Eun-Shik Kim (Kookmin University), Bom-Chul Kim (Kangwon National University), Dowon Lee (Seoul National University), and Jeong Soo Oh (Forestry Research Institute).
1) Introduction
Over the last 40 years, landscapes of Korea have been dramatically changed due to people's intensive efforts in afforestation and conversion of domestic fuel source from firewood to fossil fuels. Land area was largely revegetated and the condition of vegetation is getting better by the change of time. Meanwhile, Korea has experienced degradation of natural environment caused by intensive developmental activities and subsequent pollution, however. These include industrialization, urbanization, the construction of roads and golf courses, fossil fuel consumption, discharge of wastes to water system, agriculture, mineral extraction, land-clearing, water control, etc. As the environmental degradation is rather slowly emerging over decades, most of the people do not sense the symptoms with any precision. Hence it is strongly required to extensively collect and carefully analyze relevant data for longer time for a better understanding and management of biotic components and the environment of ecosystems of Korea. Although some scientists have realized the importance of studying long-term phenomena in ecology, major advancement in LTER has not been made in Korea yet.
It is only recently when three sites were officially designated for long-term ecological research. Forestry Research Institute (FRI) included LTER as a major project in forestry research. The first LTER site in Korea is Kwangnung Experimental Forest which represents the oldest natural forest of Korea. Some part of the forest has been protected for more than 500 years. Forests of Mt. Kyebangsan and Mt. Keumsan were included in the list. There are some other sites which have the potential to be designated as LTER sites. Although it is in early phase in LTER, promotion and encouragement of focused activities of ecologists will promise the sound development of Korea LTER in near future.
2) Description of program, objectives, and core areas
As the program in Korea LTER is in early stage of development, efforts are made to establish the central and nationwide program to publically support and coordinate researches in official and potential LTER sites in Korea. Meanwhile, in order to facilitate communication, coordination, and cooperation among the scientists in ecology and related disciplines, Korea LTER Committee (KLC) has been established in 1997.
The objectives of most researches are focused to investigate the dynamics of structure and function of ecosystems related to the changes of environment, which is ultimately related to monitoring biodiversity and global change in Korea.
All the LTER sites have common themes, called core research areas, which must be investigated and can be compared to each other. The core areas include primary production, population dynamics, nutrient cycling, impacts of environmental stress and disturbances, and environmental changes.
3) Table of site characteristics of each site
Three official sites (Kwangnung Experimental Forest, Mt. Kyebangsan Forest, and Mt. Keumsan Forest) which are managed by Forestry Research Institute, as well as three potential sites (Lake Soyang, Mt. Jumbongsan, and Mt. Hallasan) are introduced. Mt. Chirisan, Mt. Soraksan, Mt. Namsan, and Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) are potential sites. In addition to these sites, intensively investigated sites monitored by the Ministry of Environment as a nationwide nature and environment census program can be strong candidates for LTER sites in Korea. The locations of the sites are illustrated in the map of Korea LTER Network.
*Site name/location - Kwangnung Experimental Forest/Kyonggido Province, Korea
*Principal contact/Institute - Dr. Jeong Soo Oh, Director of Forest Ecology/Forestry Research Institute, 207, Chongnyangni 2-dong, Tongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-012, Korea
*Latitude, longitude, elevation, size (ha) - 37。48'N, 127。11'E, 300 - 537m, 500ha
*Principal biome/main communities - Mixed - hardwood temperate forest/Quercus, Carpinus, Prunus
*Research topics - Forest stand dynamics; Water cycling; Nutrient cycling; Change of biodiversity and microclimate
*History of site/type of data collected - Mausoleum (King Sejo, the 7th King of Chosun Dynasty) designated as Experimental Forest in 1913. Kwangnung Arboretum and Forest Museum were established in 1987. Comprehensive introduction to the Experimental Forest was published by Forestry Research Institute. Hydrological data were collected for twenty years. Ground survey on biodiversity was conducted from 1994. The long-term ecological research site was established in 1996.
