• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.148-155
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• 2024

This study investigated the ecological characteristics of Odontobutis platycephala at Jaho stream from January to December 2022. The riverbed structure of the species' habitat was rich in cobble and pebble. The water was deep, ranging from 22 to 153 cm, with an average of 64 cm, and the stream velocity was rapid at 0.89 (0.42-1.46) m/sec. The ratio of females to males was 1:1.02, and the total length of collected individuals ranged from 38 to 156 mm. The age according to the total length frequency distribution as of May indicated that the group with a total length of 38-69 mm was one year old, the group with 60-99 mm was two years old, the group with 100-139 mm was three years old, and the group 140-156 mm was four years or older. As a secondary gender characteristic, the genital papilla was cylindrical in females and cone-shaped with a pointed tip in males. Some females with a length ranging from 60 to 69 mm and all females 70 mm or longer were sexually mature. Some males with a length ranging from 70 to 79 mm and all males 80 mm or longer were sexually mature. The spawning season was from May to July, and the water temperature was between 17 ℃ and 28 ℃ during that period. The prosperous spawning season was June (24 ℃). The average number of eggs in the ovaries was 988 (284-2,722) per mature female, and the mature eggs were yellowish and spherical with a mean diameter of 1.46 (1.19-1.71) mm. The correlation between total length and body weight is BW=0.00000006TL^3.12 with the constant a as 0.00000006 and the parameter b as 3.12. The mean condition factor (K) was 1.44 (0.96-2.26), and the slope was negative at -0.0007

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.277-292
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• 2024

In order to manage large-scale forest fires concentrated in Gangwon-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do with severe topographical heterogeneity, a decision-making process through efficient and rapid damage assessment using satellite images is essential. Accordingly, this study targets a large-scale forest fire that ignited in Gangneung and the Donghae, Gangwon-do on March 5, 2022, and was extinguished around 19:00 on March 8, to estimate the fire severity using dNBR and derive environmental factors that affect the grade. As environmental factors, we quantified the regular vegetation index representing vegetation or fuel type, the forest index that classifies tree species, the regular moisture index representing moisture content, and DEM in relation to topography, and then analyzed the correlation with the fire severity. In terms of fire severity, the widest range was 'Unbured' at 52.4%, followed by low severity at 42.9%, medium-low severity at 4.3%, and medium-high severity at 0.4%. Environmental factors showed a negative correlation with dNDVI and dNDWI, and a positive correlation with slope. Regarding vegetation, the differences between coniferous, broad-leaved, and other groups in dNDVI, dNIWI, and slope, which were analyzed to affect the fire severity, were analyzed to be significant with p-value < 2.2e-16. In particular, the difference between coniferous and broad-leaved forests was clear, and it was confirmed that coniferous forest suffered more damage than broad-leaved forest due to the higher fire severity in the Gangwon-do region, including Pinus densiflora, which are dominant species, as well as P. koraiensis, P. rigida and P. thunbergii.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.482-496
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• 2023

Many changes in the scale and structure of the Korean rice cropping system have been made over the past few decades. Still, insufficient research has been conducted on the sustainability of this system. This study analyzed changes in the Korean rice cropping system's sustainability from a system ecology perspective using an emergy approach. For this purpose, an emergy table was created for the Korean rice cropping system in 2011, 2016, and 202, and an emergy-based indicator analysis was performed. The emergy analysis showed that the total emergy input to the rice cropping system decreased from 10,744E+18 sej year^-1 to 8,342E+18 sej year^-1 due to decreases in paddy field areas from 2011 to 2021, and the proportion of renewable resources decreased by 1.4%. The emergy input per area (ha) was found to have decreased from 13.13E+15 sej ha^-1 year^-1 in 2011 to 11.89E+15 sej ha^-1 year^-1 in 2021, and the leading cause was a decrease in nitrogen fertilizer usage and working hours. The amount of emergy used to grow 1 g of rice stayed the same between 2016 and 2021 (specific emergy: 13.3E+09 sej g^-1), but the sustainability of the rice cropping system (emergy sustainability index, ESI) continued to decrease (2011: 0.107, 2016: 0.088, and 2021: 0.086). This study provides quantitative information on the emergy input structure and characteristics of Korean rice cropping systems. The results of this study can be used as a valuable reference in establishing measures to improve the ecological sustainability of the Korean rice cropping system.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.388-404
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• 2024

