• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2005

The Mansugol valley forest in Woraksan National Park was studied to investigate forest structure in relation to altitude and part of the slope. Forty eight quadrats were set up in the valley forest along altitude of 380m to 915m and part of the slope, and vegetation analysis for the woody species in the tree and subtree layers were carried out. With increasing elevation belt, tree density and basal area of the tree layer decreased while basal area of the subtree layer increased. As elevation increased, the importance percentages of Quercus mongolica, Fraxinus rhynchophylla, Lindera obtusiloba and Acer mono increased while those of Pinus densiflora, Quercus variablias Quercus serrata and Styrax obassia decreased. Species diversities of the elevation belts including the top of the valley ranged from 0.351 to 0.903, and those of the parts of the slope ranged from 0.780 to 1.064. The range of similarity indices between elevation belts were $36.0\~67.3\%$, and the range of similarity indices between parts of the slope were $66.8\~75.1\%$. According to importance percentage and cluster analysis, the studied valley forest was classified into three forest communities of Pinus densiflora-Quecus species community in the low elevation belt and the middle part of the slope at the middle elevation belt, Quercus mongolica-broad-leaved tree species community in the high elevation belt and the lower and upper parts at the middle elevation belt, and Quercus mongolica community in the top area of the valley. The importace percentage of Quercus mongolica was significantly and negatively correlated with those of Pinus desiflora and Quercus serrata. There were significantly positive correlation among Pinus densiflora, Quercuss serata and Rhus trichocarpa.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.223-236
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• 2021

This study aims to provide basic data for the systematic conservation and efficient management of forest ecosystems by analyzing changes in understory vegetation of temperate broad-leaved deciduous forests. One-hectare permanent survey plot, consisting of 100 subplots sized 10 × 10 meters, was installed in Gwangneung forest in Pocheon, Gyeonggi-do in 2003. The state of stands and the understory vegetation in the permanent survey plot were examined at a 5-year interval from 2003 to 2018. The vascular plants found in the survey area were 56 families, 128 genera, 176 species, 18 variants, 4 varieties, and 1 subspecies, for a total of 199 taxa. The number of species in both the shrub layer and the herbaceous layer showed a tendency to decrease with time. The MRPP-tests showed a significantly differing species composition of the shrub layer in all years except 2008-2013, whereas significant differences were found in all years concerning the herbaceous layer. As for the average importance value, Euonymus oxyphyllus (18.23%), Acer pseudosieboldianum (16.48%), and Callicarpa japonica (13.85%) were dominant in the shrub layer, while Ainsliaea acerifolia (23.41%), Disporum smilacinum (9.45%), and Oplismenus undulatifolius (5.62%) were dominant in the herbaceous layer. In the shrub layer, the richness of Smilax china, Lonicera subsessilis, and Philadelphus schrenkii was high when the basal area and the stand density of an upper layer were high. By contrast, smaller basal area and stand density were associated with the richness of Acer pseudosieboldianum, Deutzia glabrata, Morus bombycis, and Cornus kousa. Furthermore, it was found out that the impact of the basal area and the stand density on the herbaceous layer decreased over time, while the herb layer's species composition was greatly affected by cover degrees of Euonymus oxyphyllus and Acer pseudosieboldianum in the shrub layer. In conclusion, the number of species in the understory vegetation in Gwangneung forest is continuously decreasing, thus implying that species diversity, basal area, and stand density of an upper layer can influence the species composition in understory vegetation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.113 no.2
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• pp.222-238
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• 2024

Coniferous species in subalpine ecosystems are known to be highly sensitive to climate change. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important to monitor community and population dynamics. This study monitored 37 plots within the distribution area of Abies koreana on Mt. Jirisan for a period of eight years. We analyzed the importance value, density of living stems, mortality rate, recruitment rate, basal area, DBH (diameter of breast height) class distribution, and tree health status. Our results showed changes in the importance value based on the tree stratum, with A. koreana decreasing by 3.6% and Tripterygium regelii increasing by 2.5% in the tree layer. Between 2015 and 2023, there were 149 dead trees/ha (17.99% mortality rate) and 12 living trees/ha (1.02% recruitment rate) of A. koreana. The decrease in basal area was attributed to a decrease in the number of living trees. Tree mortality occurred in all DBH classes, with a particularly high decline in the <10 cm class (65 trees/ha reduced). In terms of changes in tree health status, the population of alive standing (AS) type trees, initially consisting of 539 trees/ha, has been transformed into alive standing (AS), alive lean (AL), and death standing (DS), accounting for 69.7%, 0.5%, and 13.8%, respectively. Meanwhile, DS-type trees have transitioned into dead broken (DB) and dead fallen (DF) types. This phenomenon is believed to be caused by strong winds in the subalpine region that pull up the rootlets from the soil. Further research on this finding is recommended.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.79 no.2
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• pp.138-143
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• 1990

