• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.102 no.4
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• pp.543-549
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• 2013

This study was conducted to evaluate age-specific and generalized allometric equations and biomass expansion factors (BEFs) for each tree component across three age-sequence stands (35-year-old, 51-year-old, 62-year-old) of black pine (Pinus thunbergii Parl.) in Jinju, located in the western part of Gyeongnam province, Korea. Biomass in each tree component, i.e. foliage, branch, and stem, was quantified by destructive tree harvesting. Allometric regression equations were significant (P<0.05) with diameter at breast height (DBH) or combination of DBH and height ($DBH^2H$) accounting for 55-98% of the variation (as indicated by coefficients of determination, $R^2$) in aboveground biomass except for foliage biomass of the 62-year-old stand. Generalized allometric equations can be used to estimate the biomass of black pine stands because the slopes of age-specific equations over 35-year-old stands were not significantly different by the age-sequence. The stem density and biomass expansion factor (BEFs) were not significantly different (P>0.05) from different stand ages and ranged from 0.45 to $0.51gcm^{-3}$, and from 1.32 to 1.38, respectively. The results indicate that allometric equations, stem density and aboveground BEFs in the matured black pine over 35-year-old are little influenced by different stand ages.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.184-194
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• 2022

Triplochiton scleroxylon K. Schum is the plant species most affected by logging activities in the East Region of Cameroon due to its market value. This logging has impacted the ecological niche of the fern plant for which limited research has been done. The aim of this study is to contribute towards improving knowledge of fern richness and biomass on T. scleroxylon within the Central African sub-region. Fern data collection was done on 20 felled/harvested T. scleroxylon where, in addition to fern inventory, fern biomass was collected by the destructive method. The diameter and height of T. scleroxylon measured were used as explanatory variables in allometric equations for fern biomass estimation. Fern inventory was characterized using diversity index. Eight fern species were recorded on T. scleroxylon (≈5 species/T. scleroxylon). The minimum diameter where fern could be found is 59.4 cm. The average fern biomass found was 23.62 kg/T. scleroxylon. Pearson correlation coefficient showed a positive correlation (r>0.55) between fern biomass and T. scleroxylon diameter. For allometric equation, the logarithmic model improved better the adjustment than the non-logarithmic model. However, the quality of the adjustment is improved more when only the diameter is considered as an explanatory variable. Fern biomass is estimated to 90.08 kg/ha^-1 with 76.02 kg/ha^-1 being lost due to T. scleroxylon exploitation in the study area. This study is a contribution towards increasing knowledge of fern diversity specific to T. scleroxylon, and also fern biomass contribution to climate change mitigation and the potential carbon loss due to T. scleroxylon exploitation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.102 no.4
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• pp.467-476
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• 2013

Site index information given from forest site map only exist in the sampled locations. In this study, site index for unsampled locations were estimated using kriging interpolation method which can interpolate values between point samples to generate a continuous surface. Site index of Pinus densiplora in Danyang area were calculated using Chapman-Richards model by plot unit. Then site index for unsampled locations were interpolated by theoretical variogram models and ordinary kriging. Also in order to assess parameter selection, cross-validation was performed by calculating mean error (ME), average standard error (ASE) and root mean square error (RMSE). In result, gaussian model was excluded because of the biggest relative nugget (37.40%). Then spherical model (16.80%) and exponential model (8.77%) were selected. Site index estimates of Pinus densiplora throughout the entire area in Danyang showed 4.39~19.53 based on exponential model, and 4.54~19.23 based on spherical model. By cross-validation, RMSE had almost no difference. But ME and ASE from spherical model were slightly lower than exponential model. Therefore site index prediction map from spherical model were finally selected. Average site index from site prediction map was 10.78. It can be expected that regional variance can be considered by site index prediction map in order to estimate forest biomass which has big spatial variance and eventually it is helpful to improve an accuracy of forest carbon estimation.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.49-61
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• 1998

Zoning areas within national parks in Korea are classified into Natural Preservation Zone(NPZ). Natural Environment Zone(NEZ), Settlement Zone(SZ) and Mass Facility Zone(MFZ) based on the Natural Park Act Large-scale development which might cause permanent destruction of natural resources are being done in NEZ which covers 90% of the total natural park area. Thus it is necessary to examine National Park Act which refers the authorized criteria and development activities of NEZ. However, the current environmental impact statement(EIS) does not cover the full impact of the development inside the national park area. Based on these concepts, the study examines the appropriate resources to distinguish the NPZ and NEZ in Mt. Teogyu National Park, then compare the distribution of resource characteristics between two area by using GIS. Through this study, the conclusions are as follows; (1) In terms of scenic resource analysis, the current NPZ does not meet the criteria on the National Park Act Rather, most of the resources which should be located within the NPZ are located within the NEZ. (2) In terms of elevation analysis, Mt. Teogyu National Park, most of NPZ are located on high altitude which is more than l,200m above the mean sea level. Therefore, it shows the elevation is the only criteria for distinguishing NPZ and NEZ. (3) In terms of Degree of Green Naturality(DGN), the second forest areas, the eighth grade of DGN in Mt. Teogyu National Park are distributed much more in the NEZ than NPZ. (4) After examining five factors - scenic resources, elevation, slope and DGN, vegetation- it was found out that zoning of Mt. Teogyu National Park is not adequatly designated. Zoning of national parks should be accomplished based on the precise inventory of the current resources.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.126-135
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• 2015

