• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.453-465
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• 2014

Hotspots are top sites in terms of species diversity as the most threatened and most diverse sites which have been used to select priority areas for reserves. The purpose of this paper is to identify biodiversity hotspots through analyzing nationwide spatial patterns of species richness and rarity of Korean mammals. Four endangered mammals and eleven common mammals were selected as target species. Environmental variables as model input data were consisted of topography, distance, and vegetation structure etc. and Maxent was used to develop species distribution models for target species. Species richness and rarity were used as index of biodiversity. The results of this study were as follows. Firstly, hotspots of species richness for endangered mammals were in high elevation and steep mountain areas. However, species richness for whole mammals were high in low elevation of mountains. Secondly, distribution pattern of species rarity for endangered mammals were similar as richness. However, hotspots of species rarity for whole mammals were a little different from species richness. Species rarity was high in both low and high elevation of mountain areas. This study will provide the useful information for a biodiversity assessment, a habitat conservation, a national ecological network plan, and the management of protected areas.

• CELLMED
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.15.1-15.12
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• 2015

Comparative studies have established that the North-Eastern (NE) region of India which is a part of the Eastern Himalayan region is affluent in both traditional knowledge based phytomedicine and biodiversity. About 1953 ethno-medicinal plants are detailed from the NE region of India out of which 1400 species are employed both as food and ethnopharmacological resources. Nearly 70% of species diversity has been reported from the two Indian biodiversity hotspots-The Western Ghats and the Eastern Himalayas and these hotspots are protected by tribal communities and their ancient traditional knowledge system. Paris polyphylla Smith belongs to the family Melanthiaceae and is a traditional medicinal herb which is known to cure some major ailments such as different types of Cancer, Alzheimer's disease, abnormal uterine bleeding, leishmaniasis etc. The major phytoconstituents are dioscin, polyphyllin D, and balanitin 7. Phylogeny of Paris was inferred from nuclear ITS and plastid psbA-trnH and trnL-trnF DNA sequence data. Results indicated that Paris is monophyletic in all analyses. Rhizoma Paridis, which is the dried rhizome of Paris polyphylla is mainly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and its mode of action is known for only a few cancer cell lines. The current review determines to sketch an extensive picture of the potency, diversity, distribution and efficacy of Paris polyphylla from the Eastern Himalayan region and the future validation of its phytotherapeutical and molecular attributes by recognizing the Intellectual Property Rights of the Traditional Knowledge holders.

• Mycobiology
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.559-581
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• 2021

The coastal marine ecosystems of Vietnam are one of the global biodiversity hotspots, but the biodiversity of marine fungi is not well known. To fill this major gap of knowledge, we assessed the genetic diversity (ITS sequence) of 75 fungal strains isolated from 11 surface coastal marine and deeper waters in Nha Trang Bay and Van Phong Bay using a culture-dependent approach and 5 OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units) of fungi in three representative sampling sites using next-generation sequencing. The results from both approaches shared similar fungal taxonomy to the most abundant phylum (Ascomycota), genera (Candida and Aspergillus) and species (Candida blankii) but were different at less common taxa. Culturable fungal strains in this study belong to 3 phyla, 5 subdivisions, 7 classes, 12 orders, 17 families, 22 genera and at least 40 species, of which 29 species have been identified and several species are likely novel. Among identified species, 12 and 28 are new records in global and Vietnamese marine areas, respectively. The analysis of enzyme activity and the checklist of trophic mode and guild assignment provided valuable additional biological information and suggested the ecological function of planktonic fungi in the marine food web. This is the largest dataset of marine fungal biodiversity on morphology, phylogeny and enzyme activity in the tropical coastal ecosystems of Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Biogeographic aspects, ecological factors and human impact may structure mycoplankton communities in such aquatic habitats.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.319-328
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• 2017

The continuous exploration in deep seawater from Korea makes us lead the discovery of ancient Chlorophyta, Palmophyllum, in the Korean coast. The phylogenetic analyses of 18S rRNA and rbcL genes demonstrate that our specimens are Palmophyllum crassum (Naccari) Rabenhorst, recorded in Japan and clearly distinguished from P. umbracola from New Zealand and California, USA. Palmophyllum crassum grows in the subtidal region, 8-30 m deep, and has a crustose thallus which is closely adherent to substrates such as non-geniculate crustose coralline algae, sponge, shells, or rocks. P. crassum is composed of numerous spherical cells embedded in the gelatinous matrix. The discovery of this ancient green seaweed implies that the Korean coast is one of the hotspots of algal species diversity and has the suitable marine environment for algal speciation. We suggest the grounds to conserve the Korean coast environmentally as the biodiversity center of marine species by studying the phylogeny of seaweeds.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.549-558
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• 2022

