• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.139-145
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• 2014

Denitrification permanently removes nitrate from aquatic ecosystems, so construction of denitrification walls to enhance denitrification activity is often suggested to reduce the nitrate levels from tributary ecosystems. However, little information is available to guide the choice of appropriate organic materials for increasing denitrification rates in the walls. This study investigated how differences in organic substrates originating from litter and organic materials affected denitrification and carbon mineralization rates in riparian sediments. Potential denitrification rates were highest in riparian sediments that contained large quantities of extractable organic carbon (Ext. Org C) and that had high anaerobic carbon mineralization rates, but they were negatively correlated with C:N ratios. Therefore, this research suggested that the both carbon quantity and quality should be considered when assessing the efficiency of organic substrates to remove nitrate from tributary ecosystems.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.117-132
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• 2004

Despite its significance in understanding ecological structure and biogeochemical element cycles, there have been few studies on the microbial mineralization of organic matter and mineralization pathway in the intertidal flat of Korea. We measured anaerobic mineralization of organic matter and sulfate reduction rate, and evaluated the significance of sulfate reduction in total anaerobic carbon respiration at the southern part of Ganghwa Island. Depth-integrated carbon mineralization rate down to 6 cm depth ranged from 41.9 to $89.4mmol\;m^{-2}d^{-1}$, which accounted for approximately 216 tons of organic matter mineralization in entire intertidal flat area of Ganghwa($300km^2$). The results indicated that capacity for the organic matter mineralization in the Ganghwa tidal flat is comparable to highly productive salt marsh environments. Mineralization rates in the sediment amended with acetate were 2~5 times higher than in unamended sediment. The results implied that microbial mineralization was limited by the availability of organic substrates, and the organic matter mineralization capacity seems to be higher than estimated at ambient organic substrate level. Depth-integrated sulfate reduction rates within 6 cm depth of the sediment ranged from 20.7 to $45.1mmol\;SO{_4}^{2-}m^{-2}d^{-1}$, and sulfate reduction was mostly responsible for organic matter remineralization. It should be noticed that the increase of $H_2S$ in the sulfate reduction dominated tidal flat may result in the decrease of biological diversity.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.712-719
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• 2016

Understanding N mineralization dynamics in soil is essential for efficient nutrient management. An anaerobic incubation experiment was conducted to examine N mineralization potential and N mineralization rate of the organic amendments with different C:N ratio in paddy soil. Inorganic N in the soil sample was measured periodically under three temperature conditions ($20^{\circ}C$, $25^{\circ}C$, $30^{\circ}C$) for 90 days. N mineralization was accelerated as the temperature rises by approximately $10%^{\circ}C^{-1}$ in average. Negative correlation ($R^2=0.707$) was observed between soil inorganic N and C:N ratio, while total organic carbon extract ($R^2=0.947$) and microbial biomass C ($R^2=0.824$) in the soil were positively related to C:N ratio. Single exponential model was applied for quantitative evaluation of N mineralization process. Model parameter for N mineralization rate, k, increased in proportion to temperature. N mineralization potential, $N_p$, was very different depending on C:N ratio of organic input. $N_p$ value decreased as C:N ratio increased, ranged from $74.3mg\;kg^{-1}$ in a low C:N ratio (12.0 in hairy vetch) to $15.1mg\;kg^{-1}$ in a high C:N ratio (78.2 in rice straw). This result indicated that the amount of inorganic N available for crop uptake can be predicted by temperature and C:N ratio of organic amendment. Consequently, it is suggested that the amount of organic fertilizer application in paddy soil would be determined based on temperature observations and C:N ratio, which represent the decomposition characteristics of organic amendments.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.262-268
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• 2019

