• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.281-294
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• 2017

Tropical forests constitute almost half of the global forest cover, account for 35% of the global net primary productivity and thereby have potential to contribute substantially to sequester atmospheric $CO_2$ and offset climate change impact. However, deforestation and degradation lead by unsustainable management of tropical forests contribute to the unprecedented species losses and limit ecosystem services including carbon sequestration. Sustainable forest management (SFM) in the tropics may tackle and rectify such deleterious impacts of anthropogenic disturbances and climatic changes. However, the existing dilemma on the definition of SFM and lack of understanding of how tropical forest sustainability can be achieved lead to increasing debate on whether climate change mitigation initiatives would be successful. We reviewed the available literature with a view to clarify the concept of sustainability and provide with a framework towards the sustainability of tropical forests for enhanced carbon stock and climate change mitigation. We argue that along with securing forest tenure and thereby reducing deforestation, application of reduced impact logging (RIL) and appropriate silvicultural system can enhance tropical forest carbon stock and help mitigate climate change.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.171-181
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• 2014

This study was performed to prevent deforestation and forest degradation and vitalize REDD+ program through suitable site analysis at the 16 districts of South Korea. For this, we worked out profit potential, opportunity cost, carbon credits through making it use of conception of the Forest Carbon Index. As a results, Gyeonggi-do, Incheon Metropolitan City, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Daegu Metropolitan City, Gwangwon-do included in the top 5 among the 16 districts of South Korea. In case of Gyeonggi-do as best suitable site, reduction of carbon emission was best high due to reduction area of deforestation. And profit potential was also high in accordance with practice of REDD+ program. Furthermore, we proposed four plans to activate REDD+ program in South Korea on the basis of the results.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.163-173
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• 2018

Background: Deforestation and degradation are currently affecting the ecosystem services of forests. Among the ecosystem services affected by deforestation and degradation are the amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) stored in forest soils which have greater impacts in global climate change. This study aimed at examining the amount of SOC and TN in the forest fragments which were separated from the continuous tracts of forests of Jibat and Chillimo through fragmentation processes over four decades. Methods: We have sampled soils from 15 forest fragments of Chillimo and Jibat in the central highlands of Ethiopia. The soil samples obtained in two separate soil depths (0-30 and 30-60 cm) were bulked, dried, and sieved for analysis. Results: Our results have shown that the two sites (Jibat and Chillimo forest fragments) differed in their SOC and TN contents. While the values for Jibat were found to be 29.89 Mg/ha of SOC and 2.84 Mg/ha for TN, it was 14. 06 Mg/ha of SOC and 1.40 Mg/ha for TN for Chillimo. When all forest fragment soil samples were bulked together, Jibat site had twice the value of SOC and TN than Chillimo. When disaggregated on the basis of each fragments, there existed differences in SOC (1.86 Mg/ha and 42.15 Mg/ha) and TN (0.24 Mg/ha and 4.23 Mg/ha) values. Among the forest fragments, fragment four ($F_4$) had the highest Relative Soil Improvement Index (RSII) value of 3826.82% and fragment fifteen ($F_{15}$) had the lowest RSII value (726.87%) which indicated that the former had a better quality of soil properties than the latter. Conclusion: SOC and TN differed across sampled fragments and sites. Variations in soil properties are the reflections of inherent soil parent material, aboveground vegetation, human interferences, and other physical factors. Such differences could be very important for identifying intervention measures for restoration and enhancing ecosystem services of those fragments.

• The Southeast Asian review
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.49-92
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• 2013

In May 2010, Indonesia and Norway signed a Letter of Intent on "Cooperation on Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation(REDD)." In the LoI, Norway agreed to offer Indonesia a sum of USD 1 billion with a view to encourage Indonesia to significantly contribute to the successful implementation of REDD+. On 20 May 2011, correspondingly, Indonesia announced the 2011 'Forest Moratorium' (the Presidential Instruction No. 10/2011) which was valid for the following consecutive two years. By means of the 2011 'Forest Moratorium', Indonesia aimed at significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation, forest degradation and peatland conversion. In so doing, it also sought to improve forest governance. Meanwhile, concerned stakeholders also raised various questions about the effectiveness of the 'Forest Moratorium'. As an extension of the 2011 'Forest Moratorium', Indonesia announced the 2013 'Forest Moratorium'(the Presidential Instruction No. 6/2013) for another two-year period on 13 May 2013. Indonesia's 'Forest Moratorium' is concerned with stakeholders at various levels, who may play a role of significant 'agent' in the process of implementing the 'Forest Moratorium'. This mechanism of the 'Forest Moratorium' should be understood in the light of forest governance. Employing stakeholder approach, therefore, this article attempts to analyze Indonesia's 'Forest Moratorium' in the light of forest governance. In this regard, it analyzes the detailed contents of the 'Forest Moratorium', the process of making the 'Forest Moratorium', current development of the Indicative Moratorium Map for suspension of new concessions on forest land, and contesting views of various stakeholders. At the same time, it also talks about how 'weak' forest governance had influence upon Indonesia's 'Forest Moratorium'. In so doing, this article consequently attempts to evaluate Indonesia's 'Forest Moratorium' and also put it into perspective in terms of improving forest governance. The 2013 'Forest Moratorium' fundamentally represents a radical policy that is designed to suspend new concessions on forest conversion for another two-year period and its detailed contents attempt to reflect on various stakeholders from related industries and environmental NGOs. However, there are challenging factors in the process of implementing the 'Forest Moratorium', that is, 'weak' forest governance and also a discrepancy between forest planning maps designated by central and regional governments. The announcement of the 2013 'Forest Moratorium', as an extension of the 2011 'Forest Moratorium', may functionally strengthen and improve Indonesia's forest governance. However, at the same time, there is a practical limit due to the fact that it is merely a Presidential Instruction that lacks legal binding.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.102 no.4
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• pp.491-498
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• 2013

