• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.21 no.spc
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• pp.39-50
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• 2019

This study aims to assess the influence of climate change on the hydrological cycle at a basin level in North Korea. The selected model for this study is MRI-CGCM 3, the one used for the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5). Moreover, this study adopted the Spatial Disaggregation-Quantile Delta Mapping (SDQDM), which is one of the stochastic downscaling techniques, to conduct the bias correction for climate change scenarios. The comparison between the preapplication and postapplication of the SDQDM supported the study's review on the technique's validity. In addition, as this study determined the influence of climate change on the hydrological cycle, it also observed the runoff in North Korea. In predicting such influence, parameters of a runoff model used for the analysis should be optimized. However, North Korea is classified as an ungauged region for its political characteristics, and it was difficult to collect the country's runoff observation data. Hence, the study selected 16 basins with secured high-quality runoff data, and the M-RAT model's optimized parameters were calculated. The study also analyzed the correlation among variables for basin characteristics to consider multicollinearity. Then, based on a phased regression analysis, the study developed an equation to calculate parameters for ungauged basin areas. To verify the equation, the study assumed the Osipcheon River, Namdaecheon Stream, Yongdang Reservoir, and Yonggang Stream as ungauged basin areas and conducted cross-validation. As a result, for all the four basin areas, high efficiency was confirmed with the efficiency coefficients of 0.8 or higher. The study used climate change scenarios and parameters of the estimated runoff model to assess the changes in hydrological cycle processes at a basin level from climate change in the Amnokgang River of North Korea. The results showed that climate change would lead to an increase in precipitation, and the corresponding rise in temperature is predicted to cause elevating evapotranspiration. However, it was found that the storage capacity in the basin decreased. The result of the analysis on flow duration indicated a decrease in flow on the 95th day; an increase in the drought flow during the periods of Future 1 and Future 2; and an increase in both flows for the period of Future 3.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.129-138
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• 2005

The flora and vegetation of Jang-cheok wetland (Gyeong-nam) was investigated from April 1. 2004 to Feburary 28. 2005. The vegetation plants collected from this area were 18 taxa : 18 species 17 genera 14 families. Hygrophtes were 2 species 2 genera 2 families. Emergent plants were 6 species 5 genera 6 families. Submersed plants were 1 species 1 genera 1 families. Floating-leaved plants were 5 species 5 genera 5 families. Free-floating plants were 2 species 3 genera 2 families. Dominance of life form was investigated Trapa japonica, Phragmites commnis, Leersia japonica by 5 dominance values and Hydrocharis dubia, Ceratophyllum dmersum were 1 dominance values. The community was investigated 5 communities : Leersia japonica community. Trapa japonica community. Nelumbo nucifera community. Miscanthus sacchariflorus community. Phragmites communis community. Dominance species(Leersia japonica) of Leersia japonica community was investigated $1,89g/m^{2}$(Dry weight) and $1,730ind./m^{2}$(Density). Doninance species(Trapa japonica) of Trapa japonica community was investigated $36,25g/m^{2}$(Dry weight) and $15.20ind./m^{2}$(Density). Dominance species(Nelumbo nucifera) of Nelumbo nucifera community was investigated $30.59g/m^{2}$(Dry weight) and $11.20ind./m^{2}$(Density). Dominance species(Miscanthus sacchariflorus) of Miscanthus sacchariflorus community was investigated $180.50g/m^{2}$(Dry weight) and $124.80ind./m^{2}$(Density). Dominance species(Phragmites communis) of Phragmites communis community was investigated $159.50g/m^{2}$(Dry weight) and $60.00ind./m^{2}$(Density). The predominant species of this area was investigated Trapa. Japonica and the other communities was only small area in the waterside area.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.162-178
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• 2024

