A Study on Carbon Stocks Estimation Methods Using Utilizing Both Biotope Maps - A Case Study on Forests in Suji-gu, Yongin City -

The current method of calculating the carbon stocks of Korea’s forests is to multiply the forest standing crop by basic wood density, biomass expansion factor, and carbon fraction, but it does not sufficiently reflect forest vegetation. This study attempted to present a method of calculating carbon stocks using the biotope map and Biomass Allometric Equations for forests in Suji-gu, Yongin City. The biotope map is prepared every five years and contains detailed information on vegetation, including the actual vegetation and land cover status. The forest biotope of Suji-gu was extracted from the Yongin City biotope map, and the tree species, height, and breast height diameter of 24 representative types of forest vegetation sampled in Yongin City were analyzed in detail. To calculate the carbon stocks of trees and shrubs, the Biomass Allometric Equations developed by the National Institute of Forest Science was used, and to calculate the carbon stocks of shrubs, the previous research result of 0.457 kg per m² was applied. First, carbon storage was calculated for each types of forest vegetation sampled in Yongin City, and in order to apply this to the entire area, the 125 forest vegetation types in Suji-gu, Yongin City were retyped into 50. As a result, the Quercus mongolica community occupied the largest area, followed by the Pinus rigida community, the Quercus acutissima community, and the Quercus serrata community. The community with the highest carbon stocks per unit area (m²) was the Cornus controversa-Quercus mongolica community, and the community with the lowest was the oak-Betula dahurica community. The carbon stocks amount of forests in Suji-gu, Yongin City, calculated by applying the biotope map and Biomass Allometric Equations, was relatively higher than the carbon stocks amount calculated by multiplying existing forest standing crop by basic wood density, biomass expansion factor, and carbon fraction. This is because the currently officially used forest standing crop in Yongin City (144.44 m³/ha) does not sufficiently reflect the actual forest vegetation, and trees with a breast height diameter of less than 6 cm were excluded when surveying forest standing crop, resulting in a lower carbon stocks amount than the actual amount. This study complements the limitations of existing carbon stocks calculation methods by utilizing a biotope map with detailed information on vegetation, such as existing vegetation maps and land cover status, and a Biomass Allometric Equations developed by the National Institute of Forest Science, and provides higher precision when assessing carbon stocks of forests. It is meaningful in suggesting a method for calculating carbon stocks.