• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.47-56
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• 2020

Decline of pine forests happens in Korea due to various disturbances such as insect pests, forest fires and extreme climate, which may further continue with ongoing climate change. For conserving and reestablishing pine forests, understanding climate-induced future shifts of pine tree distribution is a critical concern. This study predicts future geographical distribution of Pinus densiflora, using Maximum Entropy Model (MaxEnt). Input data of the model are locations of pine tree stands and their environmental variables such as climate were prepared for the model inputs. Alternative future projections for P. densiflora distribution were conducted with RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 climate change scenarios. As results, the future distribution of P. densiflora steadily decreased under both scenarios. In the case of RCP 8.5, the areal reductions amounted to 11.1% and 18.7% in 2050s and 2070s, respectively. In 2070s, P. densiflora mainly remained in Kangwon and Gyeongsang Provinces. Changes in temperature seasonality and warming winter temperature contributed primarily for the decline of P. densiflora., in which altitude also exerted a critical role in determining its future distribution geographic vulnerability. The results of this study highlighted the temporal and spatial contexts of P. densiflora decline in Korea that provides useful ecological information for developing sound management practices of pine forests.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.85-98
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• 2022

Background: Korean white pine (Pinus koraiensis) is a major commercial species, and the importance of the oak trees (Quercus spp.) is increasing due to various factors such as environmental and ecological values. However, more information is required to clearly understand the growth characteristics of these species especially regarding thinning intensity. This study was performed to provide the basic information to develop the silvicultural guideline and field manual by analyzing tree and stand characteristics in line with thinning intensity in the Korean white pine plantation and oak-dominated natural deciduous forest. Results: Diameter at breast height (DBH) and volume changes by the thinning intensity in the Korean white pine plantation were significantly different from those in the oak-dominated deciduous natural forest. In particular, DBH distribution in the pine stand appeared that there were more large diameter trees as the thinning intensity was higher. DBH periodic annual increment (PAI) of the pine stand was higher as the thinning intensity was stronger and the growth period was shorter. This trend was similarly shown in the natural deciduous forest, but the amount of PAI was smaller than in pine stand. The volume PAI after thinning was not decreased over time. In each stand type, the PAI tended to be lower as stand density was higher. The volume PAI in the pine stand was significantly higher than that in the oak-dominated natural deciduous forest. Dead trees occurred the most in the unthinned plots of each stand type, and those were higher in the natural deciduous forest. Ingrowth trees were observed only in the natural deciduous forest, and its distribution was the lowest in unthinned plots; Korean white pine as ingrowth occurred the most frequently among many tree species. Conclusions: Different effects of thinning treatment on DBH and volume PAI, mortality, and ingrowth were observed for each stand. With respect to forest growth, Korean white pine plantation was superior to the oak-dominated natural deciduous forest. The results of this study offer fundamental information for the development of silvicultural guidelines for Korean white pine plantations and oak-dominated natural deciduous forests in Korea.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.84-92
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• 2008

The first pine wilt damage in Korea, which called AIDS of pine, was found out at Mt. Geumjeong of Pusan province in 1988. The damage area spread 53's city, Gun, Gu throughout the Gyeongsangnamdo in December 2005 since then find out. The best treatment for these damaged forests is well known as fumigation method after early detection. But early detection by an observer is very difficult because of the damaged forest areas are spread over huge range. Also the access of observer is difficult in condition of Korea topographical characteristic. In this study, an attempt was done to investigation about early detection of pine wilt damage using near infrared CCD camera.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.265-274
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• 1997

All landscapes are mosaics of habitat patches of different types. Therefore, there are always edged between habitat patches in a landscape. Forest animal has an important role in vegetation development and maintenance by seed dispersal around forest. Movement of animals depends on the spatially heterogeneous structure and pattern of vegetation landscapes because each animal has special habitats in a landscape. Especially, forast edge with high permeability and prey density is one of the important habitats to the animals. Therefore, understanding the ecological characteristics of the forest edges as a corridor connecting mosaic vegetation patches is necessa교 새 establish the strategies for the nature conservation and sustainable vegetation management. Under this idea, we examined the animal influenced on pine seeds as one of the method of monitoring the animal activity in mosaic vegetation. Man-made mosaic vegetations including open, edge and inner forests were carefully selected in the rural landscape. We carried out predation test on pine seeds during one year. A result was that damages on seed was more significant at forest edge than inner and open forest. Pine seed on seedbeds was mainly attacked by squirrels and mice than birds. Pine seed was damaged by squirrels in different types of vegetation by seasons. Rate of seed predation at forest edge was, in special, higher than that of other sites. According to this results, it is suggested that the relationship between animal behavior and spatial vegetation structure relating to human impact such as the distance from settlement to vegetation appeares to be in the rural vegetation landscape.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.163.1-163
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• 2001

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.39-46
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• 2023

