• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.377-388
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• 2023

Carbon management is emerging as an important factor for global warming control, and land use change is considered one of the causes. To quantify the changes in carbon stocks due to development, this study attempted to calculate carbon storage by borrowing the formula of the InVEST Carbon Storage and Sequestration Model (InVEST Model). Before analyzing carbon stocks, a carbon pool was compiled based on previous studies in Korea. Then, we estimated the change in carbon stocks according to the development of Osong National Industrial Park (ONIP) and the application of alternatives. The analysis shows that 16,789.5 MgC will be emitted under Alternative 1 and 16,305.3 MgC under Alternative 2. These emissions account for 44.4% and 43.1% of the pre-project carbon stock, respectively, and shows that choosing Alternative 2 is advantageous for reducing carbon emissions. The difference is likely due to the difference in grassland area between Alternatives 1 and 2. Even if Alternative 2 is selected, efforts are needed to increase the carbon storage effect by managing the appropriate level of green cover in the grassland, creating multi-layered vegetation, and installing low-energy facilities. In addition, it is suggested to conserve wetlands that can be lost during the stream improvement process or to create artificial wetlands to increase carbon storage. The assessment of carbon storage using carbon pools by land cover can improve the objectivity of comparison and evaluation analysis results for land use plans in Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment. In addition, the carbon pool generated in this study is expected to be used as a basis for improving the accuracy of such analyses.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.39 no.6_1
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• pp.1321-1330
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• 2023

Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is the most widely used remote sensing data in the agricultural field and is currently provided by most optical satellites. In particular, as high-resolution optical satellite images become available, the selection of optimal optical satellite images according to agricultural applications has become a very important issue. In this study, we aim to define the most optimal optical satellite image when monitoring NDVI in rice fields in Korea and derive the resolution-related requirements necessary for this. For this purpose, we compared and analyzed the spatial distribution and time series patterns of the Dangjin rice paddy in Korea from 2019 to 2022 using NDVI images from MOD13, Landsat-8, Sentinel-2A/B, and PlanetScope satellites, which are widely used around the world. Each data is provided with a spatial resolution of 3 m to 250 m and various periods, and the area of the spectral band used to calculate NDVI also has slight differences. As a result of the analysis, Landsat-8 showed the lowest NDVI value and had very low spatial variation. In comparison, the MOD13 NDVI image showed similar spatial distribution and time series patterns as the PlanetScope data but was affected by the area surrounding the rice field due to low spatial resolution. Sentinel-2A/B showed relatively low NDVI values due to the wide near-infrared band area, and this feature was especially noticeable in the early stages of growth. PlanetScope's NDVI provides detailed spatial variation and stable time series patterns, but considering its high purchase price, it is considered to be more useful in small field areas than in spatially uniform rice paddy. Accordingly, for rice field areas, 250 m MOD13 NDVI or 10 m Sentinel-2A/B are considered to be the most efficient, but high-resolution satellite images can be used to estimate detailed physical quantities of individual crops.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.39 no.5_3
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• pp.1009-1029
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• 2023

Urban trees play a vital role in urban ecosystems,significantly reducing impervious surfaces and impacting carbon cycling within the city. Although previous research has demonstrated the efficacy of employing artificial intelligence in conjunction with airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data to generate urban tree information, the availability and cost constraints associated with LiDAR data pose limitations. Consequently, this study employed freely accessible, high-resolution multispectral satellite imagery (i.e., Sentinel-2 data) to estimate fractional tree canopy cover (FTC) within the urban confines of Suwon, South Korea, employing machine learning techniques. This study leveraged a median composite image derived from a time series of Sentinel-2 images. In order to account for the diverse land cover found in urban areas, the model incorporated three types of input variables: average (mean) and standard deviation (std) values within a 30-meter grid from 10 m resolution of optical indices from Sentinel-2, and fractional coverage for distinct land cover classes within 30 m grids from the existing level 3 land cover map. Four schemes with different combinations of input variables were compared. Notably, when all three factors (i.e., mean, std, and fractional cover) were used to consider the variation of landcover in urban areas(Scheme 4, S4), the machine learning model exhibited improved performance compared to using only the mean of optical indices (Scheme 1). Of the various models proposed, the random forest (RF) model with S4 demonstrated the most remarkable performance, achieving R² of 0.8196, and mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.0749, and a root mean squared error (RMSE) of 0.1022. The std variable exhibited the highest impact on model outputs within the heterogeneous land covers based on the variable importance analysis. This trained RF model with S4 was then applied to the entire Suwon region, consistently delivering robust results with an R² of 0.8702, MAE of 0.0873, and RMSE of 0.1335. The FTC estimation method developed in this study is expected to offer advantages for application in various regions, providing fundamental data for a better understanding of carbon dynamics in urban ecosystems in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.49-56
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• 2023