In mature stand of Japanese larch (Larix leptolepis(S. et Z.) Gordon) planted in 1925, heartrot damage was investigated by felling some infected trees with fruit bodies of two butt-rot fungi, Phaeolus schweinitzii and Sparassis crispa. Percentage of heartrot area on basal area of decay trees was 19.2-74.4, and the height reached by the decay was 1.2-5.5m. Percentage of decay volume was in the range of 2.2-13.4%, but the loss wood to the height reached by the decay amounted to 27.2% (range 13.1-37.1%) of whole volume, Decay damage caused by S. crispa was much greater than that caused by P. schweinitzii. Compressive strength ($52-77kg/cm^2$) and specific gravity (0.40-0.47) of rot wood was reduced to 77% and 39% respectively in maximum as compared to sound wood of healthy tree, and those of sound-looking wood close by heartrot to 42% and 26%. The current annual growth of trees with decay was fallen behind that of sound tree from eight to fourteen years after planting in D. B. H. and from twelve to twenty-one years after in volume.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.322-330
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• 2018

Herbivory is a major functional component of forest ecosystems, and herbivorous insects comprise about 25% of all insect species. Increasing plant diversity is related to herbivore abundance and diversity, which affects the level of leaf damage caused by insects. This study was conducted to identify plant-related variables such as plant diversity and number of leaves and density-related variables, basal area, and diameter at breast height (DBH) in a temperate forest of southern South Korea. To assess the level of leaf damage caused by leaf chewing insects, we set up two 0.1 ha plots in a temperate deciduous forest on Mt. Jirisan National Park. Plant richness differed between two sites: 16 species in 14 families(site 1) and 19 species in 15 families (site 2). Fisher's alpha index based on plant species richness and abundance resulted in 4.41 (site 1) and 6.57 (site 2). However, the sum of basal area of each site was higher in site 1 ($6.6m^2$) than site 2 ($3.7m^2$). The total surveyed leaves at two sites were 3,832 and 4,691, respectively and the damage leaves were 1,544 and 2,136, respectively. The mean leaf damage level was 11.2% (${\pm}1.76%$) in two study sites: the leaf damage level of the site 1 (11.99%) was significantly higher than site 2 (10.59%). Stepwise regression analysis showed that species diversity and evenness were the significant variables for leaf damages by chewing herbivores. NMDS ordination also identified that high tree density and low species diversity were the significant variables. This suggested that the level of damage was significantly higher in plots with low plant diversity and high tree density. In the future, we will investigate other guilds of herbivores such as sap-suckers, miners and gallers in temperate deciduous forests.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.75 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 1986

This study was initiated to estimate productivity of Quercus variabilis stand. However the practical objective of this study was to provide some information to establish the basis of selecting the suitable site for Quercus variabilis. The productivity measured in terms of DBH, height, basal area and stem volume was hypothesized, respectively, to be a function of a group of factors. This study considered 32 factors, 20 of which were related to the forest environmental factors such as tree age, latitude, percent slope, etc. and the rest of which were related to soil factors such as soil moisture, total nitrogen, available $P_2O_5$, etc. The data on 4 productivity measurements of Quercus variabilis growth and related factors cited were collected from 99 sample plots in Kyeongbook and chungbook provinces. Some factors considered were, in nature, discrete variables and the others continuous variables. Each kind of factor was classified into 3 or 4 categories and total numbers of such categories were eventually amounted to 110. Then each category was treated as an independent variable. This is amounted to saying that individual variable was treated a dummy variable and assigned a value 1 or 0. However the first category of each factor was deleted from the normal equation for statistical consideration. First of all, each of 4 productivity measurements of Quercus variabilis growth was regressed and, at the same time, those 110 categories. Secondly, the partial correlation coefficients were measured between each pair of 4 productivity measurements and 32 individual foctors. Finally, the relative scores were estimated in order to derive the category ranges. The result of these statistical analyses could be summarized as follows: 1) Growth measurement in terms of height seems to be a more significant criterion for estimation of productivity of Quercus variabilis. 2) Productivity of forest on stocked land may better be estimated in terms of forest environmental factors, on the other hand, that of unstocked land may be estimated in terms of physio-chemical factors of soil. 3) The factors that a strongly positive relation to all growth factors of tree are age group, effective soil, soil moisture, etc. This implies that these factors might effectively be used for criteria for selecting the suitable site for Quercus variabilis. 4) Parent rock, latitude, total nitrogen, age group, effective soil depth, soil moisture, organic matter, etc., had more significant category range for tree growth. Therefore, the suitable site for Quercus variabilis may be selected, based on this information. In conclusion, the above results obtained by the multivariable analysis can be not only the important criteria for estimating the growth of Quercus variabilis but also the useful guidance for selecting the suitable sites and performing the rational of Quercus variabilis forest.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.74 no.1
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• pp.67-81
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• 1986

