• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.181-193
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• 2018

The present study was conducted to analyze the quality of the habitats of Abies koreana WILS. by using the InVEST model based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) technique and to evaluate the economic value by estimating the carbon fixation. Abies koreana WILS., an original biological species of South Korea, may be an essential element in establishing the national biological sovereignty in the future. The subjects of the present study were the national parks in Mt. Halla, Mt. Jiri, and Mt. Sobaek, which are the habitats of Abies koreana WILS. As suggested by previous studies as a limitation of the InVEST model, the utilization of the data from relevant international publications as the input data, due to the lack of the domestic input data, may decrease the accuracy of the modeling. Therefore, the AHP technique was applied for the input data. The modeling was performed with reference to the years of 1980, 1990, and 2000 for the scenario analysis. The result of the modeling showed that the habitat quality was changed most in the national park in Mt. Halla, as the habitat quality score was decreased from 0.96 in 1980 to 0.97 in 1990 and 0.94 in 2000. In the national part of Mt. Sobeak, the habitat quality was changed most in the sub-alpine zone, as the habitat quality score was decreased from 0.98 in 1980 and 0.98 in 1990 to 0.97 in 2000. The habitat quality was best conserved in the national part in Mt. Jiri, as the habitat quality score was 0.98 in 1980, 0.99 in 1990, and 0.99 in 2000. The estimated economic loss by the change of the habitat quality was 19,280,000 USD for Mt. Halla and 8,030,000 USD for Mt. Sobeak. In the present study, the habitat quality of the Abies koreana WILS, the original species of South Korea, was evaluated and the economic value of the ecological services provided by the habitats was estimated quantitatively. The result showed that the ecosystem service model may be used to qualitatively analyze the quality of a habitat located in a specific region and to estimate the economic value quantitatively. The objective evaluation of ecosystem services demonstrated in the present study may be applied to promote sustainable utilization of natural resources and conservation of the ecosystem by predicting the changes that may be caused by external factors including the development of preservation areas.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.330-339
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• 2010

In order to suggest correct direction of researches on Miscanthus spp. which are promising bioenergy crop, authors had reviewed and summarized various literature about botanical taxonomy, morphology and present condition of breeding, cultivation and utilization of miscanthus. Among the genus of Miscanthus which are known 17 species, the most important species are M. sinensis and M. sacchariflorus which origin are East Asia including Korea, and M. x giganteus which is inter-specific hybrid of tetraploid M. sacchariflorus and diploid M. sinensis. Miscanthus is superior to other energy crops in resistance to poor environments including cold, saline and damp soil, nitrogen utilization efficiency, budget of input energy and carbon which are required for producing biomass and output which are stored in biomass. The major species for production of energy and industrial products including construction material in Europe, USA and Canada is M. x giganteus which was introduced from Japan in 1930s. In present, many breeding programs are conducted to supplement demerits of present varieties and to develop "Miscanes" which is hybrid of miscanthus and sugar cane. In Korea, the researches on breeding and cultivation of miscanthus were initiated in 2007 by collecting germplasms, and developed "Goedae-Uksae 1" which is high biomass yield and "mass propagation method of miscanthus" which can improve propagation efficiency in 2009. In order to develop "Korean miscanthus industry" in future, the superior varieties available not only domestic but also foreign market should be developed by new breeding method including molecular markers. Researches on production process of cellulosic bio-ethanol including pre-treatment and saccharification of miscanthus biomass also should be strengthen.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.1094-1099
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• 2012

