• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.463-470
• /
• 2018

Restoration ecology is the practical study of renewing and restoring a spoilt, degraded, or devastated ecosystems in the environment. Because the Korean industry has been drastically developed for the past few decades, the Korean ecosystem requires restoration using regional seed. In this study, we identified the variation of phylogenic relationship of Miscanthus sinensis or Phragmites australis by locations in Korea. Chloroplast DNA atpF-H and psbA-trnH interspace region were used as a molecular marker to resolve the phylogenic relationship in 10 different locations. We performed the molecular phylogenetic analysis with 10 chloroplast DNAs from each location using Kimura 2-parameter. The analysis of Miscanthus showed that all atpF-H genes were exact matches except for Ose san. In contrast to Mischanthus, the atpF-H genes from Phragmites were observed to have more variation. A total of 7 locations revealed the variation in chloroplast gene. According to the phylogenic tree in Phragmites, 2 of 10 samples in 6 locations and 3 of 10 in 1 location showed variation with 0.160-0.181 genetic distance. According to the genetic distance of the Miscanthus sinensis, there were no mutations in all regions except the Hongsung. These results support regional differences and show the necessity for seed collection by region. In the case of Phragmites australis, genetic variation occurred in all regions.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.237-246
• /
• 2022

Owing to their high bioproductivity and unique physical environment, estuarine wetlands are gaining importance in national biodiversity management and habitat conservation. With regard to conservation and management of estuarine wetlands, this study analyzed the ecological characteristics of Gahwacheon Estuarine Wetland, an open estuary with various habitat types. Data from vegetation and biotic surveys have shown that 12 plant communities of five physiognomic vegetation types, including lentic herbaceous vegetation, halophytic herbaceous vegetation, and chasmophytic herbaceous vegetation. Due to the discharge of Namgang Dam and the effect of the tide, vegetation are distributed along the narrow waterside area. In terms of biodiversity, a total of 715 species, including 12 endangered wildlife species, were identified. Species diversity was relatively high in sections I and III where various riverbed structures and microhabitats were distributed. Due to the effect of the brackish water area following the inflow of seawater, endangered wildlife of various functional groups were also found to be distributed, indicating the high conservation value of that area. The collection of ecological information of the Gahwacheon Estuarine Wetland can be used as a framework for establishing the basis for conservation and management of the estuarine ecosystem and support policy establishment.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.1-21
• /
• 2024

This study conducted surveys to identify the distribution of communities and flora according to vegetation in the coastal sand dunes of Sagye in Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, located at the southernmost tip of Korea. The survey was conducted over 20 sessions from April 2020 to October 2021. As a result of the study, physiognomy was classified into six correlated vegetation types: plant communities on the salt marsh, annual communities on a coastal drift-line, herb communities on a dune, shrub communities on a coastal dune, forest-edge communities on a dune, and artificial afforestation vegetation. The survey identified 43 communities, and a total of 212 taxa were found to be distributed among 62 families, 166 genera, 191 species, 15 varieties, 3 subspecies, and 3 forma. It was found that there were five rare plant taxa distributed in the area, including the Cymbidium macrorrhizum which was classified as an endangered Class II plant by the Ministry of Environment. Floristic target species identified by the surveys included 2 taxa for grade V, 5 taxa for grade IV, 15 taxa for grade III, 14 taxa for grade II, and 19 taxa for grade I. Climate-sensitive biological indicator species included 11 indicator and 2 candidate species, representing a high ratio of 33.3% of all indicator species and 15.4% of candidate species. Naturalized plants included 16 families, 43 genera, and 52 taxa, with a naturalization rate of 21.1% and an urbanization index of 24.5%. It is expected that these results will be widely used as data needed to prepare conservation and management measures for biodiversity in response to climate change in coastal dunes in the future.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.82-91
• /
• 2024

