Estimation of the Optimal Periods for Planting and Felling Larix kaempferi Based on the Period of Its Cambial Activity

This study was conducted to suggest the optimal periods for planting and felling Larix kaempferi tree by monitoring its cambial activity period. In addition, the heat summation to induce the cambial activity of Larix kaempferi was investigated. The study sites were at Mt. Worak and Mt. Midong. After selecting 5 trees at Mt. Worak and Mt. Midong, the cambium samples were collected using a mini trephor with 2 mm diameter from April 7 to October 6, 2017 at Mt. Worak, and from April 7 to September 29, 2017 at Mt. Midong. After the collected cambium samples were embedded in PEG2000, transverse thin sections with a thickness of 10 to 15 µm were prepared using a microtome. One Larix kaempferi sample from each site, Mt. Worak and Mt. Midong, in which the accurate monitoring of cambial activity was impossible due to the formation of traumatic resin canal, was excluded from the study. The observation of the initiation date of cambial activity under a light microscopy revealed that 2 specimens from Mt. Worak and 3 from Mt. Midong showed the initiation on April 28. The remaining 2 specimens of Mt. Worak and 1 specimen of Mt. Midong were initiated on May 4, which was a week later than the others. The heat summation that induced the initiation of cambial activity was 196.4－271.8 at Mt. Worak and 204.7－277.3 at Mt. Midong, which was similar. The termination of cambial activity occurred between August 4 and 25 at Mt. Worak, and between August 4 and September 1 at Mt. Midong. Based on the above results, it was found that the optimal planting period for Larix kaempferi in Mt. Worak and Mt. Midong was before April, about a month before the cambium activity, and the felling period was from October when the cambial activity was completely terminated.