The focus of conserving plant diversity at the national level includes endemic species restricted to specific regions. This study thus aimed to investigate and evaluate the current distribution status of the Pulsatilla tongkangensis Y.N. Lee & T.C. Lee, one of Korea's endemic plants. The study also examined the vegetation environment of its habitat and assessed the structure of each population. Furthermore, the performance variable of each population was comparatively evaluated, and its annual growth characteristics were also observed. The distribution area of the P. tongkangensis is largely divided into limestone cliffs, ridge rocks, mountain peaks in limestone regions, and sandy soil areas resulting from weathering. Plants in the same distribution area were categorized based on their geographical location, which reflected their respective habitats. According to the population structure evaluated using the number of measured leaves numbers, the plants were categorized into stable and relatively unstable populations. A relatively young population was observed at the top of mountains and rocky ridges of limestone areas and sandy soil areas resulting from weathering. The number of mature individuals was the highest in the population observed around limestone cliffs. In contrast, the population near the top of the limestone mountain range had more leaves , but the plants were of short stature and had the fewest inflorescences. The individuals distributed in limestone cliffs grew, produced, and dispersed seeds for an extended period following establishment. The growth of individuals was limited due to environmental factors in the habitat of distribution areas, including ridges, mountain tops in limestone regions, and sandy soil areas resulting from weathering. It was assessed to have a comparatively brief life cycle compared to that of the plants found on limestone cliffs. P. tongkangensis began flowering in early spring, and both fruit maturation and seed dispersal were completed before the onset of summer. The habitats were determined to receive around seven hours of sunlight per day during the summer, which was considered suitable for establishing a life cycle for the P. tongkangensis, a species requiring strong sunlight for growth to establish and success in a dry environment. Considering the status data gathered from this study, the P. tongkangensis was classified as an endangered species (EN). In addition, the collected data are expected to provide important information for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Therefore, we proposed that the P. tongkangensis holds significant value as a core distribution site, given the observation of species with diverse characteristics on limestone cliffs in Pyeongchang-gun and Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.542-549
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• 2014

This study was conducted to investigate the body size, sexual size dimorphism (SSD), and related environmental factors between Red-tongued viper snakes (Gloydius ussuriensis) inhabiting two different places, i.e., Jeju Island and its islet Gapado, and to provide data required to maintain species diversity from May, 2006 until June, 2009. The snout-vent length of the Red-tongued viper snake population inhabiting Jeju Island was found to be 242-532 mm ($422.0{\pm}46.7mm$, n = 100) in females and 296-580 mm ($434.5{\pm}51.7mm$, n = 63) in males. In contrast, the snout-vent length was observed to be 205-395 mm ($335{\pm}43.6mm$, n = 55) in female and 215-430 mm ($328{\pm}39.4mm$, n = 73) in male Red-tongued viper snakes inhabiting Gapado. These data demonstrated the snout-vent length of both female and male Red-tongued viper snakes on Jeju Island to be larger than those on Gapado (Female t = 17.343, df = 115, P<0.001; Male = 19.128, df = 101, P<0.001). SSD was measured to be -0.03 in the Red-tongued viper snake population on Jeju Island, with more or less larger sizes in the males, while it was 0.02 in the Red-tongued viper snake population in the Gapado, with a little larger sizes in the females. The reason for this difference in the snake populations between Jeju Island and Gapado may be due to adaption to the different ecological environments. In addition, as SSD, the snout-vent length of the Red-tongued viper snake populations and in young vipers was somewhat higher in the males than in the females on Jeju Island (t = -2.011, df = 117, P<0.05). However, no significant differences were observed in the snout-vent length of the young and the general Red-tongued viper snake populations on Gapa Island. For the population on Jeju island, the head length (F = 6.318, $df_{1,2}$=1,117, P<0.05), head width (F=8.090, $df_{1,2}$=1,117, P<0.01), inter eye length (F=15.898, $df_{1,2}$=1,117, P<0.001), and tail length (F=238.488, $df_{1,2}$=1,111, P<0.001) were all larger in the males, while females showed higher body mass (F=64.111, $df_{1,2}$=1,114, P<0.001). In the case of the Gapa Island population, no significant differences in the head length, head width, and inter eye length between females and males were observed, while the males had a longer tail length (F=168.555, $df_{1,2}$=1,74, P<0.001) and the females were heavier (F=17.812, $df_{1,2}$=1,76, P<0.001). Though no significant differences were found in the head length, head width, and inter eye length, the tail length (F=67.793, $df_{1,2}$=1,72, P<0.001) and body mass (F=4.558, $df_{1,2}$=1,72, P<0.05) were higher in the young male Red-tongued viper snakes than in the females. The snout-vent length, head length, head width, and inter eye length, which did not display SSD in the young Red-tongued viper snake populations, were higher in the male Red-tongued viper snake populations than in the female population from Jeju Island, implying that SSD in the Red-tongued viper snake population on Jeju Island is expressed due to environmental effects during their growth.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.664-676
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• 2019

