Earticle

Tropical forests whether fragmented or undisturbed or be they equatorial or deciduous, remain the storehouse of biodiversity for hundreds of thousands of plant and animal species. This unique characteristic continues to attract a wide range of scientists and international organizations to study and attempt to understand tropical forest ecosystems. Gene flow is mediated by pollen, seed and seedling dispersal, and factors affecting this gene flow include phenology, spatial distribution, population structures, seed predation, sexual and mating systems as well as physical and biological barriers to gene flow. Two methods are used in measuring gene flow: direct method that relies on the actual observation of seed and pollen dispersal, whereas indirect methods involve the use of genetic markers such as allozymes and DNA techniques. Political strife, extreme natural and artificial disasters, the lack of a comprehensive forestry research vision, coupled with difficult socio-economic conditions in Africa have made the environment quite difficult for sustained research activities on the part of those undertaking or wishing to undertake such studies. Gene flow studies in this region are few and far between. This review elaborates on the mechanisms of gene flow mediation in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Kashmir Himalaya, known for its indigenous and endemic flora, also provides home to a large number of exotic plants, which exhibit a wide taxonomical and distributional stretch. Although, some preliminary studies have been carried out in the region on some aspects of its exotic flora, the inventorization and documentation of its exotic have received a little or negligible attention. There is a lot of scope of these exotic plant species in Kashmir valley, but lack of authentic identification has been as a big hurdle in their scientific management. It is in this backdrop that the present floristic study was carried out to identify, inventorize, document and characterize the exotic plant species grown in the Valley. The present study has revealed that Kashmir Valley grows 317 exotic plant species, which belong to 209 genera in 85 families. Dicotyledons are the largest group, represented by 252 species in 163 genera and 67 families. Monocotyledons comprise 52 species in 37 genera and 13 families. Gymnosperms are the smallest group, with 13 species distributed in 9 genera and 5 families. Asteraceae is the largest family containing 33 exotic species.

Like any other natural resources, forest flora may experience the extreme threat of elevated temperature and saline water submergence at different stages of their lives i.e. from germination to maturity due to climate change effects. The overall aim of the study was to measure the effect of higher temperatures along with saline water irrigation on survival and initial growth during seedling stage of Artocarpus chapalasha. The experiment was conducted in temperature-humidity-photoperiod regulated plant growth chamber during stipulated period to measure the growth performance of randomly selected seedlings. Within three different elevated temperatures viz. 30oC, 32oC and 34oC, the seedlings were given three different saline conditions such as 0.5 g/L, 1.5 g/L and 2.5 g/L NaCl concentrations. Results found from the experiment was that, seedlings of Artocarpus chaplasha reared at different temperatures and saline water treatments showed stunted growth than reared at existing outdoor temperature (26.31°C) irrigated with regular fresh water. Seedling growth at three different parameters such as height, collar diameter and number of leaves showed that with increasing temperature individuals respond negatively to increasing saline condition. The seedling’s growth occurred at every day in height, collar diameter and leaf. However, growth rate reduced later during the observation. The combined effect of high salinity and higher elevated temperature results in seedling mortality. Therefore, Artocarpus chaplasha may not thrive at higher temperature and salinity intrusion at its early growing period in plantation and natural forest areas.

Recently the Korean government provided forest recreation areas through developing evaluation index of rural areas amenity resources, forest therapy and recreational forest for revitalization of rural areas and national health promotion. However, what the public wants is just one place which includes all recreational facilities. GRAT tourism means Green, Rest and Therapy-Tourism. It is a new concept of recreational forests. This study defines GRAT-Tourism, the new concept of recreational activity and discusses the development of the GRAT-Tourism Evaluation Index.

This paper assesses the stmpage value of Korean white pine (Pinus koraiensis) stands in the Research Forest of Kangwon National University. Assessment was done by means of the cost value method (Faustmann formula) for age class Ⅰ, Glaser method for age class II-V, and inversion market method for age class over VI. Generally the value of stumpage is calculated by the inversion market method in the market. However, immature trees and middle age class trees are not assessed in market, and the Korean forest is not old enough to harvest. So, when forests are damaged by attacks from forest fire, blight and harmful insects, the forest cannot be compensated for the loss from the government or insurance company. For this reason, the value of all-age class trees are calculated by using appropriate methods. As a result, the value of age I class stands (0.3 ha) is calculated as 1,786,305 (won), age II-Vclass stands (22.1 ha) 206,677,975(won) and age VI class and over stands (24.8 ha) 523,789,603 (won).

The total yield of Pinus koraiensis stands was reviewed along forest function by using goal programming, which is one of the operations research techniques. The 4 kinds of management goals are set to identify timber production in the Research Forest of Kangwon National University. As a result, scenario 1 was estimated the best timber production over 2,073 ha area and also 588 ha in the third quarter was showed the most timber harvest. The rate of timber harvest was separated by 10 to 50 percent in non-timber forest function in the scenario 1 and that model was applied to the Research Forest of Kangwon National University. The structure of the area and volume is showed to be balanced quarterly when rate of timber harvest at 10 to 20 percent.

A study surveyed to visitor's user behavior and importance-satisfaction in the Provicial Wando-arboretum. As the results of the research, Most of the visitors are 40s and 50s and live in Jeonnam Region, Gwang-ju. The purpose of their visit was recreation, leisure or experience of a warm-temperate forest. Also the mean of importance was 3.94 and the mean of satisfaction was 3.51 in the Wando-arboretum. It appeared necessary for items of program development, homepage management and amenities including public toilet. The research results are expected to suggest efficient management measures. And expects with the research result that will be the possibility of raising the qualitative satisfaction of the visitor.

The research on urban forests in Chuncheon, so far, has mainly conducted in Ponguisan urban forest. Research on other urban forests in Chuncheon was scarce. Accordingly, in this study, the author chose the main urban forests in Chuncheon and tried to find a way of efficient establishment and management of urban forests in Chuncheon by field and questionnaire survey. The research findings, there were several reasons why effective management can not be implemented in the main urban forests in Chuncheon. To solve these problems and make an efficient establishment and management of urban forests in Chuncheon, the first way is to make forest management plans on the urban forest in Chuncheon and expand administrative organization, personnel and budget. Establishment and management of urban forests needs a practical, strengthened overall management system. The second way is to enhance the regional and functional characteristics for urban forest, expand the area of urban forests, and enhance management of Street trees. The third way is to designate Urban Nature Park or Urban Park for the main urban forests in Chuncheon and need to change the ownership of the urban forests by purchasing. The fourth way is to respond to Chuncheon citizen's preference and their way of utilization when create the urban forests in Chuncheon, expand convenience facilities, relaxation facilities as well.

There is little information about appropriate greenspace structures to satisfy aesthetic function in Korea. The purpose of this study was to analyze Korean's aesthetic preferences for greenspace structures concerned with urban tree plantings of an areal type to explore desirable greenspace landscapes. The study considered 5 structural variables of greenspace which were species composition, tree density, tree size, vertical and horizontal structure, and tree layout pattern. A photo-questionnaire was prepared through color simulations of different landscape types for each structural variable. Preference responses of an interval-scale rating from 214 respondents were statistically analyzed between landscape types and between respondent groups. Respondents preferred greenspace landscapes with diverse tree species to single species, higher tree density to lower density, larger trees to many smaller trees, multilayered and grouped plantings to single-layered and sparse plantings, and informal pattern to formal pattern. These preferences tended to be relatively higher for educated specialist and student groups than for other generalist group. Thus, multilayered and dense plantings in natural pattern including larger trees of diverse species, which are similar to ecological plantings, are recommended to increase aesthetic function of greenspace.