This study investigated the effect of a long-term high-fat diet on energy metabolic substrate utilization in resting rats in order to revalue source fat energy efficiency during a high-fat diet and its effect on energy expenditure and body fat accumulation. Sprague-Dawley male rats at 4 weeks of age were bought from Orient Bio Con. The rats were divided into a control (CON) group and a high-fat diet (HF) group. Rats ate a high-fat diet (w/w 40%, kcal/kcal 64.9%) ad libitum for 5 weeks. Food intake and body weight were measured every day at 09:00 throughout the experimental period. Energy expenditure was measured using an animal energy metabolism chamber after 4 weeks. The final body weight did not change between the CON and HF groups, but caloric intake was significantly higher in the HF group than in the CON group (p<0.05). There was no difference between the groups in oxygen uptake, however carbon dioxide production was significantly higher in the HF group. Also, the respiratory exchange ratio was higher in the HF group. Carbohydrate oxidation was lower in the HF group than in the CON group, but fat oxidation in the HF group was greater. These results mean that energy substrate oxidation at rest is affected by diet composition, especially dietary fat content. Abdominal fat fad weights were significantly higher by 33% in the HF group than in the CON group even though the calorie intake in the HF group was higher by 6%. These results suggested that the dietary fat calorie value might have a higher Atwater value of 9 kcal/g, which mean that dietary fat calorie values could be reconsidered in body weight control scenarios such as which the obese or weight class athletes.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2023.04a
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• pp.7-7
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• 2023

Currently, the main technologies of various fourth industries are big data, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, blockchain, mixed reality (MR), and drones. In particular, "digital twin," which has recently become a global technological trend, is a concept of a virtual model that is expressed equally in physical objects and computers. By creating and simulating a Digital twin of software-virtualized assets instead of real physical assets, accurate information about the characteristics of real farming (current state, agricultural productivity, agricultural work scenarios, etc.) can be obtained. This study aims to streamline agricultural work through automatic water management, remote growth forecasting, drone control, and pest forecasting through the operation of an integrated control system by constructing digital twin data on the main production area of the nojinot industry and designing and building a smart farm complex. In addition, it aims to distribute digital environmental control agriculture in Korea that can reduce labor and improve crop productivity by minimizing environmental load through the use of appropriate amounts of fertilizers and pesticides through big data analysis. These open-field agricultural technologies can reduce labor through digital farming and cultivation management, optimize water use and prevent soil pollution in preparation for climate change, and quantitative growth management of open-field crops by securing digital data for the national cultivation environment. It is also a way to directly implement carbon-neutral RED++ activities by improving agricultural productivity. The analysis and prediction of growth status through the acquisition of the acquired high-precision and high-definition image-based crop growth data are very effective in digital farming work management. The Southern Crop Department of the National Institute of Food Science conducted research and development on various types of open-field agricultural smart farms such as underground point and underground drainage. In particular, from this year, commercialization is underway in earnest through the establishment of smart farm facilities and technology distribution for agricultural technology complexes across the country. In this study, we would like to describe the case of establishing the agricultural field that combines digital twin technology and open-field agricultural smart farm technology and future utilization plans.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.253-259
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• 2005

This study was accomplished using attached $A^2/O$ process that contains nonsurface-modified and surface-modified polyethylene media inside the Anaerobic/Anoxic, Oxic tank, respectively. We could make the hydrophobic polyethylene media have hydrophilic characteristics by radiating ion beam on the surface of the media. The objectives of this study is to investigate the removal efficiencies of the organics and nitrogen when the step feed ratio of raw wastewater into anaerobic and anoxic tank is changed. In this case, we assumed that the denitrification rate can be improved because the nitrifiers in anoxic tank can perform denitrification using RBDCOD instead of artificial carbon sources (for example, methanol, etc.). The wastewater injection rate into anaerobic/anoxic tank was set up by the ratio of 10 : 0, 9 : 1, 8 : 2, 6 : 4, and the results of BOD removal efficiency showed similar trends with $93.3\%,\;92.6\%,\;92.4\%\;and\;91.6\%$, respectively. But the BOD removal efficiency (utilization of the organics) in the anoxic tank was in the order of 9 : 1 $(84.8\%)$, 10 : 0 $(77.0\%)$, 8 : 2 $(75.3\%)$, and 6 : 4 $(61.1\%)$. The T-N removal efficiency was most high when the ratio is 9 : 1 $(67.4\%)$, and other conditions, 10 : 0, 8 : 2, 6 : 4, showed $61.3(\%),\;60.7\%,\;55.5\%$, respectively; the ratio 6 : 4 was found to be lowest T-N removal efficiency, lower than the ratio 9 : 1 by $12\%$. Though the nitrification rate of the ratio 10 : 0, 9 : 1, and 8 : 2 showed similar levels, the ratio 6 : 4 showed considerable inhibition of nitrification, ammonia was the great portion of the effluent T-N. The advantages of this process is that this process is cost-saving, and non-toxic methods than injecting the artificial carbon source.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.311-330
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• 2023