This study aimed to analyze the bioacoustics and habitat environment of the cicadas inhabiting Taebaeksan National Park, an sub-alpine region in Korea. The mating calls of the cicadas were recorded for approximately 3 months, between July and September of 2018. The recording devices were installed in Daedeoksan valley and Baekcheon valley, inside Taebaeksan National Park, and the sounds were recorded 24 hours a day. In order to obtain the habitat distribution data of the cicadas, the sounds were recorded from 111 spots located in the Taebaeksan National Park trail in August 2018. The daily weather data was obtained from the Taebaek city weather center. The results of the study demonstrated that 5 species of cicadas inhabit Taebaeksan National Park, namely, Leptosemia takanonis, Lyristes intermedius, Kosemia yezoensis, Hyalessa fuscata, and Meimuna opalifera. The time of appearance for L. takanonis was early July to mid-July, and that for L. intermedius, K. yezoensis, H. fuscata, and M. opalifera was mid-July to early September. Analysis of the circadian rhythm revealed that L. intermedius, K. yezoensis, and H. fuscata started producing mating calls between 6:00 and 7:00, which ended at around 19:00 for all the three species. The peak time for producing mating calls was 11:00 for L. intermedius, 12:00 for H. fuscata, and around 13:00 to 14:00 for K. yezoensis. The environmental factors influencing the mating calls of the cicadas inhabiting Taebaeksan National Park were analyzed by logistic regression. The results showed that the probability of producing mating calls increased by 1.192 and 1.279 times in L. intermedius and K. yezoensis, respectively, when the average temperature increased by one degree. When the duration of sunlight increased by one hour, the probability of producing mating calls increased by 4.366 and 2.624 times in L. intermedius and H. fuscata, respectively. Analysis of the interspecific effects revealed that when H. fuscata produced a single mating call, the probability of producing mating calls increased by 14.620 and 2.784 times in L. intermedius and K. yezoensis, respectively. When K. yezoensis and L. intermedius produced mating calls, the probability of producing mating calls in H. fuscata increased by 11.301 and 2.474 times, respectively. L. intermedius and K. yezoensis did not have any effects on each other with respect to the production of mating calls. Analysis of the habitat environment of each species revealed that their habitats were located at altitudes of 1,046 m (780~1,315 m) for L. intermedius, 1,072 m (762~1,361 m) for K. yezoensis, and 976 m (686~1,245 m) for H. fuscata. Unlike H. fuscata, which was found at a low altitude, K. yezoensis and L. intermedius were not found at altitudes lower than 700 m. Analysis of the average aspect of the habitats of each of the cicada species revealed that L. intermedius was found at 166° (125~207°), K. yezoensis was found at 100° (72~128°), and H. fuscata was found at 173° (118~228°). Examination of the distribution of each of the cicada species revealed that they were predominantly distributed in the ridges and slopes located in the southeastern region of Munsubong in Taebaeksan. In summary, L. intermedius and K. yezoensis was found to inhabit higher altitudes in Taebacksan National Park than H. fuscata, which was found throughout the Korean peninsula. Additionally, the main aspect of the cicada habitat was found to be the southeastern region (100~173°), which has good access to daylight.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.32-41
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• 2008