This study analyzes the entirety of Okhojeongdo's content found in the Punggojip, written by Kim Jo-Sun, who created Okhojeong. Through an examination of the literature confirming Okhojeong within the Punggojip, the study compares the existing research with the Okhojeongdo's content. Additionally, it clarifies the relationships between the disciple, the garden, and related historical facts. The results are as follows. First, Kim Jo-Sun, who created Okhojeong, had a strong literary inclination, which made it relatively easy to estimate the original form of the garden, as he expressed detailed content related to the design and management of the garden. Second, the historical dating of the creation of Okhojeong was previously estimated to be around 1815 based on the inscriptions on the Eulhaebyeok. However, it is more appropriate to revise this to 1804, as revealed by Lee Sung-min, who discovered records in Dongseonggyoyeojip, indicating that Kim Jo-Sun purchased the Jang's house. Third, Kim Jo-Sun's literary hobby, as depicted in Punggojip, closely followed Chinese classics. However, the part about creating the garden is supported by factual and garden archaeological records, giving it inherent value. Regarding the expansion of the garden site, it is estimated that the southern boundary of Okhojeong was extended by about half a unit(kan; 間) through a transfer from Kim saeng Saho. Various additions, stone statues, peculiar rocks, ornamental trees, and accompanying elements are found throughout the garden. Particularly noteworthy are the techniques and aesthetics of creating a stone pagoda, and there are mentions of transplanting young pine trees with professional insights. The love for harmony and elegance in the garden is woven throughout the poetry. Additionally, the process of selecting the location for Okhojeong, the understanding of the terrain and topography, the assessment of existing vegetation, the process of cutting down trees and selecting the soil, the construction of houses with tiles and thatched roofs all contribute to demonstrating the comprehensive stages of creating Okhojeong, providing insight into the location and construction process of the Sanbanru pavilion, showcasing the archaeological value of the garden. A follow-up study is needed to excavate more information about the original form of Okhojeong garden through the interpretation of the collections of the literary works of the influential figures introduced in Punggojip in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.40-48
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• 2023

This study is part of a foundational research effort aimed at developing a suitability index for breeding grounds related to avian activities along the domestic South and West coasts, including islands. Focus Group Interviews (FGI) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) analyses were conducted. The results are as follows. First, as a result of determining the value of the suitability of coastal bird breeding sites, the 'Natural Value(0.763)' was higher than the 'Artificial Value(0.237)'. Other artificial values were identified as sub-ranked except for 'Protected Areas' to ensure continuous integrity of breeding spaces. Second, as a result of re-establishing the 25 evaluation items classified in the two-time FGI as higher concepts, nine natural values and five artificial values were finally selected as a total of 14. Third, the results of the mid-classification evaluation of the importance of the suitability of coastal bird breeding sites were identified in the order of 'Ecological Value(0.392)', 'Topographic Value(0.251)', 'Passive Interference(0.124)', 'Geological Value(0.120)', and 'Active Interference(0.113)'. Fourth, the results of the priority of evaluation items of coastal bird breeding sites were in the order of 'Vegetation Distribution (0.187)', 'Area of Mudflats(0.118)', 'Presence or Absence of Mudflats(0.092)', 'Appearance of Natural Enemies(0.087)', 'Protected Areas(0.08)', 'Island Area (0.069)', 'Over-Breeding devastation(0.064)', 'Soil Composition Ratio(0.056)', 'Distance from Land(0.054)', 'Ocean farm area (0.045)', 'Cultivated land area(0.041)', 'Cultivation behavior(0.038)', 'Angle of the Surface(0.036)', and 'Land Use(0.033)'. It is judged that the weighting result value of the evaluation items derived in this study can be used for priority evaluation focusing on the coastal bird breeding area space. However, it seems that the correlation with the unique habitat suitability of bird individuals needs to be supplemented, and spatial analysis research incorporating species-specific characteristics will be left as a future task.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.113 no.2
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• pp.222-238
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• 2024

