Earticle

We identified the main impacts, drivers, and restoration projects for Atlantic Forest in Northwest of the Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The objective was to analyze the quantity, distribution, and causes of the environmental crimes in 2000-2014. To verify differences between degraded and restored areas, we performed a t-test; ANOVA for the municipalities with more quantity of crimes, simple linear regression analysis for the relationship between sizes of degraded areas and quantity of seedlings planted, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for environmental damages categories and population of the municipalities. The main environmental damages found were deforestation outside permanent preservation area (20%) and those related to Permanent Preservation Area (37%). Environmental crimes in these areas fall into two categories: native and exotic vegetation removal (17%), and impediment to natural regeneration (20%). The average size of the degraded areas was 5,359±526 m2, while for restored areas was 3,337±255 m2. The sizes of the degraded fragments were similar among the five municipalities with the higher number of environmental crimes (ANOVA: p＞0.05, F=1.24; df=241). The number of seedlings planted was positively related to the sizes of the degraded fragments (p＜0.001, R2=0.53). Segregation between the less and the most populous municipalities was found with the PCA analysis along PC1 (51.7%), while PC2 represented 19.2% of the total variation. The most populous municipalities showed the highest number of environmental crimes, and the majority of degraded areas were recovered by planting native seedlings. Atlantic Forest fragments need to be recognized and preserved as an ecosystem with a unique ecological function by the population and public administration.

Biomass determination of species-specific in forest ecosystem by semi-destructive measures requires the development of allometric equations; predict aboveground biomass observable independent variables such as, Diameter at Breast Height, Height, and Volume are crucial role. There has not been equation of this type in mountain Chuqala natural forest. In this study two species namely, Hypericum revolutum Vahl. & Maesa lanceoleta Forssk. with tree diameter classes (15-20, 20.5-25, and 25.5-35 cm), with the purpose of conducting allometric equations were characterized. Each species assumed considered individually. For the linear model fit the two observed variable DBH, H and V were preferred for the prediction of above ground biomass. The best fitted model choose among the two formed model were identified using Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), and R2 and adjacent R2. Based on this the best fit model for Hypericum revolutum Vahl. was AGB=-681.015＋4,494.06 (DBH), and for Maesa lanceoleta Forrsk. was. AGB=-936.96＋5,268.92 (DBH).

The tropical forests in developing countries are faced with the problem of illegal exploitation of trees. However, dearth of empirical means of expressing the dimensions, structure, quality and quantity of a removed tree has imped conviction of offenders. This study aimed at developing a model that can effectively estimate individual tree basal area (BA) from stump diameter (Ds) for Tectona grandis stands in Omo Forest Reserve, Nigeria, for timber valuation in case of illegal felling. Thirty-six 25 m×25 m temporary sample plots (TSPs) were laid randomly in six age strata; 26, 23, 22, 16, 14, and 12 years specifically. BA, Ds and diameter at breast height were measured in all living T. grandis trees within the 36 TSPs. Least square method was used to convert the counted stumps into harvested stem cross-sectional areas. Six basal area models were fitted and evaluated. The BA-Ds relationship was best described by power model which gave least values of Root mean square error (0.0048), prediction error sum of squares (0.0325) and Akaike information criterion (-15391) with a high adjusted coefficient of determination (0.921). This study revealed that basal area estimation was realistic even when the only information available was stump diameter. The power model was validated using independent data obtained from additional plots and was found to be appropriate for estimating the basal area of Tectona grandis stands in Omo Forest Reserve, Nigeria.

Wood decay fungi were collected in 47 different locations in eight provinces of South Korea from 2011 to 2013. One thousand and five hundreds three fruiting bodies of wood-decay fungi were collected, identified, and classified into 2 phyla, 7 classes, 19 orders, 56 families, 159 genera and 365 species. The most dominant genus and species found were Trametes and T. versicolor. The highest species diversity was found in broad-leaved forest (273 species), and was also found at elevations of 500-1,000 m (227 species). A total of 333 species were collected from broad-leaved trees, 87 species from coniferous trees, and 55 species were collected from both forest types. Gymnopilus liquiritiae was the most dominant species in coniferous trees, while T. versicolor, which was mostly collected from tree trunks below 500 m in elevation, was dominant in broad-leaved trees. Results from the quantitative cluster analysis of wood decay fungi showed that the highest species diversity index was 1.80 in the mixed forests, while the highest similarity among forest types was shown between the broad-leaved and mixed forests.

