• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.311-323
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• 2004

To date, restoration ecology has focused on local areas, particularly small-scale ecosystems. As such, restoration ecology has been applied to areas with clear boundaries, such as roads, abandoned mines, wetlands, and forest ecosystems. However, those involved in these restoration efforts, due to their tendency to implement comprehensive plans to change the landscape structure, and their mismanagement of the restoration process, have more often than not wound up weakening the ecological functions of surrounding ecosystems, and in further degrading the ecosystem which they were trying to restore. To resolve these problems and restore a comparatively large-scale region, methods to assess the impact of such restoration efforts on surrounding ecosystems must be developed. These include expanding the scale of restoration efforts; in other words, moving from the local to the landscape scale. As a conclusion, practice of ecological restoration is increasingly moving towards landscape scale in order to deal with these problems.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.20-29
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• 2018

Background: For various reasons such as agricultural and economical purposes, land-use changes are rapidly increasing not only in Korea but also in the world, leading to shifts in the characteristics of local carbon cycle. Therefore, in order to understand the large-scale ecosystem carbon cycle, it is necessary first to understand vegetation on this local scale. As a result, it is essential to comprehend change of the carbon balance attributed by the land-use changes. In this study, we attempt to understand accumulated soil carbon (ASC) and soil respiration (Rs) related to carbon cycle in two ecosystems, artificially turned forest into pastureland from forest and a native deciduous temperate forest, resulted from different land-use in the same area. Results: Rs were shown typical seasonal changes in the alpine pastureland (AP) and temperate deciduous forest (TDF). The annual average Rs was $160.5mg\;CO_2\;m^{-2}h^{-1}$ in the AP, but it was $405.1mg\;CO_2\;m^{-2}h^{-1}$ in the TDF, indicating that the Rs in the AP was lower about 54% than that in the TDF. Also, ASC in the AP was $124.49Mg\;C\;ha^{-1}$ from litter layer to 30-cm soil depth. The ASC was about $88.9Mg\;C\;ha^{-1}$, and it was 71.5% of that of the AP. The temperature factors in the AP was high about $4^{\circ}C$ on average compared to the TDF. In AP, it was observed high amount of sunlight entering near the soil surface which is related to high soil temperature is due to low canopy structure. This tendency is due to the smaller emission of organic carbon that is accumulated in the soil, which means a higher ASC in the AP compared to the TDF. Conclusions: The artificial transformation of natural ecosystems into different ecosystems is proceeding widely in the world as well as Korea. The change in land-use type is caused to make the different characteristics of carbon cycle and storage in same region. For evaluating and predicting the carbon cycle in the vegetation modified by the human activity, it is necessary to understand the carbon cycle and storage characteristics of natural ecosystems and converted ecosystems. In this study, we studied the characteristics of ecosystem carbon cycle using different forms in the same region. The land-use changes from a TDF to AP leads to changes in dominant vegetation. Removal of canopy increased light and temperature conditions and slightly decreased SMC during the growing season. Also, land-use change led to an increase of ASC and decrease of Rs in AP. In terms of ecosystem carbon sequestration, AP showed a greater amount of carbon stored in the soil due to sustained supply of above-ground liters and lower degradation rate (soil respiration) than TDF in the high mountains. This shows that TDF and AP do not have much difference in terms of storage and circulation of carbon because the amount of carbon in the forest biomass is stored in the soil in the AP.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.49-55
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• 2009