Coniferous species in subalpine ecosystems are known to be highly sensitive to climate change. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important to monitor community and population dynamics. This study monitored 37 plots within the distribution area of Abies koreana on Mt. Jirisan for a period of eight years. We analyzed the importance value, density of living stems, mortality rate, recruitment rate, basal area, DBH (diameter of breast height) class distribution, and tree health status. Our results showed changes in the importance value based on the tree stratum, with A. koreana decreasing by 3.6% and Tripterygium regelii increasing by 2.5% in the tree layer. Between 2015 and 2023, there were 149 dead trees/ha (17.99% mortality rate) and 12 living trees/ha (1.02% recruitment rate) of A. koreana. The decrease in basal area was attributed to a decrease in the number of living trees. Tree mortality occurred in all DBH classes, with a particularly high decline in the <10 cm class (65 trees/ha reduced). In terms of changes in tree health status, the population of alive standing (AS) type trees, initially consisting of 539 trees/ha, has been transformed into alive standing (AS), alive lean (AL), and death standing (DS), accounting for 69.7%, 0.5%, and 13.8%, respectively. Meanwhile, DS-type trees have transitioned into dead broken (DB) and dead fallen (DF) types. This phenomenon is believed to be caused by strong winds in the subalpine region that pull up the rootlets from the soil. Further research on this finding is recommended.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.217-226
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• 2024

This study aimed to investigate the influence of anions in the air on the purification of fine dust (PM10 and PM2.5) and to evaluate the effects of plants on the generation of anions in the air and the purification of fine dust. Subsequently, the fine dust reduction models were compared according to each factor and plant volume. The characteristics of anion generation by each factor were observed to be in the order of Type N.I (negative ion generator; 204,133.33 ea/cm³) > Type P₃₀ (plant vol. 30%; 362.55 ea/cm³) > Type C (control; 46.22 ea/cm³), indicating that the amount of anion generation in the anion generator treatment group and the plant arrangement group were approximately 4,417 times and 7 times higher, respectively, than that in the untreated group. Consequently, the fine dust reduction characteristics by anion generation source showed that for PM10, Type NI had a purification efficiency 2.52 times higher than Type C, and Type P₃₀ was 1.46 times higher, while for PM2.5, Type NI had a purification efficiency 2.26 times higher than Type C, and Type P₃₀ was 1.31 times higher. The efficiency of fine dust purification by plant volume was in the order of Type P₂₀ (84.60 minutes) > Type P₃₀ (106.50 minutes) = Type P₂₅ (115.50 minutes) = Type P₁₅ (117.60 minutes) > Type P₅ (125.25 minutes) = Type P₁₀ (129.75 minutes), and for ultrafine dust, Type P₂₀ (104.00 minutes) > Type P₃₀ (133.20 minutes) = Type P₂₅ (144.00 minutes) = Type P₁₅ (147.60 minutes) > Type P₅ (161.25 minutes) = Type P₁₀ (168.00 minutes). Thus, a quantitative analysis of the anions and plants for purifying fine dust and suggested matters to be considered for future green space planning and plant planting considering fine dust purification.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.400-412
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• 2023

In this study, the biogeochemistry management (BGC-MAN) model was applied to North and South Korea pine and oak forest stands to evaluate the Net Primary Productivity (NPP), an indicator of forest ecosystem productivity. For meteorological information, historical records and East Asian climate scenario data of Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) were used. For vegetation information, pine (Pinus densiflora) and oak(Quercus spp.) forest stands were selected at the Gwangneung and Seolmacheon in South Korea and Sariwon, Sohung, Haeju, Jongju, and Wonsan, which are known to have tree nurseries in North Korea. Among the biophysical information, we used the elevation model for topographic data such as longitude, altitude, and slope direction, and the global soil database for soil data. For management factors, we considered the destruction of forests in North and South Korea due to the Korean War in 1950 and the subsequent reforestation process. The overall mean value of simulated NPP from 1991 to 2100 was 5.17 Mg C ha^-1, with a range of 3.30-8.19 Mg C ha^-1. In addition, increased variability in climate scenarios resulted in variations in forest productivity, with a notable decline in the growth of pine forests. The applicability of the BGC-MAN model to the Korean Peninsula was examined at a time when the ecosystem process-based models were becoming increasingly important due to climate change. In this study, the data on the effects of climate change disturbances on forest ecosystems that was analyzed was limited; therefore, future modeling methods should be improved to simulate more precise ecosystem changes across the Korean Peninsula through process-based models.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.123-133
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• 2024

