• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.163-163
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• 2003

The study area, Kwangneung Experiment Forest (KEF) is located on the west-central portion of Korean peninsula and belongs to a cool-temperate broadleaved forest zone. At the old-growth deciduous forest near Soribong-peak (533.1m) in KEF, we have established a permanent plot and a flux tower, and the site was registered as a KLTER site and also a KoFlux site. In this study, we aimed to present basic ecological characteristics and synthetic data of carbon budgets and flows, and some monitoring data which are essential for providing important parameters and validation data for the forest dynamics models or biogeochemical dynamics models to predict or interpolate spatially the changes in forest ecosystem structure and function. We made a stemmap of trees in 1 ha plot and analyzed forest stand structure and physical and chemical soil characteristics, and estimated carbon budgets by forest components (tree biomass, soils, litter and so on). Dominant tree species were Quercus serrata and Carpinus laxiflora, and accompanied by Q. aliena, Carpinus cordata, and so on. As a result of a field survey of the plot, density of the trees larger than 2cm in DBH was 1,473 trees per ha, total biomass 261.2 tons/ha, and basal area 28.0 m2/ha. Parent rock type is granite gneiss. Soil type is brown forest soil (alfisols in USDA system), and the depth is from 38 to 66cm. Soil texture is loam or sandy loam, and its pH was from 4.2 to 5.0 in the surface layer, and from 4.8 to 5.2 in the subsurface layer. Seasonal changes in LAI were measured by hemispherical photography at the l.2m height, and the maximum was 3.65. And the spatial distributions of volumetric soil moisture contents and LAIs of the plot were measured. Litterfall was collected in circular littertraps (collecting area： 0.25m2) and mass loss rates and nutrient release patterns in decomposing litter were estimated using the litterbag technique employing 30cm30cm nylon bags with l.5mm mesh size. Total annual litterfall was 5,627 kg/ha/year and leaf litter accounted for 61% of the litterfall. The leaf litter quantity was highest in Quercus serrata, followed by Carpinus laxiflora and C. cordata, etc. Mass loss from decomposing leaf litter was more rapid in C. laxiflora and C. cordata than in Q. serrata litter. About 77% of C. laxiflora and 84% of C. cordata litter disappeared, while about 48% in Q. serrata litter lost over two years. The carbon pool in living tree biomass including below ground biomass was 136 tons C/ha, and 5.6 tons C/ha is stored in the litter layer, and about 92.0 tons C/ha in the soil to the 30cm in depth. Totally more than about 233.6 tons C/ha was stored in DK site. And then we have drawn a schematic diagram of carbon budgets and flows in each compartment of the KEF site.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.99 no.5
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• pp.726-735
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• 2010

Publications with the data on allometric equation, biomass and productivity of major oak forests in Korea were reviewed. Different allometric equations of major oak species showed site- or speciesspecific dependences. The biomass of major oak forests varied with age, dominant species, and location. Aboveground tree biomass over the different oak species was expressed as a power equation of the stand age. The proportion of tree component (stem, branch and leaf) to total aboveground biomass differed among oak species, however, biomass ranked stem > branch > leaf in general. The leaf biomass allocation over the different oak species was expressed as a power equation of total aboveground biomass while there were no significant patterns of biomass allocation from stem and branch to the aboveground biomass. Tree root biomass continuously increased with the aboveground biomass for the major oak forests. The relationship between the root to shoot ratio and the aboveground tree biomass was expressed by a logarithmic equation for major oak forests in Korea. Thirteen sets of data were used for estimating the net primary production (NPP) and net ecosystem production (NEP) of oak forests. The mean NPP and NEP across different oak forests was 10.2 and 1.9 Mg C $ha^{-1}year^{-1}$. The results in biomass allocation, NPP and NEP generally make Korean oak forests an important carbon sinks.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.415-420
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• 2022