Pine trees, which account for 23% of the forested area of the Republic of Korea, are highly vulnerable to fire in comparison to broad-leaved trees due to the presence of consistent water tube sections throughout the year and resin that is composed of approximately 20% oil. In addition, the pattern of forest fires is determined by weather, topographic conditions, and fluctuation in moisture content. Therefore, when fire breaks out in pine tree forests during the dry season (January to March), it is difficult to extinguish, and it quickly spreads. In this study, the combustion characteristics of pine needles, pine cones, and pine branches in the water tube sections of living pine trees were compared and analyzed in accordance with the moisture content as per the ISO 5660-1. The monthly moisture content was analyzed from January to March, and it was found to be the lowest in March, with 53.6% for pine needles, 51.9% for pine branches, and 10.9% for pine cones. In particular, pine cones were more vulnerable to fire as compared to pine needles and pine branches because their moisture content was more than five times lower than that of pine needles and branches. The ignition time, which affects the speed of flame propagation, was the most rapid in March, and the fastest ignition time was for pine cones, at 19 seconds, followed by 34 seconds for pine needles, and 256 seconds for pine branches. The pine branches were the last to be ignited due to the effect of density, according to the thickness and specific gravity of the specimen. The peak heat release rate, which is a measurable index of fire intensity, was analyzed for pine cones and found to be 184.28 kW/m² , while the mean effective heat of combustion was 19.79 MJ/kg, and the total heat release rate was 39.7 MJ/m² , and these values were higher than those of pine branches and pine needles. Thus, we determined that the flame propagation speed and fire intensity according to the moisture content can be used to evaluate the risk of fire to the water tube section of pine trees. It is suggested that because of the combustion characteristics of the pine cone in March, that is when the forest is most vulnerable to fires.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.96 no.5
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• pp.585-590
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• 2007

Rhizina undulata is the fungus, which causes Rhizina root rot on coniferous trees. Nested-PCR using ITS-specific primer was applied to detect R. undulata from the soils of Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergil) forests infested with the disease in Seocheon, Chungnam Province, South Korea. Soil samples were collected from four different sites, both dead trees and fruit bodies of R. undulata were present, dead trees only present, fruit bodies only present, and both were absent. Nested-PCR products specific to R. undulata ITS-region were amplified. Positive reactions were found in some samples from the sites, where dead trees and fruit bodies of R. undulata were absent as well as where both of those were present. R. undulata was mainly detected in the soil samples from the depth of 5~20 cm under the soil surface. These results show that the nested-PCR could be used to diagnose the presence or potential infestation of R. undulata in the soils of pine forests.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.87-89
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• 2003

Although a forest damage of large area due to air pollution has not yet been found in Korea, declines of Korean red pine (Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc.), the most common coniferous species, have been locally reported. To evaluate the effect of air pollution and acid deposition on the forests, SO$_2$ concentration, acid load, soil pH and tree decline were monitored for 13 years from 1988 to 2001 in Namsan, Doowang and Gyebangsan with the gradient of air pollution. During the study period, annual mean SO$_2$ concentration in Namsan, Doowang and Gyebangsan were 14 ppb, 13 ppb and 6 ppb, respectively. Annual mean acid loads in Namsan and Doowang were three to four times more than that in Gyebangsan. As respected, forest surface soils in Namsan and Doowang were acidified to pH 4.1 and 4.3, whereas that in Gyebangsan showed normal value as pH 5.4. On the other hand, decline degrees of Korean red pines in Namsan and Doowang in both 1996 and 2001 were higher than those in Gyebangsan. It is reasonable that the severer tree declines in Namsan and Doowang could be closely related with the higher air pollution, acid load, and the effects (possibly Ca deficit and Al toxicity) of soil acidification.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.97 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2008

It is necessary to examine relationship between spatial patterns of forest types and characteristics of forest fires for efficient management of fire and forest. By the ecoregions of South Korea, we computed landscape indices for whole types of forests(landscape level) and pine forests(class level), and analyzed characteristics of forest fires using statistics of forest fires from 1991 to 2006. We performed canonical correlation analysis to model the relationship between the landscape indices and the statistics of forest fires. At landscape level, forest patches were larger and more complex in the ecoregions which had higher percentage of forest area. At class level, pine forest patches were more complex and closer to neighbor patches in the coastal ecoregions. The ecoregions including metropolitan areas and cities had more frequent fire occurrences per 1,000ha, while mountainous coastal ecoregions had more burned areas and faster spread of fire growth rate. The canonical correlation between the landscape indices for pine forests and the statistics of forest fires was statistically significant at the 0.05 level and explained more than 70% of the variation in fire variables. The results showed that combustion time per fire was longer in the ecoregions which had larger and more aggregated pine forest patches.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.539-546
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• 2010

To investigate the variation of anion concentrations in relation to forest type, forest-related factors, forest survey and anion concentrations measurement were carried out on the 52 quadrats located at the national forest areas in Yangyang-gun, Kangwon-do. The relationship between anion concentrations and forest-related factors were correlated. Total mean of anion concentration was 2,405 ea/$cm^3$, which was slightly higher than general figures 2,000ea/$cm^3$. Highly significant positive correlations were observed between anion concentrations and soil moisture contents, and also between anion concentrations and altitude. Significant positive correlations were observed between anion concentrations and topography. Anion concentrations were significantly different among soil moisture levels. Mean anion concentration were highest at 4,524.4ea/$cm^3$ in on wet sites, and followed slightly wet sites and moderate sites. Mean anion concentrations was highest on valley sites at 3,372.4ea/$cm^3$, followed by slope and ridge areas. Mean anion concentrations measured before noon was highest at 3,133.4ea/$cm^3$, and measurements during 12:00~15:00 and after 15:00, showed relatively low anion concentrations. Mean anion concentrations was highest at mixed deciduous forests at 3,503.9ea/$cm^3$, followed by oak forests, pine forests, and pine-oak forests. Results of this study are expected to be used in planning therapeutic forests.