Hyun-Seo Cho

Quantitative Comparisons of Soil Carbon and Nutrient Storage in Larix leptolepis, Pinus densiflora and Pinus rigitaeda Plantations

This study was carried out to evaluate soil carbon and nutrient storage of three adjacent coniferous plantations (Larix leptolepis, Pinus densiflora and Pinus rigitaeda) growing on a similar site with a same planting age (42-year old) in the Sambong Exhibition Forests, Hamyang-gun, Gyungsangnam-do. The soil carbon concentration among three plantations was not significantly different in 0∼10cm soil depth, but other two depths (10∼20cm and 20∼30cm) showed higher carbon concentration in P. densiflora plantation than the other two plantations. The exchangeable cation concentrations (Ca and Mg) in 0∼10cm depth were significantly lower in L. leptolepis plantation than in the other two plantations, while nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations were not significantly different among three plantations except for nitrogen at 10∼20cm depth in P. rigitaeda plantation. Soil carbon storage in 0∼20cm depth of three plantations was unaffected by the stand types. Soil nutrient storage was not significantly different at each depth except for nitrogen storage at 10∼20cm depth in P. rigitaeda plantation because of the variation of bulk density and coarse fragment. This result demonstrates that soil carbon and nutrient concentrations among the plantations on a similar soil condition can be altered significantly by tree species effects over 40 years after plantation establishment.

Carbon and nitrogen status in litterfall of a red pine stand with varying degrees of damage from pine wilt disease

We evaluated the carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) status of litterfall in a natural red pine (Pinus densiflora ) stand damaged by pine wilt disease in Jinju City, which was one of the areas severely affected by the disease in Korea. A significant cor relation (P < 0.05) was found between tree density and basal area and the C and N status of litterfall components, but C and N status was not correlated with mean diameter at breast height in the pine wilt disease stands. Needle-litter C and N concentrations were linearly related (P < 0.05) to basal area in pine wilt disease stands. Needle-litter C concentration decreased with a decrease in damage intensity due to pine wilt disease, whereas litter N concentration increased with an increase of basal area in pine wilt disease stands. The linear regression equations developed for litterfall C and N inputs were significant ( P < 0.05), with basal area accounting for 50-86% of the variation, except for cone and flower litter. The results indicated that the incidence of pine wilt disease could impact the quality and quantity of C and N in litterfall of pine stands suffering from pine wilt disease.

Vegetation of Liana Dominating in the Vicinity of Onsan Industrial Complex

This study was carried out to on liana dominating at the vicinity of Onsan Industrial Complex declining P. thunbergii foersts. It was surveyed 16 species, 30 species and 50 species at upper, middle and understory, respectively. It was dominant P. thunbergii at upperstory, and P. densiflora, P. thunbergii, Quercus dentata and Q. serrata at middlestory, and Smilax china, Paederia scandens, Symplocos chinensis var. sinuata, Styrax japonica, Lonicera japonica and Q. serrata etc. at understory. It was the highest importance value(13.2) of S. china among all liana, and in order of L. japonica (11.7), P. scandens (11.5) and Cocculus trilobus (7.7). Number of species, Species diversity, Maximum species diversity, Evenness and Dominance of woody plants at upperstory and middlestory by each survey site were higher in forest areas than industrial complex, but those of understory highly showed at industrial complex, and ratio of liana at understory was high. It showed total 50 species at herbaceous plants, and was high I.V. of Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum, Spodiopogon cotulifer, Commerelina commuris, Phytolacca americana, Rubus parvifolius, Miscanthussinensis var. purpurascens and Calamagrostis arundinacea, etc.

Fertilization and Tree Density Effects on Cellulose Decomposition in a Larix leptolepis Plantation

Cellulose mass loss by cellulose filter papers was measured for 3 time (35 days, 70 days, 105 days) incubation during the growing season (from May to September 2002) with different tree density and after fertilization in a Japanese larch (Larix leptolepis) plantation. Cellulose mass loss rates were significantly different between tree density types and fertilization treatments during the study periods. After 105 day incubation of cellulose filter paper, cellulose mass loss rates were significantly higher in the low tree density (70.1 ) than in the high tree density (49.9). Cellulose mass loss rates averaged 62.8 in the fertilization and 58.9% in the unfertilization treatments during the same periods. However, cellulose mass loss was not significantly different between the forest floor and the mineral soil layer except for 35 day incubation. The results indicate that cellulose decomposition rates are a useful index to express differences in organic matter decomposition activity in different tree density and after fertilizer treatments.

Base cation fluxes and release by needle litter in three adjacent coniferous plantations

This study was carried out to evaluate base cation (K, Ca, Mg) fluxes and release by needle litter in three adjacent coniferous plantations (larch: Larix leptolepis; red pine: Pinus densiflora, rigitaeda pine: P. rigita × taeda) planted in the same year (1963) in the Sambong Exhibition Forests, Korea. Needle litter was collected monthly from July 2006 to June 2008 and litter decomposition rates were measured from December 2006 to June 2008. The concentrations and fluxes of K and Mg were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the larch than in both pine plantations. The differences in K and Mg fluxes in needle litter were attributed to low nutrient concentrations of pine needle litter compared with larch needle litter, while the highest fluxes of Ca in the red pine plantation were due to high concentration and inputs of needle litter compared with other two coniferous plantations. Potassium and Mg concentrations (mg g−1) and remaining (mg bag−1) from needle litter during the decomposition processes were higher in the larch than in both pine plantations, while Ca concentration and remaining were significantly lower in the rigiteada than in the larch or red pine plantations. These results demonstrate that base cation cycling processes can be varied considerably after plantation establishment by the characteristics of needle litter fluxes and nutrient release among tree species types.

Soil and Leaf Nutrient Properties by Establishment Periods of Chesnut (Castanea crenata Sieb. et. Zucc.) Orchards in Sancheong-gun

higher (p 0.05) between both establishment periods. Leaf area, leaf mass, and nutrient (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) concentration of green leaves were also not significantly different (p>0.05) between both establishment periods. The results indicate that soil bulk density in chestnut orchards is dependent on the establishment periods, while soil chemical property and leaf nutrient concentration may be little influenced by the establishment periods.