• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.37 no.6
• /
• pp.429-438
• /
• 2023

The forest in the lower Tumen River serves as an important ecosystem spanning the territories of North Korea, Russia, and China, and it provides habitat and movement corridors for diverse mammals, including the endangered Amur tiger (Panthera tigris) and Amur leopard (Panthera pardus). This study focuses on the Mijiang area, situated as a potential ecological corridor connecting North Korea and China in the lower Tumen River, playing a crucial role in conserving and restoring the biodiversity of the Korean Peninsula. This study aimed to identify mammal species and estimate their relative abundance, occupancy, and distribution based on the 48 camera traps installed in the Mijiang area from May 2019 to May 2021. The results confirmed the presence of 18 mammal species in the Mijiang area, including large carnivores like tigers and leopards. Among the dominant mammals, four species of ungulates showed high occupancy and detection rates, particularly the Roe deer (Capreolus pygargus) and Wild boar (Sus scrofa). The roe deer was distributed across all areas with a predicted high occupancy rate of 0.97, influenced by altitude, urban residential areas, and patch density. Wild boars showed a predicted occupancy rate of 0.73 and were distributed throughout the entire area, with factors such as wetland ratio, grazing intensity, and spatial heterogeneity in aspects of the landscape influencing their occupancy and detection rates. Sika deer (Cervus nippon) exhibited a predicted occupancy rate of 0.48, confined to specific areas, influenced by slope, habitat fragmentation diversity affecting detection rates, and the ratio of open forests impacting occupancy. Water deer (Hydropotes inermis) displayed a very low occupancy rate of 0.06 along the Tumen River Basin, with higher occupancy in lower altitude areas and increased detection in locations with high spatial heterogeneity in aspects. This study confirmed that the Mijiang area serves as a habitat supporting diverse mammals in the lower Tumen River while also playing a crucial role in facilitating animal movement and habitat connectivity. Additionally, the occupancy prediction model developed in this study is expected to contribute to predicting mammal distribution within the disrupted Tumen River basin due to human interference and identifying and protecting potential ecological corridors in this transboundary region.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.181-191
• /
• 2000

We have sequenced a portion of mitochondrial CO! gene (403 bp) of the firefly, Pyrocoelia rufa, to investigate genetic diversity within population, geographic variation, and phylogenetic relationships among haplotypes. A total of seven mtDNA haplotypes ranging in sequence divergence from 0.2% to 1.2% were obtained from 26 fireflies collected at four localities in Korea: Namhae, Pusan, Muju, and Yongin. The samples collected at the urban area, Pusan, were all fixed with one haplotype, differently those collected at the forest and/or agricultural areas. This appears to suggest that habitat fragmentation and population bottleneck caused by urbanization might have been severe in Pusan. On the other hand, from Muju known as the largest habitat and sanctuary for the firefly, four haplotypes with the maximum sequence divergence of 1.0% were obtained, and this estimate was the highest among the areas studied. The fireflies collected at the isolated islet, Namhae, revealed relatively low haplotype diversity(H=0.25), but one haplotype (PR7) was phylogenetically differentiated from others. This phenomenon was explained in terms of biogeographic history of the island and gene flow in the recent past. Grouping of Muju- Y ongin and Pusan-Namhae, respectively, in the hierarchical genetic analysis suggests the presence of historically occurred, biogeographic barrier against gene flow between them.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.241-249
• /
• 2022

Humans and wild birds coexist in cities, where habitat fragmentation due to urbanization threatens the habitat and movement of birds. In this study, in order to identify landscape features associated with wild bird collide, we characterized landscape composition within a 500 m radius and points of wild bird carcasses in Suwon-city, South Korea. Dead birds were identified as having a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) of 0.3, Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI) of -0.05, and Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) of -0.16 at the points of collide. And there were NDVI of 0.34, NDBI of -0.01, NDWI of -0.18, building height of 13.8 m, and soundproof wall length of 227.3 m within a radius of 500 m. Land cover type was dominated by grassland, used area, and bare land. In particular, the edges of urbanized areas, where apartments bordered forests, reservoirs, and golf courses, were identified as high-risk spaces. In order to minimize bird mortality risk in urban environments, the impact of changes to a vertical landscape should be reviewed from an environmental impact assessment approach. In addition, a preventive management plan that considers the temporal and spatial features that wild animals can safely avoid and adapt to in urbanized spaces should be prepared.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.32 no.6
• /
• pp.503-515
• /
• 2023

