Population Size Estimation of the Kaloula borealis in the Daemyung Retarding Basin

Daemyung retarding basin located near the confluence floodplain of the Nakdong and Kumho River is a large spawning site for the endangered Kaloula borealis, and needs for protecting the habitat of the endangered species are increasing. However, scientific studies are rarely conducted on the population characteristics and ecological knowledge on the species in the basin. This paper aims to estimate the population size and spatial distribution of the species that inhabited at the Daemyung retarding basin, using the capture-recapture method. Also, pitfall traps were installed in each habitat types classified with micro-topographic features, slope aspects, and vegetation communities to identify the spatial distribution characteristics of the Kaloula borealis of each habitat in the retarding basin. Field survey on the species was conducted from May 2013 to October 2014, showing that the species emerged in May, became more active during July and August and started to hibernate at the end of October. Using capture-recapture method, the first survey was carried out from July to August, 2014. Ninety-eight toads were captured, marked, and released back into the site. In the second survey, 68 toads including 5 marked toads of the previous survey were captured. Based on these two-sample surveys, around 535-2,131 individual toads are estimated to inhabit the Daemyung retarding basin. Fifty-seven pitfall traps were installed in four habitat types: mounded and vegetated flatland, lowland swamps, and slope areas of both the southern and western parts of the basin in order to delineate spatial abundance of the endangered Kaloula borealis during the rainy season when the species is actively spawning. Pitfall traps at the spatially explicit array indicated that the species gradually move to the slope areas near the Daemyung stream, showing high occurrence density of the Kaloula borealis compared to the lowland swamps after the spawning season. The emergence of Kaloula borealis in the lowland swamps appeared to be comparatively higher during the spawning season. However, after the spawning season the toads species rapidly moved into the neighboring land of relatively high elevation such as the slope area towards the Dalsung protected wetlands and Daemyung River. These results are closely related to the migration patterns that toads tend to return to the sheltering sites and/or hibernating grounds after the spawning season. Also, the Kaloula borealis moved to the nearest high-level vegetated areas as the lowland swamps of their spawning grounds deteriorated with the expansion of permanent ponds due to the rise in the groundwater level.

대명유수지에 서식하는 맹꽁이 Kaloula borealis 개체군 크기 추정

낙동강과 금호강 합류부에 인접한 대명유수지는 멸종위기종인 맹꽁이의 집단 산란처로 생물서식공간의 보전 필요성이 높아지고 있으나, 맹꽁이 개체군에 대한 과학적인 조사가 미흡하다. 이에 본 연구에서는 포획-재포획방법에 의해 대명유수지에 서식하는 맹꽁이 개체수를 추정하며, 미지형과 식생분포를 토대로 분류한 서식처별 방형구 배치를 통해 맹꽁이의 공간분포 특성을 살펴보았다. 2013년부터 2년간 진행된 조사에서 맹꽁이는 5월초 출현하여 7월과 8월에 활동이 증가하고, 10월말에 동면에 들어가는 것으로 나타났다. 개체군 크기 추정을 위해 실시된 2014년 1차 조사에 98개체를 포획하여 표식 후 방사하였으며, 2차 조사에서는 표지된 5개체를 포함한 68개체를 재포획하여 대명유수지에 서식하는 맹꽁이는 대략 535-2,131개체로 추정하였다. 또한 대명유수지의 맹꽁이 개체군 공간분포를 파악하기 위해 평지 식생군락, 사면부, 저습지 등의 서식처에 57개 함정트랩을 배치하여, 맹꽁이의 이동이 활발한 장마철 전후를 대상으로 현지조사를 실시한 결과, 맹꽁이는 대명천과 인접한 사면부에서 출현밀도가 높고, 저지대는 출현밀도가 낮은 것으로 나타났다. 저지대의 맹꽁이 출현밀도는 산란철에 상대적으로 높으나 산란 이후에는 급격히 감소하였는데, 이는 산란 이후 은신처, 월동지로 이동하는 맹꽁이의 행동습성과 더불어 저지대가 지하수위 상승으로 대부분 침수되면서 서식환경이 악화되어 주변 경사지와 평지 식생군락으로 이동하기 때문으로 판단된다.