Swans are representative migratory birds that spend winter in East Asia, and have long been considered rare birds. In particular, they were regarded as king of Japan. The process of designating a natural monument in Hapcheon Swan Sanctuary is an interesting story. In this study, the designation and release process of Hapcheon Swan Sancturay ((Bakgok-ji, Yongju-myeon 龍州面 朴谷池), (Jeongyang-ji, Daeyang-myeon 大陽面 正陽池), Gaho, Cheongdeok-myeon 淸德面 嘉湖)) Natural Monument, was examined. These places were designated as a natural monument on August 27, 1934, during the Japanese colonial period, and was lifted on August 14, 1973, after the Cultural Protection Act was enacted after liberation. From the beginning of the new year in 1929, the Japanese Government-General of Korea (朝鮮總督府) decided to capture swans alive to give to the king of Japan. An official of the Japanese Government-General of Korea (統監) decided to offer swans to the king during his New Year's greeting visit. The department in charge of capturing swans was the Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Police Department, and the execution was the police station of each county (郡). The reason is believed to be that it is easy to forcibly mobilize, control, or urge people, and the capture activity had to be completed as soon as possible. A total of three swans were captured in Hapcheon-gun from January 12 to 14, 1929. At that time, various newspapers published related information. Based on these facts and experiences, it is estimated that the Hapcheon area was selected when designating a natural monument in 1934. Hapcheon Swan Sancturay, Natural Monument lost its function due to excessive human interference of various developments, illegal capture, and use of poison to catch swans. Their number has also significantly decreased. It was thus removed from the natural monument in 1973. One of the three swan sanctuaries (Gaho 嘉湖) has been completely reclaimed, one (Bakgok-ji 朴谷池) has almost no migratory birds due to the conversion of wetlands, and one (Jeongyang-ji 正陽池) has swans flying back. In the case of Jeongyangji (正陽池), It is an encouraging sign that many swans fly as the surrounding environment and growing conditions change. This phenomenon is interpreted to mean that nature and climate are recovering and healing.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.31-47
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• 1998

This paper deals with the historical geography of land-use and agriculture along the Lower Nam-River floodplains. The reclamation process of the river floodplains, the cultivation methods on the reclaimed lands, and the land-use patterns and processes are investigated. The Nam River, one of the major tributaries of the Nakdong River, flows through the boundary between Ham-An and Eu-Ryong Guns. Larger floodplains are located in Ham-An Gun. The floodplains of Ham-An Gun have been surveyed intensively in this study. In South Korea, the alluvial plains, mostly located along the river valleys, have been reclaimed to provide fertile agricultural lands. Those along the upper river valleys were reclaimed before those along the lower river valleys. The flood-plains of Han-An Gun were reclaimed to be the largest agricultural lands of the Gun. The natural levees along the Lower Nam-River Valley were identified before the reclamation processes but now hardly identified. Relatively larger floodplains are located along the tributary streams of the Nam River. Often there are low-lying back swamps between the natural levees and the hills/mountains that rise above the floodplains. The back swamps, called 'natural bog lands' in this region, have been reduced in size and in number through reclamation for the purpose of agricultural and industrial land-uses. Now about ten 'natural bog lands' are found in the Ham-An floodplains, and some of them are being reclaimed for the industrial land-use. This study suggests the emergent need of conservation for the remaining 'natural bog lands' in terms of ecology. Seven agricultural fields of large size, originated from the Nam-River floodplains, are identified in this study: Kun(큰들), Chung-Am(정암들), Chang-chi(장지들), Baek-San(백산들), Ha-Ki(하기들), Gu-Hae(구혜들), and Chang-Po(장포들) fields. The Kun field was reclaimed during the Japanese control and the Gu-Hae, in the 1950s. All of those except the above two fields were reclaimed after the mid-1960s. The Nam-River Dam in Chinju, completed in 1969, contributed the reclamation processes along the Lower Nam-River floodplains. The rice acreage of the region has been reduced slowly since 1970 but the rice production of the region has been relatively stable (Table 4). Rice culture had been the most important agriculture on the reclaimed lands for decades before the greenhouse vegetable cultivation became more important in the 1980s. Among the vegetables cultivated in the greenhouse, the watermelon is the dominantly leading one. Watermelons are usually harvested two or three times in a year though it is possible to harvest four times in one year. The rotation of watermelons and rice is common in the region. It is known the physical conditions of the Nam-River floodplains in Ham-An Gun is the most suitable for watermelon cultivation in South Korea.