• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.111 no.2
• /
• pp.234-241
• /
• 2022

We performed this study to determine the foliar nutrient concentration and the nutrient stocks of restoration areas and adjacent Pinus densiflora S. et. Z. (red pine) stands in opencast kaolinite mines in Sancheong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, southern Korea. We chose six sites to determine foliage nutrient concentrations and the nutrient stocks of soils (0-10 cm depth). The dominant vegetation planted in restoration areas comprised Quercus acutissima Carruth., P. koraiensis S. et. Z., Festuca arundinacea Schreb., and Lespedeza cuneata G. Don. Invading vegetation in the restoration areas comprised Alnus incana (L.) Medik., Robinia pseudoacacia L., and Lespedeza spp., among others. The carbon and nitrogen stocks at 10 cm soil depth were significantly higher in the red pine stands than those in the restoration areas, whereas those of phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium were not significantly different between the two areas. However, calcium stocks were significantly higher in the restoration areas than in the red pine stands. Nitrogen concentration in foliage was higher in L. cuneata (20.28 mg N g^-1) than that in F. arundinacea (5.67 mg N g^-1), whereas potassium concentration was twice as high in F. arundinacea (18.8 mg K g^-1) as that in L. cuneata (9.07 mg K g^-1). Foliar nitrogen concentrations in invasive vegetation such as A. incana, R. pseudoacacia, and Lespedeza spp. were twice or four times higher than those of Q. acutissima and P. koraiensis. Our results indicate the development of suitable vegetation and soil amendment treatments to improve poor soil environmental conditions in restoration areas are necessary following opencast kaolinite mining.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.47-53
• /
• 2009

The soil carbon stock for a Pinus densiflora forest at Gwangneung, central Korea was estimated using the soil carbon model, Yasso. The soil carbon stock measured in the forest was 43.73 t C $ha^{-1}$, and the simulated initial (steady state) soil carbon stock and the simulated current soil carbon stock in 2007 were 39.19 t C $ha^{-1}$ and 38.90 t C $ha^{-1}$, respectively. Under the assumption of a $0.1^{\circ}C$ increase in mean annual temperature per year, the decomposition and litter fractionation rates increased from 0.28 to 0.56 % $year^{-1}$ and the soil carbon stock decreased from 0.03 to 0.12 % $year^{-1}$. Yasso is a simple and general model that can be applied in cases where there is insufficient input information. However, in order to obtain more accurate estimates in Korea, parameters need to be recalibrated under Korean climatic and vegetation conditions. In addition, the Yasso model needs to be linked to other models to generate better litter input data.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.51-60
• /
• 2016

This study was conducted to examine litter fall, litter decomposition, and a short-term nutrient (C, N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) status for one year at various levels of basal area (21.4, 27.0, 30.8, 37.0, 42.1, and 46.7 m² ha^-1) in approximately 40-yearold red pine (Pinus densiflora S. et Z.) stands in the Hwangmaesan mountain forest in Korea. Monthly fluxes of litter fall components such as needles, broad leaves, branches, bark and total litter fall followed a similar pattern at various levels of basal area. Mean annual needle, bark and total litter fall fluxes were positively correlated with increased basal area (p<0.05), but the woody litter such as branches and cones was not correlated with basal area. Carbon and K concentrations of needle litter were negatively correlated with increased basal area, while nutrient (C, N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) fluxes were positively correlated with the basal area treatments. Remaining mass, N and P concentration and remaining N and P stocks in decomposing needle litter were not affected by the basal area. However, the concentration and stocks remaining of K, Ca, and Mg from decomposing litter were positively correlated with increased basal area during the initial three months of decomposition. The results indicate that basal area has an impact on nutrient cycles through change in litter fall and litter decomposition processes; thus, the dynamics of nutrient cycles based on a stand scale could differ considerably with different levels of basal area in red pine stands.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.159-164
• /
• 2008

