• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.245-256
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• 1989

Nitrogen cycling was in vestigated in Piuns koraiensis plantations with different ages, 1, 2, 3, 6, 9 and 11 years, which were reforested after clear-cutting. Annual N input by bulk precipitation was 10kg., and output by runoff decreased as the plantation aged, especially in-N. The standing N content of the whole vegetation increased approximately 5 times through 11 years. Understory surpassed P. koraiensis plants in the distribution of standing N content for the initial 9 years, but reversed thereafter. Annual N uptake of P. koraiensis plants increased greatly through 11 years, but that of understory increased somewhat until 9 years and decreased thereafter. The maximum N uptake of the whole vegetation was made in the 9-yr-old plantation. In the 1-yr-old one, 59% of the maximum was already absorbed by understory which mainly consisted to herbs. The recycling coefficient, ratio of annual return to rptake, of the whole vegetation decreased as the plantation aged and the value of understory was greater than that of P koraiensis plants. On the contrary, the N use efficiency, ratio of the net primary production to N uptake, of the whole vegetation increased as the plantation aged and the value of understory was less than that of P. koraiensis plants. Consequently, it is emphasized that understory played an important role in such plantation reforesred after clear-cutting for the initial 9 years.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.51-60
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• 2002

This study quantified $CO_2$, $SO_2$ and $NO_2$ uptake by vegetation in Seoul. The natural area was only 20% of the area of Seoul and its tree-age structure was dominated by a young and growing tree population. However the natural area accounted for about 65%, 60%, and 59% of total $CO_2$, $SO_2$ and $NO_2$ uptake relatively. In natural area broad-leaved forest was dominative and accounted for about 37.8%, 36.7%, 36.6% of total $CO_2$, $SO_2$ and $NO_2$ uptake in Seoul relatively. In urbanized area the park type land use played an important role. It's area was only 17% of the urbanized area in Seoul, but it accounted for about 67%, 57%, and 56% of $CO_2$, $SO_2$ and $NO_2$ uptake in urbanized area relatively. Total annual uptake by vegetative cover was estimated as 446,741 ton/yr for $CO_2$, 314 ton/yr for $SO_2$ and 815 ton/yr for $NO_2$, and economic value of atmospheric purification for the entire area of Seoul amounted to approximately \228,073 millions/yr for the annual $CO_2$, $SO_2$ and $NO_2$ uptake. The results from this study are expected to be useful not merely in informing the public of atmospheric purification values of vegetative cover, but in urging the necessity for replanting and management budgets.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.162-164
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• 2018

This study quantified the carbon storage and uptake by street trees in Seoul and explored suitable planting and management strategies. A systematic sampling model was used to select 50 plots to survey the structures of street trees. The average density and cover of street trees were approximately 5.8 trees/$100m^2$ and 12.1%, respectively. Trees with a dbh of less than 30 cm accounted for about 66.3% of the total number of trees surveyed. The total carbon storage and uptake by the street trees were approximately 103,641 t and 10,992 t/yr, respectively. The total carbon uptake equaled the amount of annual carbon emissions from driving of about 11,000 cars. Street tree planting and management strategies were proposed to enhance carbon uptake. They included multi-layered and multi-aged planting, securing ground and space for plant growth, and avoiding excessive tree pruning.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.219-227
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• 2021

Background and objective: Urban street trees play an important role in carbon reduction in cities where greenspace is scarce. There are ongoing studies on carbon reduction by street trees. However, information on the carbon reduction capacity of street trees based on field surveys is still limited. This study aimed to quantify carbon uptake and storage by urban street trees and suggest a method to improve planting of trees in order to increase their carbon reduction capacity. Methods: The cities selected were Sejong, Chungju, and Jeonju among cities without research on carbon reduction, considering the regional distribution in Korea. In the cities, 155 sample sites were selected using systematic sampling to conduct a field survey on street environments and planting structures. The surveyed data included tree species, diameter at breast height (DBH), diameter at root collar (DRC), height, crown width, and vertical structures. The carbon uptake and storage per tree were calculated using the quantification models developed for the urban trees of each species. Results: The average carbon uptake and storage of street trees were approximately 7.2 ± 0.6 kg/tree/yr and 87.1 ± 10.2 kg/tree, respectively. The key factors determining carbon uptake and storage were tree size, vertical structure, the composition of tree species, and growth conditions. The annual total carbon uptake and storage were approximately 1,135.8 tons and 22,737.8 tons, respectively. The total carbon uptake was about the same amount as carbon emitted by 2,272 vehicles a year. Conclusion: This study has significance in providing the basic unit to quantify carbon uptake and storage of street trees based on field surveys. To improve the carbon reduction capacity of street trees, it is necessary to consider planning strategies such as securing and extending available grounds and spaces for high-density street trees with a multi-layered structure.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 2001