It is essential that continual assessments of the impact of mine-derived water as a long-lasting burden on freshwater environments. Abundance-based evaluations of benthic macroinvertebrates have been conducted to evaluate anthropogenic disturbances and devise policies to reduce their impact. In this study, the status of a stream habitat was evaluated based on the body length and biomass weight of benthic macroinvertebrates of the family Baetidae. Following the renewal of the mining water treatment plant, the abundance of Baetidae assemblages recovered to a level comparable to that of a reference site. However, relatively low values were found for both body length and biomass weight in Baetidae species inhabiting the reddened streambed area, suggesting that the habitat has not yet been completely recovered despite the recovery of the abundance of the Baetidae assemblages. Therefore, continuous investigation and evaluation of this disturbed stream are necessary until their growth conditions of the habitat have functionally recovered.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.46-56
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• 2008

This study examined the natural restoration of vegetation through monitoring of the development of a vegetation community from 2006 through 2007 after a forest fire. Approximately 5,000 $m^2$ in a forest near Topyeon-ri, Kangnae-myeon, Chungcheongbuk-do with Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora) forest and its floor vegetation had been completely burned by a fire in April 2005. This area and another nearby Japanese red pine forest were selected as the experiment site and the control site, respectively. Vegetation survey was conducted at the experiment site and the control site. A seed bank experiment was carried out in the greenhouse to examine underground vegetation. Effective microorganism(EM) was applied to the seed bank experiment to estimate its effects on the direction of ecological succession. According to the results, a total of 36 plant species including shrub and herbaceous species were discovered in the experiment site. Quercus serrata, Lespedeza cyrtobotrya, and Castanea crenata, Rubus crataegifolius, Oplismenus undulatifolius, and Carex lanceolata were among the most abundant species. Biomass in the experiment site reached 2.4 times biomass than those in the control site, indicating the productivities of shrub and herbaceous layers are better in the experiment site. According to the result of the soil seed bank experiment of the experiment site, a total of 182 plants of 14 species were recorded. In addition, a total of 13 plants of 2 species were found from soil seed bank of the experiment site applied by EM. If EM is applied to the burned site, it will control the budding of herbaceous plants, creating the gap between herbaceous plants. This loss of competition is expected to help the restoration of trees in the burned area.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.39 no.4 s.118
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• pp.424-434
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• 2006

This study investigates bacteria-zooplankton grazing link and factors affecting their grazing relationship at trophically different two sites (Paldang Dam and Kyungan Stream) of Lake Paldang Ecosystem from April to December, 2005. Zooplankton were divided into two size groups; microzooplankton (MICZ) : 60-200 ${\mu}m$ and macrozooplankton (MACZ): >200 ${\mu}m$), and their grazing rates on bacteria were conducted for each size group separately. Bacterial abundance and seasonal change pattern were similar between two sites. MICZ, mostly rotifers (e.g., Brachionus, Keratella, Polyathra) were numerically dominant at both sites, while carbon biomass was highest in cladocerans. Zooplankton biomass was higher at the Kyungan Steam site compared to Paldang Dam site, and their high biomass during spring decreased as they were passing through the storm events in summer season at both sites. Zooplankton clearance rate (CR) was high in spring and autumn while low in summer at Paldang Dam site. However, zooplankton CR was high during the summer at Kyungan Stream site. Bacterial C-flux was high in spring and autumn when MACZ (esp. cladecerans) developed at a high biomass level at both sites. Overall, MACZ community CR and carbon flux (C-flux) were higher than those of MICZ, and the degree of difference between them was higher at Kyungan Stream site. Short hydraulic residence time and physical disturbance caused by summer storm event appeared to affect the zooplankton grazing on bacteria at both sites. The results of this study indicate that bacteria are potentially important carbon source of zooplankton, and that both biotic (e.g,, prey and predator taxa composition and abundance) and physical parameters appear to alter energy transfer in the planktonic food web of this river-reservoir hybrid system.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Environment and Ecology Conference
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• 1999.04a
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• pp.56-57
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• 1999

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.96 no.2
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• pp.138-144
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• 2007

This study was undertaken to compare the biomass of Abies koreana growing at two sites. A $10{\times}10m$ plot was established in each site of a natural stand in Mt. Jiri and a plantation in Gyeongsan nursery. Five trees of A. koreana were randomly selected in each site. The following traits were investigated from each tree : height, basal diameter, age, weight of stem, branches, and needles as above-ground traits and weight of total roots, horizontal roots, and vertical roots as below-ground traits. In Gyeongsan nursery, age of sample trees was negatively correlated with both height and weight of total stem, while height was highly correlated with weight of horizontal roots. There was high correlation between the basal diameter and weight of total stem, and between the basal diameter and weight of roots. In Mt. Jiri stand, most of the above-ground traits except age were significantly correlated with the below-ground traits. The linear regression equation between the cross section area of base (X) and the weight of total stem (Y) in Gyeongsan nursery was Y=12.66X-12.92, and correlation was significant ($R^2=0.89$). The linear regression equation between the cross section area of base(X) and the weight of total branches (Y) in Mt. Jiri stand was Y=25.51X+6.00, and correlation was highly significant ($R^2=1.0$).

