• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.222-230
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• 2016

HEMIRE is a 6,000-meter-class remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that has been developed for observation and sampling of objects of interest on the deep seabed. We first carried out deep-seabed exploration around the slopes of the Hupo Bank and the Ulleung Basin in the East Sea in June 2015. Over two weeks, a total of 10 dives were made from a support ship, the R/V Onnuri, at eight stations with water depth ranging between 194 and 2,080 m. The dive times ranged from 1 to 6 hours, depending on the operating conditions. We obtained the following results: 1) video images of the deep seafloor; 2) red snow crab density data (a major fishery resource) and inventories of deep-sea fauna, including an unrecorded organism; 3) specific topographies such as canyons slopes; 4) an undisturbed sediment core obtained using a push corer; and 5) observations of the seabed surface covered with discarded anthropogenic waste material.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2017.05a
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• pp.7-7
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• 2017

범람파동 개념에 따르면 하도와 홍수터의 횡적 연결성은 하천 생태계의 생물다양성과 생산성 증대에 중요한 역할을 한다. 제방에 의하여 제내지 홍수터가 하도와 차단된 우리나라 하천에서 생태적 서비스를 증대하기 위해서 횡적 연결성을 복원하는 기술 개발이 필요하다. 횡적 연결성의 복원 기술을 개발하기 위해서는 우선 하도와 홍수터 사이에 생태적 연결성의 현황을 파악하고 연결성을 저해하는 요인을 진단하는 평가 기술 개발이 시급히 요청되고 있다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 제방에 의하여 차단된 제내지 하천환경에서 수리적, 생태적 횡적 연결성을 평가하고 진단하는 기술을 개발하고 연결성 회복 방안을 제안하고자 한다. 차단된 제내지 하천환경 평가는 1) 지리정보시스템을 이용하여 차단된 하천공간을 탐색하고, 2) 탐색된 전체 재내지에서 원격평가에 의하여 간편하게 횡적 연결성 평가를 실시하고, 3) 선정된 특정 제내지 대상지에서 현장평가에 의하여 상세하게 연결성을 평가하는 순서로 수행된다. 차단된 하천공간의 획정은 홍수가 범람할 수 있는 제내지 공간을 잠재적 하천공간으로 정의하고 수치표고모델 (DEM)과 하천기본계획의 30년 빈도 홍수위 자료를 이용하여 제내지 홍수터를 탐색하였다. 제내지 홍수터의 원격 연결성평가는 지리정보시스템에서 수치지도와 토지피복도 등 공간자료를 이용하여 수리 및 서식처 환경성, 제방 차단성과 하도 및 육상 연결성을 평가하고 원격평가 결과를 토대로 현장평가 대상지를 선정하였다. 횡적 연결성의 현장평가를 위하여 크게 하도-홍수터 연결성과 제내지 서식처 보존성으로 평가 항목을 선정하였다. 또한 연결성 평가는 수리연결성과 생물연결성으로, 서식처 보존성 평가는 습지유지율, 습지보존성, 육역지보존성을 세부항목으로 구성하였다. 평가 항목별로 5 등급의 평가 기준에 따라서 평가 점수를 부여하고 평가 총점을 산출하여 최종 연결성 평가 등급을 5 단계로 구분하였다. 현장평가를 위한 MS Access 기반 소프트웨어를 개발하여, 데이터 입력과 관리 및 평가 결과 산출과 비교를 편리하게 하였다. 개발된 제내지 하천환경 평가법을 청미천과 만경강에 적용하여 검증하였다. 개발된 평가법을 바탕으로 차단된 제내지 하천환경에서 연결성 회복에 따른 어류와 식생의 분포를 예측하는 수리생태 결합모델을 개발하였다. 먼저 차단된 제내지에서 연결 수로를 복원하여 유속, 수심 분포를 준이차 수리수문 모델로 예측하였다. 예측된 수리 환경에 따라서 지표어종의 서식처 적합도 지수 (HSI)를 이용하여 서식 분포 확률을 모의하였다. 또한 일반화가법모델 (GAM)을 이용하여 환경구배에 의한 우점식생의 분포를 예측하였다. 차단된 제내지 하천환경의 생태적 연계성 평가 기술을 기반으로 제방제거, 제방후퇴, 제방고 하강, 수문 및 연결수로 개선, 생물이동 저해 장벽 제거 등의 다양한 복원기술이 개발되어야 할 것으로 생각된다.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.242-247
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• 2019