The present study analyses the effect of land use on the vegetation of some desert ecosystems in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Three sites were selected to represent different types of land use, inside Umm Al-Banadeq forest, outside the forest and along Abu Dhabi-Al Ain Trucks Road. In total, fifty-two stands were examined; including a matrix of 14 species ${\times}$ 52 stands. Based on species cover data, stands were classified using TWINSPAN and ordinated using DCA. Four vegetation groups were generated at level three of classification. Zygophyllum mandavillei was dominant in most vegetation groups; Heliotropium bacciferum dominated vegetation groups inhabited the forest. Species richness, species turnover, relative evenness and relative concentration of dominance of forest vegetation groups were 2.8, 5.7, 0.7, and 2.0, respectively. The differences were attributed to both natural variability and forestry-induced changes, including change in land use, drainage and ploughing and shading by trees. Vegetation group inhabited Abu Dhabi-Al Ain Trucks Road, that were dominated by Haloxylon salicornicum and Zygophyllum mandavillei have high total cover (8.8 m per $m^{-1}$). Most community and vegetation attributes were significantly higher inside the forest than outside. Human interventions and environmental factors affected species diversity and abundance of these communities.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.116-124
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• 2013

Differences in rates and patterns of nitrogen cycling have been correlated with nitrogen stable isotope measurements in forest ecosystems of tropical and temperate regions, but limited similar work has been conducted in sub-tropical forests. This study investigated patterns in stable N isotopic composition in a subtropical forest in Taiwan by sampling three soil profiles and overstory and understory foliage. Soil ${\delta}^{15}N$ in the forest floor ranged from -1.8 to -1.8‰. Mineral soils had higher ${\delta}^{15}N$ (4.1 to 6.0‰). Foliage ${\delta}^{15}N$ in overstory trees ranged from -6.6 to -2.0‰, and understory foliage ${\delta}^{15}N$ ranged from -5.0 to -1.2‰. There was a weak correlation between foliar % N and ${\delta}^{15}N$ ($r^2=0.214$). Compared to results from similar surveys in tropical and temperate forests, foliar ${\delta}^{15}N$ values were generally lower. These results help highlight the need for improved knowledge regarding the relationships between patterns in N stable isotopes and processes affecting rates of N cycling, especially as related to wider scale patterns in forest ecosystems within the east-Asia region.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.1-10
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• 1986

Nowadays, air pollution by increasing consumption of fossil fuels resulting from rapidly growing population and industrialization has caused the adverse effects on terrestrial ecosystems and become one of the most serious problems causing environmental discriptions. Air pollution such as $SO_2, HF, NO_X,$ fly ash, ozone and PAN might influence plant growth, reproduction, nutrient cycling, photosynthesis and predisposition to entomological and pathological stresses on plants. Furthermore, accumulation of those toxic substances in forests might cause subtle or serious changes in the structure and function of forest ecosystems. Since 1970s, a number of large industrial complexes had been constructed as a part of industrialization plan in Korea. Accordingly, the forest exosystems around them has been under chronic influences of air pollution and effects of air pollution on plants became a matter of concern. In Yocheon Industrial Complex which consisted of lots of petrochemical plants and a phosphatic fertilizer manufacturing plant, forests has been exposed to chronic air pollution, mainly HF and $SO_2$ gas, Various reports were available to investigate the potential effects of air pollution on crops and forest trees in Yocheon. Kim and Kim surveyed vegetation by naked eye method and reported 71 families, 150 genera and 158 species were growing within a 2 km from air pollution sources in 1981. Needle injuries on Pinus spp. in the polluted area water reported by Kim, et al. and Kim, et al. Kim, et al. investigated the primary production of Pinus thunbergii forests in the polluted area and verified that growth inhibition of Pinus thunbergii was attributable to air pollution. Thus, previous reports suggested that forest ecosystems around Yocheon Industrial Complex were influenced adversely by air pollution. The objective of this study was to investigate the subtle ecological changes in forest community exposed to chronic air pollution in Yocheon.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.305-314
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• 2008

