• Atmosphere
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.227-235
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• 2009

Global climate warming induced by long-lived greenhouse gases is expected to cause increases in wildfire frequencies and intensity in boreal forest regions of mid- and high-latitudes in the future. Siberian forest fires are one of important sources for air pollutants such as ozone and aerosols over East Asia. Thus an accurate quantification of forest fire influences on air quality is crucial, in particular considering its higher occurrences expected under the future warming climate conditions. We here use the 3-D global chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem) with the satellite constrained fire emissions to quantify Siberian fire effects on ozone concentrations in East Asia. Our focus is mainly on spring 2003 when the largest fires occurred over Siberia in the past decade. We first evaluated the model by comparing to the EANET observations. The model reproduced observed ozone concentrations in spring 2003 with the high $R^2$ of 0.77 but slightly underestimated by 20%. Enhancements in seasonal mean ozone concentrations were estimated from the difference in simulations with and without Siberian fires and amounted up to 24 ppbv over Siberia. Effects of Siberian fires also resulted in 3-10 ppbv incresases in Korea and Japan. These increases account for about 5-15% of the ozone air quality standard of 60 ppbv in Korea, indicating a significant effect of Siberian fires on ozone concentrations. We found however that possible changes in regional meteorology due to Siberian fires may also affect air quality. Further study on the interaction between regional air quality and meteorology is necessary in the future.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.98 no.5
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• pp.609-617
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• 2009

This study was conducted to investigate ecological indicators of forest degradation after forest fire and clear-cutting in the Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) stand of Mongolia. The species abundance and biodiversity indices were higher in burned and clear-cut stands than those of reference stand, but boreal understory species, such as Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Pyrola incarnata, Linnea borealis and Maianthemum bifolium, completely disappeared and was replaced by sedge species, such as Carex duriuscula, C. lanceolata, C. pediformis, Poa attenuata and P. pratensis. During the research period, temperature increased by an average of $1.6^{\circ}C$ in burned stand and $1.7^{\circ}C$ in clear-cut stand compared to reference stand, but RH sharply decreased up to 15.7% in clear-cut stand. This result indicates that Larix sibirica stand became warmer and drier after forest fire and clear-cutting, and contributed to the abundance of sedge and grass species in the understory. Moreover, intense occupation of tall sedge grass after forest fire and clear-cutting had a vital role as obstacle on natural regeneration of Larix sibirica. The similarity of species composition between reference and burned stands was higher (73.6%) than between reference and clear-cut stands (63.8%). Soil moisture significantly decreased after forest fire and clear-cutting, and the extent of decrease was more severe in the clear-cut stand. The chemical properties at soil organic layer were significantly affected by forest fire and clear-cutting but not the mineral horizons. Inorganic nitrogen of the forest floor significantly decreased in the clear-cut stand ($1.1{\pm}0.4mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}$) than that of the burned ($4.5{\pm}2.3mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}$) and reference stands ($5.0{\pm}2.3mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}$). Available P of the forest floor significantly increased after fire, whereas it decreased after clear-cutting. These results indicate that existence of boreal understory vegetation, and changes in soil moisture and available P are distinct attributes applicable as ecological indicators for identifying forest degradation in Mongolia.

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
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• 2006.04a
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• pp.135-137
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• 2006

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.97-109
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• 2007

Vertical distribution and optical properties of atmospheric aerosols above the Korean peninsula are quite important to estimate effects of aerosol on atmospheric environment and regional radiative forcing. For the first time in Korea, vertical microphysical properties of atmospheric aerosol obtained by inversion algorithm were analyzed based on optical data of multi-wavelength Raman lidar system developed by the Advanced Environmental Monitoring Research Center (ADEMRC), Gwangju Institute Science and Technology (GIST). Data collected on 14 June 2004 at Gwangju ($35.10^{\circ}N,\;126.53^{\circ}E$) and 27 May 2005 at Anmyeon island ($36.32^{\circ}N,\;126.19^{\circ}E$) were used as raw optical data for inversion algorithm. Siberian forest fire smoke and local originated haze were observed above and within the height of PBL, respectively on 14 June 2004 according to NOAA/Hysplit backstrajectory analysis. The inversion of lidar optical data resulted in particle effective radii around $0.31{\sim}0.33{\mu}m$, single scattering albedo between $0.964{\sim}0.977$ at 532 nm in PBL and effective radii of $0.27{\mu}m$ and single scattering albedo between $0.923{\sim}0.924$ above PBL. In the case on 27 May 2005, biomass burning from east China was a main source of aerosol plume. The inversion results of the data on 27 May 2005 were found to be particle effective radii between $0.23{\sim}0.24{\mu}m$, single scattering albedo around $0.924{\sim}0.929$ at 532 nm. Additionally, the inversion values were well matched with those of Sun/sky radiometer in measurement period.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2007.10a
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• pp.298-301
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• 2007

Vertical distribution and optical properties of atmospheric aerosols above the Korean peninsula are quite important to estimate effects of aerosol on atmospheric environment and regional radiative forcing. For the first time in Korea, vertical microphysical properties of atmospheric aerosol obtained by inversion algorithm were analyzed based on optical data of multi-wavelength Raman lidar system developed by the Advanced Environmental Monitoring Research Center (ADEMRC), Gwangju Institute Science and Technology (GIST). Data collected on 14 June 2004 at Gwangju ($35.10^{\circ}N$, $126.53^{\circ}E$) and 27 May 2005 at Anmyeon island ($36.32^{\circ}N$, $126.19^{\circ}E$) were used as raw optical data for inversion algorithm. Siberian forest fire smoke and local originated haze were observed above and within the height of PBL, respectively on 14 June 2004 according to NOAA/Hysplit backstrajectory analysis. The inversion of lidar optical data resulted in particle effective radii around 0.32 ${\mu}m$, single scattering albedo between 0.97 at 532 nm in PBL and effective radii of 0.27 ${\mu}m$ and single scattering albedo of 0.92 above PBL. In the case on 27 May 2005, biomass burning from east China was a main source of aerosol plume. The inversion results of the data on 27 May 2005 were found to be particle effective radii between 0.24 ${\mu}m$, single scattering albedo around 0.91 at 532 nm. Additionally, the inversion values were well matched with those of Sun/sky radiometer in measurement period.