• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2016

This study was carried out to investigate the flora of the western front (Paju-Yencheon Area) of the Civilian Control Zone. Vascular plants collected in these areas were a total of 558 taxa composing of 501 species, 3 subspecies, 48 varieties and 1 forma of 330 genera under 109 families This shows that 11% of the 4,880 vascular plant species that are known to exist in Korea is distributed in the western part of the DMZ. 1 taxa of endangered species designated by the Ministry of Environment was found: the Polygonatum stenophyllum Maxim in the edge of the military operation road from Taepung observatory to Imjin river. For the floristically specific ones of the Korean floristic zones, 3 taxa of the $5^{th}$ grade, 3 taxa of the $4^{th}$ grade, 13 taxa of the $3^{rd}$ grade, 13 taxa of the $2^{nd}$ grade and 22 taxa of the $1^{st}$ grade were found. For the endemic species of Korea, 4 taxa including Cirsium setidens (Dunn) Nakai were confirmed to be distributed mostly on the slope or the cutting area. Among the collected rare plants (11 taxa), there were 1 taxa of endangered species, 4 taxa of vulnerable species and 6 taxa of least concern species. Also, 51 taxa of naturalized plants were identified and 4 taxa of ecosystem disturbance organism designated by the Ministry of Environment were identified. The urbanization index and naturalization index for all species were estimated to be 15.89% and 9.14% respectively. Our survey is expected to be considered as primary data of biological diversity and ecological axis in the DMZ and the western part of the DMZ. According to the results of this study, it is thought to be necessary to establish policies for conservation and protection of the DMZ.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.331-341
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• 2016

A small irrigation pond for a rice paddy field is a very important refuge for aquatic insects and plants. To reveal environmental factors determining species composition of aquatic insect and plant communities, we analyzed water chemistry and connection between pond and surrounding in five types of irrigation ponds based on water source and connection in CCZ of South Korea: stagnation, exchange-stagnation, spring, stagnation-spring, and exchange-spring types. The stagnation type had the most stable water chemistry among the 16 irrigation ponds studied, and the spring type had the most variable water chemistry. Anion content was highest in the stagnation type, and cation content was highest in the exchange-stagnation type. 228 taxa including 63 wetland plants and 95 aquatic insect taxa were recorded. Six rare plant species and four rare aquatic insect species were identified. The stagnation-spring type had the highest species richness. There was no correlation between size and species richness. Multivariate analyses showed distinctive species assemblages among the irrigation pond types. This would indicate that water chemical change at annual cycle and connection influenced on the species assemblages in irrigation pond. In additional, irrigation pond contributes to regional biodiversity in agricultural areas, as irrigation pond provides heterogeneous communities for the freshwater ecosystem.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.57-75
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• 2019

Soundscapes have the potential to help people experience the historical background and cultural traditions by the scenery of a local area and to be used as a cultural and tourism resource. This concept was first explained in detail by M. Schafer and has been developed as a new way of experiencing landscapes using various senses. This research studied the soundscape of Kyodong Island, the so-called "Island of Peace" and designed new cultural acoustic content for education and tourism. Kyodong Island is located right below the Northern Limit Line and the whole island is in the Civilian Controlled Area. The political and economic status of the island has been changed dynamically by the Korean War and the division of the country. These days, the island needs to realize the vision of the "Island of Peace" in a more creative way using local resources, including its "cold war landscape" and the natural scenery of the region. This research applied the concept of a soundscape to document the island, and to reproduce it in an artistic way. A workshop was conducted to learn concepts and techniques of soundscapes with a sound artist. Listening, recording, conducting interviews, and literature research was used to study the soundscape of the island. After that, this research reconstructed the soundscape of the island through a soundscape composition. The main theme of the composition story was the "Hope and Wish for the Harmony and Peace" to show the vision of the "Island of Peace". The initial sub-theme for the introduction part was "First Encounter with Kyodong Island" arranging the representative soundscape, which could be the first impression of the region. The second sub-theme was "War and Tension" using several soundscapes as a metaphor for the tragedy of the Korean War. The third sub-theme was "Everyday Life of Kyodong Island" which described the energy of the present day, after the wounds of the war have healed. The final sub-theme was "Harmony and Peace" using traditional music and keynote sounds of the region as a reminder of the peaceful past, before the war. The recording files were documented as two types of sound maps. One was a two-dimensional map to show the soundscapes from one point of view, and the other used the online application called "Sound Around You". The final artwork was displayed at an exhibition and uploaded on YouTube to be shared publicly. Through this project, we discovered the potential of soundscapes as a medium to preserve the history and local identity, as well as presenting a new vision. The artwork will be exhibited at historically and culturally meaningful places on the Island to utilize the underused places as local tourist attractions and educational resources.