As forest land takes up 65% of the Korean peninsula, there have been continuing conflicts between the development and conservation of forest land. As the income level has changed over time, the usage of forest land in society has changed. There has been increasing demands for forest land for urban development and recreational use. On the other hand, a large proportion of the land is required to be preserved for the forest and the natural ecosystem in it. The existing management system for the forest land has been designed focusing on the management of the trees on the land, and not the land itself. Due to this limitation, the current management system of forest land has failed to protect the forest land from being developed indiscreetly, making it difficult to conserve and develop the forest land in an efficient way. A major question in forest land management is how to integrate economic use activities with the supporting ecosystems to maximize performance of the ecological-economic system. In order to promote sustainable use of forest resources, and to achieve efficient forest land management, it is prerequisite to evaluation on forest resources of natural ecosystems. Quantitative measures are needed that signify how necessary the services and products of forested ecosystems are to human endeavors. In this study, the natural wealth provided by forest land was quantified based on emergy synthesis. Emergy is a universal measure of real wealth of the work of nature and society made on a common basis. Thus, Calculations of emergy provide a basis for making choices about environment and economy following the general public policy to maximize real wealth. The goals of forest land management to achieve balance between the ecology and economy of its integrated system and to foster equity among the diverse outcomes of the forest land were assessed with emergy. Emergy was demonstrated to holistically integrated and quantify the interconnections of a coupled nature-human system allowing the goals of ecological balance and outcome equity to be measured quantitatively. Doing so will provide a better understanding of the basis of forest land wealth and the consequences of management decisions.

• Proceedings of The Korean Society of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology Conference
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• 2005.09a
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• pp.7-10
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• 2005

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.103-106
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• 2020

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.127-139
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• 2017

Measurements of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of $CO_2$ based on the eddy covariance technique provide reasonable carbon balance estimates in response to local environmental conditions. In South Korea, the forest ecosystems cover approximately 64% of the total area, thereby strongly affecting regional carbon balances. Cultivated croplands that cover about 17% of the total area should also be considered when calculating the carbon balance of the country. In this study, our objectives were (a) to quantify the range and seasonal variation of NEE at forest ecosystems, including deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests, and agricultural ecosystems, including rice paddies and a potato field, in South Korea and (b) to compare NEE at ten Fluxnet sites that have the same or similar ecosystems as found in South Korea. The results showed that the forest and agricultural ecosystems were carbon sinks. In Korea, NEE at the forest ecosystems varied between -31 and $-362gC/m^2/yr$, and NEE at the croplands ranged from -210 to $-248gC/m^2/growing$ season. At the deciduous forest, NEE reached low values in late spring, early summer, and early autumn, while at the coniferous forest, it reached low values in spring, early summer, and mid autumn. The young mixed forest was a much stronger carbon sink than the old-growth deciduous and coniferous forests. During each crop growing season, beet had the lowest NEE value within six crops, followed by wither wheat, maize, rice, potato, and soybean. These results will be useful for designing and applying management strategies for the reduction of $CO_2$ emissions.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.50-61
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• 2018

The current study aimed to review the research trends on forest liming by age, country, and research topics, and seeks to summarize the effects of forest liming on soil, vegetation and water system in forest ecosystems. The recent goals of forest liming have been changed in response to changes in the acid deposition, and related studies have been mainly carried out in Europe and North America, where there is noted a massive forest decline, which was subsequently caused by acid rain. Most forest liming studies are noted to have focused on soil responses, however, the number of studies on the responses of vegetation and water system according to a literature review on the subject were relatively small. Meanwhile, forest liming influenced whole forest ecosystems through interaction between the soil, vegetation and water system as associated with the relevant regions. The changes in soil pH, base saturation, and cation exchange capacity by forest liming were noted as different depending on the soil layer and elapsed time after liming. The responses of vegetation to forest liming were shown in above- and below-ground plant growth and plant nutrient concentration, and also were noted to have varied depending on the available regional plant species and noted specific soil conditions. The chemical properties of the water system were changed similarly to those in the soil, leading to notable changes as seen in the planktons and available fish species in the region. Finally, these results could be used to plan further studies on forest liming, which would significantly benefit regional studies to promote the preservation of the species noted for protection in the region.