• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.863-878
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• 2007

The time-spatial distribution of Scrub typhus and its relationship with environmental ecology, such as climate, and habitat change are analyzed in respect of the geography of disease. Scrub typhus was firstly reported in 1951, and reemerged in 1986 mainly in southwestern Korea. later it has sharply increased and spreaded out toward whole country in 1998 and 2004, except mid-eastern mountainous region. Hwasung City is the typical example of sudden upsurge of Scrub typhus. High incidence of Scrub typhus patients might due to elevated temperature and decreased precipitation during the summer, as well as milder autumn. Sharp increase of Scrub typhus patients at rural area since 1980's might also be the result of the rapid changes of land use pattern, which eventually have contributed for the active development of dense vegetation and propagation of chigger mites around cultivated land.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.677-699
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• 2012

Climate changes may cause substantial changes in spatial patterns and distribution of vector-borne diseases (VBD's), which will result in a significant threat to humans and emerge as an important public health problem that the international society needs to solve. As global warming becomes widespread and the Korean peninsula characterizes subtropical climate, the potentials of climate-driven disease outbreaks and spread rapidly increase with changes in land use, population distributions, and ecological environments. Vector-borne diseases are typically infected by insects such as mosquitoes and ticks, and infected hosts and vectors increased dramatically as the habitat ranges of the VBD agents have been expanded for the past 20 years. Medical geography integrates and processes a wide range of public health data and indicators at both local and regional levels, and ultimately helps researchers identify spatiotemporal mechanism of the diseases determining interactions and relationships between spatial and non-spatial data. Spatial epidemiology is a new and emerging area of medical geography integrating geospatial sciences, environmental sciences, and epidemiology to further uncover human health-environment relationships. An introduction of GIS-based disease monitoring system to the public health surveillance system is among the important future research agenda that medical geography can significantly contribute to. Particularly, real-time monitoring methods, early-warning systems, and spatial forecasting of VBD factors will be key research fields to understand the dynamics of VBD's.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2023.05a
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• pp.512-512
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• 2023

