Korea Forest Service

About: Korea Forest Service is a government organization based out in Daejeon, South Korea. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Environmental science & Ecosystem. The organization has 52 authors who have published 56 publications receiving 1122 citations.

Cryopreservation of Endangered Wild Species, Aster altaicus var. uchiyamae Kitam, Using Droplet-Vitrification Procedure.

Abstract: Background Aster altaicus var. uchiyamae Kitam is an endemic and endangered species in urgent need of a comprehensive conservation strategy. Objective To develop an efficient cryopreservation protocol using in vitro shoot tips to complement traditional conservation approaches in case seeds are not available or insufficient for conservation programs. Methods Shoot tips of in vitro plants were cryopreserved using a droplet-vitrification method following improvement of pre-culture, osmoprotection, vitrification solution (VS), unloading and post-culture treatments. The starting protocol included step-wise pre-culture with 10% and 17.5% sucrose for 55 h and 17 h, respectively, followed by osmoprotection with C4-35% (17.5% glycerol + 17.5% sucrose) for 30 min, and cryoprotection with B5-80% (40% glycerol + 40% sucrose) for 60 min. Results Shoot tips of A. altaicus were found to be moderately sensitive to the osmotic stress. Pre-culture and osmoprotection were not critical for the regeneration of cryopreserved explants when either of these treatments was applied. Osmoprotection with C4-35% on ice for 60 min followed by cryoprotection with A3-80%, a modified and diluted PVS2, on ice for 60 min resulted in the highest (65.3%) regeneration of cryopreserved shoot tips. Among alternative VSs tested, A3-80% and B5-80% were superior to PVS2 and PVS3 used under the same conditions. Step-wise recovery of shoot tips on ammonium-free medium followed by GA3-containing medium and medium without growth regulators were critical for the normal regeneration of both VS-treated and cryopreserved shoot tips. Conclusions Cryopreservation of in vitro shoot tips using droplet-vitrification was developed as a complementary conservation approach for A. altaicus. Adjustment of the composition of regrowth media depending on recovery stage was important for the regeneration of healthy plants from cryopreserved shoot tips.

Forest aesthetic indicators in sustainable forest management standards

Abstract: Sustainable forest management (SFM) standards have been criticized for their lack of aesthetic indicators, which some consider to be an important social component of forestry. To provide a basis fo...

Republic of South Korea

Abstract: The South Korean National Forest Inventory (NFI) is carried out by the Forest Resource Information Division of the Korean Forest Research Institute. The institute is a division of the Korea Forest Service (KFS).

Comparison of litterfall production in three forest types in Jeju Island, South Korea

Abstract: Litterfall, which is influenced by physical and biological factors, is a major pathway for carbon and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to investigate monthly litterfall production in three forests in Jeju Island differentiated by forest composition and precipitation: Cheongsu (Quercus glauca as the dominant species; low precipitation), Seonheulb (Q. glauca as the dominant species; high precipitation), and Seonheulm (Q. glauca and Pinus thunbergii as the dominant species; high precipitation). Litterfall was collected monthly from April to December 2015 and divided into leaf litter, twig, bark, seeds, and unidentified materials. Seasonal patterns of litterfall production varied across stands according to their species composition. However, the amount of leaf litterfall and total litterfall were comparable among stands, ranging from 362 to 375 g m−2 for leaf litter and 524 g m−2 to 580 g m−2 for total litterfall. Oak leaf litter in May was the highest in all stands, while needle litter was the highest in December in Seonheulm. High twig litterfall in July may be attributable to high rainfall with strong winds and storms during the rainy season. Although forest type and climate factor had no influence on litterfall amounts in this study, the pattern of litterfall production was species dependent, suggesting diverse effects on carbon and nutrient cycling in these forests.