Assessment of absorption ability of air pollutant on forest in Gongju-city

Abstract

BackgroundSome researchers have attempted to evaluate the ecological function of various additional services, away from the main point of view on the timber production of Korean forests. However, basic data, evaluation models, or studies on the absorption of air pollutants related to major plant communities in Korea are very rare. Therefore, we evaluated the functional value of the forest ecosystem in Gongju-city. Plantation manual for air purification, supplied from the Ministry of Environment in Japan, was referred to process and method for assessment of air pollutant absorption.ResultsGross primary production was calculated about average 18.2 t/ha/year. It was a relatively low value in forests mixed with deciduous broad and evergreen coniferous compared to pure coniferous forest. Net primary production was the highest value in deciduous coniferous and was the lowest value in mixed forest with deciduous broad and evergreen broad. And the mean sequestration amount of each air pollutant per unit area per year assessed from gross primary production and concentration of gas was the highest with 75.81 kg/ha/year in O3 and was 16.87 and 6.04 kg/ha/year in NO2 and SO2, respectively. In addition, total amounts of CO2 absorption and O2 production were 716,045 t CO2/year and 520,760 t O2/year in all forest vegetation in Gongju-city.ConclusionsIn this study, we evaluated the absorption ability of air pollutant in 2014 on forest in Gongju-city area. Gongju-city has the broad mountain area about 70.3%, and area of deciduous broad leaves forest was established the broadest with 47.4% of genus Quercus. Pg was calculated about average 18.2 t/ha/year. The mean sequestration amount of each air pollutant per unit area per year assessed from Pg and Cgas was the highest with 75.81 kg/ha/year in O3 and were 16.87 and 6.04 kg/ha/year in NO2 and SO2, respectively. Absorption rates of O3, NO2, and SO2 were the highest in evergreen coniferous forest about 14.87 kgO3/ha/year, 3.30 kgNO2/ha/year, 1.18 kgSO2/ha/year, and the lowest were 5.95 kgO3/ha/year, 1.32 kgNO2/ha/year, and 0.47 kgSO2/ha/year in deciduous broad forest. In conclusion, it was evaluated that Japanese model is suitable for estimating air pollutants in Japan to Korean vegetation. However, in Korea, there is a very limited basic data needed to assess the ability of forests to absorption of air pollutants. In this study, the accuracy of a calculated value is not high because the basic data of trees with similar life form are used in evaluation.