• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.33 no.5
• /
• pp.552-564
• /
• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate vegetation characteristics of evergreen broad-leaved forests in the area of Duryunsan Provincial Park, where the deciduous broad-leaved trees and evergreen broad-leaved trees are mixed and thus had a high botanical value. To investigate the vegetation characteristics, we installed 40 quadrats with an area of $100m^2$ each for survey and analysis. Haenam-gun, where the Duryunsan Provincial Park is located, is a warm-temperate forest region. The meteorological data for the past 40 years showed a coldness index of $-8^{\circ}C$, a monthly warmth index of $109.2^{\circ}C$, and annual mean precipitation of 1,310.5mm, indicating it is an ideal habitat for the distribution of evergreen broad-leaved forest. The results of community classification based on TWINSPAN showed three categories of vegetation communities in the surveyed region: Quercus acuta community-I, Q. acuta community-II, and Neolitsea sericea-Aphananthe aspera community. In the evergreen broad-leaved forest in the Duryunsan Provincial Park, Q. acuta dominant in the canopy were expanding their presence in the understory. In addition to the Q. acuta, N. sericea and Cinnamomum yabunikkei, which are evergreen broad-leaved trees of the canopy, were found in all layers. The deciduous broad-leaved trees such as Q. variabilis, Q. serrata, and Carpinus tschonoskii were culled, and the transition to Q. acuta evergreen broad-leaved trees was ongoing. N. sericea community appeared locally. The species diversity index of N. sericea-A. aspera community was lower at 1.0798 than that of Q. acuta Community-I at 1.3208 and Q. acuta Community-II at 1.4916.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.44 no.6
• /
• pp.1144-1149
• /
• 2011

The occurrence of Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) advance growth has been noticed in the deciduous oak forest being adjacent to the mature Korean pine plantation. the korean pine seedlings in the forest were regenerated naturally from harvested and transported Korean pine seeds and cones by rodents, mainly red squirrels. Mongolian oak (Quercus bariabilis), which formed dominant overstory, had close-to-normal distributions of height, diameter and age classes. Korean pine, which dominated the understory, had the reverse J-shaped height, diameter and age distributions that are expected of a shade tolerant species. Growing in the summer shade of the oak, Korean pine seedling had slow, but steady height growth during the past four decades. Total biomass of Korean pine seedling ranged from $2,835-8,541kg\;ha^{-1}$ and biomass allocation of Korean pine seedling was follows : stem (with bark) > foliage > branches > roots. Korean pine seedlings allocated more biomass to foliage and branches compare to planted Korean pine. The smaller root/shoot ratio of Korean pine seedling in the site is to believed to be result of competition for light. Contents of N and K for Korean pine seedling were greatest in foliage follow by branches, stem ad roots, while content of P was greater in the order of foliage > roots > stem > branches.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.213-223
• /
• 2022

This study was conducted to establish a Habitat Suitability index (HSI) based on literature research and field surveys on ecology and habitat of 'Hynobius leechii'. And this study will be used as basic data for qualitative evaluation of habitat environment. The survey sites were divided into natural habitats close to the prototype habitat and artificial restoration areas where Hynobius leechii was monitored. So the types of habitats were diversified. Hynobius leechii is a vulnerable species to climate change because it is affected by the microhabitat and has low mobility. HSI variables of Hynobius leechii were extracted through domestic and overseas literature, and standards were extracted from literature research and field survey. The standards were presented as a value of the physical allowable category in consideration of realization. To verify the study, an in-depth consultation was conducted by amphibians experts. HSI variables of Hynobius leechii were included 9 variables such as Overstory canopy cover(%), Understory cover(%), Water-pH, Soil-pH, Soil relative humidity(%), Leaf litter depth(cm), Rock substrates (%), Type of Coarse woody, Distance from Street or Pollutant(m).

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.111 no.4
• /
• pp.538-547
• /
• 2022

In this study, the population and community structure of Berchemia berchemiaefolia stands located at Mt. Naeyon (Gyeongbuk, Korea) were quantified, and multivariate analysis was done to determine the correlations between vegetation group types and environmental factors and to have reference data for the conservation and restoration of this species. In total, there were 164 B. berchemiaefolia trees in Mt. Naeyon. The average DBH of the trees was 24.5 cm, forming a normal distribution. It rarely appeared in an understory vegetation height of 3 m. About37.1% of the trees were branched. B. berchemiaefolia stands were classified into two groups: B. berchemiaefolia-Quercus serrata community and B. berchemiaefolia-Carpinus laxiflora community. Canopy gap, organic matter, exchangeable Ca, and cation exchange capacity were the major site characteristics affecting the distribution pattern of the stands. Currently, B. berchemiaefolia trees dominate in Mt. Naeyon, but depending on different habitat positions, the species was in a natural successional stage to C. laxiflora or C. cordata, which is a shade-tolerant species.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.83-93
• /
• 2023

This study was conducted to clarify the environmental variables that affect the appearance of Mauremys reevesii and to understand the relationship between M. reevesii and the variables. Habitat environmental survey was implemented by selecting 17 environmental variables considering ecological characteristics of M. reevesii in the main reservoir in Gurye-gun, the Republic of Korea. And the habitat data on the presence and absence of M.reevesii were analyzed statistically. The habitat suitability model of M. reevesii was described in following equation : logit (p) = -3.68 + (0.17 × leaf litter depth) + (1.55 × vegetation coverage of overstory on land) + (0.71 × coverage of midstory on land) + (0.96 × vegetation coverage of understory on water). This information gained is valuable for better understanding the distribution and how to conserve and promote populations of M. reevesii occurring in the Republic of Korea.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
• /
• v.50 no.1
• /
• pp.125-136
• /
• 2016

The Korea Forest Service(KFS) has been initiating restoration activities of ridgeline in damaged and fragmented areas of Baekdudaegan since 2011. Completed project in Ihwaryeong, Yuksimnyeong & Beoljae(2012; 2013) were selected as sites for this study. The changes in microclimate condition, vegetation composition and soil properties between project sites and adjacent stands were compared to evaluate the effect of restoration at early stage(after 2years). Pinus densiflora was planted mainly for these restoration sites, however Robinia pseudoacacia and Alnus sibirica invaded the area two years after the restoration activities. Ihwaryeong showed the most changes in understory vegetation among the study sites. Exotic species, such as Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Oenothera odorata, Erigeron annuus, and Coreopsis tinctoria invaded Ihwaryeong, and the dominance have invaded currently. It resulted from the poor survival rate of trees and high difference in microclimate wherein there's an increased temperature and decreased humidity in both restored sites and adjacent stands. In addition, it is also caused by poor soil chemical property, especially pH and organic matter content due to lack of humus layer and its accumulation, compared to adjacent forest soil in restored sites. Significant difference on chemical soil property was observed between restored sites and adjacent forest but no significant difference was observed after two years of restoration. Ecological monitoring is needed to understand the ecological changes after restoration and to establish a long-term management strategy.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.417-425
• /
• 2023

As climate change gets severe, the ecosystem acts as an important carbon sink, therefore efforts are being made to utilize these functions to mitigate climate change. In this study, we inventoried and analyzed the previous studies related to carbon storage and flux by ecosystem type (forest, cropland, wetland, grassland, and settlement) and carbon pool (aboveground and belowground biomass, dead wood, Litter, soil organic carbon, and ecosystem) in Korean ecosystems. We also collected the results of previous studies and calculated the average value of carbon storage and flux for each ecosystem type and carbon pool. As a result, we found that most (66%) of Korea's carbon storage and fluxes studies were conducted in forests. Based on the results of forest studies, we estimated the storage by carbon stock. We found that much carbon is stored in vegetation (aboveground: 4,018.32 gC m^-2 and belowground biomass: 4,095.63 gC m^-2) and soil (4,159.43 gC m^-2). In particular, a large amount of carbon is stored in the forest understory. For other ecosystem types, it was impossible to determine each carbon pool's storage and flux due to data limitations. However, in the case of soil organic carbon storage, the data for forests and grasslands were comparable, showing that both ecosystems store relatively similar amounts of carbon (4,159.43 gC m^-2, 4,023.23 gC m^-2, respectively). This study confirms the need to study carbon in rather diverse ecosystem types.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.426-436
• /
• 2012