Forest inventory is a commercial term meaning the preparation of detailed descriptive list of articles with number, quantity and value of each item included. Forest inventory deals with the measurement of trees and stands, the estimation of their volume, growth prediction, biomass, carbon stocks and the description tree characteristics, as well as the land upon which they are growing. National Forest Inventory Center (NFIC) in Korea conducts national forest inventory every 5 years to obtain accurate baseline data for national forest policy. The permanent sample plot data used in were collected by NFI. The objective of this study was to develop methods for quantifying forest resources at national scale based on $5^{th}$ National Forest Inventory (NFI) data in Korea. Forest land area decreased from 6.44 to 6.38 million ha between 1997 and 2007, continuing a slight downward trend in area beginning in the late 1990s. However forest resources of the Korea have continued improving in general condition and quality, as measured by increased average size and volume of trees. Growing-stock volume of the Korea increased from 17 to 123.79 cubic meter per ha between 1976 and 2007. The biomass in Korea was estimated to be 153.81 tons per hectare and carbon stocks in Korea was estimated to be 84.36 tons per hectare by NFI data. This information is important for government officials, public administration, the private business sector, and the researcher. Forest Inventory should be implemented in a way to be able to monitor and assess the forests continuously.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.46 no.4
• /
• pp.282-291
• /
• 2022

Background: The Arctic permafrost stores enormous amount of carbon (C), about one third of global C stocks. However, drastically increasing temperature in the Arctic makes the stable frozen C stock vulnerable to microbial decomposition. The released carbon dioxide from permafrost can cause accelerating C feedback to the atmosphere. Soil organic matter (SOM) composition would be the basic information to project the trajectory of C under rapidly changing climate. However, not many studies on SOM characterization have been done compared to quantification of SOM stocks. Thus, the purpose of our study is to determine soil properties and molecular compositions of SOM in four different Arctic regions. We collected soils in different soil layers from 1) Cambridge Bay, Canada, 2) Council, Alaska, USA, 3) Svalbard, Norway, and 4) Zackenberg, Greenland. The basic soil properties were measured, and the molecular composition of SOM was analyzed through pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (py-GC/MS). Results: The Oi layer of soil in Council, Alaska showed the lowest soil pH and the highest electrical conductivity (EC) and SOM content. All soils in each site showed increasing pH and decreasing SOC and EC values with soil depth. Since the Council site was moist acidic tundra compared to other three dry tundra sites, soil properties were distinct from the others: high SOM and EC, and low pH. Through the py-GC/MS analysis, a total of 117 pyrolysis products were detected from 32 soil samples of four different Arctic soils. The first two-axis of the PCA explained 38% of sample variation. While short- and mid-hydrocarbons were associated with mineral layers, lignins and polysaccharides were linked to organic layers of Alaska and Cambridge Bay soil. Conclusions: We conclude that the py-GC/MS results separated soil samples mainly based on the origin of SOM (plants- or microbially-derived). This molecular characteristics of SOM can play a role of controlling SOM degradation to warming. Thus, it should be further investigated how the SOM molecular characteristics have impacts on SOM dynamics through additional laboratory incubation studies and microbial decomposition measurements in the field.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.168-178
• /
• 1996

Molecular structures of petroleum fractions(diesel fuel, bunker-C oil, lubricant base stocks) have been analyzed and compared in terms of the compositions (aromatics, naphtherucs, paraffinics), aromatics(benzene-nuclear and bonded alkyl groups), C2(methylene) carbon atoms % $C_{\alpha}$ and $C_{\beta}$ carbon stom % in alkyl groups and paraffins(branched and normal) by near-infrared and $^{13}C$-NMR spectroscopy.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.42 no.3
• /
• pp.128-138
• /
• 2018

Background: This study investigated the variation of soil organic carbon in four land cover types: natural and mixed forest, cultivated land, Eucalyptus plantation and open bush land. The study was conducted in the Birr watershed of the upper Blue Nile ('Abbay') river basin. Methods: The data was subjected to a two-way of ANOVA analysis using the general linear model (GLM) procedures of SAS. Pairwise comparison method was also used to assess the mean difference of the land uses and depth levels depending on soil properties. Total of 148 soil samples were collected from two depth layers: 0-10 and 10-20 cm. Results: The results showed that overall mean soil organic carbon stock was higher under natural and mixed forest land use compared with other land use types and at all depths ($29.62{\pm}1.95Mg\;C\;ha^{-1}$), which was 36.14, 28.36, and 27.63% more than in cultivated land, open bush land, and Eucalyptus plantation, respectively. This could be due to greater inputs of vegetation and reduced decomposition of organic matter. On the other hand, the lowest soil organic carbon stock under cultivated land could be due to reduced inputs of organic matter and frequent tillage which encouraged oxidation of organic matter. Conclusions: Hence, carbon concentrations and stocks under natural and mixed forest and Eucalyptus plantation were higher than other land use types suggesting that two management strategies for improving soil conditions in the watershed: to maintain and preserve the forest in order to maintain carbon storage in the future and to recover abandoned crop land and degraded lands by establishing tree plantations to avoid overharvesting in natural forests.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.91-103
• /
• 2021