*Key references - Oh, J.S., B.C. Lee, J.H. Shin, S.W. Oh, and S.I. Kim. 1991. Community classification and stand structure of Kwangnung Natural Reserve Forest. Research Report of Forestry Research Institute 42:36-56. (in Korean with English abstract)
*Site name/location - Mt. Kyebangsan Forest/Kangwondo Province, Korea
*Principal contact/Institute - Dr. Jeong Soo Oh, Director of Forest Ecology/Forestry Research Institute, 207, Chongnyangni 2-dong, Tongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-012, Korea
*Latitude, longitude, elevation, size (ha) - 37。44'N, 128。29'E, 900 - 1577m, 440 ha
*Principal biome/main communities - Mixed - hardwood temperate forest/Quercus, Betula, Kalopanax, Tilia, Acer, Abies
*Research topics - Forest stand dynamics; Air pollution; Change of biodiversity; Climate change and monitoring
*History of site/type of data collected - The site was designated as Reserve Forest for research in 1991. Ground survey on biodiversity was conducted in 1995. The long-term ecological research site was established in 1996.
*Key references - Shin, J.H., B.C. Lee, H.J. Cho, S.W. Bae, C.I. Ryu, H.C. Park, J.H. Shim, and S.H. Chun. 1991. Biodiversity of forest ecosystems in Mt. Gyebang and Ulreung Island. Forestry Research Institute Research Report 121. 367 pages. (in Korean).
*Site name/location - Mt. Keumsan Forest/Kyungsangnamdo Province, Korea
*Principal contact/Institute - Dr. Jeong Soo Oh, Director of Forest Ecology/Forestry Research Institute, 207, Chongnyangni 2-dong, Tongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-012, Korea
*Latitude, longitude, elevation, size (ha) - 34。30'N, 127。59'E, 100 - 700m, 300 ha
*Principal biome/main communities - Mixed - hardwood temperate forest/Quercus, Carpinus, Acer, Pinus
*Research topics - Forest stand dynamics; Change of biodiversity especially in warm temperate forest
*History of site/type of data collected - The site was designated as Experimental Forest in 1983. Ground survey on biodiversity was conducted in 1994. The long-term ecological research site was established in 1996.
*Key references - Shin, H.C. and K.Y. Lee. 1990. A comparative study on the structure of forest vegetation at the southern and northern slopes of Mt. Kum in Namhae. Journal of Korean Forestry Society 79(3): 245 - 254.
*Site name/location - Mt. Jumbongsan Nature Reserve, a part of Mt. Soraksan Biosphere Reserve UNESCO MAB (potential site)/Kangwondo Province, Korea
*Principal contact/Institute - Dr. Dowon Lee/Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea
*Latitude, longitude, elevation, size (ha) - 38o00'∼38o03'N, 128o26'∼128o30'E, 900-1424 m, 2,049 ha
*Principal biome/main communities - Mixed-hardwood temperate forest/Quercus, Kalopanax, Fraxinus, Carpinus, Acer, montane stream
*Research topics - Distribution of vascular plant; Soil fauna and nutrients; leaf litterfall and decomposition; Stream invertebrate; Avian ecology; Integration of ecosystem model and geographic information system
*History of site/types of data collected - The site has been included in a Biosphere Reserve in UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program and designated as Natural Forest Reserve by the Administration of Forestry, Korea in 1980s. Geology, vascular plants, birds, insects, fishes and amphibians, reptiles, and mammals were partially investigated in 1983. Vascular plants, leaf litterfall and decomposition, soil and stream invertebrates, and birds have been monitored since September 1994, soil temperature since December 1995 and air temperature, precipitation, wind, LAI and soil respiration since March 1998.
*Key references - Lee, D., D. Cho, J. Lee, and C. Park. 1997. Analyses of ecological structure and function of natural forest reserve in Mt. Jumbong for conservation of biodiversity. Vol. 3. Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF). Korea (in Korean with English abstract)
*Site name/location - Mt. Hallasan National Park or Mt. Hallasan Nature Reserve (potential site)/Chejudo Province, Korea
*Principal contact/Institute - Dr. Eun-Shik Kim, Department of Forest Resources, Kookmin University, Seoul 136-702 Korea (or Director, Hallasan National Park Management Office, Cheju City, Chejudo Province, 690-200 Korea)
*Latitude, longitude, elevation, size (ha) - 33o19'15"N ∼ 33o25'30"N, 126o27'59"E ∼ 126o37'38"E, 800 - 1950m, 15,131 ha
*Principal biome/main communities - Mixed-hardwood temperate forest and subalpine coniferous forest/Quercus, Pinus, Carpinus, Abies
*Research topics - Distribution of vascular plant; Forest dynamics and biodiversity; Growth decline of Korean fir; Climate change and global warming; Transboundary transport of air pollutants; Impact assessment of human activities and wild deers to ecosystem; Restoration of biodiversity; Hydrological modeling
*History of site/types of data collected - Mt. Hallasan was designated as Nature Reserve in 1966 and as National Park in 1970. Various studies on climate, geology, soil, vegetation, invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals were carried out in 1985 and intermittently thereafter. Growth data of Korean firs are quantified until recent days and temperature and precipitation data are available in nearby cities. Air pollution and acid precipitation data are also available on the same basis.
