• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.52-58
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• 2007

The effect of stand-growing-stock characteristics of thinning area and non-thinning area on forest fire was studied in this work. 14 spots were selected from 3 counties such as Yangyang, Injae, and Gapyeong and on-the-spot investigations were performed to evaluate the effect of forest fire. The stand-growing-stock characteristics on the spots were analyzed through the height of tree, breast height diameter, clear length, mortality of branch, forest tree standing crop density, degree of closure, and shrub and grass cover degree. The relation between forest fire and the risk of spread of forest fire were analyzed from the analysis of the stand-growing-stock characteristics. It is considered from this work that the possibility of forest fire is decreased on the thinning area compared to the non-thinning area because of higher clearlength, lower number of tree, lower mortality of branch and higher shrub and grass cover degree.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.96 no.2
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• pp.151-159
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• 2007

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of thinning on changes in stand characteristics and understory vegetation in a silvopasture practiced Japanese larch plantation in the Research Forest of Kangwon National University, Korea. Three different thinning intensities (64%, 35%, and control) were applied. Before and after thinning, the understory plant species increased its number from 48 (7 tree species, 7 shrubs species, 28 herbaceous species, and 6 woody climbers) to 100 (11 tree species, 15 shrub species, 67 herbaceous species, and 7 woody climbers). Thinning made plants invade easily on the forest floor, and plot A (325 stems/ha) had much higher number of undersory species than those Of plot B (575 stems/ha) and control plot (1,150 stems/ha). In three years after thinning, understory aboveground biomass (kg/ha) of herbs were 523 for control, 1,230 for plot B, and 1,288 for plot A. The canopy coverage had remarkable influence on the understory biomass production, resulting in relatively small amount of herbage production on control plot. The differences were statistically significant between thinned plots and unthinned plot, but there were no significant differences among the thinned plots (p<0.05).

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.48-54
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• 2022

This study was conducted to examine litter inputs and litter decomposition rates following thinning, which is among the most important forest management activities that enhance the beneficial functions in Korean forests. Litter inputs and litter decomposition rates following a 2-year elapse from thinning in Pinus densiflora and following a 7-year elapse from thinning in Quercus variabilis stands were measured for 2 years from 16 sites in three regions (Sancheong-gun, Uiryeong-gun, and Jinju-si) in Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea. Annual needle litter inputs in P. densiflora stands were significantly decreased following thinning, whereas annual broadleaved leaf litter inputs in Q. variabilis stands were not significantly different between thinned and unthinned treatments. The annual mean total litter inputs in both tree species were significantly lower in the thinned (P. densiflora: 3,653 kg ha^-1 year^-1; Q. variabilis: 4,963 kg ha^-1 year^-1) compared to the unthinned stands (P. densiflora: 5,138 kg ha^-1 year^-1; Q. variabilis: 5,997 kg ha^-1 year^-1) during the study period. The mass loss rates from decomposing needle litter in P. densiflora stands were significantly lower (p<0.05) in the thinned stands than in the unthinned stands for two sampling dates of the eight included in the study, whereas the decomposition rates from decomposing leaf litter in Q. variabilis stands were not affected by thinning. The results indicate that thinning effects on total litter inputs remained clear following a 2-year elapse from thinning in P. densiflora stands and following a 7-year elapse from thinning in Q. variabilis stands.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.96 no.6
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• pp.742-749
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• 2007

The objective of this study was to develop thinning effect analysis model (TEAM) using individual-tree distance-independent growth model of Pinus koraiensis Stands. The TEAM was designed to analyze thinning effects associated with such thinning prescriptions as the number, timing, intensity, and method of thinnings. To testing TEAM application, stand growth effects were compared with seven scenarios according to thinning prescription plan. In the results, it was possible to estimate the number of trees, height, volume with diameter (DBH) class of individual trees, and average diameter growth, height growth, the number of trees and volume growth per ha of stands. The result of sensitivity analysis on one Pinus koraiensis stand, it was not sure to expect the much more volume at the rotation age by stand density control applying thinning prescription. In the case of thinning, total yield volume has much more $40{\sim}75m^3$ per ha, within 5 cm in average diameter growth and within 1 m in average height growth than thats of non-thinning over increasing stand age. TEAM, as decision making support system, can be used for selecting the thinning prescription trial and determining one of some thinning prescription plan in different site specific stand environments.

