Those fir stands could have been confused as climax forests, which is a short-sighted from human-centered view on those stands. A classic theory of succession, which has been frequently applied to analyse the changes in forest ecosystem changes, failed to provide further understanding of fir stands. To comprehend the complicated and diverse process, a concept of ecosystem circulation need be introduced to the theory. This is a main idea of 'patch dynamics' theory developed from 'mosaic cycle' theory.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.105 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2016

Globally, there are more than 2600 species of termites which adapted plenty of terrestrial ecosystems by various strategies such as making termite nest and society. Various studies were recently carried out on termites because they play significant roles in the context of carbon (C) cycle of terrestrial ecosystems. According to the results of previous studies, termite activities influenced the amount of soil organic C, methane emission, and organic matter decomposition. Termite nests, where termite biomass was concentrated, exhibited 1.8 times higher soil organic C concentration than reference soils, and emitted $0.0-6.0kg\;ha^{-1}year^{-1}$ of methane in tropical forests and savannas. Feeding activity of termites, in addition, accelerated coarse woody debris (CWD) decomposition by increasing the surface area to volume ratio of CWD. Especially, CWD decomposition induced by the Rhinotermitidae family appeared to be significant for the C cycle in temperate forests. However, more studies should be conducted on termite-induced CWD decomposition in temperate forests because few studies have dealt with it. The termite-induced CWD decomposition could be measured by preparing disc-shaped CWD samples, excluding access of termites to the CWD samples, and comparing the decomposition rate of the CWD samples with and without the termite exclusion treatment. Studies on the termite-induced CWD decomposition would contribute to further elucidation of the C cycle in temperate forests.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.226-236
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• 2023

As climate change intensifies, the importance of studying plant phenology has increased, leading to a surge in research employing automated video recording devices like Phenocams. In this study, using the Phenocams operated by the National Institute of Ecology, we examined the trends in plant phenological changes across diverse ecosystem types in South Korea and analyzed their correlations with climate factors. The patterns of plant phenological changes varied by region and tree species. Pinus thunbergii and Pinus densiflora typically show an overall increase in their growth period, positively correlating with temperatures and precipitation during winter. However, uniquely, for Abies koreana on Hallasan Mt., a higher amount of precipitation in August leads to an earlier end of season (eos), and the correlation analysis with the recent phenomenon of dying A. Koreana seems necessary. beyond the analysis, solutions for handling missing data issues during the data collection process were proposed. Furthermore, to expand future research scope and encompass diverse ecosystem types, a suggestion to combine Phenocam research with satellite observations was presented.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.225-235
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• 2021

To attain the long-term benefits of forest restoration in North Korea, it is important to present the economic value of reforestation. This study as aimed to evaluate the economic value based on cost-benefit analysis from the ecosystem services perspective. The benefits of reforestation were classified into ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, water supply, soil erosion control, and disaster risk reduction, and were converted into economic values to calculate comprehensive benefits. In the forest restoration scenario, an "independent forest restoration scenario (IFS)" and a "cooperation-based forest restoration scenario (CFS)" were composed in consideration of recent afforestation performance and forest policy, and the difference in the quantity of afforestation was derived as a scenario despite the same restoration period. In the IFS, it is estimated that over the next two decades, 800 thousand ha of the forest will be restored at a cost of KRW 3,829 billion, resulting in a benefit of KRW 6.87 trillion. The present benefit net value is KRW 3,39 trillion. In the CFS, it is estimated that the benefits of KRW 18,890 billion will be generated by restoring 2.2 million ha of the forest at a cost of KRW 10,053 billion. The present benefit net value is KRW 8,359 billion. In both scenarios, BCR had an economic feasibility value greater than 1, but there was a big difference in the expected benefits. In conclusion, forest restoration can have higher benefits than cost, and its value could be enhanced through forest cooperation.