• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.1111-1124
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• 2017

This study aimed to understand the distribution of vegetation in the eastern and western sides of the Baekdudaegan (ridge) dividing the Odaesan National Park, as influenced by its topography and climate. The actual vegetation, topography and climate for each side were used in the overlay analysis. The results of the analysis of actual vegetation showed a high distribution rate of Quercus mongolica forest on both the eastern and western sides. On the eastern side, the distribution rate of Pinus densiflora forest and P. densiflora-Q. variabilis forest was high, while the western side had a high distribution rate of deciduous broad-leaved tree forest and Abies hollophylla forest. A clear trend was identified for vegetation distribution with respect to elevation but not with respect to slope or aspect. The results of micro-landform analysis showed that the P. densiflora forests in the ridge and slope and the deciduous broad-leaved tree forest in the valley were respectively distributed with a high ratio. In terms of climate, the eastern side revealed an oceanic climate, with a relatively high average annual temperature, while the western side was characterized by relatively high average annual humidity and average annual precipitation. The distribution rate of P. densiflora forest was found to be high on the eastern side of the mountain range.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.107-123
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• 2004

The vascular plants of Mt. Deog-yu area in the Baekdudaegan were recorded as 411 taxa; 91 families, 243 genera, 353 species, 53 varieties and 5 forma. From the floristic point of view, the Baekdudaegan, a main mountain range of the Korean peninsula, in the region of Mt. Deog-yu, belongs to the southern province in Korea, as the species like Cephalotaxus koreana, Lindera obtusiloba, Ilex macropoda and Stewartia koreana. are ranged in this region. But the species of the Northern element such as Betula costata, Betula ermani, Heloniopsis orientalis and Disporum ovale are also recorded in the region. Above the sea level from 1,000m, many sub alpine plant species are recorded. Rare and endangered plant species which are categorized by the Office of Forestry were 10 species such as Lilium cernum, Paeonia obovata, Abies koreana, Disporum ovale, Lilium distichum, Tricyrtis dilatata, Clematis chiisanensis, Bupleurum euphorbioides, Rhododendron schonoskii and Iris ensata var. spontanea. The protected plant species which are categorized by the Ministry of Environment were recorded only Lilium cernum. The Korean endemic plant species were recorded as 22 taxa; 12 families, 21 genera, 20 species 1 varieties, and 1 forma. Among them the plant species such as Cephalotaxus koreana, Abies koreana, Hosta capitata, Polygonatum lasianthum var. coreanum and Tricyrtis dilatata are representative ones in the region.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.56-79
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• 2020

Baekdudaegan, the largest mountain range in eastern Asia, is a biodiversity hotspot in Korea that may have served as a glacial refugium. This study presents the flora of vascular plants on Deok-chi upto the Yuk-sim-nyeong area of the Baekdudaegan conservation area. The survey area was divided into four subareas and fieldwork was conducted for a total of twelve days in 2015. Voucher specimens were collected during the survey and were deposited at Daejeon University. A list of vascular plants was prepared based on the voucher specimens. The results of the survey showed that a total of 441 taxa, consisting of 100 families, 265 genera, 398 species, 9 subspecies, 32 varieties, and 2 forms, were found in the survey area. There was one endangered species, Aconitum coreanum, in the Bonghwasan Mt. area. Sixteen endemic taxa, 74 floristic regional indicator plants, as designated by the Ministry of the Environment, and eleven naturalized plants were distributed. The results of this study can serve as basic information to establish conservation and management plans for the Baekdudaegan conservation area.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.292-302
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• 2019

This study conducted a hierarchy analysis based on a questionnaire survey of experts in park management, ecosystem survey, and ecological environment planning to establish evaluation items and a weighing value of each item to develop ecological connectivity in Baekdudaegan mountain range neighboring the Taebaeksan National Park using the AHP approach. We selected four high-level evaluation indexes and 13 low-level evaluation indexes through literature review and interview with the people in the field and calculated weights for each question through the consistency analysis. The analysis showed that increasing the ecological value was the most important item with the index of 0.474 among the high-level evaluation items, followed by the mitigation of human-nature conflict at 0.247, participation by local residents at 0.165, and the economic perspective at 0.114. Among the low-level evaluation indexes, the movement route of wildlife was the highest at 0.116, followed by the connectivity of landscape ecological patch at 0.112, and functional habitat at 0.099. The comparison of the evaluation items in each working group and the weight factors showed that the movement route of wildlife was the most important at 0.116 in ecosystem survey, the functional habitat was the most important at 0.110 in park management, and the regional preservation and distribution of resources was the most important at 0.123 in ecological environment planning. The results of this study is useful to identify evaluation items for developing ecological network with a diverse source of the actual environmental data in the Taebaeksan National Park.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.36
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• pp.35-78
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• 2020