내성천은 대한민국의 대표적인 모래하천으로서 흰수마자(Gobiobotia naktongensis)의 최적 서식처로 알려져 있다. 흰수마자는 낙동강에서 채집되어 새로운 종으로 보고된 한국 고유종이지만 최근 멸종위기야생생물 I급 담수어류로 지정되었다. 흰수마자는 입자가 1 mm 이하의 가는 모래로 90% 이상 구성된 모래하상과 수질이 양호한 곳에서 서식하는 것으로 알려져 있다(Kim et al, 2014). 특히 낙동강 중류의 감천과 상류의 내성천 수계에서 비교적 많은 개체수가 출현하고 있는 것으로 보고되었다(Na et al., 2015). 그러나 영주댐 건설 이후, 댐 하류 내성천에서 흰수마자의 개체수가 급격히 줄어들었다. 2021년 내성천 유역 자연성생태계모니터링 보고서(환경부, 2022)에 따르면 내성천에서 흰수마자가 2016년에 492개체가 채집된 이후 2019년 7월엔 1개체만이 채집되었으며 이후 2022년 8월까지 채집되지 않았다. 반면 망둥어과 어류 중 입자가 굵은 하상환경에서 주로 서식하는 밀어의 개체수는 증가하는 경향을 보였다. 이는 내성천 유역의 하상환경변화가 어류서식에 직간접적으로 영향을 미친것으로 해석할 수 있다. 본 연구는 물리서식처 모형인 River2D를 활용하여 내성천 석탑교(No. 46) 에서 회룡교(No. 4)까지 약 40 km 구간을 대상으로 2010년 하상 입자와 2020년 하상 입자 크기에 따른 흰수마자의 서식처 적합도 변동양상을 분석하였다. River2D 모형을 통해 계산되는 어류 서식처 적합도는 물리서식처 모의시스템에서 사용되는 가중가용면적(WUA: Weighted Usable Area)에 근거하여 산출된다. WUA는 대성어종의 특정 성장단계별, 서식처 특성별로 주어진 구간을 이용할 수 있는 순수적합도(net suitability)에 대한 하나의 지표이다. WUA가 크다는 것은 그만큼 대상어종의 서식처 및 활동 영역이 크다는 것을 의미한다. WUA는 각 절점에서 평가되어지는 복합서식처 적합도 지수에 의해 계산된다. 본 연구에서는 곱셈방법을 적용한 복합 서식처 적합도 지수를 산정하여 하상입자에 따른 흰수마자의 서식처 적합도 변동양상을 분석하였다.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.549-556
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to investigate the change of spatial distribution of Korean fir (Abies koreana E. H. Wilson) in Mt. Hallasan for the past 10 years. We examined the distribution and crown density between 2006 and 2015 and analyzed the elevation, direction, and regional characteristics. The total area of Korean fir was 626.0ha in 2015, which declined by 112.3ha accounting for 15.2% for the past 10 years compared to 738.3ha in 2006. For the past 10 years, the area of moderately dense Korean fir with the crown density of 41% to 70% decreased by 72.6ha while the area of dense Korean fir with the crown density of 71% or more deceased by 21.3ha. The area with an elevation between 1,510m and 1,600m showed the largest change, accounting for 32.6% of the total declining area. Regarding the distribution by the direction, the area in the southeastern direction decreased by 23.4ha while the area in the southeast and northeast centered on the eastern direction decreased by 62.3ha, which accounted for 55.5% of the total area. Regarding the change of the distribution of Korean fir forest area by the region, the decrease of the area from the Jindallaebat to the top of the mountain was the largest at 84.6ha, or 71.8% of the total decreased area. The Yeongshil Trail area decreased by 25.3ha or 21.5% of the total while the Keundurewat area decreased by 8.0ha or 6.8%. On the contrary, the Bangaeoreum area increased by 5.6ha. The results indicate the large decrease of area of Korean fir forest centered on a particular location of Mt. Hallasan. Considering the changes according to the elevation, direction, and regional characteristics, it can be attributed to increasing frequency of abnormal climates such as typhoons and droughts.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.654-663
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• 2019

Pollinators, which are important organisms in pollination ecology, have been highly valued for their economic contributions to crop production in the agricultural and biotechnology industries. As the production of over 70% of farm products, such as fruits, are mediated by pollinators, bees are important and useful insects to humans. However, pollinators are now seriously threatened with their numbers decreasing annually and their biodiversity being negatively affected by ongoing climate change, misuse of land, change of geographical features, and use of pesticides to increase agricultural production. Thus, surveys and analyses of the emergence and distribution of wild bees are important for conservation and management practices designed to help them continue to play their ecological and agricultural roles despite negative pressures, such as climate and topography changes. We surveyed pollinators, especially wild bees, at 51 research sites in South Korea every two to four weeks for two years from 2017 to 2018 using ez-Malaise traps and analyzed the temporal and spatial distribution of wild bees. The bees showed a normal temporal distribution that peaked between July and August. The bees' working period lasted until November. The spatial distribution of wild bees showed a significant correlation with latitude, and different bees were identified depending on the local habitat. No significant correlation was found for longitudinal distribution with regression analysis (p > 0.05), but this study identified locally specific wild bees. Although we could not predict significant distribution according to longitude, Further studies should be able to analyze the difference in the distribution of wild bees according to the climate, topography, and land-use patterns by humans. The results of this study provide basic information on pollinator distribution, which can be useful in agriculture and for the conservation and management of biodiversity in South Korean pollination ecology.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.71-85
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• 2018

