• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.19-29
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• 2013

Cicuta virosa is an endangered species in Korea, which is a southern marginal area. To conserve and restore habitats of this plant, we investigated water and soil environmental characteristics and vegetation at four habitats during the growing season. The C. virosa habitats differed in community structure, water and substrate properties, and water regime. Although the total distribution ranges of the water and soil environments for C. virosa were wide and overlapped with the optimal environmental range of distribution of accompanying species, the optimal water level range for C. virosa was defined as $7{\pm}3.5$ cm. Water level was adjusted by substrate structure such as a mound of P. japonica and a floating mat comprised of accompanying species. A floating mat was an aid to maintain an optimal and stable water level in deep or fluctuating water and to prevent strong competition with prolific macrophytes. The GS sampling site, which had floating mats, could be a good model for C. virosa conservation in a warm temperate region, whereas the PC sampling sites, which experienced a water shortage in spring, provided a clue about the decline in C. virosa population size.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.595-600
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• 2022

Water dropworts, Oenanthe javanica and O. javanica var. japonica are called "minari" in Korea and are eaten as a vegetable. Cicuta virosa is common European water hemlock and has toxic properties, such as cicutoxin. Molecular variations of water dropwort species in Korea were investigated using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). The six populations were studied with 10 primers (Operon, OPB) for RAPD analysis. The 72 DNA fragments (bands) were found among six populations. Among these 72 bands, 61 (84.7%) bands were polymorphic. The typical populations of Cicuta virosa in Korea were small, isolated, and patchily distributed for natural populations and they maintained a high level of genetic diversity. However, when cultivated populations of O. javanica var. japonica were large and widely grown in rice paddies as vegetables, they maintained a lower genetic diversity than those of C. virosa and wild populations of O. javanica. Although the diversity indices of wild populations were shown to be higher than those of cultivated populations, no significant difference for measures of genetic variability was shown. Total genetic diversity value (H_T) was 0.342. The interlocus variation in the within-population genetic diversity (H_S) was 0.201. The proportion of total genetic variation due to differences among populations (G_ST) range was 0.414, indicating that 41.4% of the total variation was among populations. In conclusion, the RAPD technique was a useful method for discrimination between C. virosa and O. javanica. In addition, RAPD-OPB markers could further distinguish the strains from different food sources.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.205-210
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• 2013

Cicuta virosa L. (Apiaceae) is a perennial emergent plant designated as an endangered species in South Korea. According to the former records, only four natural habitats remain in South Korea. A former study suggested that three of four populations (Pyeongchang: PC, Hoengseong: HS, Gunsan: GS) would be classified as different ecotypes based on their different morphological characteristics and life cycle under different environmental conditions. To evaluate this suggestion, we estimated genetic diversity in each population and distance among three populations by random amplification of polymorphic DNA. Seven random primers generated a total of 61 different banding positions, 36 (59%) of them were polymorphic. Nei's gene diversity and the Shannon diversity index increased in the order of PC < HS < GS, which is the same order of population size. In the two-dimensional (2D) plot of first two principal components in principal component analysis with the presence of 61 loci, individuals could be grouped as three populations easily (proportion of variance = 0.6125). Nei's genetic distance for the three populations showed the same tendency with the geographical distance within three populations. And it is also similar to the result of discriminant analysis with the morphological or life-cycle factors from the previous study. From the results, we concluded that three different populations of C. virosa should be classified as ecotypes based on not only morphology and phenology but genetic differences in terms of diversity and distance as well.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture Conference
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• 2014.10a
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• pp.57-58
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• 2014

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 2014

The effect of elevated $CO_2$ and temperature on ecological characteristics of Cicuta virosa L., the endangered plant were examined under ambient $CO_2$+ambient temperature(AC-AT), ambient $CO_2$+elevated temperature(AC-ET) and elevated $CO_2$+elevated temperature for two years. Shoot length and the number of umbels were not different in three environmental gradients. The number of tillers was high in the order of EC-ET, AC-ET and AC-AT. The number of compound umbel was the lowest in the EC-ET. Fruit set rate was the highest in the AC-AT. These results mean that unsexual propagation of C. virosa may increase by promoting growth of tillers, rather than seed production under future global warming. This population growth study will be used as the important data for the research of Korean endangered species.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2018