This study aims to reveal the overall Fengshui figuration and geomantic features of Daesoon Jinrihoe's Geumgangsan (Mt. Geumgang) Toseong Training Temple Complex from the Hyeonggi (Energy of Form) Theory in Fengshui. This study first looked at the mountain landscape viewable from the surface, examined the influence of Qi (Energy) flowing inside it, comprehended the flow of its vitality in terms of its strengths and weaknesses, and gauged the depth of the energy produced from mountain streams to determine fortune and misfortune. There is a special significance to this site due to Sangje's teaching that "⋯ it will be prosperous with 12,000 Dotonggunja (Dao-empowered Sages)," and it is also known as a efficacious grounds for cultivation among ascetics due to it housing the royal mausoleum of Dojeon (interpreted by some as Maitreya). Concerning this, this study explores the geomantic symbolism and growth-supporting land of Geumgangsan Toseong Training Temple Complex as it corresponds to Fengshui theory, and in keeping with this, the topography and conditions are likewise examined. The mountain range and its energy pathways (veins) harmonize with the pure water energy coming from the East Sea. The mountain terrain of Mount Geumgang, and the geomantic location, topography, and energy pathways that influence Daesoon Jinrihoe Geumgangsan Toseong Training Temple Complex are all explored. The Baekdudaegan Mountain Range extends through Mount Geumgang to Sinseonbong Peak, and one range extends to Geumgangsan Toseong Training Temple Complex whereas the other range extends through Sangbong Peak down to Misiryeong Valley and Mount Seorak. Thus, this study demonstrates that Daesoon Jinrihoe has always strongly considered the relationship between its temple complexes and their surrounding environment. The order has always selected locations that exhibit optimal conditions which suit the construction of sacred spaces. The determinations in this paper were made through an academic approach that drew upon various theories of Fengshui while examining Daesoon Jinrihoe's Geumgangsan Toseong Training Temple Complex. The in-depth analysis was specifically based on Hyeonggi Fengshui. At the same time, this study also looked into the surroundings of Geumgangsan Toseong Training Temple Complex. In particular, the mountains and flow of nearby bodies of water were comprehensively examined to show how the surrounding topography corresponds to the principles of Fengshui. An integral approach combining all major theories of Fengshui revealed that Geumgangsan Toseong Training Temple Complex starts from Sinseonbong Peak, and its energy flows through the main mountain range, going through numerous geographical changes of yin and yang. When the range flows down, the water flows accordingly, and where the water whirls, the mountains are shaped accordingly. Eventually, this energy reaches Geumgangsan Toseong Training Temple Complex. From the organic relationship between mountains and bodies of water, which can be said to be the essence of the order of nature, it can be judged that the most prominent geomantic feature of Geumgangsan Toseong Training Temple Complex corresponds to traditional theories of Fengshui in that it forms a configuration wherein optimal water energy supports the Virtuous Concordance of Yin Yang and harmonizes the Blue Dragon with the White Tiger.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.301-312
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• 2009

Recently, habitat fragmentation and shrinkage has occurred because of increased road construction. As a measures mitigating the adverse effect such as eco-island by road construction, Korea has been installed eco-corridors since 1995. Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), this study analyzed the importance of assessment items and the criteria to determine which areas require eco-corridors the most. First, related literature reviews, preliminary surveys, and expert interviews were carried out to develop assessment items and criteria for constructing the hierarchy. Second, experts were surveyed in order to determine the relative importance of the assessment items by applying the AHP. As a result, it found that the restoration of the ecological network was the most important assessment item, followed by wild animal resources in the Level 3. In the Level 4, the eighteen items were ranked in the order of their relative weight and it was found that the 'Baekdudaegan Mountain Range (0.189)' was the highest ranked item. Therefore, this approach can be applied to effective selection of the priority areas in planning eco-corridors in the national scale.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.246-254
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• 2021