A recent topic of interest within ecology is ecosystem services that are importantly connected with biodiversity. Biodiversity is a fundamental component of ecological studies and has been the subject of many studies worldwide. However, studies on the diversity and distribution of freshwater fish were not undertaken in earnest until 2000, and the number of internationally available studies is therefore still limited. In this study, we used data from "The Survey and Evaluation of Aquatic Ecosystem Health (hereafter SEAEH)" within the framework of which whole water systems on the Korean peninsula are annually monitored to investigate and determine the current status of the diversity and distribution of freshwater fish, as well as to elucidate major factors impacting freshwater fish. A total of 130 species from 28 families were identified at around 953 sites in the SEAEH investigation of 2014. The species Zacco platypus (relative abundance: 28.2%) and Z. koreanus (19.3%) were identified as the most abundant species on the Korean peninsula, and besides these 20 endangered species, 51 endemic species and 4 exotic species were also collected. Highest (96 species) and lowest (72 species) diversity were identified in the Han River Watershed and the Yeongsan/Seomjin River Watershed, respectively. The mean endemic rate was 32.7%, which is higher than the previous rate determined in 1995. The exotic species Micropterus salmoides, Lepomis macrochirus and Carassius cuvieri were found in the whole river system except north Yeongdong, whereas Oreochromis niloticus occurred only at three sites due to the cold water temperatures in winter. Totally, 28 species were found to be translocated to different water systems not connected with known original habitats, most translocations occurring in the Nakdong River and the Yeongdong region. Among the translocated species, Opsariichthys uncirostris amurensis, and Erythroculter erythropterus were dominantly distributed in the mid- to lower reaches of Nakdong River where they may be harmful to the native fish assemblages due to their strong predation. The construction of weirs in connection with the "4 River Project" generated changes in fish assemblages before, during and after the project, resulting in altered habitat condition. Especially, a decrease in the number of endemic species and an increase in the abundance of lentic species were seen. Human-induced global warming will allow exotic species requiring high water temperatures to adapt to the environmental conditions of the Korean peninsula, which may enhance the diversity of native fishes and create changes in distribution. For the establishment of realistic and efficient management and protection strategies for Korean freshwater fish, SEAEH, which produces fundamental and quantitative data for Korean streams, is an important and necessary tool.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.55-67
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• 2021

Hornbeams (Carpinus spp.), which are widely distributed in South Korea, are recognized as one of the most abundant species at climax stage in the temperate forests. Although the distribution and vegetation structure of the C. laxiflora community have been reported, little ecological information of C. tschonoskii is available. Little effort was made to examine the distribution shift of these species under the future climate conditions. This study was conducted to predict potential shifts in the distribution of C. laxiflora and C. tschonoskii in 2050s and 2090s under the two sets of climate change scenarios, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. The MaxEnt model was used to predict the spatial distribution of two species using the occurrence data derived from the 6th National Forest Inventory data as well as climate and topography data. It was found that the main factors for the distribution of C. laxiflora were elevation, temperature seasonality, and mean annual precipitation. The distribution of C. tschonoskii, was influenced by temperature seasonality, mean annual precipitation, and mean diurnal rang. It was projected that the total habitat area of the C. laxiflora could increase by 1.05% and 1.11% under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios, respectively. It was also predicted that the distributional area of C. tschonoskii could expand under the future climate conditions. These results highlighted that the climate change would have considerable impact on the spatial distribution of C. laxiflora and C. tschonoskii. These also suggested that ecological information derived from climate change impact assessment study can be used to develop proper forest management practices in response to climate change.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.303-317
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• 2022

Climate change caused by increased greenhouse gas emissions can alter the natural ecosystem, including the pollination ecosystem and agricultural ecology, which are ecological interactions between potted insects and plants. Many studies have reported that populations of wild bees, including bees and wasps (BW), which are the key pollinators, have gradually declined due to climate change, leading to adverse impacts on overall biodiversity, ultimately with agribusinesses and the life cycle of flowering plants. Therefore, we could infer that the rising temperature in Korean Peninsula (South Korea) due to global warming has led to climate change and influenced the wild bee's ecosystem. In this study, we surveyed the distributional pattern of BW (Superfamily: Apoidea, Vespoidea, and Chrysidoidea) at 51 sites from 2017 (37 sites) to 2018 (14 sites) to examine the effects of climatic factors on the nationwide distribution of BW in South Korea. Previous literature has confirmed that their distribution according to forest climate zones is significantly correlated with mean and accumulative temperatures. Based on the result, we predicted the effects of future climate changes on the BW distribution that appeared throughout South Korea and the species that appeared in specific climate zones using Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs). The distributions of wild BW predicted by the SSP scenarios 2-4.5 and 5-8.5 according to the BIOMOD species distribution model revealed that common and endemic species will shift northward from the current habitat distribution by 2050 and 2100, respectively. Our study implies that climate change and its detrimental effect on the ecosystem is ongoing as the BW distribution in South Korea can change, causing the change in the ecosystem in the Korean Peninsula. Therefore, immediate efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions are warranted. We hope the findings of this study can inspire further research on the effects of climate change on pollination services and serve as the reference for making agricultural policy and BW conservation strategy

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.380-389
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• 2020

Research on diagnosing and predicting the response of ecosystems caused by environmental changes such as artificial disturbance and climate change is emerging as the most important issue of biodiversity and ecosystem researches. This study aims to clean, standardize, and provide the results of National Ecosystem Survey which should be considered fundamentally in diagnosing and predicting ecosystem changes in the form of dataset. To refine and clean the dataset we developed a simple verification program based on the fifth National Ecosystem Survey Guideline and applied that program to the data from the second (1997~2005), third (2006~2013) and fourth (2014~2018) National Ecosystem Survey. Data quality control processes were implemented including (1) standardization of terminology, (2) similar data table integration, (3) unnecessary attribute and error elimination, (4) unification of different input items, (5) data arrangement in codes, and (6) code mapping for input items. These approaches and methods are the first attempt propose an option for ecological data standardization in Korea. The standardized dataset of National Ecosystem Survey in Korea will be easily accessible, reusable for both researchers and public. In addition, we expect it will contribute to the establishment of diverse environmental policies concerning environmental assessments, habitat conservation, prediction of endangered species distribution and ecological risks due to climate change. The dataset through this study is open freely online via EcoBank (nie-ecobank.kr) which is the first ecological information portal system in Korea developed by National Institute of Ecology.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.662-675
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• 2022

This study was intended to investigate and analyze the current status of the plant community structure in order to provide basic data for the systematic conservation and management of the Buxus sinica area appearing on the ridgeline connecting the Gyeokjabong(Mt.) and Keungiljae, on Bogildo Island. In consideration of location characteristics such as density, topography, and direction of B. sinica appearing in the shrub layers, a total of 26 sites were set as the survey area for representative vegetation communities or areas with changes in topography. According to DCA and TWINSPAN, it was classified into 6 communities, namely Carpinus turczaninovii-Deciduous broad-leaved, C. turczaninovii, C. turczaninovii-B. sinica, C. turczaninovii-Evergreen broad-leaved, Q. acuta, and D. trifidus-Q. acuta. The community dominated by C. turczaninovii maintains the status quo for the present moment, however, Q. acuta will dominate the surrounding area in the long term, so Q. acuta has high succesion potential. In the case of the Q. acuta and D. trifidus-Q. acuta communities, Q. acuta, known as the climax species of warm-temperate forests, will maintain dominant status. In a case of B. sinica, the community dominated by C. turczaninovii will remain in good status due to the topographical conditions, but the community dominated by Q. acuta growth difficulties are expected due to the high coverage. In the relationship between environmental factors and vegetation distribution, analysis showed that only soil pH affect vegetation distribution. Furthermore, the soil acidity (pH) was 3.78-5.30, the electrical conductivity was 0.186-0.543 dS/m, and the organic matter content was 2.25-2.89%.