The purpose of this study is to compare the bird crossing of roads by type (Expressway 1, railroad-provincial road and Highway 4) and the crossing of roads according to the size of birds. The greatest number of avian species and individuals crossing road per 10 minutes were found on railroad-provincial road (8.96±1.92 and 29.33±11.94, respectively), while the lowest number of avian species and individuals were found on Expressway 1 (2.96±1.04 and 6.13±2.89, respectively), which has the widest width. In addition, the number of small-sized bird (＜20 cm) crossing the Expressway 1, railroad- provincial road, and Highway 4 was lower than that of the medium-sized bird (≥20 cm). Current wildlife crossing structures have been focused on mammals, amphibians and reptiles, but future structures should also consider birds.

This paper discusses the development of semi-automatic search program for crown delineation in stand level. The crown of an individual tree was delineated by applying the Watershed (WS) and Valley Following (VF) algorithms. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) images were used in the semi-automatic search program to delineate the crown area. The overall accuracy and Khat were used in accuracy assessment. WS algorithm’s model showed the overall accuracy and Khat index of 0.80 and 0.59, respectively, in Plot 1. However, the overall accuracy and Khat of VF algorithm’s model were 0.78 and 0.51, respectively, in Plot 2.

Quantification of Carbon stock has become in the contest of changing climate and mitigation potential of forests. Two different forest types, Dry Shiwalik Sal Forest and Moist Shiwalik Sal Forest in Barkot and Lachchiwala of Doon Valley, Western Himalaya are selected for the study. Volume equations, destructive sampling and laboratory analysis are done to estimate the carbon stock in different carbon pools like trees, shrubs, herbs and soils. Considerable variations are observed in terms of carbon stocks in different forest types. In Dry Shiwalik Sal Forest, carbon stock density varied between 129.81 and 136.00 MgCha-1 while in Moist Shiwalik Sal Forest, carbon stock density ranged from 222.29 to 271.67 MgCha-1. Tree species like Shorea robusta, Syzigium cumini, Miliusa velutina, Acacia catechu, and Mallotus philippensis had significant role in carbon sequestration. Shorea robusta had contributed highest in carbon stock due to highest density. Total of 2,338,280.165 Mg carbon stock was estimated in all the forest types.

Ozone absorbs ultraviolet light which is harmful to life. However, the recent increase of ambient ozone level due to climate change is becoming the cause of stimulating human eyes, affecting respiratory system, and damaging crops. In this paper, a study was conducted at the Taehwa Research Forest (TRF) of Seoul National University with the purpose of analyzing the characteristics of forest air chemistry based on the measurement of BVOCs emitted from forests and investigating the correlation of BVOCs with ozone generation. The results showed that levels of isoprene and MVK (Methyl Vinyl Keton)＋MACR (Methacrolein) were high in summer, but level of monoterpene was high in spring. Ozone level was high from the middle of May to the middle of June, which was before the rainy season. Comparison of the correlation between ozone and isoprene during the measurement period at the TRF showing limited NOx showed that the R2 was correlated with a low value of about 0.4. However, when the isoprene was actively produced from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, correlation analysis showed that R2 was about 0.9, while monoterpene started to increase in the afternoon, and decreased level of ozone at night. Correlation analysis showed negative correlation. Forests have two characteristics: not only the formation of ozone but also the decomposition of ozone.

This study quantified the carbon storage and uptake by street trees in Seoul and explored suitable planting and management strategies. A systematic sampling model was used to select 50 plots to survey the structures of street trees. The average density and cover of street trees were approximately 5.8 trees/100 m2 and 12.1%, respectively. Trees with a dbh of less than 30 cm accounted for about 66.3% of the total number of trees surveyed. The total carbon storage and uptake by the street trees were approximately 103,641 t and 10,992 t/yr, respectively. The total carbon uptake equaled the amount of annual carbon emissions from driving of about 11,000 cars. Street tree planting and management strategies were proposed to enhance carbon uptake. They included multi-layered and multi-aged planting, securing ground and space for plant growth, and avoiding excessive tree pruning.

