• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.105 no.1
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• pp.132-138
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• 2016

The objectives of this study were to infer the parameters of forest stand growth functions of STEMS for Cryptomeria japonica stands of Jeju Hannam Experimental Forest, Korea Forest Research Institute, and to investigate the effects of thinning regimes on the patterns of stand growth and carbon absorption. The forest stand growth functions for the potential diameter growth, modifier, crown ratio and mortality are the major ones composing the independent-tree/distance-free forest stand growth simulator, STEMS. The parameters were inferred using the sets of growth data obtained from stem analyses of 39 trees, chosen from 13 sample plots of the forest stands. The effects of thinning regimes on the patterns of stand growth and carbon absorption were investigated by simulating the stand growth patterns of the case study stand with 3 different thinning regimes: no-thinning, early thinning with low intensity and late thinning with high intensity using the simulator. According to the results of the analyses, the different thinning regimes cause significant effects on the growth patterns of average DBH, average height, diameter distribution and stand volume as well as the amount of carbon absorptions.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.104 no.4
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• pp.649-656
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• 2015

The objective of this study was to analyze the optimal thinning regimes for timber or carbon managements in Cryptomeria japonica stands of Hannam Experimental Forest, Korea Forest Research Institute. In solving the problem, PATH algorithm, developed by Paderes and Brodie, was used as the decision-making tool and the individual-tree/distance-free stand growth simulator for the species, developed by Kwon et al., was used to predict the stand growth associated with density control by thinning regimes and mortality. The results of this study indicate that the timber management for maximum net present value (NPV) needs less number of but higher intensity thinnings than the carbon management for maximum carbon absorption does. In case of carbon management, the amount of carbon absorption is bigger than that of timber management by about 6% but NPV is reduced by about 3.2%. On the other hand, intensive forest managements with thinning regimes promotes net income and carbon absorption by about 60% compared with those of the do-nothing option.