• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.528-543
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• 2004

The biogeographical approach on the species composition, distributional range, and life form of native Korean conifers suggests that the Korean Peninsula harbors 4 families 10 genera 30 species. Early-evolved conifers maintain high species diversity and broad distribution. During the glacial periods, the ranges of cold-tolerant conifers expanded, on the other hand, those of warmth-tolerant ones reduced. Presence of endemic subalpine conifers might be the result of long-term isolation of conifers on high mountains. Horizontal and vertical ranges of native Korean conifers are classified into alpine, subalpine, montane, coastal, insular and disjunctive types, and then subdivided into twelve sub-types. Typical life form of native Korean conifers is evergreen tree, blooms in spring, and fruits ripe in autumn or following autumn. Oval and elliptical seeds with wing might be beneficial for their dispersal. Further works on the migration, dispersal, genetics, ecology of native Korean conifers are required for the better understanding of the biogeography of conifers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.58-65
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• 1999

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of rehabilitation measures on the fired woodland of Chesuk-bong in Mt. Chiri through the vegetation structure and comparison of growth pattern between natural seedlings and transplanted Abies koreana seedlings. It was also discussed the rate of standing and fallen trees of dead conifers in the management strategy for vegetation regeneration and protection of sub-alpine area. In this fired woodland, shrub layers consisting of Weigela subsessilis, Sambucus williamsii var. coreana, Rhododendron schlippenbachii, R. mucronulatum, Tripterygium regelii, and etc. were gradually expanded, and tree species such as Betula ermani, Sorbus commixta, Acer pseudosieboldianum, and Malus baccata var. mandshurica were also regenerated. The growth of height and crown width of Abies koreana seedlings transplanted for vegetation regeneration were a little lower than those of natural seedlings. The seedlings of A. koreana transplanted in this fired woodland grew about 50.6% normally, but the others had multi-branched or growth stopped by death of terminal shoot. Because the number of dead conifers by fire tend to be gradually increased as time passed, it can occurs to the soil erosion and landslide by weakness of the cohesion and resistance of soil. Therefore, it is consider that rehabilitation measures projects of the fired woodland in subalpine area may be more prevention a natural disaster like soil erosion, flood and landslide.

• Mycobiology
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.448-456
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• 2022

In this study, the roots and rhizosphere soil of Abies koreana and Taxus cuspidata were collected from sites at two different altitudes on Mt. Halla. Ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) were identified by Illumina MiSeq sequencing. The proportion of EMF from the roots was 89% in A. koreana and 69% in T. cuspidata. Among EMF in rhizosphere soils, the genus Russula was the most abundant in roots of A. koreana (p < 0.05). The altitude did not affect the biodiversity of EMF communities but influenced fungal community composition. However, the host plants had the most significant effect on EMF communities. The result of the EMF community analysis showed that even if the EMF were isolated from the same altitudes, the EMF communities differed according to the host plant. The community similarity index of EMF in the roots of A. koreana was higher than that of T. cuspidata (p < 0.05). The results show that both altitude and host plants influenced the structure of EMF communities. Conifers inhabiting harsh sub-alpine environments rely strongly on symbiotic relationships with EMF. A. koreana is an endangered species with a higher host specificity of EMF and climate change vulnerability than T. cuspidata. This study provides insights into the EMF communities, which are symbionts of A. koreana, and our critical findings may be used to restore A. koreana.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.399-409
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• 2009

Many researches have shown that NDVI provides a potential methods to derive meaningful metrics that describe ecosystem functions. In this paper we investigated the use of the MODIS NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) to monitor vegetation phenology dynamics of Northern plateau region, North Korea, during last 9-years (2000~2008). The findings of this paper can be summarized as follows. First, the length of growing season ranged from a low of 128 days in 2003 to a high of 176 days in 2000 and 2005. On the average of the last 9 years, the highest NDVI of 0.86 was marked on 28 July. Greenup onset occurs at the start of May, while the senescence begins between late September and October. Second, these annual vegetation cycles were compared with Seorak and Jiri Mountain regions of South Korea which have similar vegetation condition. Greenup onsets in South Korea were observed earlier than those of North Korea and the average time lag between the South and North Korea in Greenup was about 16 days which is a time-resolution of remotely sensed data. Sub-alpine conifers of such areas may be severely affected by the large of phenological characteristics due to the global warming trend.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.388-408
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• 2022

This study was conducted to select the indicator species (plant) according to the topographical characteristics in the Picea jezoensis forests, endangered subalpine coniferous trees. In South Korea and China (close to Baekdusan), the southern tree line limit of Picea jezoensis has meaningful geographical and latitudinal values for analyzing the ecological characteristics of P. jezoensis forests. Latitude greatly affects the geographical values of plant ecology, and the difference in latitude and habitat affects the change in species composition in forests. With prolonged environmental change, the habitat of subalpine plants will become smaller, and the plants may become extinct. As the P. jezoensis forests of South Korea and China, in particular, are in danger of disappearing without protection, it is important to monitor the population and develop a conservation strategy. Eighty-seven circular plots were established in P. jezoensis forests in South Korea and China. Through processes such as MRPP-test and NMS ordination, indicator species were selected based on this, and basic data for biodiversity assessment were presented. As a result of the Indicator Species Analysis (ISA), 5 taxa were selected from the upperstory vegetation and 18 taxa from the understory vegetation at the altitude(p<0.05). Indicator species by aspect were analyzed as 3 taxa for upperstory vegetation and 16 taxa for understory vegetation (p<0.05). In the case of indicator species according to the slope, 6 taxa for upper vegetation and 24 taxa for understory vegetation were selected(p<0.05). As for the indicator species according to their habitat, 8 taxa in upper vegetation and 65 taxa on understory vegetation were selected. As a result of MRPP-test, it was analyzed that the species composition was heterogeneous in the group of understory vegetation than that of upperstory vegetation. As a result of NMS ordination, the correlation with environmental factors of indicator species was analyzed by rock exposure for upperstory vegetation and latitude for understory vegetation (cut off level=0.3).