This study was carried out to investigate actual vegetation, the structure of plant community, and ecological succession sere of coastal forest ecosystem in warm temperate climate zone, Taejongdae, Busan City, Korea to provide the basic data for planning of the forest management. As a result of analysis of actual vegetation, vegetation types divided into 35 types, and the area of survey site was $1,750,461m^2$. The ratio of vegetation type dominated by Pinus thunbergii was 80.7%, dominated by Quercus spp. was just 5.0%, and dominated by Carpinus tschonoskii was just 0.4%. Eighteen plots(size is $20m{\times}20m$) were set up and the results analyzed by DCA which is one of the ordination technique showed that the plant communities were divided into four groups which are community I(P. thunbergii community), community II(P. thunbergii-Quercus serrata community), community III(Q. serrata-P. thunbergii community), and community IV(Carpinus tschonoskii-P. thunbergii community). The age of community I was from 38 to 59 years old, that of community II was from 35 to 71 years old, that of community III was from 37 to 53 years old, that of community IV was from 50 to 72 years old, thus we supposed that the age of the study site is about from 38 to 72 years old. We supposed that the successional sere of the study site is in the early stage of ecological succession in the warm temperate climate zone. The dominant species will be changed from P. thunbergii to Q. serrata or Carpinus tschonoskii in the canopy layer, on the other hand, Eurya japonica will be dominant species in the understory layer, and E. japonica and Trachelospermum asiaticum var. intermediumwill be dominant species in the shrub layer for a while. According to the index of Shnnon's diversity(unit: $400m^2$), community I ranged from 0.8640 to 1.3986, community II was from 0.1731 to 1.1885, community III was from 0.8250 to 1.0042, and community IV was from 0.3436 to 0.6986.

• Journal of Korea Foresty Energy
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.1-18
• /
• 2004

Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization on aboveground biomass and distribution of nutrient content in tree components were determined in adjacent 41-year-old plantations of Pinus rigida Miller and Larix kaempferi Gordon on a similar soil in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province. Fertilizer was experimentally applied at the three levels [control(C), 200 N kg/ha+25 P kg/ha(LNP), and 400 N kg/ha+50 P kg/ha(HNP)] in June, 1996. The results obtained from this study were summarized as follows: Total aboveground biomass of P. rigida and L. kaempferi stands was 149, 145ton/ha for control, 166, 149ton/ha for LNP, and 152, 170ton/ha for HNP, respectively, and did not differ between the tree species. Aboveground biomass of P. rigida and L. kaempferi plantations were distributed as follows: stemwood>branch>stembark>foliage. Biomass of understory vegetation was 1,111kg/ha for P. rigida and 907kg/ha for L. kaempferi, and comprised 0.6～0.7% of the total aboveground biomass of the plantations. The concentrations of all nutrients(N, P, K, Ca, Mg) were generally higher in L. kaempferi than in P. rigida because of high nutrient uptake characteristics of Larix spp. Nutrient concentrations in tree components of P. rigida and L. kaempferi plantations were not significantly different among treatments, whereas they were significantly different between species and among tree components. The nutrient concentration in tree components of both tree species decreased in order of foliage>branch>stembark>stemwood. The contents of all nutrients were higher in the fertilized plots than in the control plots, generally the highest in LNP for P. rigida and in HNP for L. kaempferi. Total nutrient(N+P+K+Ca+Mg) contents of aboveground biomass were 703kg/ha for P. rigida and 869kg/ha for L. kaempferi, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.99-111
• /
• 2015

The objectives of this study were to investigate the location, shape, environment, and vegetation of the Village Forest in Gyeonggi-do and to evaluate the ecological integration and changes of the Village Forests to figure out the measures for conservation and management. There were 23 Village Forests remain in Gyeonggi-do. Ten Village Forests were established based on Feng-shui background. Many of them were found in Yongin area and southeast of Icheon. The Village Forests were owned by local community at 9 village and privately owned at 8 villages. Most Village Forests were managed by local communities except for the two managed by private person. Fifty-two percent of the Village Forests were in strip shape, and most of them were established by Feng-shui background or for the prevention of disasters. The average size of the Village Forests was relatively small at 3,046m2. The most frequent tree species found at the Village Forest were Zelkova serrata and Pinus densiflora. Over half of the number of Village Forests showed vertical structure of overstory trees only or overstory-sub overstory combination, which seemed to be resulted from the loss of understory plants by the activities of local residents. The Village Forests that had over 30% of damaged trees were found at 7 villages. The damages were caused by the road construction close to the groves, soil compaction, and tree death by covering lower stem with soil. The vitality of the damaged trees seemed to be significantly low compared to that of the undamaged. There were factors that determined the changes in the Village Forests: community ritual, institutional protection, designation as a water resource protection district, road construction, land use change, windstorm hazards, and development of forest areas. In order to conserve and manage the Village Forests appropriately, it is necessary to limit excessive use of the grove areas and maintain proper tree growing conditions by improving the soil environment. The development of neighborhood areas need to be controlled and community activities should be encouraged to maintain or restore the original landscape of the groves. Protection measures and supporting policies need to be enforced to keep the Village Forests from disappearing in near future.