Development of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technique is becoming increasingly important as a method to mitigate the strengthening effects of global warming, generated from the unprecedented increase in released anthropogenic CO₂. In the recent years, the characteristics of basaltic rocks (i.e., large volume, high reactivity and surplus of cation components) have been recognized to be potentially favorable in facilitation of CCS; based on this, research on utilization of basaltic formations for underground CO₂ storage is currently ongoing in various fields. This study investigated the feasibility of underground storage of CO₂ in basalt, based on the examination of the CO₂ storage mechanisms in subsurface, assessment of basalt characteristics, and review of the global research on basaltic CO₂ storage. The global research examined were classified into experimental/modeling/field demonstration, based on the methods utilized. Experimental conditions used in research demonstrated temperatures ranging from 20 to 250 ℃, pressure ranging from 0.1 to 30 MPa, and the rock-fluid reaction time ranging from several hours to four years. Modeling research on basalt involved construction of models similar to the potential storage sites, with examination of changes in fluid dynamics and geochemical factors before and after CO₂-fluid injection. The investigation demonstrated that basalt has large potential for CO₂ storage, along with capacity for rapid mineralization reactions; these factors lessens the environmental constraints (i.e., temperature, pressure, and geological structures) generally required for CO₂ storage. The success of major field demonstration projects, the CarbFix project and the Wallula project, indicate that basalt is promising geological formation to facilitate CCS. However, usage of basalt as storage formation requires additional conditions which must be carefully considered - mineralization mechanism can vary significantly depending on factors such as the basalt composition and injection zone properties: for instance, precipitation of carbonate and silicate minerals can reduce the injectivity into the formation. In addition, there is a risk of polluting the subsurface environment due to the combination of pressure increase and induced rock-CO₂-fluid reactions upon injection. As dissolution of CO₂ into fluids is required prior to injection, monitoring techniques different from conventional methods are needed. Hence, in order to facilitate efficient and stable underground storage of CO₂ in basalt, it is necessary to select a suitable storage formation, accumulate various database of the field, and conduct systematic research utilizing experiments/modeling/field studies to develop comprehensive understanding of the potential storage site.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.36-43
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• 2024

Fishing net waste (FNW) constitutes over half of all marine plastic waste and is a major contributor to the degradation of marine ecosystems. While current treatment options for FNW include incineration, landfilling, and mechanical recycling, these methods often result in low-value products and pollutant emissions. Importantly, FNWs, comprised of plastic polymers, can be converted into valuable resources like syngas and pyrolysis oil through pyrolysis. Thus, this study presents a process for generating high-purity hydrogen (H₂) by catalytically pyrolyzing FNW in a CO₂ environment. The proposed process comprises of three stages: First, the pretreated FNW undergoes Ni/SiO₂ catalytic pyrolysis under CO₂ conditions to produce syngas and pyrolysis oil. Second, the produced pyrolysis oil is incinerated and repurposed as an energy source for the pyrolysis reaction. Lastly, the syngas is transformed into high-purity H₂ via the Water-Gas-Shift (WGS) reaction and Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA). This study compares the results of the proposed process with those of traditional pyrolysis conducted under N₂ conditions. Simulation results show that pyrolyzing 500 kg/h of FNW produced 2.933 kmol/h of high-purity H₂ under N₂ conditions and 3.605 kmol/h of high-purity H₂ under CO₂ conditions. Furthermore, pyrolysis under CO₂ conditions improved CO production, increasing H₂ output. Additionally, the CO₂ emissions were reduced by 89.8% compared to N₂ conditions due to the capture and utilization of CO₂ released during the process. Therefore, the proposed process under CO₂ conditions can efficiently recycle FNW and generate eco-friendly hydrogen product.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.103 no.3
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• pp.431-438
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• 2014

