• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.92-99
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• 2012

Many wildlife habitats have been destroyed and fragmented during the rapid industrialization and urbanization process in Korea. It is essential to connect these fragmented habitats to reduce road-kill of many types of endangered urban wildlife. The site selection for wildlife passages must take into account the behavior of the wildlife species for safe crossing utilizing many artificial barriers in urban areas. This study attempted to identify potential wildlife passage sites for the endangered and protected leopard cats of Gangseo Ecological Park in Seoul, Korea. A space syntax analysis, an analytical technique to objectively evaluate the spatial configurations related to passage selection, found that the integration value represents the accessibility and connectivity of spaces. In this paper, this means that the bigger the integration value, the more frequently the leopard cat passes through. The leopard cats were captured and radio-tracked for 72 hours once a month from March to June of 2009. The ArcGIS and Animal Movement of Hawth Tools were used to analyze the home range and movement paths, and Axwoman 4.0 was used to analyze space syntax. The daily average movement distance was $2.099{\pm}1.08km$. During the survey period, the leopard cats crossed over an urban expressway more than 20 times, running the risk of road-kill. The range of global integration values was 0.458~1.834, while that of the local integration was 0.210~6.061. Five sites that met across the leopard cats' movement routes and roads were selected to measure the local and global integrate values. Among these sites, the higher the integration value, the higher the road-kill possibility. Thus, two of five sites with high global and local integration values were suggested as potential wildlife passage sites for the leopard cats. Now, three tunnel passages are under construction at the suggested sites for which local integration value was highest (LI=4.369). Further studies are scheduled to verify these potential sites as suitable wildlife passages.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.322-332
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• 2012

The objectives of this paper were to investigate home range, habitat selection, and threat factors of leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis) living in rural area of Korea. The results based on radio tracking of three leopard cats (two males and one female) can be summarized as follows. First, the average home range of leopard cats were $2.64{\pm}1.99km^2$ (Kernel 95) and $3.69{\pm}1.34km^2$ (MCP 100), and the average size of core areas was $0.64{\pm}0.47km^2$ (Kernel 50). The home range of a male leopard cat that radio-tracked in winter was the largest ($5.19km^2$, MCP 100). Second, the Johnson's habitat selection model based on the Jacobs index showed that leopard cats preferred meadows and paddy fields avoiding forest covers at the second level, whereas they preferred meadows adjacent to streams and avoided paddy fields at the third level. Finally, roadkill could be prime threat factor for the cat population. Therefore, habitats dominated by paddy fields, stream corridors with paved roads, and human settlements with insufficient forest patches could threaten the long-term viability of leopard cat populations. Thus the habitat managements for the leopard cat conservation should focus on the prevention of road-kill and the installation of wildlife passages in rural highways adjacent to stream corridors.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.693-697
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• 2010

This study, conducted with four leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis), used time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TR-FIA) to analyze estradiol and progesterone concentrations in fecal samples. We measured fecal samples taken during estrus period, diestrus period, pregnancy and non-pregnancy period. During estrus (February), the mean minimum estradiol concentration was $4.02{\pm}1.9$ng/g, and the mean maximum was $86.01{\pm}35.2$ng/g (dry fecal weight). During diestrus (November), the mean minimum estradiol concentration was $4.42{\pm}1.32$ng/g and mean maximum was $15.62{\pm}6.48$ng/g (dry fecal weight). Midgestation (April), the mean minimum progesterone concentration was $427{\pm}24.49$ng/g and the mean maximum was $1490{\pm}265.27$ng/g. During non-pregnancy (November), the mean minimum progesterone concentration was $71.25{\pm}29.61$ng/g and the mean maximum was $291.75{\pm}90.30$ng/g. These results suggest that steroid hormone analysis of feces using TR-FIA is a valid method for noninvasively determining ovarian activity associated with estrus and pregnancy in leopard cats. This study will contribute to building breeding management and reproductive plans for endangered species.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.150-161
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• 2005

Soraksan National Park and Odaesan National Park, that are 20.7 km apart, should play an important role as habitats and corridors for wildlife because they are located in the center of Baekdudaegan. However, landscape features such as small area, fragmentation, and geographic isolation seem to impede the proper ecological functions of these two national parks. Using GIS technique, we examined the pattern of fragmentation in these two national parks and adjacent regions (Sokcho-si, Goseong-gun, Inje-gun, Yangyang-gun, and Hongcheon-gun) encompassing a total of $4573.5km^2$ in area. We then selected the patches suitable for an endangered carnivorous species, leopard cat, based on habitat conditions, and identified the network and stepping stone among patches to enable leopard cats to migrate. Diverse roads and artificial facilities in the study area generated a total of 24,701 patches: 39 patches among these were selected as potential habitats upon considering the habitat condition such as vegetation types and minimum area for leopard cat. Three patches nearby Gyebangsan and Bangtaesan were identified as a potential network center to relieve the effects of fragmentation and isolation of the two national parks. Our results also showed that patches containing Jombongsan and Bangtaesan would act as a source patch from there leopard cats can disperse to both national parks. It is an urgent task to identify the pattern of fragmentation and the connectivity between patches in national parks and adjacent areas for wildlife conservation because almost all national parks confront land- scape problems similar to the two national parks examined in this study.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.61-71
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• 2023

As differences in the impact of each species on a spatial scale occur, analysis at the landscape scale is necessary to evaluate the impact of a development project. In previous studies, the Incidence Function Model (IFM) based on meta population theory was used to analyze the impact of species on the environment that changes according to urban development. However, since the model was required at least 10 occupied areas, it is difficult to use it for species that are difficult to monitor such as endangered species. Therefore, we proposed the Incidence Function Model (IFM) using species distribution model to fill the species data. In addition, we reviewed whether the developed model can be used in environmental impact assessment. As a result of the analysis, the minimum occupancy of Prionailurus bengalensis on urban development decreased to 56.5% and the possibility of survival to 28.7%. We confirmed that It rapidly decreased from the reference points of 230 and 70habitats through analysis of the meta-population capacity according to the decrease in the number of habitats. These results can be assessing the environment impact of each species on habitat loss. And it can support decision-making on the minimum number and area of habitat for species protection. This study is expected to be used as basic data for environment impact assessment on before and after development projects and mitigation measures plans, thereby increasing the effectiveness of reduction plans.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Environment and Ecology Conference
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• 2009.04a
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• pp.56-58
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• 2009

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Sciences Society Conference
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• 2018.10a
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• pp.264-264
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• 2018

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.64-72
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to compare a habitat suitability grid unit included within a radius of 100m and $1km^2,\;2km^2,\;4km^2$ watershed units in order to predict suitable habitats for Chungcheong province's endangered leopard species(Prionailurus bengalensis). Other developed countries have carried out habitat assessment and established management policies for species conservation using such methods as HEP(Habitat Evaluation Procedures), HSI(Habitat Suitability Index) and GAP(Gap Analysis Program), etc. In accordance with these studies, many evaluation methods for habitat conservation have been proposed in Korea, but these studies are lacking in consideration of analytic units and general application of analysis results. This study predicted leopard habitat using a logistic regression analysis according to analytic units by data from 56 location and 8 sources of environmental data, including elevation, slope, forest area, land cover, roads, water, broadleaf trees, and human habitation. Moreover, the habitat suitability assessment unit was confirmed by a model comparison process encompassing model explanation. verification, and application on a regional scale. Results showed that assessment methods that took into consideration areas in and around the location points were beneficial in predicting habitat and that the assessment unit was appropriate for a 30m grid unit including areas within a radius of 100m and a $1km^2$ watershed unit in Chungcheong Province. This study suggests a method for regional habitat conservation to complement existing conservation area selection methods, and the results are expected to be used in conservation area selection and ecosystem management policies for endangered species.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.145-155
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• 2011

We surveyed diversity, distribution and diversity change of mammalian species in forests of the Nature Environment Research Park (Survey Area I; reservoir and surrounding forests, II; human habitat and surrounding forests and III; mountain forests) in Gangwon Province from 2004 to 2008. During our study, endangered species like Peromys volans, Lutra lutra and Prionailurus bengalensis were present in the surveyed areas. Diversity of mammalian species tends to be a little higher in the Survey Area I and III than the Survey Area II. Annual species diversity was a little higher in 2006, and then there was a little reduction from 2007. However, there was higher reduction in the number of individuals from 2007. Therefore, our results indicate that specific measures are needed for preservation of mammalian habitats to maintain the species diversity and the number of mammalian individuals.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.353-359
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• 2010

Nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of 19 leopard cats (Prionailurus bangalensis euptilura) obtained from Seoul grand park zoo in South Korea were determined for analysing genetic diversity. In the leopard cats, 3 haplotypes of the partial cytochrome b sequences (603 base-pairs, bp) were identified. Haplotypes obtained from those genes showed existences of at least 3 maternal lineages of leopard cats in Korea. Tamura-Nei nucleotide distance among 3 haplotypes were 0.00. Molecular phylogenetic tree showed the similar clustering of haplotypes for genes. Meanwhile, no individual variations within the leopard cats in S. Korea. Genetic surveillance system of leopard cats in S. Korea is warranted for maintaining biological conservation.