This study was conducted to develop a large scale map of species-specific plantation sites based on selected environmental variables such as topography, soil, and climatic factors in Namwon city. Site index equations by tree species were first regressed to 27 environmental variables that could influence the productivity of forest sites using digital forest site maps, digital climate maps, and the 5th National Forest Inventory data. Site index equations by tree species were all evaluated to estimate site productivity using 4-5 environmental variables, and the models' reliability was confirmed based on evaluation statistics. The determination coefficients of site index equations by species ranged from 0.42 to 0.76. With the site index equations, the site conditions appropriate for productive sites by species were considered to assess spatial distribution of productive areas for each species. The final map for optimal plantation in Namwon city was produced based on both site index equations and site conditions appropriate for productive sites by each species using GIS technique. Field survey was conducted to evaluate the suitability of selected species on the map of species-specific plantation sites. Results showed that the plantation map provides relatively reasonable spatial distribution of productive areas for selected species. It was revealed, however, that the sites evaluated as 'not suitable' for any tree species should be revised and complemented with additional information, especially with the site conditions appropriate for productive sites by species of interest. The outcomes of this study are expected to provide information for making customized species-specific plantation maps.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.93-101
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• 2015

This study was conducted to analyze the relationship between tree-ring growth of Quercus acutissima and climatic variables by dendroclimatological method. Annual tree-ring growth data of Quercus acutissima collected by the $5^{th}$ National Forest Inventory (NFI5) were organized to analyze the spatial distribution of the species growth pattern. To explain the relationship between tree-ring growth of Quercus acutissima and climatic variables, monthly temperature and precipitation data from 1950 to 2010 were compared with tree-ring growth data for each county. When tree-ring growth data were analyzed through cluster analysis based on similarity of climatic conditions, four clusters were identified. In addition, index chronology of Quercus acutissima for each cluster was produced through cross-dating and standardization procedures. The adequacy of index chronologies was tested using basic statistics such as mean sensitivity, auto correlation, signal to noise ratio, and expressed population signal of annual tree-ring growth. Response function analysis was conducted to reveal the relationship between tree-ring growth and climatic variables for each cluster. The results of this study are expected to provide valuable information necessary for estimating local growth characteristics of Quercus acutissima and for predicting changes in tree growth patterns caused by climate change.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.35-44
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• 2015

Forests contain a huge amount of carbon (C) and climate change could affect forest C dynamics. This study was conducted to predict the C dynamics of Pinus densiflora and Quercus variabilis forests, which are the most dominant needleleaf and broadleaf forests in Korea, using the Korean Forest Soil Carbon (KFSC) model under the two climate change scenarios (2012-2100; Constant Temperature (CT) scenario and Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 scenario). To construct simulation unit, the forest land areas for those two species in the 5th National Forest Inventory (NFI) data were sorted by administrative district and stand age class. The C pools were initialized at 2012, and any disturbance was not considered during the simulation period. Although the forest C stocks of two species generally increased over time, the forest C stocks under the RCP 8.5 scenario were less than those stocks under the CT scenario. The C stocks of P. densiflora forests increased from 260.4 Tg C in 2012 to 395.3 (CT scenario) or 384.1 Tg C (RCP 8.5 scenario) in 2100. For Q. variabilis forests, the C stocks increased from 124.4 Tg C in 2012 to 219.5 (CT scenario) or 204.7 (RCP 8.5 scenario) Tg C in 2100. Compared to 5th NFI data, the initial value of C stocks in dead organic matter C pools seemed valid. Accordingly, the annual C sequestration rates of the two species over the simulation period under the RCP 8.5 scenario (65.8 and $164.2g\;C\;m^{-2}\;yr^{-1}$ for P. densiflora and Q. variabilis) were lower than those values under the CT scenario (71.1 and $193.5g\;C\;m^{-2}\;yr^{-1}$ for P. densiflora and Q. variabilis). We concluded that the C sequestration potential of P. densiflora and Q. variabilis forests could be decreased by climate change. Although there were uncertainties from parameters and model structure, this study could contribute to elucidating the C dynamics of South Korean forests in future.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.280-290
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• 2016

