As an ecologist, my studies center on the biogeochemical cycling of water and greenhouse gases (GHGs) for the exchanges of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) and the micrometeorology for the water (H2O) and energy fluxes from terrestrial ecosystems. My work has more linked ecosystem processes in regard to soil biogeochemistry, plant physiology, and hydrology, based on field/lab experiments, computer simulations, and using remote sensing/GIS databases from broad global terrestrial ecosystems spanning from tropical to subarctic/arctic lands. Detailed research topics I developed so far are:
1. Ecosystem ecology of natural terrestrial ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, and grasslands
2. Understanding of changes in terrestrial biogeochemistry and micrometeorology, particularly for carbon and water dynamics, associated with
climate and land use/land cover changes due to the natural and anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., fires, flooding, and timber harvests)
3. Experimental and model-based research on greenhouse gas fluxes (e.g., CO2, CH4, and nitrous oxide, N2O) and dissolved organic/inorganic
compounds from the pristine and disturbed terrestrial ecosystems
4. Ecophysiology and micrometeorology of terrestrial ecosystems investigating the physiological functions of ecosystems, concerning energy
and heat transfer and carbon and water exchange, by changing the climate and surrounding environments
5. Characterization of ecosystem attributions and landscape formation (e.g., canopy temperature, leaf area, and vegetation biomass), key
factors on terrestrial biogeochemistry and ecophysiology, based on in-situ field measurements and ground-based remote sensing
6. Landscape or regional modeling using geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing data to explore the biogeochemical
exchanges and physiological functions of large-scale territory
Below outlines the themes of my past research listed in chronological order.
1. Ecosystem ecology of natural terrestrial ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, and grasslands
2. Understanding of changes in terrestrial biogeochemistry and micrometeorology, particularly for carbon and water dynamics, associated with
climate and land use/land cover changes due to the natural and anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., fires, flooding, and timber harvests)
3. Experimental and model-based research on greenhouse gas fluxes (e.g., CO2, CH4, and nitrous oxide, N2O) and dissolved organic/inorganic
compounds from the pristine and disturbed terrestrial ecosystems
4. Ecophysiology and micrometeorology of terrestrial ecosystems investigating the physiological functions of ecosystems, concerning energy
and heat transfer and carbon and water exchange, by changing the climate and surrounding environments
5. Characterization of ecosystem attributions and landscape formation (e.g., canopy temperature, leaf area, and vegetation biomass), key
factors on terrestrial biogeochemistry and ecophysiology, based on in-situ field measurements and ground-based remote sensing
6. Landscape or regional modeling using geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing data to explore the biogeochemical
exchanges and physiological functions of large-scale territory
Below outlines the themes of my past research listed in chronological order.
Research Projects
▪ Integrated Training for Continental Ecology (ITCE) study under US NSF Macrosystems Biology program, working as a postdoctoral researcher in 2016 – 2017
- Bridging scales and systems with isotopes: conducting spatial analyses and modeling of ecophysiological and growth processes that drive isotopic patterns and growth variations
▪ Thermal imaging monitoring study in controlled tree seedling fields under US NSF Macrosystems Biology, working as a postdoctoral researcher in 2015 - 2017
- Distributions of tree species with a non-native pathogen in a changing climate: forecasting and managing the future distribution of southwestern pine forests based on genomic analyses, screening for disease resistance, measuring of drought tolerance, and computer modeling)
▪ Thermal imaging monitoring study in natural forests under US NSF Macrosystems Biology and LTER programs, working as a postdoctoral researcher in 2013 - 2017
- Thermal controls on ecosystem metabolism and function: scaling from leaves to canopies to regions
applying thermal infrared cameras and remote-sensed database to further understand ecosystem processes in forests
- Thermal responses of old and second growth forests in HJ Andrews Forest, Oregon, which are related to the difference in ecophysiology and canopy structure: measuring canopy temperature in old and second growth coniferous forests using a thermal infrared camera
- Thermal measurements on the diverse forest surfaces in Barro Colorado Island, Panama: analysis of diverse thermal states in a tropical forest canopy (recording and analyzing canopy temperatures in tropical forests by applying a thermal infrared camera, in concert with Florida State University)
▪ Thermal imaging monitoring study in an agricultural field under USDA Program, working as a postdoctoral research in 2014