In this study, research cases related to blue carbon storage were collected and analyzed, and various definitions of blue carbon were considered in terms of spatiotemporal scope and scientific aspect. 444 papers were selected as research cases related to blue carbon storage, and analysis of the number of papers published by year/country and keywords was performed. Publication of papers related to blue carbon storage has continued to increase since 2011, and more than 50 papers have been published annually since 2018. The most publications by country were in Australia with more than 100 papers, and the United States and China also published more than 60 papers. Key terms related to "natural environment" and "storage characteristics" were analyzed in the sentences defined in the 23 papers that presented the definition of blue carbon. The natural environments where blue carbon was stored were mostly mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass beds, and blue carbon repository included sediments and even plants themselves. The existing definition of blue carbon focused on the vegetation environment as the storage environment for blue carbon. However, since blue carbon is stored in the sediments of coastal wetlands, it would be appropriate to define the coastal ecosystem, including non-vegetated mudflats, as the storage environment for blue carbon.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.30 no.6
• /
• pp.939-961
• /
• 2016

For effective conservation of endangered wild plants, it is necessary to understand their interactions with environmental factors in each habitat together with life traits of target species. First, the characteristics of their distribution were investigated followed by their monitoring for 4 years focusing on the habitats in the lagoon. Also, their life traits were compared including production of hibernacles, fruits, and seeds by the soil fertilization and light intensities. Next, the information on the species was secured by germination experiment using the generated seeds from the cultivation experiment. The habitat of Glaux maritima var. obtusifolia Fernald in Korea was located in the rear edge of the worldwide distribution and its four habitats were isolated and distributed far away each other. Two of them were located in small salt-marsh and fine sand estuaries formed in the rocky area of the seashore, and the other two were inhabited with the sandy soil in the lagoon which was connected by river-mouth to the sea. Glaux maritima var. obtusifolia Fernald tends to be distributed in the sites where the establishment and growth of the competitor were inhibited by salinity, periodic flooding, and lower layer of the soil to extend a roots. It maintained its population by recruitments of hibernacles and seedling. The production of hibernacle was assumed to be affected by the particle consist of the sand together with organic matters in the soil. Seedling recruitment was observed only in the salt-marsh area located in the rear sites of sand ridge where was the shore of the lagoon. Glaux maritima var. obtusifolia Fernald was observed to have different threatening factors by each population. Its population in Pohang seemed the sedimentation of fine sand which affected the recruitment of hibernacles had been eroded due to the construction of the coastal road. The population in Ulsan appeared rapid expansion of competitor and reduction of its distribution area due to the interruption of eluted water supplied to the habitat. On the other hand, the habitat in the lagoon maintained the population relatively stable. Especially, the population in Songji-ho was determined to be the most stable one. To sustain the population of Glaux maritima var. obtusifolia Fernald distributed in the lagoon, it is suggested that the wide ranged scale of conservational activities is necessary to maintain the mechanisms including the entrance of seawater which belongs to the lagoon, and periodic flooding.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
• /
• v.25 no.3 s.107
• /
• pp.171-177
• /
• 2002

Three species of Chenopodiaceae, i.e. Suaeda japonica, Salicomia herbacea, Beta vulgaris var. cicla, were investigated to compare the physiological characteristics through ionic balances and osmoregulations under different environmental salt gradients. Plants were harvested in two weeks from treatments with salt gradients(0, 50, 100, 200 and 400 mM NaCl) and mineral nutrition gradients(1/1, l/5, 1/10 dilutions of Hoagland solution). Plants were analyzed for growth responses, ionic balances, osmolalities, conductivities, glycinebetaine and proline contents quantitatively. Three plants of Chenopodiaceae accumulated salts into tissues unlike some salt sensitive species, and showed unique adaptation patterns to overcome saline environments, i.e. strong growth stimulation for Salicomia herbacea, growth negative tolerance for Suaeda japonica, and growth positive tolerance for Beta vulgaris var cicla. The absorption of inorganic $Ca^{2+}$ ions was inhibited remarkably due to the excess uptake of $Na^+$ with increasing salinity. The $K^+$ content in plants was significantly reduced with increasing salinity. Total nitrogen content was reduced as mineral nutritions and salinity increases. Conductivity and osmolality increased with increasing salinity regardless of mineral nutritions. The ranges of glycinebetaine and proline contents were $0.2{\sim}2.5{\mu}M/g$ plant water and $0.1{\sim}0.6{\mu}M/g$ plant water, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
• /
• v.45 no.6
• /
• pp.10-27
• /
• 2017