Stem diameter variability is an essential inventory result that provides useful information in forest management decisions. Little has been done to explore the modelling potentials of standard deviation (SDD) and coefficient of variation (CVD) of diameter at breast height (dbh). This study, therefore, was aimed at developing and testing models for predicting SDD and CVD in stands of Pinus caribaea Morelet (pine) in south west Nigeria. Sixty temporary sample plots of size $20m{\times}20m$, ranging between 15 and 37 years were sampled, covering the entire range of pine in south west Nigeria. The dbh (cm), total and merchantable heights (m), number of stems and age of trees were measured within each plot. Basal area ($m^2$), site index (m), relative spacing and percentile positions of dbh at $24^{th}$, $63^{rd}$, $76^{th}$ and $93^{rd}$ (i.e. $P_{24}$, $P_{63}$, $P_{76}$ and $P_{93}$) were computed from measured variables for each plot. Linear mixed model (LMM) was used to test the effects of locations (fixed) and plots (random). Six candidate models (3 for SDD and 3 for CVD), using three categories of explanatory variables (i.e. (i) only stand size measures, (ii) distribution measures, and (iii) combination of i and ii). The best model was chosen based on smaller relative standard error (RSE), prediction residual sum of squares (PRESS), corrected Akaike Information Criterion ($AIC_c$) and larger coefficient of determination ($R^2$). The results of the LMM indicated that location and plot effects were not significant. The CVD and SDD models having only measures of percentiles (i.e. $P_{24}$ and $P_{93}$) as predictors produced better predictions than others. However, CVD model produced the overall best predictions, because of the lower RSE and stability in measuring variability across different stand developments. The results demonstrate the potentials of CVD in modelling stem diameter variability in relationship with percentiles variables.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.111 no.4
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• pp.613-621
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• 2022

The study aim was to investigate changes in the diameter, number of standing trees, stand volume per ha and site index by the forest survey order, climate zone (northern temperate, central temperate, southern temperate, and warm temperate regions), and altitude in 100 m intervals) by collecting samples of Robinia pseudoacacia from the fifth, sixth, and seventh national forest survey datasets. The rotation cutting age, which is a standard used for wood, was calculated. The changes were statistically analyzed by performing ANOVA and the Duncan multiple test. Diameter growth naturally increased according to the forest survey order and was lowest in the southern temperate region by climate zone and lowest at the 301-400 m altitude. The number of standing trees per ha did not change according to the forest survey order and altitude, and the density was highest in the central temperate region and lowest in the southern temperate region. The stand volume per ha increased according to the forest survey order, and the climate zone was divided into two groups: ① northern temperate region and central temperate region, ② southern temperate region and warm temperate region. The stand volume growth was highest at the 201-300 m point. Thesite index showed results similar to the change pattern of the stand volume per ha. The growth curve, which can be seen by the change in stand volume per ha, was estimated by applying theWeibull formula, and the stand volume per ha was estimated to reach approximately 200 m³/ha at 50-60 years. The rotation of the highest production in volume, which is the standard for using trees as wood rather than honey sources, was calculated to be 34 years.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.104 no.1
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• pp.127-132
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• 2015

Aim of this study was to investigate the influence of forest experience program on depression, anxiety, and self concept in adolescents living in urban area. A total of 47 adolescents living in Seoul, South Korea were recruited for the study and participated in a series of forest experience programs that the Korea National Park Service had developed. Before and after applying the program, their depression, anxiety, and self concept were evaluated using Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), Revised Child Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS), and Offer Self Image Questionnaire-Revised (OSIQ). The outcome measures were analyzed using paired-t tests. CDI score was significantly reduced after the program (before:$12.41{\pm}8.34$, after:$8.65{\pm}9.48$). Excluding 16 participants whose scores of Lie Scale in the RCMAS were more than 8 on the analysis, the total RCMAS score showed significant reduction after the program (before:$14.87{\pm}7.30$, after:$10.81{\pm}7.81$). There was no significant difference in the total score of the total self-image scale in the OSIQ. However, the Self-confidence (SC) which was used as subscale of the OSIQ was significantly higher after the program (before:$29.94{\pm}3.71$, after:$38.11{\pm}6.45$), and the Idealism scale (I) in the OSIQ increased significantly after the program (before:$21.03{\pm}3.80$, after:$23.17{\pm}3.89$). On our analysis, the forest experience program showed considerable positive effects on depression and anxiety in adolescents. This result leads the postulation that the program might be helpful for adolescents to adapt to their surrounding experiences and to achieve improvement in interpersonal relationship.