An empirical study and environmental and ecological analysis were conducted on Otgol Village(a village of the Gyeongju Choi's clan in Daegu) where an enclosed pond and groves are still observed. In particular, the enclosed pond and groves and village water system were investigated from an ecological perspective. The enclosed landscape is described based on feng shui principles and the environmental and ecological significance were examined. In general, the environmental and ecological significance is very broad; however, they were analyzed in terms of the quality of life as an empirical study as follows: First, water quality was measured to investigate the improvement of continuous water system functions. In other words, water quality was measured at East Valley(resting space), West Valley(living space), the enclosed pond where the two valleys merge, and the stream that flows out of the pond. Second, the climate functions of the enclosed groves that border the village were examined. In other words, temperature was measured in two places(200m distance from the center of the groves). Third, whether or not a sound ecosystem can be sustained was investigated. In other words, landscape ecological indicators were chosen and measured. The results are as follows: First, the enclosed pond played the role of purifying water quality. While the East Valley has been popular with men for its rock walls and torrents, the West Valley has been popular with women as a living space(ex: doing the laundry). Therefore, the difference of water quality can be explained. Second, since enclosed groves are in a small village forest, they are very weak in terms of being wind proof and temperature reduction effects. Instead, they play the role of the village boundary. Third, the groves are ecologically sound considering the landscape ecological indicators and are similar to ordinary traditional rural villages. In terms of the connection of the green zone, the village groves are well connected to the village boundary wood. If the village groves are restored, in particular, they would offer a decent habitat for grove creatures. According to this study, the traditional village space was formed upon the influence of Feng Shui theories that are based on environmental and ecological principles that focus on the harmony between humans and nature. From the environmental and ecological perspective, the enclosed pond and groves are important factors in building a sustainable village. The diverse water space would help to improve water quality and increase water volume by promoting the water circulation system. In addition, the village woods would surround the village and decrease the temperature and humidity difference between winter and summer. If the groves are small and badly damaged, however, they are meaningful only in dividing the region. The overall improvement of a forestation system and botanical composition may increase the biological diversity and promote the migration of species. Otgol Village has developed an enclosed landscape to improve the village environment. In other words, a sound and refreshing living environment can be developed when the natural ecological system is well understood and properly preserved. Additionally, this traditional village planning will be the environmental and ecological method. From the perspective of environmental ecology, therefore, a traditional village is recommended.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.152-165
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• 2017

The greater long-tail hamster, Tscherskia triton, is widely distributed in Northern China, Korea and adjacent areas of Russia. Except for its distribution, biological characteristics related to life history, behavior, and ecological influences for this species are rarely studied in Korea. This study was conducted to obtain biological information on breeding, growth and development that are basic to species-specific studies. The study adopted laboratory management of a breeding programme for T. triton collected in Jeju Island from March, 2015 to December, 2016. According to the study results, the conception rate was 31.67% and the mice in the large cages had a higher rate of conception than those in the small cages (56.7 vs. 6.7%). The gestation period was $22{\pm}1.6days$ (ranges from 21 to27 days), and litter size ranged from 2 to 7, with a mean of $4.26{\pm}1.37$ in the species. The minimum age for weaning was between $19.2{\pm}1.4days$ (range of 18-21 days). There were no significant differences by sex between mean body weight and external body measurements at birth. However, a significant sexual difference was found from the period of weaning (21 days old) in head and body length, as well as tail length (HBL-weaning, $106.50{\pm}6.02$ vs. $113.34{\pm}4.72mm$, p<0.05; HBL-4 months, $163.93{\pm}5.42$ vs. $182.83{\pm}4.32mm$, p<0.05; TL-4 months, $107.23{\pm}3.25$ vs. $93.95{\pm}2.15mm$, p<0.05). Gompertz and Logistic growth curves were fitted to data for body weight and lengths of head and body, tail, ear, and hind foot. In two types of growth curves, males exhibited greater asymptotic values ($164.840{\pm}7.453$ vs. $182.830{\pm}4.319mm$, p<0.0001; $163.936{\pm}5.415$ vs. $182.840{\pm}4.333mm$, p<0.0001), faster maximum growth rates ($1.351{\pm}0.065$ vs. $1.435{\pm}0.085$, p<0.05; $2.870{\pm}0.253$ vs. $3.211{\pm}0.635$, p<0.05), and a later age of maximum growth than females in head and body length ($5.121{\pm}0.318$ vs. $5.520{\pm}0.333$, p<0.05; $6.884{\pm}0.336$ vs. $7.503{\pm}0.453$, p<0.05). However, females exhibited greater asymptotic values ($105.695{\pm}5.938$ vs. $94.150{\pm}2.507mm$, p<0.001; $111.609{\pm}14.881$ vs. $93.960{\pm}2.150mm$, p<0.05) and longer length of inflection ($60.306{\pm}1.992$ vs. $67.859{\pm}1.330mm$, p<0.0001; $55.714{\pm}7.458$ vs. $46.975{\pm}1.074mm$, p<0.05) than males in tail length. These growth rate constants, viz. the morphological characters and weights of the males and females, were similar to each other in two types of growth curves. These results will be used as necessary data to study species specificity of T. triton with biological foundations.