Preliminary feasibility of REDD mechanism to combat forest degradation in North Korea is reviewed as a means of cooperation between South Korea and North Korea. North Korea has not established a national REDD+ strategy and a forest monitoring system which are required to implement REDD+ under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Credible statistical data of forest resources is a necessary condition for implementing REDD mechanism in the developing countries. However, other than forest area data using satellite images, statistical data of forest resources of North Korea are mostly estimated based on simple hypothesis rather than transparent and robust results from national forest inventory. The review of statistical data of forest resources of North Korea shows that North Korea is in a pre-stage of REDD readiness. The study suggests that following research and cooperation agendas should be considered to implement REDD mechanism in North Korea: 1) detecting land use change since 2000, measuring carbon stock change, and identifying causes of deforestation and forest degradation; and 2) establishing a national REDD+ strategy' and a national forest inventory system in North Korea.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.63-67
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• 2018

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or the DPRK, is one of the poorest country in world facing chronic economic, energy and food security issues. Prolonged improper management of economic and natural resources has led to extreme poverty, malnutrition and critically vulnerability to nature's forces. Presistent deforestation and forest degradation in the DPRK has national and global consequences which has attracted attention from international community, whose offering financial and technical assistance for targeted interventions. Through REDD+ programs, the DPRK has the opportunity to establish its credentials as a responsible nation while improving the quality of life of its population. This study offers an enabling context under which suitable climate change action related to forestry can be identified and implemented in the DPRK.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.194-198
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• 2012

In order not to hinder the trend of promoting participatory forest management under the REDD-plus mechanism, we propose a simple method to support local stakeholders evaluating and selecting promising national programs as REDD-plus activities prior to the launch of activities. Program evaluation is done from the viewpoint of expectations for achieving (1) 'triple-benefit' consisting of emission reduction from mitigating deforestation and forest degradation, biodiversity conservation, and poverty alleviation, and (2) 'feasibility' when the programs would be practiced on the ground. The method is applicable for other countries.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.102 no.2
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• pp.189-197
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• 2013

The Cancun Agreements under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change require developing countries aiming to undertake REDD+ activities to develop a national strategy or action plan, addressing the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, a measurement, reporting and verifying (MRV) system including forest monitoring system, and safeguards to ensure equity and co-benefits for local communities and indigenous peoples, and biodiversity. The Government of Indonesia and the Government of Norway established REDD+ cooperation through signing a 'Letter of Intent' in May, 2010. Indonesia agreed on 'a two year suspension on all new concessions for conversion of peat and natural forest'. In turn, Norway agreed to support Indonesia's REDD+ implementation efforts up to one billion United States dollars. Indonesia's REDD+ national strategy (June, 2012) accepted most of the requests included in the 'Letter of Intent'. The REDD+ national strategy, however, does not reflect requests of the Cancun Agreements which noted identification of the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation and guarantee of real greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Indonesia lays emphasis on Norwegian requests which includes expected financial support rather than the Cancun Agreements which have a weak legally-binding requirements.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.277-287
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• 2015

This paper addresses limitations of land-change modeling application in the context of REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation). REDD is an international conservation policy that aims to protect forests via carbon credit generation and trading. In REDD, carbon credits are generated only if there is measurable quantied carbon sequestration activities that are additional to business-as-usual (BAU). A "reference level" is defined as simulated baseline carbon emissions for the future under a BAU scenario, and predictive land-change modeling plays an important role in constructing reference levels. It is tested in this research how predictive accuracies of two land-change models, namely Geographic Emission Benchmark (GEB) and GEOMOD, vary with respect to different spatial scales: Xishuangbanna prefecture and Yunnan province. The accuracies are measured by Figure of Merit. In this Chinese case study, it turns out that GEB's better performance is mainly due to quantity (e.g., how many hectares of forest will be converted to agricultural land?) rather than spatial allocation (e.g., where will the conversion happen?). As both quantity and allocation are crucial in REDD reference level setting it appears to be fundamental to systematically analyze accuracies of quantity and allocation independently in pursuit of accurate reference levels.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2022

The Dutch colonial government introduced social forestry at the end of the 19th century with a commitment to controlling forest resources in the Dutch East Indies. This program was a response to the rampant deforestation which had resulted in forest degradation and poverty of the population around the forest. This study examined the practice of social forestry in the late colonial period which had not been done much. From a historical perspective, social forestry practices in Indonesia before independence could be explained more comprehensively. This study uses a historical method which includes four stages: heuristic, source criticism, interpretation, and historiography (composing historical stories). Sources of information were explored through studies of archival documents and contemporary artefacts, especially official colonial government reports and contemporary newspapers/magazines. Data from various sources are then compared and tested for validity to obtain data validity. The next stage is to build facts based on data obtained and then interpreted using the social science theories. Finally, compiling a historical (historiographical) story about social forestry during the late colonial period. The results showed that colonial forestry during the colonial period was still limited in terms of area and method, namely in the area of teak forest and involving villagers through the intercropping system. Farmers involved in these activities are called pesanggem who earn income from forest land being rejuvenated. However, the relationship between pesanggem and the forestry service has not been well institutionalized, consequently the pesanggem is often disadvantaged. Including certainty of ownership and ownership of forest land never gained clarity and even became a source of conflict.