Recently, the importance of recognizing the natural environment and the need for its conservation are increasing due to rapid urbanization. Suncheon Bay, designated as Scenic Site No. 41 and one of the World's Five Greatest Coastal Wetlands, is the only tideland among the tidal flats in Korea, which has salt marsh reserves. It has high conservation value from the ecological aspect. In addition to the Suncheon Bay National Garden, it provides various benefits not only to visitors but to local residents as well in terms of economics, environmental issues, and history and cultural aspects. Two million tourists visit the site annually, which has constantly highlighted the limits of ecological capacity. The valuation of the Suncheon Bay wetland is more important for the sustainability of the Suncheon Bay wetland than for its value as a tourism resource for the activation of the local economy. This study used the Logit model, which is commonly used among probabilistic choice models, to evaluate the economic value of Suncheon Bay wetland with the contingent valuation method(CVM). Applying the conservation value of the Suncheon Bay wetland to the benefit of KRW 8,200 for 1 person and 1 day, the benefit from exploration is KRW 2,050, the management and conservation value is KRW 3,034, and the heritage value is KRW 3,116. The results of this study are that benefit from the annual exploration of Suncheon Bay wetland was KRW 44.3 in billion, the management and conservation value was KRW 6.55 in billion, and the heritage value was KRW 6.73 in billion. When converted to the number of paying visitors per year, the conservation value is about KRW 177.1 billion. This study was conducted to evaluate the use and conservation aspects of the economic value of Suncheon Bay wetland. Based on the latent value of the Suncheon Bay wetland, it provides basic data about the efficient management and policy establishment of Suncheon Bay wetland. The study is significant in that the ecological sustainability of the Suncheon bay wetland and the value of non-marketable were evaluated based on the recognition of 'benefit through exploration', 'management and conservation value' and 'value of heritage'. It can be used as policy decision data on the integrated collection of the admission fee of the Suncheon Bay wetland and Suncheon Bay National Garden.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.461-471
• /
• 2016

This study was conducted to establish an in vitro propagation system for sea-milkwort (Glaux maritima L.), which is an endangered coastal plant species with high horticultural value. Two phenotypes, 'Red type (RT)' and 'Pistachio type (PT)' based on the colors of stem and flower, were obtained from a personal horticulturist in 2009 and used for this study as plant materials. The stock plants showed typical morphologies in flower, capsule, and seed appearances as previously reported. Low temperature treatment at $4^{\circ}C$ for four or more weeks after in vitro sowing maximized seed germination percentage, indicating that imbibition of seed and subsequent low temperature treatment are crucial for its germination. The in vitro seedlings had phenotypic variation, falling into 'RT' and 'PT' classes like the stock plants. Although slight differences depending on genotype and medium were recognized, the fourth or fifth nodes detached from the in vitro seedlings revealed the best multiplication efficacy when estimated on the basis of total number of nodes of newly developed axillary shoots. In addition, the nodes from 'RT' and 'PT' regenerated the most shoots on medium supplemented with $0.5mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ BA alone and $0.5mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ BA plus $0.5mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ IAA, respectively. The node culture-derived plantlets were well acclimatized in a culture room ex vitro and completed the pseudo-annual life cycle coincident with that in the natural salt march habitat with the current cultivation method of applying fresh water-irrigation under an inland environment. This work represents the first report of in vitro propagation of sea-milkwort. Thus, our study will contribute to exo-habitat conservation and natural habitat restoration of this endangered species in addition to development of a horticultural product.