Biological factors (e.g. microorganism activity) in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) play essential roles for degradation and/or removal of organic matters. In this study, to understand the microbial functional roles in WWTP, we tried to isolate and characterize a bacterial strain from activated sludge sample. Strain S16 was isolated from the activated sludge of a municipal WWTP in Daejeon metropolitan city, the Republic of Korea. The cells were a Gram-stain-positive, non-motile, facultative anaerobe, and rod-shaped. Strain S16 grew at a temperature of $15{\sim}40^{\circ}C$ (optimum, $30^{\circ}C$), with 0~9.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 1.0~2.0%), and at pH 5.5~9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0~7.5). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain S16 was most closely related to the unique species Miniimonas arenae NBRC $106267^T$ (99.79%, 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity) of the genus Miniimonas. The cell wall contained alanine, glutamic acid, serine, and ornithine. Although the isolation source of the type strain NBRC $106267^T$ which considered as a marine microorganism is sea sand, that of strain S16 is terrestrial environment. It might raise an ecological question for habitat transition. Therefore, comparative genome analysis will be valuable investigation for shedding light on their potential metabolic traits and genomic streamlining.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.705-713
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• 2020

The present study investigated the temporal changes of river habitats caused by construction and operation of the three large weirs (Sejong, Gongju, and Baekje) in the Geum River. High resolution satellite imagery taken during three periods (preconstruction, before and after gate operation) were used for habitat analysis. We divided bar area into eight habitat types in addition to water area. Then, we identified the nine habitat types from the satellite imagery and estimated each habitat area. Our results show that after weir construction, large bar areas were dramatically decreased and bareland was nearly absent post gate-operation in all three weirs. However, total bar area and bareland were again increased distinctively soon after weir opening events, especially in the uppermost weir, the Sejongbo. These results suggest that weir opening operations provide a relatively simple channel of more diverse through the process of increasing bar area in a river channel.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.593-604
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• 2023

The ocean accounts for over 70% of the Earth's surface and is a space of largely unexplored unknowns and opportunities. Korea is a peninsula surrounded by the sea on three sides, emphasizing the importance of marine research. The ocean has an extremely complex environment with immense biological diversity. In terms of microbiology, the marine environment has varying factors like extreme temperature, pressure, solar radiation, salt concentration, and pH, providing ecologically unique habitats. Due to this variety, marine organisms have very different phylogenetic classifications compared with terrestrial organisms. Although various microorganisms inhabit the ocean, studies on the diversity, isolation, and cultivation of marine microorganisms and the secondary metabolites they produce are still insufficient. Research on bioactive substances from marine microorganisms, which were rarely studied until the 1990s, has accelerated in terms of natural products from marine Actinomycetes since the 2000s. Since then, industries for bioplastic and biofuel production, carbon dioxide capture, probiotics, and pharmaceutical discovery and development of antibacterial, anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory drugs using bacteria, archaea, and algae have significantly grown. In this review, we introduce current research findings and the latest trends in life science and biotechnology using marine microorganisms. Through this article, we hope to create consumer awareness of the importance of basic and applied research in various natural product-related discovery fields other than conventional pharmaceutical drug discovery. The article aims to suggest pathways that may boost research on the optimization and application of future marine-derived materials.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.3-37
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• 2012