• 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.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.636-641
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• 2011

Since the mid-1990s, the number of fires continue to increase and the size has been also larger. However, the pyrolysis and combustion characteristics of the various species of the medium such as fallen leaves, herbaceous plants, conifers and broadleaf trees have scarcely been studied. In this paper, we investigate the pyrolysis and combustion of the typical domestic needle-leaf tree of Pinus densiflora and thinning-out tree by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Pinus densiflora was ignited at $200^{\circ}C$ and pyrolysis from $230^{\circ}C$. In case of thinning-out tree was ignited and pyrolysis at $180^{\circ}C$ and $205^{\circ}C$, respectively. The values of activation energy for pyrolysis were increased as the conversion efficiency increasing from 10% to 80%, whereas the values was decreased during combustion.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.66-80
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• 1997

Pinus koraiensis is one of the major speciese which have been recently planted for ten years and consists of 31% of total plantation. Presently young stand less than 30 years consists of 87% of total forest, but tending thinning of it is hardly carried out and the desirable direction for the thinning is not established yet. The objective of the study is to introduce the optimum thinning plan and thinning method through the long-run experiment of tending thinning for the Pinus koraiensis stand. The experiments carry out to interprete its growth model on the subject of two thinning experimental plots and yield table of Pinus koraiensis. As the basic step for understanding the thinning process, a theoretical growth model which is suitable to express the growth process is required. For that purpose, three growth functions (Mitscherlich, 4 parameter Richards, 3 parameter Richards) are applied to the diameter growth of the sample trees which are taken in the two plots. The results show that 3 parameter Richards is the most suitable. It is also verified that the diameter growth, the height growth, and the decrease in the number of stocks can be estimated by this function. To estimate the growth change of single tree, growth model including parameter h which is related to the occupation area of single tree are introduced. The parameter h can be estimated by using the data of the diameter growth obtained from the established experimental plots. Therefore, if both verification and modification of the usefulness of the model suggested is made, equations which tell about the thinning effects could be drived by estimating the growth process of single tree in advance.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2020

This study aimed to figure out and compare the increment of biomass by thinning intensity focused on the plantation of the two major coniferous species (Larix kaempferi and Pinus koraiensis) of South Korea. The inventory interval was three years under the effects of three types of thinning treatments; control (no thinning), light (20% thinning) and heavy (40% thinning). The results showed standing biomass increment of both species decreased as thinning intensity increased (heavylight>control). Meanwhile, the lowest of on-site biomass changes occurred in the control plot, and the greatest was in the heavy thinning plot because thinning was involved with leaving the felling residual biomass (leaves, branches and roots) on the site. According to the results from this short-term study, unthinned stands is preferable for maximizing standing biomass as well as carbon sequestration. However long-term investigation should be considered in order to see more clear results.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.104 no.4
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• pp.536-542
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• 2015

This study was examined for the growth response of tree diameter and volume to thinning treatments from different thinning intensities using three long-term thinning trials for Japanese Evergreen Oak (Quercus acuta Thunb.) stands in Wando island, Korea. After thinning in 1999, annual tree growth of diameter and volume was highest in heavy thinned stands for individual tree and this growth pattern of thinning response showed similar tendency to the individual tree growth response in light thinned stands. By increasing diameter growth, the value of H/D ratio (HDR) as an indicator of stem form was properly decreased and improved up to 80%. Although there is significant growth response of basal area in both heavily and lightly thinned stands, the growth potential both of heavily and lightly thinned stands in total stand volume is not likely to reach at the level of unthinned stands because of basal area growth loss associated with both light and heavy thinnings.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.36-36
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• 2003