Cholho Song

Impact of thinning intensity on the diameter and height growth of Larix kaempferi stands in central Korea

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of thinning intensity on the diameter at breast height (DBH) and height growth of Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi) stands located in the Yangpyeong-gun region of central Korea. In addition, a growth model was developed from the thinning practice. Four sample plots were prepared separately and thinned at different intensities (0%, 10%, 20%, and 40% cutting based on the number of trees, respectively) in 1997. DBH and height of individual trees were measured independently in 1997 and 2009. The mean DBH for LT00, LT01, LT02, and LT03 increased from 12.0, 12.1, 12.0, and 12.7 cm in 1997 to 15.3, 16.1, 16.2, and 17.1 cm in 2009, respectively. In addition, the mean height for each plot increased from 11.9, 13.5, 13.6, and 12.0 m in 1997 to 17.0, 17.0, 17.1, and 18.1 m in 2009, respectively. Thinning intensity was found to have a significant positive effect on DBH growth (P < 0.05), whereas there was no definite effect on height growth (P > 0.05). This result can be attributed to the fact that thinning promotes DBH growth by reducing horizontal-spacing competition between neighboring trees for securing sunlight and growing space. The developed growth model with our results showed a high degree of reliability (R2 = 0.86) and could generalize the thinning intensity based on DBH growth.

Long-term trend and correlation between vegetation greenness and climate variables in Asia based on satellite data

Satellite data has been used to ascertain trends and correlations between climate change and vegetation greenness in Asia. Our study utilized 33-year (1982-2014) AVHRR-GIMMS (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer - Global Inventory Modelling and Mapping Studies) NDVI3g and CRU TS (Climatic Research Unit Time Series) climate variable (temperature, rainfall, and potential evapotranspiration) time series. First, we estimated the overall trends for vegetation greenness, climate variables and analyzed trends during summer (April to October), winter (November to March), and the entire year. Second, we carried out correlation and regression analyses to detect correlations between vegetation greenness and climate variables. Our study revealed an increasing trend (0.05 to 0.28) in temperature in northeastern India (bordering Bhutan), Southeast Bhutan, Yunnan Province of China, Northern Myanmar, Central Cambodia, northern Laos, southern Vietnam, eastern Iran, southern Afghanistan, and southern Pakistan. However, a decreasing trend in temperature (0.00 to -0.04) was noted for specific areas in southern Asia including Central Myanmar and northwestern Thailand and the Guangxi, Southern Gansu, and Shandong provinces of China. The results also indicated an increasing trend for evapotranspiration and air temperature accompanied by a decreasing trend for vegetation greenness and rainfall. The temperature was found to be the main driver of the changing vegetation greenness in Kazakhstan, northern Mongolia, Northeast and Central China, North Korea, South Korea, and northern Japan, showing an indirect relationship (R=0.84-0.96).

Long-term trend of and correlation between vegetation greenness and climate variables in Asia based on satellite data

Graphical abstract

The Relationship between Stand Mean DBH and Temperature at a Watershed Scale: The Case of Andong-dam Basin

This study aims to identify the relationship between climatic factors and stand mean Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) for two major tree species; Pinus densiflora and Quercus mongolica in Andong-dam basin. Forest variables such as age, diameter distribution and number of trees per hectare from the 5th and 6th National Forest Inventory data were used to develop a DBH estimation model. Climate data were collected from six meteorological observatory station and twelve Automatic Weather System provided by Korea Meteorological Administration to produce interpolated daily average temperature map with Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) method. Andong-dam basin reflects rugged mountainous terrain, so temperature were adjusted by lapse rate based correction. As a result, predictions of model were consistent with the previous studies; that the rising temperature is negatively related to the growth of Pinus densiflora whereas opposing trend is observed for Quercus mongolica.

The Current Status and Improvement Plan of Environmental Education Program in Relation to Climate Change in the Seoul Metropolitan Area

This study was to conduct a literature review and a theoretical study on 95 environmental education programs currently being run in the metropolitan area and obtained Environmental Education Program Certification of Ministry of Environment. First, the suitability of the environmental education programs was analyzed in terms of the following criteria which the Second National Environmental Education Master Plan propose: strengthening environmental education within the curriculum, strengthening preschooler environmental education, diversification of environmental education among targeted groups, and invigoration of community-based environmental education, and evaluated the contents and the proportion relevant to climate change. Based on the result, the measure for the improvement of the environmental education programs was proposed. As a result of the analysis, there were only 15 programs for children, and 20 programs for adults. Also, only 9% of the children and adult education programs were addressing climate change respectively, which was indicating low percentage. 75 programs were directly related to the school curriculum, and 8 programs were not related to subjects in regular curriculum. Also, considering addressing climate change, 7 out of 11 programs were related to the school curriculum. 71 out of 95 programs were located in the facilities of local governments. Programs that were including the contents relate to climate change were only 11 out of 95 programs. It is necessary to operate programs by expanding environmental education programs targeting children and adults, so all people are took into account, and consider the connectivity between curriculum and environmental education program in South Korea to increase the effectiveness of education. Also, it is necessary to educate people sustainably by relating the programs with various resources which can be utilized in the local community, to include climate change related contents with more proportion, and to address various subjects rather than focusing on one part of the subjects.