Estimation of the annual net production, nitrogen (N) and base cation (BC＝K, Mg, Ca) uptake by stocked forests in South Korea has been done with national statistical data of forestry from 1995 to 1999. The annual net production of stems and branches was about 1.8 ton DM ha/sup -1/ yr/sup -1/. The net productivity of deciduous forests was higher than that of coniferous forests. Total net production of the stocked forests from the whole stocked area of South Korea of 6.246×10/sup 6/ ha, was about 1.13×10/sup 7 ton DM/yr, and the total harvested biomass obtained from timber production data in 1999, was estimated about 6.1×105 ton DM/yr that was equivalent to 98 kg DM ha/sup -1/ yr/sup -1/f. Net growth uptake of N and BC were 350 mol ha/sup -1/ yr/sup -1/ and 296 mol ha/sup -1/ yr/sup -1/ respectively, and the content of N and BC contained in the harvested biomass were 20 mol ha/sup -1/ yr/sup -1/ and 16 mol ha/sup -1/ yr/sup -1/ respectively. Net uptake of N was higher than that of BC. Total net uptake of N and BC from growth and harvest by stocked forests in South Korea were 2.309×10/sup 9/ mol/yr and 1.953×10/sup 9 mol/yr respectively.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.201-209
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• 2000

The flora, distribution area, vegetation structure, annual net primary production, and nutrient uptake of the vascular hydrophytes, hygrophytes and mesophytes were investigated in the wetlands of the Asan-Lake, Chungchongnam-do and Kyonggi-do, Korea from March to October in 1997 to reveal the correlation between the plant community and the lake environment. The flora was composed of 38 families, 89 genera, 106 species, 14 varieties or total 120 kinds of the vascular plants. The life from of the hydrophytes were classified as 14 kinds of emergent plants, 5 kinds of submerged plants, and 4 kinds of free-floating plants, respectively. The number of species was various to 4 ∼85 kinds in each site. The dominant species was Zizania latifolia, and the importance values of Zizania latifolia, Typha orientalis, Phragmites communis, and Spirodela polyrhiza were 39.58, 14.90, 13.97, and 7.64, respectively. The distribution area of the emergent hydrophytes, hygrophytes, and mesophytes was 49.3 ㏊ (90.5%), and free-floating plants was 5.2 ㏊ (9.5%), whereas the floating-leaved and submersed plants were rare. Annual net production of the emergent hydrophytes, hygrophytes, and mesophytes was 547.9 ton D.W./yr (98%), and those of the free-floating plants was 10.5 ton D.W./yr (2%), and 558.4 ton D.W./yr in the whole lake ecosystem. The total uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus by the vascular plants was 7,099 and 1,891 ㎏/yr in the whole lake ecosystem.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.64-73
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• 2022

Increasing carbon and PM_2.5 concentrations have been emerging as serious environmental issues worldwide. The purpose of this study was to quantify carbon and PM_2.5 reduction by urban parks in Gangneung, Korea. A total of 35 parks were sampled by applying a random sampling method to survey tree planting structures and the areal distribution of land cover types of urban parks. These survey data and the Green Evaluation Technique (GET) computer program were used to estimate carbon and PM_2.5 reduction by trees. Mean tree density and cover in the study parks were 3.5±0.2 tree/100 m² and 44.5±3.0%, respectively. Annual carbon uptake and PM_2.5 deposition per unit area by trees averaged 2.8±0.2 t/ha/yr and 30.2±2.8 kg/ha/yr. Gangneung's urban parks annually offset the carbon emissions by 3.4% and the PM_2.5 emissions by 3.5%. Thus, urban parks played a significant role in reducing atmospheric carbon and PM_2.5 concentrations. Total annual carbon uptake and PM_2.5 deposition of urban parks in Gangneung were about 1,338.2 t/yr and 14,433.2 kg/yr. This study is expected to contribute to raising awareness of the role and importance of urban parks regarding carbon and PM_2.5 reduction.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.17-28
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• 2022