To investigate the stand structure of the stocked broad-leaved forests in Korea, 1,000 plots, allocated by systematic sampling method, were interpreted on the aerial photographs accompanied with ground survey. Total area of the stocked broad-leaved forests except Jeju island was 818,286ha and the percentage to total forest area was 12.7%. Total stock volume of the stocked broad-leaved forests was $38,890,779m^3$ and the percentage to total stocked forest volume was 27.4%. Mean number of trees per ha was 947 trees/ha, basal area was $11.17m^3/ha$, DBH was 11.30cm, tree height was 7.65m, stock volume was $44.96m^3/ha$, and current annual volume increment was $3.64m^3/ha$ in total land. The 64.7, 79.8 and 52.7 percent of the stocked broad-leaved forest area were distributed at elevations of 300-900m, in slope degree of above 25, and in northern aspect, respectively. Standfactors were apt to get better with the increase of distance from the car road way and the village, and with the increase of elevation belt.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.76 no.2
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• pp.127-137
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• 1987

This study was conducted to examine the effects of trampling on the changes in soil and vegetation around the trails. The study areas were established both on the trails and in the forested areas located in Ui and Jeongnung valleys at Pukhansan National Park. Soil core sampling, measurements of vegetations and counts of persons visited per hour were done during the period from April 6 to October 9, 1986. The physical properties of soils became better with increasing distances from the trail, and the best conditions were observed in the forested areas. The differences were not significant among the zones within the trailside. More number of individuals and basal area (or coverage) in woody plants were observed in the forested areas than at trailsides. For the herb layer, however, more number of individuals and coverage were shown at the trailside. In the Ui valley, the quantitative measures of herbaceous plants decreased as the bulk density and penetration resistance increased. In the Jeongnung valley, however, only bulk density was negatively related to the quantitative measures. The fact that there were poor relations between soil factors and quantitative measures of herbaceous plants in Jeongnung valley might be influenced by other factors rather than soil compaction. Thus, more research would be needed to understand the critical factors affecting the vegetational changes in recreation areas.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.65 no.1
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• pp.68-73
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• 1984

The purpose of this paper was to figure out the efficiencies of two sampling techniques, a simple random sampling and a two-stage P.P.S. (probability proportional to size) sampling, in estimating the volume of the mature coniferous stands near Salzburg, Austria. With black-and-white infrared photographs at a scale 1:10,000, the following four classes were considered; non-forest, young stands less than 40 years, mature beech and mature coniferous stands. After the classification, a field survey was carried out using a relascope with a BAF (basal area factor) 4. For the simple random sampling, 99 points were sampled, while for the P.P.S. sampling, 75 points were sampled in the mature coniferous stands. The following results were obtained. 1) The mean standing coniferous volume estimate was $422.0m^3/ha$ for the simple random sampling and $433.5m^3/ha$ for the P.P.S. sampling method. However, the difference was not statistically significant. 2) The required number of sampling points for a 5% sampling error were 170 for the two stage P.P.S. sampling, but 237 for the simple random sampling. 3) The two stage P.P.S. method reduced field survey time by 17% as compared to the simple random sampling.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.71 no.1
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• pp.40-44
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• 1985

This study was carried out to know the difference in growth and degree of competition between individuals of thinned and unthinned larch stands. Annual increment and total growth were obtained from the cores sampled at breast height. The correlation between adjacent individual trees was investigated. 1) The correlation between radius growth and basal area was used to estimated the degree of competition among individual trees. 2) In estimating the degree of competition the correlation between two individual trees was better method than others. 3) Up to 9 years after planting no competition between individual trees occurred and the Night positive correlation was shown. 4) High degree of competition was observed at age of 10 years after the planting, as the correlation coefficient was getting smaller. 5) The degree of competition among individual trees increased with increase of the growth of total stand.