In perspective of biodiversity conservation and protected areas (PAs), the aims of the study are to review the mid-long term national plans, which deal with national territory and environment in Korea, and to find out the way to improve this issue. Key issues were drawn by referring "Biodiversity 2011-2020 Strategic Targets" and "Protected Area Decision" in CBD CoP-10 and 7 National comprehensive or basic Plans were reviewed. Quoting Biodiversity 2011-2020 Strategic Target 5, "By 2020, the rate of loss of all natural habitats, including forests, is at least halved and where feasible brought close to zero, and degradation and fragmentation is significantly reduced", most of national plans included various methods such as "No Net Loss of Green", "No Net Loss of Wetlands", and so on. Regarding the target 11, "By 2020, at least 17% of terrestrial and inland water, and 10% of coastal and marine areas, ecologically representative and well connected systems of PAs and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscape and seascapes", 15% by 2015 was set up as a target of total PAs in Korea and 13% by 2015 or 2020 was set up as a target of coastal and marine PAs. CBD CoP-10 Decision X/31 (Protected Areas) invites parties to develop a national long-term action plan for the implementation of PoWPA and describes 10 issues that need greater attention. National action plan for the implementation of PoWPA doesn't be mentioned at any national plans even PoWPA. Regarding the 10 issues, most of issues were well reflected within various national plans, however there is still a need to improve the details and corelation between plans. Particularly, in terms of management effectiveness evaluation (MEE), there was no national plan to directly deal with MEE even though CBD invites parties to work towards assessing 60% of the total PAs by 2015. Based on the review results, below 4 items were suggested; (1)"The Comprehensive Plan of the National Territory" needs more attention on the Biodiversity Conservation and PAs, (2)Consider to establish "National PA System Plan" embedded into "the Comprehensive Plan of National Environment", (3)Establish a "National Action Plan for the implementation of PoWPA", (4)Improve the National Plans through linking with Biodiversity 2011-2020 Strategic Targets and relevant PA key issues.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.110 no.4
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• pp.554-568
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• 2021

Forests are the largest carbon (C) sinks in terrestrial ecosystems. Recently, as enhancing forest C sequestration capacity has been proposed as a basic direction of the Republic of Korea's "2050 Carbon Neutral Strategy," accurate estimation of forest C sequestration has been emphasized. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change guidelines, sequestration quantity is calculated from changes in C stocks in forest C pools, such as biomass, deadwood, litter and soil layer, and harvested wood products. However, in Korea, only the overstory biomass increase is now considered the amount of sequestration quantity, so there can be a significant difference from the actual forest C sequestration. In this study, we quantified forest C exchange through C flux measurement using an eddy covariance system and an automated soil chamber system in a 57-year-old Korean pine plantation located in Mt. Taehwa, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do. Then, the net amount of C sequestration was compared with the amount of the overstory biomass increase. We estimated the annual C stock change in the remaining C pools by comparing the net sequestration amount from the C flux measurement with the overstory biomass increase and C stock change in the litter layer. Therefore, the net C sequestration of the Korean pine plantation estimated from the flux measurement was 5.96 MgC ha^-1, which was about 2.2 times greater than 2.77 MgC ha^-1 of the overstory biomass increase. The annual C stock increase in the litter layer was estimated to be 0.75 MgC ha^-1, resulting in a total annual C stock increase of 2.45 MgC ha^-1 in the remaining C pools. Our results indicate that the domestic forest is a larger C sink than the current methods, implying that more accurate calculations of the C sequestration capacity are necessary to quantify C stock changes in C pools along with the C flux measurement.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.50-64
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• 2019