The Indonesian Archipelago has a very complex geological history, along with equatorial warm sea temperature, resulting in diverse types of coral reefs and high diversity of coral reef fish. Many livelihoods of the coastal community are dependent on coral reef fisheries. The present study aimed to determine which region and location in the Indonesian Archipelago has the most diverse and abundant coral reef fish. The archipelago was divided into four regions: the Indian Ocean, Sunda Shelf, Wallacea, and the Pacific Ocean. Data were obtained from a national coral reef monitoring program of the Indonesian Research Center for Oceanography (RCO)-the National Board for Research and Innovation (BRIN). The reef fish data were collected using the underwater visual census method, from 321 belt transects on 24 locations (districts) across the archipelago. The results show that coral reef fish diversity of the Pacific region was the highest across the archipelago for all three trophic levels, i.e., corallivore, herbivore, and carnivore fish. The Pacific Ocean region also had the highest fish abundance for the three trophic levels. Comparison among locations revealed that the best ten locations in reef fish diversity and abundance were Sabang, Mentawai, Makassar, Selayar, Buton, Luwuk, Ternate, Raja Ampat, Biak, and Wakatobi. Wakatobi reefs showed their supremacy in carnivore fish diversity and abundance, while Biak reefs were the best in herbivore fish. The abundance of corallivore fish was also considerably high in Sabang reefs, but it is still lower than in Raja Ampat, Biak, and Wakatobi reefs. These results provide empirical evidence that the coral reefs of Wakatobi and Biak are the hottest hotspots of coral reef fish diversity and abundance in the Indonesian Archipelago.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.62-71
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• 2021

The climate is changing rapidly, and this may pose a major threat to global biodiversity. One of the most distinctive consequences of climate change is the poleward and/or upward shift of species distribution ranges associated with increasing temperatures, resulting in a change of species composition and community structure in the forest ecosystems. The Baekdudaegan mountain range connects most forests from the lowland to the subalpine zone in South Korea and is therefore recognized as one of the most important biodiversity hotspots. This study was conducted to understand the distribution range of vascular plants along elevational gradients through field surveys in the six national parks of the Baekdudaegan mountain range. We identified the upper and lower distribution limits of a total of 873 taxa of vascular plants with 117 families, 418 genera, 793 species, 14 subspecies, 62 varieties, two forms, and two hybrids. A total of 12 conifers were recorded along the elevational gradient. The distribution ranges of Abies koreana, Picea jezoensis, Pinus pumila, and Thuja koraiensis were limited to over 1000 m above sea level. We also identified 21 broad-leaved trees in the subalpine zone. A total of 45 Korean endemic plant species were observed, and of these, 15 taxa (including Aconitum chiisanense and Hanabusaya asiatica) showed a narrow distribution range in the subalpine zone. Our study provides valuable information on the current elevational distribution ranges of vascular plants in the six national parks of South Korea, which could serve as a baseline for vertical shifts under future climate change.

• Mycobiology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.58-69
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• 2020

Meghalaya, (in India), in the region of the mega-biodiversity hotspots, is home to a plethora of wild mushrooms. The present study concerns the exploration of the order Agaricales, which includes rare gilled mushrooms considered endangered under IUCN A4c criteria, due to the declining habitat. Electron microscopy of the gill sections revealed an abundance of clamp connections, hyphal cell walls, cystidia, and basidia. This rare species which belongs to the family Cyphellaceae, exhibits morphological and molecular differences from the Cyphella spp. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that it formed a clade under the genus Campanophyllum of the order Agaricales, confirmed by both Neighbor Joining (NJ) and Bayesian phylogenetic analysis. Being nutritionally potent along with its efficient antioxidant value, the fungal extract shows significant rise of two-fold in the antimicrobial activity along with the commercial antibiotics. The compound, Phenol, 2, 4-bis (1, 1-Dimethylethyl) (2, 4-DTBP) showed in ample range in the fungal extract along with aliphatic hydrocarbons, terpene, alcohol and volatile organic compounds on further characterization in GCMS. The present study indicates the endangered Campanophyllum proboscideum could be a rich source of natural antioxidants and an effective pharmaceutical agent.