• 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 the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.81-99
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• 2015

The acceleration of global warming has required better understanding of carbon cycles over local and regional areas such as the Korean peninsula. Since forests serve as a carbon sink, which stores a large amount of terrestrial carbon, there has been a demand to accurately estimate such forest carbon sequestration. In Korea, the National Forest Inventory(NFI) has been used to estimate the forest carbon stocks based on the amount of growing stocks per hectare measured at sampled location. However, as such data are based on point(i.e., plot) measurements, it is difficult to identify spatial distribution of forest carbon stocks. This study focuses on urban areas, which have limited number of NFI samples and have shown rapid land cover change, to estimate grid-based forest carbon stocks based on UNFCCC Approach 3 and Tier 3. Land cover change and forest carbon stocks were estimated using Landsat 5 TM data acquired in 1991, 1992, 2010, and 2011, high resolution airborne images, and the 3rd, 5th~6th NFI data. Machine learning techniques(i.e., random forest and support vector machines/regression) were used for land cover change classification and forest carbon stock estimation. Forest carbon stocks were estimated using reflectance, band ratios, vegetation indices, and topographical indices. Results showed that 33.23tonC/ha of carbon was sequestrated on the unchanged forest areas between 1991 and 2010, while 36.83 tonC/ha of carbon was sequestrated on the areas changed from other land-use types to forests. A total of 7.35 tonC/ha of carbon was released on the areas changed from forests to other land-use types. This study was a good chance to understand the quantitative forest carbon stock change according to the land cover change. Moreover the result of this study can contribute to the effective forest management.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.357-366
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• 2015

This study was conducted to estimate carbon stocks of Quercus serrata with drawing volume of trees in each tree height and DBH applying the suitable stem taper equation and tree specific carbon emission factors, using collected growth data from all over the country. Information on distribution area, tree number per hectare, tree volume and volume stocks were obtained from the $5^{th}$ National Forest Inventory (2006~2010), and method provided in IPCC GPG was applied to estimate carbon storage and removals. Performance in predicting stem diameter at a specific point along a stem in Quercus serrata by applying Kozak's model,$d=a_1DBH^{a_2}a_3^{DBH}X^{b_1Z^2+b_2ln(Z+0.001)+b_3{\sqrt{Z}}+b_4e^Z+b_5({\frac{DBH}{H}})}$, which is well known equation in stem taper estimation, was evaluated with validations statistics, Fitness Index, Bias and Standard Error of Bias. Consequently, Kozak's model turned out to be suitable in all validations statistics. Stem volume tables of Quercus serrata were derived by applying Kozak's model and carbon stock tables in each tree height and DBH were developed with country-specific carbon emission factors ($WD=0.65t/m^3$, BEF=1.55, R=0.43) of Quercus serrata. As a result of carbon stock analysis by age class in Quercus serrata, carbon stocks of IV age class (11,358 ha, 36.5%) and V age class (10,432; 33.5%) which take up the largest area in distribution of age class were 957,000 tC and 1,312,000 tC. Total carbon stocks of Quercus serrata were 3,191,000 tC which is 3% compared with total percentage of broad-leaved forest and carbon sequestration per hectare(ha) was 3.8 tC/ha/yr, $13.9tCO_2/ha/yr$, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.69-85
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• 2014