- The dispersion of particles in vineyard canopies: studying the mass transfers of pathogen in agricultural lands using metrological and thermal monitoring
▪ GHG modeling research for the Korean Peninsula under KEI Program in South Korea, working as a co-investigator in 2012 – 2014
- Establishment of the research infrastructure for climate change adaptation and cooperation research in the Korean Peninsula: modeling analysis of the greenhouse gas exchanges from the Korean forests
▪ Reservoir GHG modeling research under Canada's NSERC-CRD Program, working as a postdocotoral researcher in 2011 – 2013
- The net change in greenhouse gas emissions from the creation of reservoirs in the boreal landscape: developing the reservoir model to simulate complete cycling of carbon in a boreal reservoir
▪ Study for Investigating net changes in GHG exchange due to flooding under Canada's CFCAS Program, working as a graduate research assistant in 2006 – 2011
- Changes in scale net greenhouse gas emissions due to land-cover changes associated with the creation of reservoirs for the production of hydroelectricity: modeling net difference of carbon exchange in boreal landscapes before and after flooding
▪ HydroKorea project of sustainable water resource research under South Korea's 21st Century Frontier Research Program, working as a graduate research assistant in 2004 - 2006
- Understanding of eco-hydrological cycle and water budget of topographically complex landscapes of Korea
▪ Biotope assessment and mapping project in South Korea, working as a graduate research assistant in 2004
- Classification of land-cover types and construction of GIS database in Sungnam City, Kyounggi Province
▪ Integrated Training for Continental Ecology (ITCE) study under US NSF Macrosystems Biology program, working as a postdoctoral researcher in 2016 – 2017
- Bridging scales and systems with isotopes: conducting spatial analyses and modeling of ecophysiological and growth processes that drive isotopic patterns and growth variations
▪ Thermal imaging monitoring study in controlled tree seedling fields under US NSF Macrosystems Biology, working as a postdoctoral researcher in 2015 - 2017
- Distributions of tree species with a non-native pathogen in a changing climate: forecasting and managing the future distribution of southwestern pine forests based on genomic analyses, screening for disease resistance, measuring of drought tolerance, and computer modeling)
▪ Thermal imaging monitoring study in natural forests under US NSF Macrosystems Biology and LTER programs, working as a postdoctoral researcher in 2013 - 2017
- Thermal controls on ecosystem metabolism and function: scaling from leaves to canopies to regions
applying thermal infrared cameras and remote-sensed database to further understand ecosystem processes in forests
- Thermal responses of old and second growth forests in HJ Andrews Forest, Oregon, which are related to the difference in ecophysiology and canopy structure: measuring canopy temperature in old and second growth coniferous forests using a thermal infrared camera
- Thermal measurements on the diverse forest surfaces in Barro Colorado Island, Panama: analysis of diverse thermal states in a tropical forest canopy (recording and analyzing canopy temperatures in tropical forests by applying a thermal infrared camera, in concert with Florida State University)
▪ Thermal imaging monitoring study in an agricultural field under USDA Program, working as a postdoctoral research in 2014
- The dispersion of particles in vineyard canopies: studying the mass transfers of pathogen in agricultural lands using metrological and thermal monitoring
▪ GHG modeling research for the Korean Peninsula under KEI Program in South Korea, working as a co-investigator in 2012 – 2014
- Establishment of the research infrastructure for climate change adaptation and cooperation research in the Korean Peninsula: modeling analysis of the greenhouse gas exchanges from the Korean forests
▪ Reservoir GHG modeling research under Canada's NSERC-CRD Program, working as a postdocotoral researcher in 2011 – 2013
- The net change in greenhouse gas emissions from the creation of reservoirs in the boreal landscape: developing the reservoir model to simulate complete cycling of carbon in a boreal reservoir
▪ Study for Investigating net changes in GHG exchange due to flooding under Canada's CFCAS Program, working as a graduate research assistant in 2006 – 2011
- Changes in scale net greenhouse gas emissions due to land-cover changes associated with the creation of reservoirs for the production of hydroelectricity: modeling net difference of carbon exchange in boreal landscapes before and after flooding
▪ HydroKorea project of sustainable water resource research under South Korea's 21st Century Frontier Research Program, working as a graduate research assistant in 2004 - 2006
- Understanding of eco-hydrological cycle and water budget of topographically complex landscapes of Korea
▪ Biotope assessment and mapping project in South Korea, working as a graduate research assistant in 2004
- Classification of land-cover types and construction of GIS database in Sungnam City, Kyounggi Province