BACKGROUND: To investigate mineralization characteristics of organic resources in the soil, five materials (rice straw, cow manure sawdust compost, microorganism compost, mixed oil-cake, and amino acid fertilizer) were treated according to the nitrogen content, and an indoor incubation experiment was conducted for 128 days. The results of this analysis were applied to determine the nitrogen mineralization pattern of these organic resources. METHODS AND RESULTS: During the constant temperature incubation period, the nitrogen net mineralization rate of the organic resources was the highest in the amino acid fertilizer with the highest nitrogen content, and the lowest in the rice straw with the lowest nitrogen content. A positive correlation (0.96) was observed between the potential nitrogen mineralization rate and total nitrogen content. The mineralization rate constant, k, was negatively correlated with the organic matter (-0.96) and carbon content (-0.97). The nitrogen mineralization rate during the first cropping season, as estimated by the model, was 6.6%, 11.6%, 30.9%, 70.7%, and 81.0% for the rice straw, the cow manure sawdust compost, the microorganism compost, the mixed oil-cake, and the amino acid fertilizer, respectively. CONCLUSION: The nitrogen mineralization rate varies depending on the type of organic resources or the nitrogen content; thus, it can be used as an index for determining the nitrogen supply characteristics of the organic resource. Organic resources such as compost with low nitrogen content or those undergoing fermentation contain organic nitrogen. Organic nitrogen is stabilized during the composting process. Therefore, as the nitrogen mineralization rate of these resources is lower than that of non-fermented organic resources, it is desirable to use the fermented organic materials only to improve soil physical properties rather than to supply nutrients for the required amount of fertilizer.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.99-104
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• 2011

BACKGROUND: Application of urea may increase $CO_2$ emission from soils due both to $CO_2$ generation from urea hydrolysis and fertilizer-induced decomposition of soil organic carbon (SOC). The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of increasing urea application on $CO_2$ emission from soil and mineralization kinetics of indigenous SOC. METHODS AND RESULTS: Emission of $CO_2$ from a soil amended with four different rates (0, 175, 350, and 700 mg N/kg soil) of urea was investigated in a laboratory incubation experiment for 110 days. Cumulative $CO_2$ emission ($C_{cum}$) was linearly increased with urea application rate due primarily to the contribution of urea-C through hydrolysis to total $CO_2$ emission. First-order kinetics parameters ($C_0$, mineralizable SOC pool size; k, mineralization rate) became greater with increasing urea application rate; $C_0$ increased from 665.1 to 780.3 mg C/kg and k from 0.024 to 0.069 $day^{-1}$, determinately showing fertilizer-induced SOC mineralization. The relationship of $C_0$ (non-linear) and k (linear) with urea-N application rate revealed different responses of $C_0$ and k to increasing rate of fertilizer N. CONCLUSION(s): The relationship of mineralizable SOC pool size and mineralization rate with urea-N application rate suggested that increasing N fertilization may accelerate decomposition of readily decomposable SOC; however, it may not always stimulate decomposition of non-readily decomposable SOC that is protected from microbial decomposition.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.145-153
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• 2005

I reviewed an ecological and environmental significance of microbial carbon respiration coupled to dis-similatory reduction of fe(III) to Fe(II) which is one of the major processes controlling mineralization of organic matter and behavior of metals and nutrients in various anaerobic environments. Relative significance of Fe(III) reduction in the mineralization of organic matter in diverse marine environments appeared to be extremely variable, ranging from negligible up to $100\%$. Cenerally, Fe(III) reduction dominated anaerobic car-bon mineralization when concentrations of reactive Fe(III) were higher, indicating that availability of reactive Fe(III) was a major factor determining the relative significance of Fe(III) reduction in anaerobic carbon mineralization. In anaerobic coastal sediments where $O_2$ supply is limited, tidal flushing, bioturbation and vegetation were most likely responsible for regulating the availability of Fe(III) for Fe(III) reducing bacteria (FeRB). Capabilities of FeRB in mineralization of organic matter and conversion of metals implied that FeRB may function as a useful eco-technological tool for the bioremediation of anoxic coastal environments contaminated by toxic organic and metal pollutants.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.347-355
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• 2017

This study investigated how the combined changes in environmental conditions and nitrogen (N) deposition influence the mineralization processes and carbon (C) dynamics of wetland soil. For this objective, we conducted a growth chamber experiment to examine the effects of combined changes in environmental conditions and N deposition on the anaerobic decomposition of organic carbon and the emission of greenhouse gases from wetland soil. A chamber with elevated $CO_2$ and temperature showed almost twice the reduction of total decomposition rate compared to the chamber with ambient atmospheric conditions. In addition, $CO_2$ fluxes decreased during the incubation under the conditions of ambient $CO_2$ and temperature. The decrease in anaerobic microbial metabolism resulted from the presence of vegetation, which influences the litter quality of soils. This can be supported by the increase in C/N ratio over the experimental duration. Principle component analysis results demonstrated the opposite locations of loadings for the cases at the initial time and after three months of incubation, which indicates a reduction in the decomposition rate and an increasing C/N ratio during the incubation. From the distribution between the decomposition rate and gas fluxes, we concluded that anaerobic decomposition rates do not have a significantly positive relationship with the fluxes of greenhouse gas emissions from the soil.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.38-46
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• 2005