Carbon stocks of NFI plots can be accurately estimated using field survey information. However, an accurate estimation of carbon stocks in other unsurveyed sites is very difficult. In order to fill this gap, various spatial information can be used as an ancillary data. In South Korea, there is the 1:5,000 forest type map that was produced by digital air-photo interpretation and field survey. Because this map contains very detailed forest information, it can be used as the high-quality spatial data for estimating carbon stocks. In this study, we compared three upscaling methods based on the 1:5,000 forest type map and 5th national forest inventory data. Map algebra(method 1), RK(Regression Kriging)(method 2), and GWR(Geographically Weighted Regression)(method 3) were applied to estimate forest carbon stock in Chungcheong-nam Do and Daejeon metropolitan city. The range of carbon stocks from method 2(1.39~138.80 tonC/ha) and method 3(1.28~149.98 tonC/ha) were more similar to that of previous method(1.56~156.40 tonC/ha) than that of method 1(0.00~93.37 tonC/ha). This result shows that RK and GWR considering spatial autocorrelation can show spatial heterogeneity of carbon stocks. We carried out paired t-test for carbon stock data using 186 sample points to assess estimation accuracy. As a result, the average carbon stocks of method 2 and field survey method were not significantly different at p=0.05 using paired t-test. And the result of method 2 showed the lowest RMSE. Therefore regression kriging method is useful to consider spatial variations of carbon stocks distribution in rugged terrain and complex forest stand.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.96 no.6
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• pp.644-651
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• 2007

This study compared and estimated the changes in carbon stocks and emissions of harvested wood products (HWP) by applying FAO statistics and domestic statistics for Korean HWP production, import, and export volume, which is almost always supposed to be included in the carbon emissions and removals inventory by country in negotiations since the 2nd commitment period (2013~2017) of the Kyoto Protocol, for assessing the changes in carbon stocks and emissions of HWP. As a result, when applying FAO statistics to the changes in carbon stocks of HWP as of 2005, stock-change approach (SCA) was estimated at 1.434 Tg C, atmospheric-flow approach (AFA) -1.330 Tg C, and production approach (PA) 0.597 Tg C. When applying Korean statistics, SCA was estimated at 1.246 Tg C, AFA -11.520 Tg C, and PA 0.444 Tg C. When applying FAO statistics to $CO_2$ emissions and removals from HWP, SCA showed a decrease of $-5,258Gg\;CO_2$ (removals), AFA showed an increase of $4,877Gg\;CO_2$ (emissions), and PA showed a decrease of $-2,189Gg\;CO_2$ (removals). When applying Korean statistics, SCA showed a decrease of $-4,569Gg\;CO_2$ (removals), AFA showed an increase of $5,573Gg\;CO_2$ (emissions), and PA showed a decrease of $-1,628Gg\;CO_2$, (removals). Therefore, the application of FAO statistics was shown to be more beneficial for the estimation of both the changes in carbon stocks and emissions of HWP by all methods other than that of Korean statistics.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.39-48
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• 2017

With the growing global concern about climate change, relationship between carbon stock density and tree species has become important for international climate change mitigation programmes. In this study, 150 Quadrats were laid down to assess the diversity, biomass and carbon stocks in each of the forest ranges (Barkot Range, Lachchiwala Range and Thano Range) of Dehra Dun Forest Division in Doon Valley, Western Himalaya, India. Community level carbon stock density was analyzed using Two Way Indicator Species Analysis. Species Richness and Shannon Weiner index was correlated with the carbon stocks of Doon Valley. Positive and weak relationship was found between the carbon stock density and Shannon Weiner Index, and between carbon stock density and Species Richness.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.75-84
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• 2015

Tropical forests play a critical role in mitigating climate change, and therefore, an accurate and precise estimation of tropical forest carbon (C) is needed. However, there are many uncertainties associated with C stock estimation in a tropical forest, mainly due to its large variations in biomass. Hence, we quantified C stocks in an intact lowland mixed dipterocarp forest (MDF) in Brunei, and investigated variations in biomass and topography. Tree, deadwood, and soil C stocks were estimated by using the allometric equation method, the line intersect method, and the sampling method, respectively. Understory vegetation and litter were also sampled. We then analyzed spatial variations in tree and deadwood biomass in relation to topography. The total C stock was 321.4 Mg C $ha^{-1}$, and living biomass, dead organic matter, and soil C stocks accounted for 67%, 11%, and 23%, respectively, of the total. The results reveal that there was a relatively high C stock, even compared to other tropical forests, and that there was no significant relationship between biomass and topography. Our results provide useful reference data and a greater understanding of biomass variations in lowland MDFs, which could be used for greenhouse gas emission-reduction projects.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.205-211
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• 2019