The disconnection and fragmentation of ecological spaces that occur during the development process pose a significant threat to biodiversity. Urban center areas with high development pressure are particularly susceptible to low connectivity due to a scarcity of ecological space. This issue tends to be more pronounced in larger cities.To address this challenge, continuous efforts are needed to assess and improve the current state of ecological space connectivity at the level of individual projects and urban management. However, there is a lack of discussion regarding the analysis and improvement of ecological connectivity in metropolitan cities In line with this objective, this study evaluated the connectivity of ecological spaces in the city centers of Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, and Ulsan. The evaluation revealed that city centers exhibited lower connectivity of ecological spaces compared to their peripheries or the overall city. In addition, in the ecological network analysis that reflected regional characteristics, such as the species distribution model conducted on Daejeon, 510 optimal paths connecting forests of more than 1ha were derived. This study is significant as an example of deriving an ecological network based on regional characteristics, including quantitative figures necessary for establishing goals to improve urban ecological connectivity and biodiversity. It is anticipated that the results can be utilized to propose directions for enhancing ecological connectivity in environmental impact assessments or urban management and to establish an evaluation framework.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
• /
• v.36 no.2
• /
• pp.60-68
• /
• 2008

Three land-use limitations including water hazard, soil erosion and fallow potential were evaluated to define an unfair area. Landscape indices in the unfair areas, defined by evaluations before and after landscape enhancement, were computed by Fragstats v3.3 and compared in order to propose a landscape enhancement plan. The results are as follows: First, as a result of the land evaluation, 388.56ha was analyzed for the 1st class(S1), 623.25ha for the 2nd class(S2), 138.08ha(S3s: 82.47ha, S3e: 51.88ha) for the 3rd class(S3), 230.44ha(N1w: 194.91ha, N1e: 23.09ha, N1es: 13.94ha) for the 4th class(N1), and 67.91ha(N2w: 60. 89ha, N2es: 7.02ha) for the 5th class(N2). The classes under the 3rd class(including the 3rd class) were determined as an unfair area, and proposed landscape enhancement for them. Second, it was proposed that unfair areas with potential water hazards(N1 w, N2w) be restored as a wetland and buffer zone. At this point, the farmers owning these fields could be compensated using the direct payment for landscape conservation(DPLC). Areas witha relatively lower slope(S3e) or a steep slope(N1e) containing soil erodibility potential were proposed to be restored as a sod-culture-applied field and substitute vegetation or potentially natural vegetation, respectively. The unfair areas having fallow potential(S3s, N1es, N2es) were proposed to apply special use crops for the S3s fields, native plants for the N1es fields, and intended fallow for the N2es fields. Third, after landscape enhancement, theforest had higher values in the indices of NP, PLAND, LSI, IJI, and TCA, while paddy and upland had lower values in most indices except NP and LSI. The forest patches increased and were more plentiful with their restoration and had much greater possibility to join with nearby patches. With continued restoration, forest patches will have a large core area and small number of patches due to the conglomeration of patches, which positively influences the species of diversity in the forest patches.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2024

Amphibians are a taxonomic group that ecologically connects terrestrial ecosystems and aquatic ecosystems. They play a very important role in the food chain of the ecosystem. It is known that there are about 5,948 species distributed all over the world, but after the Industrial Revolution, due to industrialization and urbanization, there has been a decrease in species and populations. In particular, it is becoming a factor in exacerbating habitat fragmentation or fragmentation due to artificial canals. In orderto improve the survivalrate of wild animals in artificial canals, escape facilities are installed to reduce it. This study analyzed the slope, height of the escape facility, escape rate, and travel distance in the operating facility for Bombina orientalis, which mainly inhabits near forests. The slope of the escape facility showed a relatively similar escape success rate regardless of height at 50° and 60°, while at 70°, it showed a relatively high escape success rate at only 40cm in height. The success rate of escape from the waterway escape facility in operation was 14.71%, showing a very low utilization rate, and the recognition rate of the artificial canal escape facility was found to be very low as it moved along the side wall of the artificial canal. Therefore, in the case of a waterway escape facility for Bombina orientalis, it is possible to construct it at an angle of 60°, and if the side walls of the artificial canals are built within 60°, Bombina orientalis can move freely in both directions, overcoming the low utilization rate of existing waterway escape facilities. It is expected to minimize the impact of movement and death of artificial canals. In addition, if the spacing between escape facilities is narrowed from the installation standard of 30m and ramps are constructed in both directions upstream and downstream, the escape success rate of amphibians,reptiles, and small mammals otherthan lady frogs is expected to improve.