Recently, quantitative analyses of food web structure based on carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes are widely applied to environmental assessments as well as ecological researches of various ecosystems, particularly rivers and streams. In the present study, we analyzed carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of POM (both planktonic and attached forms), zooplankton, benthic macroinvertebrates and fish collected from 6 sites located at Nakdong River. Samples were collected from upstream areas of 5 weirs (Sangju, Gangjeong-Goryeong, Dalseong, Hapcheon-Changnyeong, and Changnyeong-Haman Weirs) and one downstream area of Hapcheon-Changnyeong Weir in dry season (June) and after rainy season (September). We suggested ranges of their carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios and calculated their trophic levels in the food web to compare their temporal and spatial variations. Trophic levels of organisms were relatively higher in Sangju Weir located at upper part of Nakdong River, and decreased thereafter. However, the trophic levels were recovered at the Changnyeong-Haman Weir, the lowest weir in the river. The trophic level calculated by nitrogen stable isotope ratios showed more reliable ranges when they were calculated based on zooplankton than POM used as baseline. The suggested quantitative ecological information of the majority of biological communities in Nakdong River would be helpful to understand the response of river food web to environmental disturbances and can be applied to various further researches regarding the quantitative approaches for the understanding food web structure and function of river ecosystems as well as restoration.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.1-9
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• 2022

This study compared and reviewed the recognition determinants by applying the OECMs criteria, focusing on old big trees, plant of natural monument that are natural heritage under the national heritage system of the Cultural Heritage Administration, and the results are as follows. First, among the protected areas designated and managed by government agencies according to each protection purpose, it is necessary to actively introduce new conservation measures, OECMs, to fulfill the Biodiversity strategy for 2030 while the land area is already saturated. Second, the OECMs are geographically defined areas(CBD, 2018), not currently recognized as a protected areas, governed and managed in a way that achieves positived sustained and effective contribution to in situ conservation of biodiversity. Since the selection of term, the scope of application criteria, and the context of interpretation are inevitably different, it is necessary to separately legislate and establish related laws of the OECMs suitable for each country's situation. Third, as a result of reviewing the OECMs criteria for plant of natural monument, the final 58 potential resources were recognized. Important elements among the OECMs criteria are that buffer zones should be spaced apart from designated zones to secure a certain area, and that economic activities through commercial production should not occur and meet biodiversity standards. Among the potential candidates, 23 areas were analyzed to be geographically isolated and independent, such as Forest of Oriental Arborvitae in Do-dong, Daegu, and forest types such as Carstor Aralia of Gungchon-ri, Samcheok and Forest of Common Camellias in Maryang-ri, Seocheon. As a result of reviewing the application of OECMs criteria for plant of natural monument, it was confirmed that the functions as a traditional uses were specialized among the values of biodiversity, and ecosystem services and cultural and spiritual values were inherited through Korea's unique culture of old big trees and Dangsan ritual. In terms of biodiversity criteria, it can be used as an important factor in connecting human and natural ecosystem networks without the discovery of new species.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.6 no.1_2 s.7
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• pp.25-36
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• 1998

Organic geochemical analyses were carried out in order to characterize organic matter (OM) in the sediments recovered from Korea/japan Joint Development Zone (JDZ V-1, V-3, VII-1 and VII-2) which is located in the northern end of the East China Sea Shelf Basin. Late Miocene sediments from the JDZ V-1 and V-3 wells generally contain less than $0.5\%$ of total organic carbon (TOC). However, early Miocene and Oligocene sediments show TOC values of $0.6-0.8\%$. Middle to late Miocene sediments are rich in TOC up to $20\%$ from JDZ VII-1 and JDZ VII-2 wells. The reason for this rich TOC might be attributed to the presence of coaly shales. Kerogens in the Tertiary sediments from the JDZ series wells are mainly composed of terrestrially derived woody organic matter. Elemental analyses indicate that OM from these wells can be compared to type III. Low hydrocarbon potential and hydrogen index reflect the type of OM. According to the biomarker analyses, the input of the terrestrial OM is prevalent. Oxidizing condition is also indicated by Pristane/Phytane ratio. Samples from the JDZ V-1 and V-3 wells obtain maturities equivalent to the oil generation zone around total depth, and organic matter below 3600 m from JDZ VII-1 and VII-2 wells reached dry gas generation stage. Oligocene sediments below 3500 m in the JDZ VII-1 and JDZ VII-2 wells may have generated limited amount of hydrocarbons, showing a progressive decrease in hydrogen index with depth, due to thermal degradation with increased burial. Gas shows and finely disseminated gilsonite may indicate the generation and migration of the hydrocarbons.