• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.203-208
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• 2003

Losses in the dry weight of leaf litter from six tree species were studied during 16 months on the forest floor in temperate deciduous forest of Mt. Cheonma in the vicinity of Seoul in Korea by using litter bag method. The decomposition rate of each leaf litter varies with each species. After 16 months elapsed, the leaf litter of Acer pseudo-sieboidianum showed the highest decomposition constant (0.82) as Olson´s decomposition constant, while that of Pinus densiflora showed the lowest decomposition constant (0.33). The decomposition constant of Quercus mongolica, Q. serrata, Betula ermani and Carpinus laxiflora showed 0.43, 0.37, 0.66 and 0.75, respectively. The decomposition constant of leaf litter was considered with temperature and precipitation which accumulated daily during each term of litter bag collection. The decomposition constant of leaf litter showed closely positive correlation with daily accumulative temperature and precipitation. The relationships between decomposition constant and the daily accumulative temperature and precipitation at each period of litter bag collection were analyzed through multi-regression analysis. The correlation coefficients as a result of multi-regression analysis in Q. mongolica, Q. serrata, P densiflora, B. ermani, C. laxiflorais and A. pseudo-sieboldianum were 0.83, 0.81, 0.69, 0.77, 0.77 and 0.62, respectively. The precipitation showed higher effect, about 10 times, on the leaf litter decomposition than the daily accumulative temperature.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.94 no.5 s.162
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• pp.302-306
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• 2005

Litterfall and nutrient inputs were measured in even-aged coniferous plantations (a 31-year-old Pinus rigida and a 31-year-old Larix leptolepis) on a similar site condition in the Forest Practice Research Center, Gyeonggi Province. Litterfall was collected monthly from circular littertraps (collecting area: $0.50m^2$) for three years between April 1997 and February 2000. Average total annual litterfall was significantly higher for pine (5,802 kg/ha/yr) than for larch (4,562 kg/ha/yr) plantations. Needle litter in both plantations accounted for about 63% of total litterfall. Litterfall in the larch was distributed as follows: needle > other leaf > branch > miscellaneous > bark, while it was needle > miscellaneous > other leaf > branch > bark in the pine plantation. There was no temporal variation in needle litter, other leaf and bark during the 3 year study period. The concentrations of all nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) in needle litter were significantly higher in the larch than in the pine plantations. The annual nutrient concentration of needle litter in the larch varied among the years, whereas no year variation of needle litter was in the pine except for phosphorus (P). Nitrogen (N) and P inputs by needle litter were significantly higher for larch than for pine plantations established on a similar soil. The differences in N and P inputs were attributed to lower nutrient concentration in pine needle litter compared with larch needle litter, not to total needle litter mass. Annual inputs of nutrient in both plantations were not significantly different among years except for K of the larch although there was yearly different in needlefall mass and nutrient concentration during the 3-year observed period. The results indicate that the mechanisms of litterfall and nutrient inputs vary considerably between pine and larch plantations established on a similar site condition.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.163-163
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• 2003

The study area, Kwangneung Experiment Forest (KEF) is located on the west-central portion of Korean peninsula and belongs to a cool-temperate broadleaved forest zone. At the old-growth deciduous forest near Soribong-peak (533.1m) in KEF, we have established a permanent plot and a flux tower, and the site was registered as a KLTER site and also a KoFlux site. In this study, we aimed to present basic ecological characteristics and synthetic data of carbon budgets and flows, and some monitoring data which are essential for providing important parameters and validation data for the forest dynamics models or biogeochemical dynamics models to predict or interpolate spatially the changes in forest ecosystem structure and function. We made a stemmap of trees in 1 ha plot and analyzed forest stand structure and physical and chemical soil characteristics, and estimated carbon budgets by forest components (tree biomass, soils, litter and so on). Dominant tree species were Quercus serrata and Carpinus laxiflora, and accompanied by Q. aliena, Carpinus cordata, and so on. As a result of a field survey of the plot, density of the trees larger than 2cm in DBH was 1,473 trees per ha, total biomass 261.2 tons/ha, and basal area 28.0 m2/ha. Parent rock type is granite gneiss. Soil type is brown forest soil (alfisols in USDA system), and the depth is from 38 to 66cm. Soil texture is loam or sandy loam, and its pH was from 4.2 to 5.0 in the surface layer, and from 4.8 to 5.2 in the subsurface layer. Seasonal changes in LAI were measured by hemispherical photography at the l.2m height, and the maximum was 3.65. And the spatial distributions of volumetric soil moisture contents and LAIs of the plot were measured. Litterfall was collected in circular littertraps (collecting area： 0.25m2) and mass loss rates and nutrient release patterns in decomposing litter were estimated using the litterbag technique employing 30cm30cm nylon bags with l.5mm mesh size. Total annual litterfall was 5,627 kg/ha/year and leaf litter accounted for 61% of the litterfall. The leaf litter quantity was highest in Quercus serrata, followed by Carpinus laxiflora and C. cordata, etc. Mass loss from decomposing leaf litter was more rapid in C. laxiflora and C. cordata than in Q. serrata litter. About 77% of C. laxiflora and 84% of C. cordata litter disappeared, while about 48% in Q. serrata litter lost over two years. The carbon pool in living tree biomass including below ground biomass was 136 tons C/ha, and 5.6 tons C/ha is stored in the litter layer, and about 92.0 tons C/ha in the soil to the 30cm in depth. Totally more than about 233.6 tons C/ha was stored in DK site. And then we have drawn a schematic diagram of carbon budgets and flows in each compartment of the KEF site.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.87-92
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• 2011