The objective of this research was to assess the amount of carbon stock of coarse woody debris (CWD) in Bombo-Lumene Reserve. Data on lying CWD was collected on 35 circular sampling plots using Line Intersect Sampling (LIS) method. A total of 230 samples CWD (${\geq}10cm$ diameter) were inventoried. The mean carbon stocks of CWD was $29.48Mg\;C\;ha^{-1}$, ranging from 4.32 to $73.54Mg\;C\;ha^{-1}$. The CWD carbon stocks displayed a wide range of variation in decay states. The allocation of CWD among the decay class of all the CWD samples reveals that the most important classes were class 1 and class 3 with 323.66 and $321.96Mg\;C\;ha^{-1}$, followed by class 4 with 264.56 and the last one was class 2 with $121.72Mg\;C\;ha^{-1}$. The results suggested that the dead wood component is important in carbon sequestration and should be taken into consideration for quantification of carbon stocks not only in Bombo-Lumene Reserve, but in all forest ecosystems in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

• Forest Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.181-191
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• 2018

This study was carried out in the teaching and research forest of the University of Dschang in Belabo, with the aim of analysing land-cover and land-use changes as well as carbon stocks dynamic. The databases used are composed of three Landsat satellite images (5TM of 1984, 7ETM + of 2000 and 8OLI of 2016), enhanced by field missions. Satellite images were processed using ENVI and ArcGIS software. Interview, focus group discussion methods and participatory mapping were used to identify the activities carried out by the local population. An inventory design consisting of four transects was used to measure dendrometric parameters and to identify land-use types. An estimation of carbon stocks in aboveground and underground woody biomass was made using allometric models based on non-destructive method. Dynamic of land-cover showed that the average annual rate of deforestation is 0.48%. The main activities at the base of this change are agriculture, house built-up and logging. Seven types of land-use were identified; adult secondary forests (64.10%), young secondary forests (7.54%), wetlands (7.39%), fallows (3.63%), savannahs (9.59%), cocoa farms (4.28%) and mixed crop farms (3.47%). Adult secondary forests had the highest amount of carbon ($250.75\;t\;C\;ha^{-1}$). This value has decreased by more than 60% for mixed crop farms ($94.67\;t\;C\;ha^{-1}$), showing the impact of agricultural activities on both forest cover and carbon stocks. Agroforestry systems that allow conservation and introduction of woody species should be encouraged as part of a participatory management strategy of this forest.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.109 no.2
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• pp.169-178
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• 2020

This study aimed to compare the organic carbon stocks of Cryptomeria japonica and Chamaecyparis obtusa stands established under a similar-site environmental condition in South Korea. C. japonica and C. obtusa stands adjacent to each other from 13 representative regions were chosen to evaluate the carbon stocks of tree biomass, forest floor, and mineral soils. Mean stand ages were 45 years for C. japonica and 43 years for C. obtusa, respectively. Tree density was significantly lower in C. japonica (989 tree ha^-1) than in C. obtusa (1,223 tree ha^-1) stands, whereas diameter at breast height and dominant tree height values were significantly higher in C. japonica (27.4 cm and 20.4 m, respectively), compared with C. obtusa (23.9 cm and 17.9 m, respectively) stands. The total carbon stocks of tree biomass were linearly related with stand basal area (C. japonica: r² = 0.82; C. obtusa: r²= 0.92; P< 0.05), whereas stand density and site index were not correlated with the carbon stocks of tree biomass (P > 0.05). The carbon stocks of aboveground tree biomass were significantly higher in C. obtusa (117.7 Mg C ha^-1), compared with C. japonica (95.5 Mg C ha^-1) stands, whereas carbon concentration and stocks of the forest floor and mineral soil layers were insignificantly different between the C. japonica and C. obtusa stands. The results indicated that trees in C. obtusa stands sequestrated more carbon dioxide, compared with C. japonica stands, whereas carbon stocks in the forest floor and mineral soil layers were unaffected by stand development processes of the different tree species.