To analyse the relationship between above-ground carbon stocks, species diversity and broadleaved forests structural diversity of South Korean forests, we collected vegetation inventories from environmental impact assessment projects over the past 10 years. The available data were selected and organised including tree species, DBH and area each projects. The data was classified by forest type, aboveground carbon stocks were calculated and compared, and the correlation between aboveground carbon stocks and biodiversity and structural diversity was analysed. The results showed that above-ground carbon stocks were higher in mixed forests and broadleaved forests and lower in needleleaved forests, similar to previous studies. However aboveground carbon stocks of mixed forests were higher in natural forests than in plantations. Aboveground carbon stocks in broadleaved forests were higher in plantations than natural forests, and there was no statistical different of between natural and plantations in needleleaved forest. This could be the result of a variety influences including biological and environmental factors in the study area, and further research is needed to analyse the effects on carbon sequestration. Correlation analysis showed no correlation between biodiversity and above-ground carbon stocks, but a positive correlation between structural diversity and above-ground carbon stocks. This indicates that above-ground carbon stocks in forests are associated with unevenness diameters and the proportion and evenness of tree species by diameter. In addition, it has been analysed that the high succession stages in forest have higher species diversity and structural diversity, and greater efficiency in the utilization of resources required for plant growth, leading to increased plant productivity and storage. Considering that the study sites were young forests with an average DBH of 14.8~23.7 cm, it is expected that carbon stocks will increase as biodiversity and structural diversity increase. Further research is needed to develop techniques to quantitatively assess the relationship of diversity to carbon stocks for policy use in assessing and increasing carbon stocks in forests.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.33 no.1_2
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• pp.1-23
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• 2021

In response to the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases, the global mean temperature is rising rapidly. In particular, the warming of the Arctic is two to three times faster than the rest. Associated with the rapid Arctic warming, the sea ice shows decreasing trends in all seasons. The faster Arctic warming is due to ice-albedo feedback by the presence of snow and ice in polar regions, which have higher reflectivity than the ocean, the bare land, or vegetation, higher long-wave heat loss to space than lower latitudes by lower surface temperature in the Arctic than lower latitudes, different stability of atmosphere between the Arctic and lower latitudes, where low stability leads to larger heat losses to atmosphere from surface by larger latent heat fluxes than the Arctic, where high stability, especially in winter, prohibits losing heat to atmosphere, increase in clouds and water vapor in the Arctic atmosphere that subsequently act as green house gases, and finally due to the increase in sensible heat fluxes from low latitudes to the Arctic via lower troposphere. In contrast to the rapid Arctic warming, in midlatitudes, especially in eastern Asia and eastern North America, cold air outbreaks occur more frequently and last longer in recent decades. Two pathways have been suggested to link the Arctic warming to cold air outbreaks over midlatitudes. The first is through troposphere in synoptic-scales by enhancing the Siberian high via a development of Rossby wave trains initiated from the Arctic, especially the Barents-Kara Seas. The second is via stratosphere by activating planetary waves to stratosphere and beyond, that leads to warming in the Arctic stratosphere and increase in geopotential height that subsequently weakens the polar vortex and results in cold air outbreaks in midlatitudes for several months. There exists lags between the Arctic warming and cold events in midlatitudes. Thus, understanding chain reactions from the Arctic warming to midlatitude cooling could help improve a predictability of seasonal winter weather in midlatitudes. This study reviews the results on the Arctic warming and its connection to midlatitudes and examines the trends in surface temperature and the Arctic sea ice.