Mt. Bongeui is a neighborhood park of 66.4 ha as a major natural landscape resource located in the center of Chuncheon City. This study quantified the reduction of carbon, SO2, NO2, O3, and PM2.5, and the production of O2 to explore the role for Mt. Bongeui to contribute to annual atmospheric purification. The main forest types and age classes of the study site included age-class III broadleaved forest at 35.8%, age-class VI coniferous forest at 17.2%, and age-class IV broadleaved forest at 15.7%. The annual atmospheric purification effect per unit area was as follows: 7.6 t carbon/ha/yr, 16.6 kg SO2/ha/yr, 40.4 kg NO2/ha/yr, 41.5 kg O3/ha/yr, 53.7 kg PM2.5/ha/yr, and 20.2 t O2/ha/yr. The economic value of these effects was equivalent to about 12.9 million KRW/ha/yr. The study site annually offset carbon emissions of about 300 citizens, SO2 emissions of 220 citizens, and NO2 emissions of 92 citizens in Chuncheon. It also played an important role in annually producing 1.5% of the amount of O2 necessary for the respiration of Chuncheon’s total population. This study pioneers in comprehensively quantifying the atmospheric purification effect and could be useful in guiding the planning and management to improve the effect.

National parks are designated and managed for the purpose of preserving natural ecosystems, nature and cultural scenery, and promoting sustainable utilization in Korea. Since we designated Jirisan as the first Korean national park in 1967, we have now designated and managed 22 national parks. Because these national parks are the core protected areas of the nation and the ecological recreation center for the people, the interests of researchers related to national parks and citizens have steadily increased over the last 50 years. Especially, various natural science researches and social studies on national parks have been conducted with the launch of the Korea National Park Service in 1987, which is dedicated to national park management. However, we still lack research on national park research trends in Korea in spite of the increase in scientific research and public interest. It is important to know who and what institutes are leading national parks research, what research topics have been conducted, what kinds of researches are important in each national park, and how these researches relate to national park management policies. We propose a study to review the national parks related studies that have been carried out so far and identify the research trends. In the pilot study, we collected about 700 research papers on national parks published between 2002 and 2016 through the Korea Citation Index of Korean journals. We are analyzing the number of papers published, research institutes and research topics related to national parks. Analysis of these national park research trends will be necessary for efficient national park management and policy making for future generations.

Stem cuttings of three Rubus species native to Korea were treated by two commercial root stimulation formula for propagation. Differences among the species was obvious, toot was induced relatively easily on R. hongnoensis. Fifty percent of stem rooted without any treatment on this species and two stimulators was effective to increase the root induction. On the other hand, two other species, R. schizostylus and R. ribisoideus, had very low percent of rooting. Treatment using root stimulators was effective but still lower than that of R. hongnoensis. Root induction was not influence by the medium that resulted no differences between two media.

To restore the connectivity of fragmented habitats, 415 wildlife crossings have been built between 1998 and 2014 in South Korea. However, their effect on wildlife conservation is still in doubt. As a first step to examine the effectiveness, our study aims to assess compliance with the guideline for wildlife crossing construction and management, developed by the Ministry of Environment Korea that provides fundamental information to understand the status and the problem of wildlife crossings in Korea and thus to provide practical guidance for the improvement. According to our survey, the Korea National Park Service complied with the guideline best (62.5%) while local government followed the guideline least (46.1%). In addition, the compliance rate was the highest for wildlife crossings in national roads (53.6%) followed by highways (53.2%) and local and municipal roads (52.2%). For the overpass wildlife crossings, the compliance rates for installation of an escaping facility in the drainage and prevention of pedestrian and vehicle access were particularly low. In case of underpass wildlife crossings, small ditches for amphibians and reptiles were not sufficient, and the linkage between wildlife fences and underpass were weak. In order to ensure the effectiveness of wildlife crossings, the effort to increase the compliance rate with the guideline is critical, and mandating the guideline could be a practical way to enforce the compliance.

