Eun-Shik Kim (Kookmin University), Bom-Chul Kim (Kangwon
National University), Dowon Lee (Seoul National University), and
Jeong Soo Oh (Forestry Research Institute)
Introduction
Over the last 40 years, Korea's landscapes have been dramatically changed by intensive efforts toward afforestation while people convert from firewood to fossil fuel sources. Land area has been largely revegetated and the condition of vegetation is improving over time. Meanwhile, Korea has experienced degradation of the natural environment caused by intensive developmental activities and subsequent pollution. These activities include industrialization, urbanization, the construction of roads and golf courses, fossil fuel consumption, discharge of wastes to water systems, agriculture, mineral extraction, land-clearing, and water control.
As evidence of environmental degradation emerges slowly over decades, most of the people do not sense the symptoms with any precision. Hence extensive collection and careful analyses of relevant data over long time periods is required for better understanding and management of biotic components and the environment of Korea. Although some scientists have realized the importance of studying long-term phenomena in ecology, major advancement in long-term ecological research has not yet been made in Korea.
Recently the Forestry Research Institute (FRI) included Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) as a major project in forestry research, and three sites were officially designated for long-term ecological research. The first LTER site in Korea is Kwangnung Experimental Forest, which represents the oldest natural forest in Korea. Some parts of the forest have been protected for more than 500 years. The other two are the forests of Mt. Kyebangsan and Mt. Keumsan. Although LTER is in its early stages in Korea, promotion and encouragement of the ecologists' activities will help to ensure the sound development of the Korean LTER network in the future.
Description of program, objectives, and core areas
Much effort has been made to establish the LTER program and coordinate research at official and potential sites in Korea. Meanwhile, in order to facilitate communication, coordination, and cooperation among the scientists in ecology and related disciplines, the Korea LTER Committee (KLC) was established in 1997.
The objective of most of the research is 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.
All the LTER sites have common themes or core research topics, which must be investigated and compared with each other. The core areas include primary production, population dynamics, nutrient cycling, impacts of environmental stress and disturbances, and environmental changes.
Table of site characteristics of each site
Three official sites (Kwangnung Experimental Forest, Mt. Kyebangsan Forest, and Mt. Keumsan Forest), which are managed by the Forestry Research Institute, as well as three potential sites (Lake Soyang, Mt. Jumbongsan, and Mt. Hallasan) are introduced here. Mt. Chirisan, Mt. Soraksan, Mt. Namsan, and the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) have been proposed as potential sites. In addition to these sites, other intensively investigated sites monitored by the Ministry of Environment in the national nature and environment census program could also be strong candidates for LTER sites in Korea. The locations of the sites are illustrated in the map of the Korean 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 37° 48' N, longitude 127° 11' E, elevation 300 - 537m, size 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 have been collected for twenty years. Ground survey on biodiversity has been conducted since 1994. The long-term ecological research site was established in 1996.
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 37°, 44'N, longitude 128°, 29'E, elevation 900 - 1577m, size 440 ha
Principal biome/main communities - Mixed - hardwood temperate forest/Quercus, Betula, Kalopanax, Tilia, Acer, Abies
Research topics - Forest stand dynamics; air pollution; changes in 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.
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 34°, 30'N, longitude 127° 59'E, elevation 100 - 700m, size (ha) – 300 ha
Principal biome/main communities - Mixed - hardwood temperate forest/Quercus, Carpinus, Acer, PinusResearch topics - Forest stand dynamics; Change of biodiversity especially in warm temperate forest
History of site/type of data collected - The site was designated as an experimental forest in 1983. Ground survey on biodiversity was conducted in 1994. The long-term ecological research site was established in 1996.
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 38°00' to 38° 03'N, longitude 128° 26' to 128° 30'E, elevation 900-1424 m, size
(ha) 2,049
Principal biome/main communities - Mixed-hardwood temperate forest/Quercus, Kalopanax, Fraxinus, Carpinus, Acer, montane stream
Research topics - Distribution of vascular plants; soil fauna and nutrients; leaf litter-fall and decomposition; stream invertebrates; avian ecology; integration of ecosystem models and geographic information systems.
History of site/types of data collected - The site has been included as a Biosphere Reserve in UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program and designated as a Natural Forest Reserve by the Administration of Forestry, Korea in the 1980s. Geology, vascular plants, birds, insects, fishes and amphibians, reptiles, and mammals were partially investigated in 1983. Vascular plants, leaf litter-fall and decomposition, soil and stream invertebrates, and birds have been monitored since September 1994, soil temperature since December 1995 and air temperature, precipitation, wind, leaf-area index and soil respiration since March 1998.
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 33°19' 15" to 33° 25'30" N, longitude 126° 27' 59" to 126° 37' 38"E, elevation 800 - 1950m, size (ha) 15,131
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 deer to ecosystem; restoration of biodiversity; hydrologic 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.
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 127° 40'E, 37° 90'N, flood level is 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 largest reservoir in Korea. A research team at Kangwon National University has been monitoring primary productivity, phytoplankton community, and nutrient distribution. Currently, more zooplankton community, nutrients loading from the watershed, and DOC distribution data are being collected.
Information Management
As the Korean LTER program is in early stage of development, information is independently managed by principal investigators at each site. In the near future, all the field data will be stored in a computer system and will be accessible for scientific use on the Internet.
Cross-site Research
To establish the comparability of research results among the sites is the most important premise for the success of LTER program. Cross-site research in the core areas will be checked for validity through the standardization of measurement methods and equipment. As the same members of research team from the Forestry Research Institute is conducting the research, cross-site research is established in at least the three sites managed by the Forestry Research Institute. Further cross-site research among sites will be actively discussed in the Third Regional Conference of the East Asia and Pacific Region, which will be held in Korea in 1999.
Network Management
The Korean LTER Committee (KLC) plays a major role in improving the 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 implementation.
Application of LTER Research
Products of LTER research are useful tools for detecting environmental changes such as regional pollution and global warming and for managing natural resources such as forests, lakes, and rivers. Education programs will be included when more information is collected.
Partnerships
The KLC actively pursues cooperative partnerships with the 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). These partnerships facilitate communication and cooperation among the scientists, managers, and policy makers in ecology and related disciplines.
Collaboration among Networks
Collaboration with national networks in the region is made through a biennial Regional Conference. Collaboration among the global networks will be mainly facilitated via the Internet; the 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)