This study was carried out to quantify the rates of anaerobic mineralization and sulfate reduction, and to discuss the potential effects of benthic fauna on sulfate reduction in total anaerobic carbon respiration in Ganghwa intertidal flat in Korea. Anaerobic carbon mineralization rates ranged from 26 to 85 mmol $C\;m^{-2}\;d^{-1}$, which accounted for approximately 46 tons of daily organic matter mineralization in the intertidal flat of southern part of the Ganghwa Island (approximately $90\;km^2$). Sulfate reduction ranged from 22.6 to 533.4 nmol $cm^{-3}\;d^{-1}$, and were responsible for $31{\sim}129%$ of total anaerobic carbon oxidation, which indicated that sulfate reduction was a dominant pathway for anaerobic carbon oxidation in the study area. On the other hand, the partitioning of sulfate reduction in anaerobic carbon mineralization in October decreased, whereas concentrations of Fe(II) in the pore water increased. The results implied that the re-oxidation of Fe(II) in the sediments is stimulated by macrobenthic activity, leading to an increased supply of reactive Fe(II), and thereby increasing Fe(III) reduction to depress sulfate reduction during carbon oxidation.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.33-40
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• 2014

This study were conducted to evaluate the N mineralization and nitrification rates and to estimate the losses of total carbon and nitrogen by runoff water in soils cooperated with organic composts and bio-char during corn cultivation. For the experiment, the soil texture used in this study was clay loam, and application rates of chemical fertilizer and bio-char were $230-107-190kg\;ha^{-1}$($N-P_2O_5-K_2O$) as recommended amount after soil test and 0.2% to soil weight. The soil samples were periodically taken at every 15 day intervals during the experimental periods. The treatments were consisted of cow compost, pig compost, swine digestate from aerobic digestion system, and their bio-char cooperation. For N mineralization and nitrification rates, it was shown that there were generally low in the soil cooperated with bio-char as compared to the only application plots of different organic composts except for 47 days after sowing. Also, they were observed to be highest in the application plot of swine digestate from aerobic digestion system. For loss of total carbon by run-off water, it was ranged from 1.5 to $3.0kg\;ha^{-1}$ in the different organic compost treatment plots. However, Loss of total carbon with bio-char could be reduced at $0.4kg\;ha^{-1}$ in PC treatment plot. Also, with application of bio-char, total nitrogen was estimated to be reduced at 4.2 (15.1%) and $3.8(11.8%)kg\;ha^{-1}$ in application plots of pig compost and swine aerobic digestate, respectively.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.5-11
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• 2016

Background: As the decomposition of lignocellulosic compounds is a rate-limiting stage in the nutrient mineralization from organic matters, elucidation of the changes in soil enzyme activity can provide insight into the nutrient dynamics and ecosystem functioning. The current study aimed to assess the effect of thinning intensities on soil conditions. Un-thinned control, 20 % thinning, and 30 % thinning treatments were applied to a Larix kaempferi forest, and total carbon and nitrogen, total carbon to total nitrogen ratio, extractable nutrients (inorganic nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium), and enzyme activities (acid phosphatase, ${\beta}$-glucosidase, ${\beta}$-xylosidase, ${\beta}$-glucosaminidase) were investigated. Results: Total carbon and nitrogen concentrations were significantly increased in the 30 % thinning treatment, whereas both the 20 and 30 % thinning treatments did not change total carbon to total nitrogen ratio. Inorganic nitrogen and extractable calcium and magnesium concentrations were significantly increased in the 20 % thinning treatment; however, no significant changes were found for extractable phosphorus and potassium concentrations either in the 20 or the 30 % thinning treatment. However, the applied thinning intensities had no significant influences on acid phosphatase, ${\beta}$-glucosidase, ${\beta}$-xylosidase, and ${\beta}$-glucosaminidase activities. Conclusions: These results indicated that thinning can elevate soil organic matter quantity and nutrient availability, and different thinning intensities may affect extractable soil nutrients inconsistently. The results also demonstrated that such inconsistent patterns in extractable nutrient concentrations after thinning might not be fully explained by the shifts in the enzyme-mediated nutrient mineralization.