• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.55-66
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• 2007

This study was conducted to analyze the distribution patterns of wintering waterbird communities in relation to local environmental factors in the urban streams of Seoul, Korea. A field survey was conducted at 66 sites of 5 tributaries and the main channel of the Hangang River in Seoul in January 2006. The total of 65 species and 39,560 individuals were recorded in the field survey. There were 48 species and 28,989 individuals in the Hangang River, 14 species and 1,395 individuals in the Tancheon stream, 15 species and 2,306 individuals in the Jungrangcheon stream, 22 species and 5,990 individuals in the Anyangcheon, 18 species and 283 individuals in the Changrungcheon stream, and 24 species and 597 individuals in Gokrungcheon stream. The dominant species were Anas platyrhynchos (22.65%), A. poecilorhyncha (14.01%), Aythya ferina (13.26%), Aythya fuligula (8.04%), and Mergus merganser (7.03%). Among the 16 species (with 30,650 individuals) of ducks, the dabbling and diving ducks were 8 species with 18,286 individuals and 8 species with 12,364 individuals, respectively. Through the principal component analysis, the study sites were classified into four main groups according to the similarity of their waterbirds' species compositions: 3 tributaries in the urban area (Group 1), 2 tributaries in the rural area (Group 2), one in the rural area, one in the urban area, the urban area in Hangang River (Group 3) and the main channel of the Hangang River in the urban area (Group 4). Species diversity index and species evenness were the highest in Group 1, while the lowest Group 2. Analysis on their environmental factors showed that the waterbirds wintering in urban streams of Seoul prefer broad water width, low water depth and broad resting sites.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.135-151
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• 2017

Waterbirds were surveyed once a week from Oct. 2015 to Apr. 2016 to study the conditions of temperature of staying waterbirds on Wonju-Stream. The population staying on Wonju-Stream was in inverse proportion to the temperature change; birds increased as the temperature went down, and showed the highest peak counts on the 16th(27-Jan) survey, which was the lowest in temperature. decreasing as the temperature rose. The total population of Wonju River water birds increased with increasing freezing rate in proportion to the freezing rate of nearby reservoirs and tributaries. To clarify the relation of the numbers of the birds to temperature fluctuation, the correlation of the first period of wintering (1st~16th) and that of the later period(17th~27th) as well as the whole period was surveyed, based on the 16th which was the lowest in temperature. While most wintering waterbirds showed a negative correlation to the temperature, Egretta garzetta, Phalacrocorax carbo, and Ardea cinerea were positive in temperature relativity. Anas poecilorhyncha was in the highest relation to temperature fluctuation showing (7D/H3A(r=-0.960, P<0.000000001)) at 1-16 correlation(Cor.), with the whole wintering waterbird species showing the maximum correlation at 4D/LA in the every correlation(1~27Cor.(r=-0.942, P<0.01), 1~16Cor.(r=-0.947, P<0.01), 16~27Cor.(r=-0.958, P<0.01)). Each waterbird showed the correlation to the temperature variation(AT, HT, LT) and th duration(1D~7D) depending on the species differently. Most species demonstrated a bigger correlation to the lowest temperature rather than to the highest temperature. During the first half period of the wintering with the temperature falling it showed a high correlation to the temperature at the duration of 4D~7D, While it was for D1~D3 during the next half period.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.264-272
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• 2015

Understanding bird status is essential for the systematic and sustainable management of the Nakdong River Estuary, taking into consideration the relationship between ecosystems and the bird species. In this study, bird status in the Nakdong River Estuary Bird Sanctuary prior to the Four Major Rivers Project was analyzed using the bird monitoring data (2003-2011) from surveys conducted by the Busan Development Institute. The high percentage of winter visitors in terms of both species diversity (38.36%) and individual bird numbers (63.14%) suggest that the Nakdong River Estuary is an important wintering site for migratory birds. Cumulative numbers of individual birds were higher in Myungji (208,601), West Nakdong River (202,444), Eulsukdo (153,232), and Baekhap Doyodeung (150,595). The total numbers of migratory species were higher in Eulsukdo (171), Ilungdo (124), Myungji (132), and Samrak (121). Among the 232 species found in the Nakdong River Estuary, Anas platyrhynchos (17.71%) was the most common species, followed by Anas poecilorhyncha (8.85%), Larus crassirostris (6.48%), Anser fabalis (6.09%), Anas penelope (5.16%), and Calidris alpina (4.22%). Most bird taxa, except shelducks, showed annual fluctuations in individual numbers, with increasing frequency during survey periods. Of these, cormorants, swans, and gulls showed higher fluctuations than other taxa. Swans decreased drastically in numbers in 2007-2008 and 2009-2010 compared to previous years. Shore birds, gulls, wagtails, and other forest birds were also less common in 2010-2011. These results suggest that there were some environmental changes that might have affected the birds in the Nakdong River Estuary. Overall, the results suggest that habitat types affect the distribution of dominant species.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.147-156
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• 2010

