Statistical Evidence for Managing Forest Density in Consideration of Natural Volatile Organic Compounds

Yeji Choi,Sangtae Lee,Soojin Kim,Eunsoo Kim,Geonwoo Kim,Sujin Park

doi:10.3390/atmos12091113

Abstract

Rapid deforestation, coupled with the growing population seeking forest therapy, urges the necessity for research on how to maximize forests’ therapeutic functions when cultivating damaged or unmanaged forests. This study was formulated to provide a basis for forest stand density management to maximize the therapeutic effects of forests with a focus on natural volatile organic compounds (NVOCs), a representative component of forest therapy through analysis of variance and regression analyses. The results of this study revealed all studied stand densities yield the highest total NVOC (TNVOC) emissions in summer, especially in the study site which has a forest density of 700/ha. In addition, treeless areas (0/ha) were found to have the most significant difference in average NVOC emissions when cultivated at a density of 700/ha. When managing forests with a density of 900/ha to 1000/ha, it has been shown that it is most desirable, in terms of therapeutic function efficiency, to control a density of 500/ha to 700/ha. Finally, regression equations for the five experimental sites with significant explanatory power were derived. Based on the results of the conducted analyses, 700/ha of forest density is recommended to maximize the therapeutic effects of forests, compared to other ranges of forest density.

Highlights

This study aims to demonstrate suitable forest density to maximize the therapeutic effects of forests when focusing on the relationship emissions.between forest density control and forest therapy effects by conducting long-term follow-up studies on several ranges of forest density, and from those findings, select the most suitable forest density for cultivation of forestry plantation, with a focus on
This study aimed to analyze natural volatile organic compounds (NVOCs) emissions and microclimate factors according to forest density and determine the forest density that is most suitable for forest therapy when considering phytoncide emissions among various other forest therapy components
This study was conducted in the P. koraiensis forest in Pocheon, South Korea, where the area with 0 tree count per hectare was set up as a control group, and five study sites of 500, 600, 700, 900, and 1000 tree counts per hectare were set as experimental groups

Summary

Introduction

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Since 2010, there has been a steady loss of forests globally at a rate of ten million hectares per year [1]. When considering the amount of newly cultivated forest areas and combining it with the total loss, the rate is only brought down to 4.7 million hectares per year [1]. With this continuing rate of loss each year, countries are focusing their efforts on forest cultivation to grow healthy and superior forests. Researchers are conducting diverse studies on various ways to afforest forests suitable for their needs and purposes, such as forests that maximize wood production or therapeutic effects [2,3,4,5]

Objectives

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion