• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.686-694
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• 2019

This study was carried out to identify the long-term changes to beech forest due to climate change in Ulleung-do. To study the traits of the stand structure of beech forest with micro-topography, we investigated the distribution of the basal area, important values, and indicated species in a small ridge between Albong basin and Seongin-bong peak, and 1-ha stands (20 m × 20 m, 25 sites) dominated beech species including on the upper slope and valley parts. The result showed that the indicator species characterizing the vegetation communities were Tsuga sieboldii, Rhododendron brachycarpum, and Mitchella undulata in the small ridge and Celtis jessoensis, Dryopteris crassirhizoma, and Ulmus laciniata in the valley part. Moreover, the individuals with the total DBH < 10 cm were more predominant in the small ridge and upper slope than in the valley part, the individuals with DBH = 10-25 cm were predominant in the small slope, and individuals with DBH = 25-45 cm and DBH > 45 cm were predominant in the upper slope. The reason for the predominant distribution of beech stand with DBH<10 cm in all terrains is suggested to be germination by nutritional propagation rather than secondary succession caused by artificial disturbances and seed propagation.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.105-112
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• 2014

During incubation, pelagic seabirds undergo large variations in their body mass as a result of concomitant fasting. In Procellariifomes undergoing important changes in body mass through the incubation, body mass regulation could be an important factor in behavioural decisions for changing activities during the incubation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of individuals' quality and incubation behaviour on their body mass regulation in Streaked Shearwaters Calonectris leucomelas breeding at Sasudo Island, in Jeju, South Korea during incubation period, June to August in 2013. In our results, we found that there was no relationship between the daily body mass loss and body size or condition of Streaked Shearwaters. However, the daily body mass loss increased significantly as the incubation bout increased. Moreover, the daily incubation bout was positively related to their body size. Consequently, although breeders' qualities were not related to their daily body mass loss during the incubation, the incubation behaviour affecting their daily body mass loss was regulated by their body size. Therefore, the body size of Streaked Shearwater breeders is one of important factors in their decisions for the incubation behaviour.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2020

Migratory birds use a variety of breeding and wintering sites, and it is particularly important to understand more information on breeding and feeding sites for the conservation and management of endangered species. Black-faced spoonbills (Platalea minor) are an international endangered species distributed in East Asia. The majority of black-faced spoonbills breed on uninhabited islets off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula during the breeding season, and they are distributed in East Asia such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, southern China, Japan, and Jeju island during the winter season. In this study, we used a wild animal location tracking system to analyze and compare home ranges of three black-faced spoonbills spending the post-fledging stage in Gujido islet in Incheon and Chilsando islet in Yeonggwang each in 2015. The tree black-faced spoonbills in Guji islet showed a home range in coastal areas in Hwanghaenam-do and Gangneung-gun. The home range size (mean±SD) was estimated to be 425.49±116.95 ㎢ using 100% MCP, 43.61±18.51 ㎢ using KDE 95%, and 7.46±3.68 ㎢using KDE 50%. The tree black-faced spoonbills in Chilsando islet showed a home range in the Baeksu tidal flat and the Buan Saemangeum area with a size of 99.38±55.29 ㎢ using 100% MCP, 19.87±6.05 ㎢ using KDE 95%, and 1.16±0.53 ㎢ using KDE 50%. The figured indicated that the tree black-faced spoonbills breeding in Gujido islet had a wider home range than those breeding in Chilsando islet. During the post-fledging stage, the home ranges of black-faced spoonbills were mostly breeding in mudflats. Therefore, it is necessary to minimize human intervention, such as the construction of roads and structures and the human access, to protect the habitats during the period.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.564-577
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• 2017

We investigated whether external environmental factors acted as a trigger for flowering in the draft bamboo (Sasa borealis (Hack.) Makino) blooming area of Mt. Baekwoon located in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province. We then considered the cause for flowering, flowering patterns and life history strategies of the draft bamboo based on the investigation. There were no differences in soil, physical conditions, and light amount between the draft bamboo flowering and non-flowering areas. The precipitation and temperature of the areas in Korea and Japan where it blossomed from 2014 to 2017 were similar to the normal year values (for the past 30 years). Moreover, most of the draft bamboo died after flowering on a large scale, but some did not, or some culms were developed again. In other words, the draft bamboo bloomed simultaneously regardless of external environmental factors, and most of the culms were dead, but some were left alive. Therefore, it is considered that the flowering is triggered by the specific genes (referred as to clock genes) expressed periodically by a biological clock rather than the external environmental factors. Meanwhile, the draft bamboos generally bloom on a large scale by synchronizing with other ones in the distance but may also bloom several times separately on a small scale. It may be a kind of an insurance system established to disperse the risk of failed sexual propagation when flowering once in a lifetime. The results reveal that the long-period monocarpy of the draft bamboo has been strengthened to optimize the sexual propagation to overcome the increased environmental instability caused by the expansion of distribution of tropical bamboos and bamboo species to the temperate regions.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.529-535
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• 1984

This study aims at obtaining the basic data for the development of pen shell culture at Yoja Bay, the southwest coast of Korea. The authors dealt with the annual gonadal changes of the pen shell, Atrina pectinata japonica, to find out the gametogenesis, reproductive cycle and spawning season, and to investigate the fluctuation in the larval occurence in Yoja Bay. From July 1983 to June 1984, an average of 20 individuals as specimens were monthly collected by commercial fishing dredge near Manwol island located at the mouth of Yoja Bay. The degree of gonadal development was determined by the histological observations as resting spent stage, early developmental stage, after developmental stage, early spawning stage, after spawning stage and degenerative stage. According to these degrees of gonadal development, annual reproductive cycle of the pen shell population was determined. From July to August, the gonads were changed through degenerative into resting stage and, in September and October, they became entirely empty gonads. From November they showed the first sign of gametogenesis developing very slowly. Nevertheless, the developing gametes did not increase in number probably owing to a phagocytic phenomenon by phagocytes which appeared in the gonad during this stage. Some individuals started spawning in April and in May majarity of individuals were in spawning stage. In June, majority of the individuals showed signs of degenerative stage. Therefore, the authors came to a conclusion that the pen shells in Yoja Bay spawn chiefly in May. And this is also supported by the result of the survey on the planktonic occurrences of the pen shell larvae. Namely, there were no larvae at all in April, only a few in May and many in June by vertical water sampling.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.645-653
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to understand the factors that affected activities and differences in seasonal activities of the invasive red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans) at Ansan reed wetland in Sangnok-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, the Republic of Korea. We installed nine nets in the study region to capture turtles and checked the nets twice a day for 154 days from April 28 to September 28 2013. In total, 60 individuals, including 12 juveniles, 26 adult males, and 22 adult females, were captured in 96 of 308 net checks. The multiple regression analysis of 12 environmental factors was conducted to analyze activity factors of red-eared slider turtle by assuming the number of turtles captured for a week to be the indicator of the activeness of the turtles. The result showed that the daylength was the only environmental factor that significantly affected the turtles' activity (p<0.001), and none of the other factors showed a significant correlation. The highest activity was recorded at the end of May, which was the beginning of the reproductive period. The daylength during the breeding season was significantly different from that during other seasons (Kruskal-Wallis test, p<0.001). The information about the relationship between environmental factors and species in habitat can be useful for the management of invasive alien species in the future.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.196-200
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• 2006

In this study we investigated fecundity and survivorship of four staple Korean freshwater cladocerans for their whole life to develop a new standard method used for ecological risk assessment of pesticide. The tested Korean freshwater cladocerans were Daphnia obtusa, Daphnia sp., Moina macrocopa and Simocephalus vetulus. In addition, standard test species, Daphnia magna endorsed formally by the major international organizations was tested together in order to compare with the reproductive characteristics of Korean cladocerans. A total of 358 young was produced by D. magna, whereas, 297 young was reduced by Daphnia sp. throughout the entire life. The average life span of Daphnia magna was 50 days much longer than any other Korean species. Nevertheless all of the Korean water flea tested showed good fecundity, produced over 60 young for 21 days as the validation criterion for reproduction toxicity test in Ecological Effects Test Guidelines published by USEPA. Especially Moina macrocopa produced their first brood in 4 days. Therefore 10 day reproduction test with Moina macrocopa may be an alternative good method to save cost and time to elucidating the effects of hazardous substances on the reproduction of aquatic invertebrates.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.395-408
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• 2013