In order to better understand the role of litter layer on hydrological cycle in forest, we estimated the interception storage capacity of the litter layer at Gwangneung deciduous forest. We first made a thickness map of the litter layer at the study site based on field survey and then collected representative litter samples for the laboratory experiment. We constructed a measurement device consisting of sample tray, drain collector, tipping bucket, and a data logger. Using this device, we examined the relationship between the interception storage capacity ($C_i$) and the thickness (d) of the litter layer. For the range of d from 25 to 100 mm, there was a simple linear relationship between $C_i$ and d, which changed with the intensity of the simulated rain. The results were extrapolated to d smaller than 25 mm by considering that no interception occurs without litter layer. Overall, $C_i$ increased rapidly when d was low (< 25 mm) but the rate of increase decreased as d increased due to clumping. With an average thickness of 59 mm, the estimated $C_i$ at the site was 0.94 (${\pm}0.39$) mm. Such an interception storage capacity of the litter layer is comparable to that of the forest canopy, suggesting that the litter layer can play an important role in the forest water cycle.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.171-179
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• 1991

In this study, the balnce of the litter production and decompsition on the forest floors in the green belt nearby seoul, which had been established in 1972, and turnover cycles of minerral nutrients were inverstigated. litter production and decomposition in the forests of quercus accutissima, q, serrata, q. mongolica, salix koreensis and alnus hirsuta were reached at the equilibium stated from 1972 to 1988 but this balance in the pine forest of pinus densiflore and p. rigida was not. Under the forests in the blance of the litter production and decomposition, the maximum amounts of n, p, k, ca and na retured to soil annually were 4.9g/㎡ in the alnus hirsuta forest, 0.35g/㎡ in the salix koreensis forest, 2.70g/㎡ in the quercus accutissima forest, 8.85g/㎡ in the s. koreensis forest and 3.93g/㎡ in the s. koreensis forest, respectively, and the minimum were 2.8g/㎡ in the s. koreensis forest, 0.108g/㎡ in the q. mongolica forest, 0.06g/㎡ in the s. koreensis forest, 2.12g/㎡ q. mongolica forest and 0.15g/㎡ in the q.accutissima forest.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.330-341
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• 2017

Tropical forests play a key role for functioning of the planet and maintenance of life. These forests support more than half of the world's species, serve as regulators of global and regional climate, act as carbon sinks and provide valuable ecosystem services. Forest floor biomass and litterfall dynamics was measured in different sites influenced by fire in a seasonally dry tropical forest of Bhoramdeo wildlife sanctuary of Chhattisgarh, India. The forest floor biomass was collected randomly placed quadrats while the litterfall measured by placing stone-block lined denuded quadrat technique. The seasonal mean total forest floor biomass across the fire regimes varied from $2.00-3.65t\;ha^{-1}$. The total litterfall of the study sites varied from $4.75-7.56t\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$. Annual turnover of litter varied from 70-74% and the turnover time between 1.35-1.43 years. Monthly pattern of forest floor biomass indicated that partially decayed litter, wood litter and total forest floor were differed significantly. The seasonal variation showed that leaf fall differed significantly in winter season only among the fire regimes while the wood litter was found non significant in all the season. This study shows that significant variation among the site due to the forest fire. Decomposition is one of the ecological processes critical to the functioning of forest ecosystems. The decomposing wood serves as a saving account of nutrients and organic materials in the forest floor. Across the site, high fire zone was facing much of the deleterious effects on forest floor biomass and litter production. Control on such type of wildfire and anthropogenic ignition could allow the natural recovery processes to enhance biological diversity. Chronic disturbances do not provide time for ecosystem recovery; it needs to be reduced for ecosystem health and maintaining of the high floral and faunal biodiversity.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.90 no.5
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• pp.593-599
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• 2001