We conducted an analysis of agroforestry system efficiency to conserve biodiversity in the Mbalmayo Forest Reserve (MFR) between March 2018 and June 2018. A synthesis of forest fragmentation data observed on multiple strata and scale satellite imageries over 31 years, between 1987 and 2018 as well as, the use of both a floristic and a faunal surveys, revealed that although 29.28% of natural forests was fragmented and converted to agroforests landscapes, banana and cocoa based agroforest appeared to perform the most relevant records in carbon storage and to attract wild terrestrial and avifauna. Analysis of NDVI, NDWI and Iron Oxyde helped monitor the vegetation cover of the reserve, and differentiate natural and fragmented classes, majority of conserved forest wetlands and agroforestry systems, and a minority of natural dryland forest. Further analysis also revealed significant correlations between NDVI and Shannon Index, and between NDVI and carbon stock. Based on the NDVI value and the equation Y=3.827×X-1.587 (where Y for the carbon stocks and X for NDVI value), we estimated the total carbon stock of the forest reserve at about 99557.6 tonnes, and its mean value at about 8.491 tons/ha. Nevertheless, environmental efforts to sustainably manage agroforestry landscape appear to be a relevant key to conserve wild biodiversity and mitigate climate change at the level of the Mbalmayo Forest Reserve. If anthropogenic activities have deeply changed the reserve's natural landscape, reduced its carbon sequestration performance, and wildlife conservation status, forest wetlands appear to remain its most conserved places and the best refuge for wild fauna still occurring in diverse strata of the MFR.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.14 no.9
• /
• pp.827-835
• /
• 2005

A three-dimensional ecological model (EMT -3D) was applied to Nonylphenol in Tokyo Bay. EMT -3D was calibrated with data obtained in the study area. The simulated results of dissolved Nonylphenol were in good agreement with the observed values, with a correlation coefficient(R) of 0.7707 and a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.5940. The results of sensitivity analysis showed that biodegradation rate and bioconcentration factor are most important factors for dissolved Nonylphenol and Nonylphenol in phytoplankton, respectively. In the case of Nonylphenol in particulate organic carbon, biodegradation rate and partition coefficient were important factors. Therefore, the parameters must be carefully considered in the modeling. The mass balance results showed that standing stocks of Nonylphenol in water, in particulate organic carbon and in phytoplankton are $8.60\times 10^5\;g,\;2.19\times 10^2\;g\;and\;3.78\times 10^0\;g$ respectively. With respect to the flux of dissolved Nonylphenol, biodegradation in the water column, effluent to the open sea and partition to particulate organic carbon were $6.02\times10^3\;g/day,\;6.02\times10^2\;g/day\;and\;1.02\times10^1\;g/day$, respectively.

• Carbon letters
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.171-182
• /
• 2015

Mesophase pitch is an important starting material for making a wide spectrum of industrial and advanced carbon products. It is produced by pyrolysis of petroleum residues. In this work, mesophase formation behavior in petroleum residues was studied to prepare environmentally-benign mesophase pitches, and the composition of petroleum residues and its influence on the mesophase formation was investigated. Two petroleum residues, i.e., clarified oil s (CLO-1, CLO-2) obtained from fluid catalytic cracking units of different Indian petroleum refineries, were taken as feed stocks. A third petroleum residue, aromatic extract (AE), was produced by extraction of one of the CLO-1 by using N-methyl pyrrolidone solvent. These petroleum residues were thermally treated at 380℃ to examine their mesophase formation behavior. Mesophase pitches produced as a result of thermal treatment were characterized physico-chemically, as well as by instrumental techniques such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetry/derivative thermogravimetry. Thermal treatment of these petroleum residues led to formation of a liquid-crystalline phase (mesophase). The mesophase formation behavior in the petroleum residues was analyzed by optical microscopy. Mesophase pitch prepared from CLO-2 exhibited the highest mesophase content (53 vol%) as compared to other mesophase pitches prepared from CLO-1 and AE.