Fecal sites of the Siberian flying squirrel Pteromys volans were found in the 16 tree species, and 11 species (46.4%) of them were used as fecal sites in winter and only 3 tree species (5.6%) were used for their fecal dropping in summer. In winter and spring, 11 and 10 tree species were used as fecal sites, respectively, indicating that various species of trees are used in those seasons for food sources or resting sites of the flying squirrels. Of total 16 species, the flying squirrels’ fecal sites were most frequently found in Quercus mongolica (46.4%) and then followed by Prunus sargentii (25.6%). In winter, Prunus sargentii was preferred more than Quercus mongolica, although trees of Prunus sargentii are less distributed compared with those of various trees of the genus Quercus. In summer and autumn, high productivity of trees makes the flying squirrels use only one or two species they prefer. In winter and spring, however, they should extend their food source to various tree species because of low productivity and less food sources.

Characteristics of fecal sites of the Siberian flying squirrel Pteromys volans was analyzed based on 132 sites of total 19 places. The fecal sites were more frequently found in winter (43.9%), and then followed by autumn (27.3%), spring (23.5%), and summer (5.3%). With the exception of summer, the fecal sites were more frequently found at the root collar than on the forked tree (p＜0.01). Among 132 fecal sites, 88 sites (66.7%) were found on the rood collars and the other 44 sites (33.3%) were posited in the forked trees. Brown or red clay pellets were found at 44 fecal sites (33.4%) and 43 fecal sites (32.6%), and then black and yellow pellets were at 22 fecal sites (16.7%) and 19 fecal sites (14.3%), respectively. Green pellets were rarely found only at 4 sites (3.0%). Feces tend to have bright colors (brown, red clay and yellow) in winter and black in summer. Fecal sites with yellow pellets were much less found in all of the three seasons with the exception of winter, but highly increased in 25.4% in winter. The fecal sites with brown (33.4%) and red clay pellets (32.6%) were most frequently found through the four seasons.

To know if deforestation practice affects the distribution and abundance of herpetofauna in Mt. Gariwang, South Korea, we conducted field surveys over 12 times both at deforested (n=9 sites) and un-touched (control, n=12 sites) forest areas from March to October, 2017. Each survey site was approximately 100 m long×20 m wide area, which in the middle of the site, mountain road presented. During each survey, we recorded the species and the number of amphibians and reptiles which identified. To compare environments between the two areas, we analyzed eight environmental variables, extracted from digital sources. Overall, we found one amphibian and four reptile species at deforested area, while each five amphibian and reptile species at un-touched area. The number of amphibian species significantly tended to be smaller at deforested area. The number of the survey sites where amphibians found and the number of amphibian individuals showed the same trend. For reptiles, although the number of reptile individuals showed some increases, all variables investigated were not significantly changed by deforestation practice. Our results imply that deforestation practice negatively affects amphibians, but effects of that on reptiles are not evident.

To establish a management strategy of sediment-related disasters for adaptation to climate change, it is necessary to 1) understand the specific details and problems about the present status, 2) systematize related technologies by using exact numerical values obtained from physically-based analysis, and 3) ensure the basic guidelines are applied to field elastically. To achieve these successfully, detailed guidelines are required by scientifically considering the utilization and impact of related technology on the field. Here, detailed guidelines should include 1) the development of a basic plan, 2) enhancement of relevant technical instructions, 3) establishment of survey and inspection methods, 4) procedure of erosion control works in urban living sphere, and 5) proactive countermeasures against sediment-related disaster caused by earthquakes.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of jellyfish chips in promoting the survival and growth of Pinus thunbergii seedlings in a coastal area based on a five-year field investigation from 2012 to 2016. Seedling survival rate was significantly higher in the treatment (96%) than in the control (75%) group in 2012. Furthermore, the height of five-year-old seedlings after plantation in 2012 was significantly greater in the treatment (3.41 m) than in the control (2.32 m) group (t=10.151; p-value＜0.01). These results revealed that jellyfish chips can improve soil condition by enhancing moisture retention during the early growth stages and supplying nutrients to the seedlings over time. Our findings indicated that jellyfish chips could be used effectively as an organic fertilizer for growing coastal disaster prevention forests.