This study was conducted to assess forest biomass resource which is a carbon sink and a renewable resource in Korea. The total forest biomass resource potential was 804 million tons, and conifers, broadleaved forest and mixed forest accounted for 265 million tons, 282 million tons, and 257 million tons, respectively. Proportionately to regional forest stocks, biomass potential of Gangwon-do had most biomass potential, followed by Gyeongsangbuk-do and Gyeongsangnam-do. The woody biomass from the byproduct of sawn timber in commercial harvesting was 707 thousand ton/year, and that from the byproduct of forest tending was 592 thousand ton/year. The amount resulted in about 1,300 thousand ton/year of potential supplies from forest biomass resource into the energy market. It's tonnage of oil equivalent(toe) was 585 thousand ton/year. In this study, we developed a program (BiomassMap V2.0) for forest biomass resource mapping. Used system to develop this program was Microsoft Office Excel, Microsoft Office Access ArcGIS and Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0. Additionally, This program made use of tool such as ESRI MapObjects2.1 in order to take advantage of spatial information. This program shows the map of total biomass stock, annual biomass growth at forest land in Korea, and biomass production from forest tending and commercial harvesting. The information can also be managed by the program. The biomass resource map can be identified by regional and forest type for the purpose of utilization. So, we expect the map and program to be very useful for forest managers in the near future.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.105 no.4
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• pp.401-413
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• 2016

Forest resources utilization and variable disturbance history have been affected the rarity and conservation value of forest relict trees, which served as habitat for forest biodiversity, important carbon stock and cultural role include human and natural history in South Korea. This study was conducted to establish the baseline data for forest resources conservation by clarifying species diversity, spatial distribution and ecological characteristics (individual and habitat) of forest relict trees (DBH > 300 cm) based on the data getting from mountain trail, high resolution aerial photos and field professionals and field survey. As results, 54 taxa (18 family 32 genus 48 species 1 subspecies 3 variety and 2 form) as about 22% of tree species in Korea was identified in the field. 837 individuals of forest relict trees were observed and the majority of the trees was in Pinaceae, deciduous Fagaceae and Rosaceae, which families are abundant in population diversity. High elevation area was important to relict trees as mean altitudinal distribution was 1,200 m a.s.l as likely affected by human activity gradients and mid-steep slope and North aspect was important environment for the trees remain. Many individuals exhibited 'damage larger branch' (55.6%) and consequent relatively lower mean canopy coverages (below 80%). Synthetically, present diversity and abundance of relict forest trees in South Korea were the result of complex process among climate variation, local weather and biological factors and the trees of big and old were estimated to important forest biodiversity elements. In the future, clarifying the role and function of relict trees in forest ecosystem, in- and ex- situ programmes for important trees and habitat, and activities for building the background of conservation policy such as "Guideline for identifying and measurement of forest relict trees".

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.609-617
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• 2020

After introducing the industry 4.0 policy, Korean government announced 'Digital New Deal' and 'Green New Deal' as 'Korean New Deal' in 2020. We analyzed Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM)'s research projects related to that policy and conducted markets analysis focused on Digital Twin and environmental monitoring technologies. Regarding 'Data Dam' policy, we suggested the digital geo-contents with Augmented Reality (AR) & Virtual Reality (VR) and the public geo-data collection & sharing system. It is necessary to expand and support the smart mining and digital oil fields research for '5th generation mobile communication (5G) and artificial intelligence (AI) convergence into all industries' policy. Korean government is suggesting downtown 3D maps for 'Digital Twin' policy. KIGAM can provide 3D geological maps and Internet of Things (IoT) systems for social overhead capital (SOC) management. 'Green New Deal' proposed developing technologies for green industries including resource circulation, Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS), and electric & hydrogen vehicles. KIGAM has carried out related research projects and currently conducts research on domestic energy storage minerals. Oil and gas industries are presented as representative applications of digital twin. Many progress is made in mining automation and digital mapping and Digital Twin Earth (DTE) is a emerging research subject. The emerging research subjects are deeply related to data analysis, simulation, AI, and the IoT, therefore KIGAM should collaborate with sensors and computing software & system companies.