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.441-444
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• 2005

The goal of this study is to investigate the relationship between microphytobenthic biomass and normalized vegetation index obtained from Landsat TM images. Monitoring a seasonal change of microphytobenthic biomass in the sand bar is specifically focused. Since the study area, Hampyeong Bay, was difficult to approach, we failed to obtain ground truths simultaneously on satellite image acquisition. Instead, chlorophyll-a concentration in surface top layer was measured on different dates for microphytobenthic biomass. Although data were acquired on different dates, a correlation between the field and satellite images was calculated for investigating general trends of seasonal change. NDVI and tasseled cap transformed images were also used to review the variation of microphytobenthic biomass by using Landsat TM and ETM+ images. Atmosphere effects were corrected by applying COST model. Seaweeds were also flouring in the same season of microphytobentic blooming. Songseok-ri area was minimally affected by seaweeds from February to May, and selected as a test site. NDVI value was classified into high-, moderate-, and low-grade. It was well developed over fme-grained sediments and rapidly reduced from May to November over sand bar. In this bay, correlation between grain size and microphytobenthic biomass was clearly seen. From the classified NDVI and tasseled cap transformed data, we finally constructed spatial distribution and seasonal variation maps of microphytobenthic biomass.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.155-164
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• 2013

To confirm the relationship between climate change and Stephanodiscus in Mulgeum station of Nakdong River, Korea, this study was conducted. The temperature in crease by climate change was observed in the study site, where the temperature was gradually increased in most seasons, except for summer season. The mass proliferation of Stephanodiscus constantly appeared in every year, especially between November and March, and when Stephanodiscus abundance was above 90% in phytoplankton biomass. Among this period, phytoplankton biomass was high related with water temperature ($r^2$=0.249, P<0.01) than nutrient factors such as nitrogen and phosphorus in the study site. Finally, temperature by climate change can be regarded as the affecting factor for chl. a variation, because temperature was strongly related with water temperature ($r^2$=0.748, P<0.01). From 1997 to 2010, the annual maximum phytoplankton biomass was recorded in the range of temperature from $4.8^{\circ}C$ to $8.4^{\circ}C$, and the range was regarded as the temperature condition for the optimal growth of Stephanodiscus in the study site. On the optimal growth temperature, the trend of monthly average temperature corresponded to the trend of chl. a variation from November to March. In future, the increase of temperature by climate change can prolong Stephanodiscus blooming period in winter and spring seasons.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.69-79
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• 2014

Soil organic carbon (SOC) in the Arctic is vulnerable to climate change. However, research on SOC stored in the high Arctic regions is currently very limited. Thus, this study was aimed at understanding the distribution and characteristics of SOC with respect to geomorphology and vegetation in Svalbard. In August 2011, soil samples were collected near the Vestre Lov$\acute{e}$nbreen moraine. Sampling sites were chosen according to altitude (High, Mid, and Low) and differences in levels of vegetation establishment. Vegetation coverage, aboveground biomass, and SOC contents were measured, and density-size fractionation of SOC was conducted. The SOC content was the highest in the Mid site ($126.9mg\;g^{-1}$) and the lowest in the High site ($32.1mg\;g^{-1}$), although aboveground biomass and vegetation coverage were not different between these two sites. The low SOC content measured at the High site could be related to a slower soil development following glacial retreat. On the other hand, the Low site contained a high amount of SOC despite having low vegetative cover and a high ratio of sand particles. These incompatible relationships between SOC and vegetation in the Low site might be associated with past site disturbances such as runoff from snow/glacier melting. This study showed that geomorphological features combined with glacier retreat or melting snow/glacier effects could have affected the SOC distribution and vegetation establishment in the high Arctic.