*Key references - Chejudo Province. 1985. Report of the Academic survey of Hallasan (Mountain) Natural Preserve. (in Korean); Kim, E.S. 1994. Decline of tree growth and the changes of environmental factors on high altitude mountains. Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF). 89 pages. (in Korean with English abstract)
*Site name/location - Lake Soyang (potential site)/Kangwondo Province, Korea
*Principal contact/Institute - Dr. Bom-Chul Kim/ Department of Environmental Science, Kangwon National University, Chunchon, 200-701 Korea. bomchkim@cc.kangwon.ac.kr
*Latitude, longitude, elevation, size - dam is at 127ῆ40'E, 37ῆ90'N, flood level 198m, maximum surface area 70km2, maximum depth 120m, axial length 60km, watershed 2700km2 ,water capacity 2.9 x 109 m3
*Principal biome/main communities - warm monomictic circulation, mesotrophic phytoplankton community, no littoral zone, water level fluctuating
*Research topics - Productivity and structure of phytoplankton community; Zooplankton community structure; Distribution of nutrients, input and output of nutrients; Ecosystem modeling
*History of site/type of data collected - Lake Soyang is the deepest and largest reservoir in Korea. Research team in Kangwon National University have been monitoring primary productivity, phytoplankton community, nutrients distribution. In 1990s more data of zooplankton community, nutrients loading from watershed, DOC distribution are being collected.
*Key references - Cho, K.-S., B.-C Kim, W.M. Heo, and S.J. Cho. 1989. The succession of phytoplankton in Lake Soyang. Korean J. Limnol. 22(3):179-189
4) Information Management
As Korean LTER is in inceptive stage in development, information is independently managed by principal investigators of the sites. In near future, all the field data will be stored in computer system and accessible for scientific use by internet.
5) Cross-site Research
To establish the comparability of research results among the sites is the most important premise for the success of LTER program. Through the standardization of measurement methods and equipment upon the same core areas of studies, cross-site research will be checked for validity. As the same members of research team of Forestry Research Institute are simultaneously carrying out the researches, cross-site research is established at least in three sites managed by Forestry Research Institute. Further cross-site research among sites will be actively discussed in the 3rd Regional Conference of East Asia and Pacific Region, which will be held in Korea in 1999.
6) Network Management
Korea LTER Committee (KLC) plays a major role in improving LTER program and activities in Korea. The committee consists of five members, three professors and two governmental officers, and meets quarterly to discuss major activities of research and implement.
7) Application of LTER Research
Outcomes of LTER research are useful tools for detecting environmental changes such as regional pollution and global warming and managing natural resources such as forests, lakes, and rivers. Education program will be further included when much information is collected.
8) Partnerships
Cooperative partnerships with Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF), National Park Authority (NPA), local governments such as Seoul Metropolitan Government and Chejudo Provincial Government, and universities as well as Forestry Research Institute (FRI) and the Ministry of Environment (MOE) are actively pursued through Korea LTER Committee (KLC) to facilitate communication and cooperation among the scientists, managers, and policy makers in ecology and related disciplines.
9) Collaboration among Networks
Collaboration among the regional networks is made through regular biennial Regional Conference. Collaboration among the global networks will be mainly facilitated by internet, whose address is http://klter.kookmin.ac.kr.
Principal Contact
Eun-Shik Kim, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Department of Forest Resources
Kookmin University
Seoul 136-702 Korea
Tel : +82-2-910-4814
Fax : +82-2-910-4809
e-mail : kimeuns@kmu.kookmin.ac.kr
internet : http://klter.kookmin.ac.kr
Abbreviations : Demilitarized Zone (DMZ); Forestry Research Institute (FRI); Korea LTER Committee (KLC); Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF); The Ministry of Environment (MOE); National Park Authority (NPA)
Two Photos and one map are air-mailed (separately)