The Role of Aging and Wind in Inducing Death and/or Growth Reduction in Korean Fir (Abies Koreana Wilson) on Mt. Halla, Korea

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of strong winds and aging in the death and/or decline in the growth of Korean fir on Mt. Halla in Korea. Bangeoreum (BA-S), Jindalrebat (JD-E), and Youngsil (YS-W) on the southern, eastern, and western slopes of Mt. Halla (ca. 1600 and 1700 m a.s.l.) were selected for the study. The site chronologies were established using more than 10 living Korean firs at each site. Additionally, to date the years and seasons of death of standing/fallen dead Korean firs, 15/15, 14/15, and 10/10 trees were selected at BA-S, JD-E, and YS-W, respectively. After adjusting the age with the period of growth up to the sampling point, the oldest Korean fir found among the living trees was 114 years old at JD-E and the oldest fir among the dead trees was 131 years old at JD-E. Besides this, most of the trees at BA-S and JD-E were found to have died between 2008 and 2015, and at irregular intervals between 1976 and 2013 at YS-W. Also, the maximum number of trees, that is, 62.7% died between spring and summer, followed by 20.9% between summer and autumn, and 16.4% between autumn of the current year and spring of the following year. Abrupt growth reductions occurred at BA-S and JD-E, and have become more significant in recent years, whereas at YS-W, the abrupt growth reduction and recovery occur in a cyclic order. The intensity and frequency of the typhoons increased from 2012, and this trend was in-line with the increased number of abrupt growth reductions at BA-S and JD-E. Therefore, the typhoons of 2012 are considered as the most likely influencing factor in death and/or growth reduction in Korean firs. In contrast, the decline in the growth of the Korean firs located on the windward slope (YS-W) showed a relationship with winds stronger than 25–33 m/s.

Draft Genome Sequence of Daldinia childiae JS-1345, an Endophytic Fungus Isolated from Stem Tissue of Korean Fir

The fungus Daldinia childiae strain JS-1345, isolated from stem tissue of Abies koreana (Korean fir), has shown strong anti-inflammatory activity. Here, we report the genome sequence of D. childiae JS-1345. The final assembly consisted of 133 scaffolds totaling 38,652,569 bp (G+C content, 44.07%).

Causes of Decline in the Korean Fir Based on Spatial Distribution in the Mt. Halla Region in Korea: A Meta-Analysis

Research Highlights: Technology advances have allowed for a new approach to research the decline of the Korean fir (Abies koreana E.H.Wilson). This study provides insights into the exact causes leading to this decline. Background and Objectives: Various factors could lead to the decline of fir trees around Mt. Halla, Korea, but these have not yet been verified. Here, the Korean fir across Mt. Halla were classified as dead or living and mapped using high-resolution orthorectified aerial images and three-dimensional (3D) stereoplotting. Materials and Methods: Aerial photographs were used to map spatial distribution and analyze the distribution patterns and mortality of the Korean fir. The electronic stereoplotting program (Geo3Di-PRO) enabled the creation of 3D images from aerial photographs. General, altitudinal, and topographical distribution was assessed. Results: Their accumulated percent mortality rate (APMR) showed positive correlations with altitude and tree density, a negative correlation with terrain slope, and no consistent correlation with solar radiation. The results indicate that increases in the density of Korean firs are related to decreased growth in areas at high altitude, on gentle slopes, and with high solar radiation. Consistent positive correlations between density and APMR indicate that fir mortality can be attributed to environmental deterioration and the establishment of unfavorable growth conditions. Areas with high APMR and density had gentle slopes, thus high soil moisture, or relatively high annual precipitation owing to high altitude. Conclusion: Fir mortality on Mt. Halla can be attributed to long-term persistently high rainfall and subsequent excess soil moisture.

Evaluation of Genetic Diversity in Korean Fir Cultivars Based on Microsatellite and Cytoplasmic Markers

Korean fir (Abies koreana) has been cultivated for less than 100 years, mainly in the United States and Europe. Using nuclear microsatellite, mitochondrial, and chloroplast markers, we investigated the origin of cultivated korean fir from South Korea (KC group) as well as the United States and United Kingdom (EU group), and compared these samples to published data from wild populations. All genotypes in the EU and KC groups were most closely related to the wild individuals from Mt. Hallasan, the southernmost A. koreana population on Jejudo Island (South Korea). However, the presence of the chloroplast haplotypes clustered with Abies balsamea in two EU cultivars and the higher diversity values of the EU group compared with the wild individuals from Mt. Hallasan infer a certain level of introgression from different species during cultivation. The EU group had a higher inbreeding coefficient and linkage disequilibrium, and a smaller proportion of rare alleles, than the wild populations. This suggests that the genetic characteristics of korean fir cultivars reflect strong artificial selection pressure for desirable horticultural traits and asexual reproduction. Last, this genetic background study suggests that the other wild populations in the Korean peninsula can serve as valuable genetic resources for future breeding.

Influence of the scion age, insulating material and timing of grafting on grafts survival of Abies Mill. representatives

In the article are presented the results of a comparative study of the effect of the scion age, insulating material and timing of grafting on the survival of representatives of the genus Abies Mill. It is established that representatives of the genus Abies Mill. have a high regenerative capacity, which allows the use of 2–4 years cuttings as a scion. The optimal stocks are species of Korean fir and Manchurian fir plants. Sleeping buds, as well as the buds covered with insulating material, should not be removed, as they subsequently start to grow and form the scion crown. The use of photodegradable Buddy Tape as an insulating material significantly increases the survival rate of grafts, and when grafting in open ground conditions, protect grafted plants with a shade tissue.