Subalpine and alpine ecosystems are especially vulnerable to temperature increases. Betula ermanii Cham. (Betulaceae) is a dominant broad-leaved tree species in the subalpine zone and is designated as a 'Climate-sensitive Biological Indicator Species' in South Korea. This study aimed to predict the potential distribution of B. ermanii under current and future climate conditions in South Korea using the MaxEnt model. The species distribution models showed an excellent fit (AUC=0.99). Among the climatic variables, the most critical factors shaping B. ermanii distribution were identified as the maximum temperature of warmest month (Bio5; 64.8%) and annual mean temperature (Bio1; 20.3%). Current potential habitats were predicted in the Baekdudaegan mountain range and Mt. Hallasan, and the area of suitable habitat was 1531.52 km², covering 1.57% of the Korean Peninsula. With global warming, future climate scenarios have predicted a decrease in the suitable habitats for B. ermanii. Under RCP8.5-2070s, in particular, habitat with high potential was predicted only in several small areas in Gangwon-do, and the total area suitable for the species decreased by up to 97.3% compared to the current range. We conclude that the dominant factor affecting the distribution of B. ermanii is temperature and that future temperature rises will increase the vulnerability of this species.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.562-581
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• 2018

This study was designed to predict the changes in species richness of plants under the climate change in South Korea. The target species were selected based on the Plants Adaptable to Climate Change in the Korean Peninsula. Altogether, 89 species including 23 native plants, 30 northern plants, and 36 southern plants. We used the Species Distribution Model to predict the potential habitat of individual species under the climate change. We applied ten single-model algorithms and the pre-evaluation weighted ensemble method. And then, species richness was derived from the results of individual species. Two representative concentration pathways (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) were used to simulate the species richness of plants in 2050 and 2070. The current species richness was predicted to be high in the national parks located in the Baekdudaegan mountain range in Gangwon Province and islands of the South Sea. The future species richness was predicted to be lower in the national park and the Baekdudaegan mountain range in Gangwon Province and to be higher for southern coastal regions. The average value of the current species richness showed that the national park area was higher than the whole area of South Korea. However, predicted species richness were not the difference between the national park area and the whole area of South Korea. The difference between current and future species richness of plants could be the disappearance of a large number of native and northern plants from South Korea. The additional reason could be the expansion of potential habitat of southern plants under climate change. However, if species dispersal to a suitable habitat was not achieved, the species richness will be reduced drastically. The results were different depending on whether species were dispersed or not. This study will be useful for the conservation planning, establishment of the protected area, restoration of biological species and strategies for adaptation of climate change.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.235-250
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• 2023

This study was carried out to identify the vascular flora of Mt. Bonghwa in the Baekdudaegan Mountain range, located on the border between Namwon City and Jangsu Country in Jeollabuk Province and Hamyang Country in Gyeongsangnam Province and use them as basic data for the conservation of plant diversity and prevention of the spread of alien plants. Specimens deposited at the Herbarium of Korea National Arboretum (KH) were reexamined, and 15 field surveys were conducted from April 2020 to July 2023. The result revealed a total of 466 taxa, consisting of 97 families, 279 genera, 409 species, 16 subspecies, 32 varieties and 9 forms, Of which, eight taxa were endemic plants, and one taxon, Aconitum coreanum (H.Lév.), belonged to the vulnerable (VU) on the national red list species. Moreover, there were 57 floristic target species, including 1 taxon of grade V, 9 taxa of grade III, 14 taxa of grade II, and 33 taxa of grade I, whereas there were 24 taxa of alien plants and 1 taxon of ecosystem disturbance species. In the usefulness survey, 353 taxa were for food, 3 for textiles, 71 for medicinal use, 21 for ornamental use, 108 for pasture use, 2 for industrial use, 7 for miscellaneous use, and 11 for timber plants.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.177-181
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• 2016

In order to prevent the fragmentation of animal habitat due to road construction, the most widely applied solution is building animal passes worldwide. In Korea, animal passes were introduced in the early 2000s, and through trial and error, the national guidelines for them and their design standards were published in 2010. These were criticized by politicians because of their relative inefficiency considering their high construction cost and their lack of animal usage. This study investigated the extent to which animals used the facilities. For this study, two types of animal passes, eco-bridges and ecoducts, were considered and the test sites were chosen from the Baekdu Mountains. The animal usage data was captured using infra-red CCTV cameras. The results showed that various types of animals used eco-bridges and ecoducts. Interestingly various types of birds were captured by cameras and endangered animals were also in them. The season, weather, and their surrounded vegetation also had effects on their usages. The infrared CCTV allowed detailed captures of animals but the electricity shortage was one disadvantage. During the last decades, a number of eco-bridges were constructed throughout the country and now we need to focus on their monitoring and maintenance for their successful efficiency and application.