Environmental condition can induce changes in early life-history traits in order to maximise the ecological fitness. Here I investigated how temperature change and variation in human aquatic activity/behaviour affect early life-history consequences in fish using a dynamic-state-dependent model. In this study, I developed a general fish's life-history model including three life-history states depend-ing on foraging activity, such as body mass, mass of reproductive tissue (i.e., gonadal development) and accumulated stress (i.e., cellular or physiological damage). I assumed the level of foraging activity maximises reproductive success-ultimately, fitness. The model predicts that growth rate, development of reproductive tissues and damage accumulation are greater in higher temperature whereas higher human aquatic activity rapidly reduced the growth rate and development of reproductive tissue and increased damage accumulation. While higher foraging activity in higher temperature is less affected by human aquatic activity, the foraging activity in lower temperature rapidly declined with human aquatic activity. Moreover, lower survival rate in higher temperature or human aquatic activity was independent on mortality rate due to human aquatic activity or mortality rate when foraging activity, respectively. However, the survival rate in lower temperature or human aquatic activity was dependent on these mortality rates. My findings suggest that including of early life-history traits in relation to climate-change and human aquatic activity on the analysis may improve conservation plan and health assessment in aquatic ecosystem.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.829-836
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• 2016

This study was carried out on Kongju National University and its neighboring area, Mt. Gyeryong national park and Mt. Worak national park in the breeding season of long-tailed tits Aegithalos caudaatus from 2008 to 2012. The result of the inquiry, the nests were found in 15 species of trees, and this result shows me it's not choosy about them. But after having classified them according to the features and analyzed them, long-tailed tits preferred evergreen needleleaf tree and deciduous broad-leaf tree and deciduous bush, especially evergreen needleleaf tree. The concealment rate of long-tailed tits' nests was $11.61{\pm}4.79%]\;4.38{\pm}2.19%$(n=29) in Kongju National University and it's neighboring area, $6.06{\pm}2.31%$(n=43) in Mt. Gyeryong national park and $4.38{\pm}2.19%$(n=32) in Mt. Worak national park. By regional groups, the concealment rates of neighboring nests were almost same, but there are no differences among the areas. The average of the color codes was $26.52{\pm}16.14$(n=32) that those of the nest subtract from those of surroundings of the nest. The nests were procryptic according to their surroundings, and if their nest in a tree were evergreen needleleaf trees, they were made of moss. while if the trees of nest in a tree were yellow because of fungus, made of dried moss, they were yellow, too.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.149-155
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• 2019

Nematode-trapping fungi develop trap and consume nematodes are an important part of the subsoil ecosystem and they share a special predator-prey relationship. Four nematode-trapping species, there with adhesive network, Arthrobotrys oligospora, A. sinensis, A. thaumasia and one with constricting ring, Drechslerella brochopaga were collected from soils in Korea and tested their predacity against 12 different nematode species. They were three feeding groups, plant-parasitic (Meloidogyne incognita and Pratylenchus penetrans), fungivorous (Aphelenchus avenae), bacteriovorous (Betlerius sp. and Diplogasteritus sp. in diplogasterid, Panagrolaimus labiatus, P. multidentatus in panagrolaimid, Mesorhabditis irregularis, Pelodera strongyloides and Rhabditis sp., in rhabditid, and Acrobeloides sp. in cephalobid). Results showed that nematode-trapping fungi successfully captured most of nematodes in Petri dish in the group of plant-parasitic nematodes and rhabditids, moderately and variably in other nematodes in 15 days. But it didn't captured A. avenae and Acrobeloides sp. both belongs to c-p group 2. Numbers of Acrobeloides sp. and A. avenae even increased during the test period. The results of this study indicated that nematode-trapping fungi may have specificity among nematode species.