We tested if the treatment of Beauveria bassiana would influence invertebrate communities in litter and soils by multivariate analysis. The PCA (principal components analysis) was used for the analysis. Using the distances between communities in the ordination space, we carried out statistical tests whether any factors would influence structures of the communities. We did not found any significant effects of the Beauveria treatment on invertebrate communities in both litter and soils.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.76-81
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• 2021

With continuous decline of Philippine forest cover, sustainable forest management and restoration are essential to restore destroyed forest ecosystems. Unfortunately, of ten most planted trees in reforestation projects in the Philippines, eight are exotic species, with large leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) being the most dominant. In this study, effect of Swietenia macrophylla in reforestation projects on native tree species was evaluated. Effects of S. macrophylla leaf litter, frequency, and canopy closure on the growth of the Philippine native species Pterocarpus indicus were investigated. Results showed that S. macrophylla leaf litter significantly inhibited the growth of P. indicus seedlings based on root collar-to-shoot height. The standardized growth rate of seedlings in plots without S. macrophylla leaf litter was significantly higher than the growth rate of seedlings in plots with leaf litter. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the standardized growth rate of seedlings between plots without leaf litter and a control plot. On the contrary, S. macrophylla tree frequency and canopy closure showed no significant effect. These results attest to the negative effect of widely planted S. macrophylla to a valuable Philippine native tree P. indicus. With accumulating scientific evidence about negative effects of S. macrophylla on native trees, discontinued use in tree planting and reforestation efforts with active management of restoration sites previously planted with large leaf mahogany are needed.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.97-102
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• 2009

This study was carried out to evaluate litterfall dynamics in three adjacent coniferous tree plantations (larch: Larix leptolepis; red pine: Pinus densiflora; rigitaeda pine: P. rigitaeda) planted in the same year (1963), and growing under similar environmental conditions in the Sambong Exhibition Forests, Hamyang-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do. Litter was collected monthly between July 2006 and June 2008. Needle, broad leaf and total litter inputs followed a similar monthly pattern in the three coniferous plantations. The amounts of needles, flowers, and miscellaneous litter were significantly lower in the larch than in the two pine plantations, while branch litter was significantly higher in the larch than in the two pine plantations. Average total litterfall for two years was significantly higher for the pine (5,475 kg $ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$ for red pine and 5,290 kg $ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$ for rigitaeda pine) plantations than for the larch (3,953 kg $ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$ plantation. Needle litter comprised about 73.1% of total litterfall for the rigitaeda pine, 70.8% for the red pine and 62.9% for the larch plantations. Our results demonstrate that litterfall inputs can be affected by tree species.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.83-93
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• 2016

This study purposed to examine the water retention capacity of floor litter in deciduous forests. Water holding capacity(WHC) and interception storage capacity of Alnus hirsuta Turcz. ex Rupr., Quercus acutissima, Quercus mongolica litters were experimentally estimated. Physical characteristics of litters were also obtained to understand the relationships between water-retention capacity and litter characteristics. Experiments showed that WHC increases with specific volume of litter, varying 244.4% to 416.8% of its dry mass. Interception storage have estimated with rainfall simulation experiments. Maximum interception storage ($C_{max}$) and minimum interception storage ($C_{min}$) of litters were 220% and 138% of dry mass in Alnus hirsuta Turcz. ex Rupr., 218% and 137% in Quercus acutissima, and 240% and 156% in Quercus mongolica. Both $C_{max}$ and $C_{min}$ increased linearly with litter mass, and the values of $C_{min}$ in broadleaf litters have also linear relation to leaf area.