This study was conducted from April, 2002 to March 2006, using three urban streams(Gap Stream, Yudeung Stream and Daejeon Stream) in Daejeon Metropolitan City. 12,027 individual birds summed by the peak count in 126 species, 34 families, and 13 orders were observed from three stream sites. Dominant species were of Anas poecilorhyncha, Anas crecca, Columba livia, Passer montanus, and Egretta garzetta(in that order). The groups of birds were classified into six types. The most frequent group were the arbor birds(54 species), while the smallest group was the diving ducks(7 species). As for the number of individuals, the shrub bird group had 721 individuals while the dabbling ducks observed had 4,974 individuals. Regarding the distribution of birds appeareing in each stream, 14,885 individual numbers in 114 species were observed at Gap Stream, 6,642 individuals in 90 species at Yudeung Stream and 4,202 individuals in 69 species at Daejeon Stream. Various indices of the birds were analyzed with respects to the similarities between streams. Gap Stream had similar characteristics to Yudeung Stream, and the latter was similar to Daejeon Stream. However, Gap Stream and Daejeon Stream showed different characteristics. The dominance index of each section was calculated using ten dominant bird species top-down. Subsequently, the birds and their preferred environment were analyzed. The results showed that shrub birds and arbor birds preferred the upper stream of every stream, while herons and dabbling ducks inhabited the midstream. Dabbling ducks and some diving ducks appeared downstream.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.676-683
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• 2016

This study was conducted using the Wild -Tracker (WT-300, GPS-Mobile Phone Based Telemetry KoEco) to understand the habitats of the spot-billed duck wintering in urban and rural areas and provide the results as the basic data for the protection and management of the habitats of the waterbirds in Korea. Study areas consisted of the Anseong stream in Gyeonggi-do and the Sansu reservoir in Haenam. Five spot-billed ducks were captured by region, and we attached Wild-Tracker to each of the spot-billed ducks. We analyzed the tracking location data using ArcGIS 9.x and calculated Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) and Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP). The average home-range measured by MCP was $250.8km^2$(SD=195.3, n=5) in Anseong and was $89.1km^2$ (SD=69.6, n=5) in Haenam. 50% home-range measured by KDE was $21.8km^2$ (SD=26.9, n=5) in Anseong and $3.5km^2$ (SD=2.2, n=5) in Haenam, indicating a narrow home range in Haenam. During the winter season, both wetland and paddy field were mostly used as habitats in Anseong and Haenam. While the paddy field utilization rate was high in the daytime in Haenam, it was high in the nighttime in Anseong. By late winter, Haenam's day time paddy field utilization rate and Anseong's night time paddy field utilization rate increased.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.139-146
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• 2010

The survey was done in order to find what kinds of birds visit Taeanhaean National Park during breeding season, where we fixed up 10 coastal areas and islands within the National Park. Three groups concurrently performed the field research from 5th to 9th of July in 2009. Total 58 species and 7,323 individuals were recorded in Taeanhaean National Park. 48 species including 6,187 individuals were observed in coastal areas and 33 species including 1,136 individuals in island areas. The most dominant species in the National Park are Larus crassirostris which accounts for 60% of the birds inhabiting there, and they seem to have been bred in the islands near the National Park. The birds observed only around the coastal areas include Anas poecilorhyncha, Fulica atra, Egretta intermedia and the others which consist of 25 species and amount to 318 individuals, and the birds found exclusively in island areas include Phalacrocorax filamentosus, Apus pacificus¸ Locustella pleskei and other birds, which consist of 10 species and the number of those individuals observed was 308. The inhabited islands areas such as Gauido were characterized by high ratio of waterbird population, which seems to be correlated with the factors such as the extent of island, the richness of water resources, and the diversity of habitats. Based on the data collected during the research and other data from the previous observations, the kinds of dominant species remain nearly unchanged. And in spite of the oil spill accident in 2007, the increase in the number of waterbirds compared to 2004 may be the evidence that the area is recovering from the environmental pollution. At present, the tidal power plants are being built or scheduled to be built and large-scale reclamation is also under way. What is worse, those areas are seeing the increase of pension construction, which is likely to be the potential cause of damage and disturbance against some key habitats for the waterbirds. Therefore, it is a major priority that we build the bird information system to efficiently manage the knowledge-based asset collected from bird-watching groups and to better monitor the areas that need enhanced database through which the National Park can be appropriately administered.