We evaluated the effect of CO₂ offsetting by estimating changes in carbon uptake under various forest management scenarios and proposed forest management strategies to achieve carbon neutrality. Paju and Goseong, which have relatively large forest areas but different industrial characteristics, were selected for the study sites. The current state of forest distribution was analyzed using forest type maps and aerial photographs, and the amount of carbon uptake was calculated using the equation presented by the IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories and the national emission/absorption coefficients from the Korea National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report. As of 2015, the forest carbon absorption in Paju and Goseong was 49,931 t/yr and 94,225 t/yr, respectively, and the annual carbon absorption per unit area was 2.28 t/ha/yr and 2.16 t/ha/yr. Under the forest management scenarios, the annual maximum carbon absorption per unit area is estimated to increase to 5.68 t/ha/yr in Paju and 4.22 t/ha/yr in Goseong, and this absorption would increase further if urban forests were additionally created. Even if the current forests of Paju and Goseong are maintained as they are, emissions from electricity use can be sufficiently offset. However, by applying appropriate forest management strategies, emissions from sectors other than electricity use could be offset. This study can be applied to the establishment of carbon absorption strategies in the forest sector to achieve carbon neutrality.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.16-24
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• 2015

This study quantified storage and annual uptake of carbon for riparian greenspaces established in watersheds of four major rivers in South Korea and explored desirable strategies to improve carbon reduction effects of riparian greenspaces. Greenspace structure and planting technique in the 40 study sites sampled were represented by single-layered planting of small trees in low density, with stem diameter at breast height of $6.9{\pm}0.2cm$ and planting density of $10.4{\pm}0.8trees/100m^2$ on average. Storage and annual uptake of carbon per unit area by planted trees averaged $8.2{\pm}0.5t/ha$ and $1.7{\pm}0.1t/ha/yr$, respectively, increasing as planting density got higher. Mean organic matter and carbon storage in soils were $1.4{\pm}0.1%$ and $26.4{\pm}1.5t/ha$, respectively. Planted trees and soils per ha stored the amount of carbon emitted from gasoline consumption of about 61 kL, and the trees per ha annually offset carbon emissions from gasoline use of about 3 kL. These carbon reduction effects are associated with tree growth over five years to fewer than 10 years after planting, and predicted to become much greater as the planted trees grow. This study simulated changes in annual carbon uptake by tree growth over future 30 years for typical planting models selected as different from the planting technique in the study sites. The simulation revealed that cumulative annual carbon uptake for a multilayered and grouped ecological planting model with both larger tree size and higher planting density was approximately 1.9 times greater 10 years after planting and 1.5 times greater 30 years after than that in the study sites. Strategies to improve carbon reduction effects of riparian greenspaces suggest multilayered and grouped planting mixed with relatively large trees, middle/high density planting of native species mixed with fast-growing trees, and securing the soil environment favorable for normal growth of planting tree species. The research findings are expected to be useful as practical guidelines to improve the role of a carbon uptake source, in addition to water quality conservation and wildlife inhabitation, in implementing riparian greenspace projects under the beginning stage.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.1-7
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• 2020

This study quantified annual uptake and storage of carbon by urban greenspace in institutional lands and suggested improvement of greenspace structures to enhance carbon reduction effects. The study selected a total of five study cities including Seoul, Daejeon, Daegu, Chuncheon, and Suncheon, based on areal size and nationwide distribution. Horizontal and vertical greenspace structures were field-surveyed, after institutional greenspace lots were selected using a systematic random sampling method on aerial photographs of the study cities. Annual uptake and storage of carbon by woody plants were computed applying quantitative models of each species developed for urban landscape trees and shrubs. Tree density and stem diameter (at breast height) in institutional lands averaged 1.4±0.1 trees/100 ㎡ and 14.9±0.2 cm across the study cities, respectively. Of the total planted area, the ratio of single-layered planting only with trees, shrubs, or grass was higher than that of multi-layered structures. Annual uptake and storage of carbon per unit area by woody plants averaged 0.65±0.04 t/ha/yr and 7.37±0.47 t/ha, which were lower than those for other greenspace types at home and abroad. This lower carbon reduction was attributed to lower density and smaller size of trees planted in institutional lands studied. Nevertheless, the greenspace in institutional lands annually offset carbon emissions from institutional electricity use by 0.6 (Seoul)~1.9% (Chuncheon). Tree planting in potential planting spaces was estimated to sequester additionally about 18% of the existing annual carbon uptake. Enhancing carbon reduction effects requires active tree planting in the potential spaces, multi-layered/clustered planting composed of the upper trees, middle trees and lower shrubs, planting of tree species with greater carbon uptake capacity, and avoidance of the topiary tree maintenance. This study was focused on finding out greenspace structures and carbon offset levels in institutional lands on which little had been known.