Background: In the study, the effects of elevated $CO_2$ and temperature on the nitrogen content, carbon content, and C:N ratio of seven rare and endangered species (Quercus gilva, Hibiscus hambo, Paliurus ramosissimus, Cicuta virosa, Bupleurum latissimum, Viola raddeana, and Iris dichotoma) were examined under control (ambient $CO_2$ + ambient temperature) and treatment (elevated $CO_2$ + elevated temperature) for 3 years (May 2008 and June 2011). Results: Elevated $CO_2$ concentration and temperature result in a decline in leaf nitrogen content for three woody species in May 2009 and June 2011, while four herb species showed different responses to each other. The nitrogen content of B. latissimum and I. dichotoma decreased under treatment in either 2009 and 2011. The leaf nitrogen content of C. virosa and V. raddeana was not significantly affected by elevated $CO_2$ and temperature in 2009, but that of C. virosa increased and that V. raddeana decreased under the treatment in 2011. In 2009, it was found that there was no difference in carbon content in the leaves of the six species except for that of P. ramosissimus. On the other hand, while there was no difference in carbon content in the leaves of Q. gilva in the control and treatment in 2011, carbon content in the leaves of the remaining six species increased due to the rise of $CO_2$ concentration and temperature. The C:N ratio in the leaf of C. virosa grown in the treatment was lower in both 2009 and 2011 than that in the control. The C:N ratio in the leaf of V. raddeana decreased by 16.4% from the previous year, but increased by 28.9% in 2011. For the other five species, C:N ratios increased both in 2009 and 2011. In 2009 and 2011, chlorophyll contents in the leaves of Q. gilva and H. hamabo were higher in the treatment than those in the control. In the case of P. ramosissimus, the ratio was higher in the treatment than that in the control in 2009, but in 2011, the result was the opposite. Among four herb species, the chlorophyll contents in the leaves of C. virosa, V. raddeana, and I. dichotoma did not show any difference between gradients in 2009, but decreased due to the rise of $CO_2$ concentration and temperature in 2011. Leaf nitrogen and carbon contents, C:N ratio, and chlorophyll contents in the leaves of seven rare and endangered species of plant were found to be influenced by the rise and duration of $CO_2$ concentration and temperature, species, and interaction among those factors. Conclusions: The findings above seem to show that long-term rise of $CO_2$ concentration, and temperature causes changes in physiological responses of rare and endangered species of plant and the responses may be species-specific. In particular, woody species seem to be more sensitive to the rise of $CO_2$ concentration and temperature than herb species.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.37-51
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• 2015

Sparganium japonicum Rothert. is designated as a near threatened species by the National Institute of Biological Resources and is restrictively distributed in South Korea. To conserve and restore habitats of this plant, we investigated environmental characteristics and vegetation at five habitats during the growing season. Thirty plant species from seventeen families were found in the S. japonicum community. The species frequently found in this community included Utricularia vulgaris, Potamogeton distinctus, Phragmites japonica, Cicuta virosa, Persicaria thunbergii, Phragmites communis, Hydrilla verticillata. Maximum height of this plant reached at August and average height at five habitats is 120 cm at this time. Water and soil environmental factors showed low values compared with that of other wetlands. S. japonicum lived in not only shallow water level but also deep water level. These results can be helpful for S. japonicum habitat conservation and restoration.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.71-78
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• 2018

Objectives : This study was fulfilled to investigate nominee materials as anti-inflammatory agent from ethanol extract of Chinese medicinal plants in Yanjin. Among the 20 candidates, we selected most effective one, the ethanol extract of Cicuta virosa L. (CVL). The mechanism underlying the anti-inflammatory effects of CVL is not clearly identified as yet. Accordingly, we clarified the anti-inflammatory effects of CVL and its underlying molecular mechanisms in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Methods : RAW264.7 macrophages were incubated with CVL (12.5, 25, or $50{\mu}M$) and/or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) ($1{\mu}g/m{\ell}$). Cytotoxicity was determined using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay and the level of nitric oxide (NO) production was measured with Griess reagent. The prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) production was measured with enzyme immunoassay kits and the protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was determined using Western blot analysis. Results : Among the 20 ethanol extract of Chinese medicinal plants of Yanjin tested, CVL significantly reduced the production of NO in a dose-dependent manner via inhibition the protein expressions of iNOS without cytotoxicity on the LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. In addition, CVL also effectively declined the production of $PGE_2$ in LPS-simulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Conclusions : Taken together, these data presented in this study demonstrate that CVL possesses anti-inflammatory activity by suppressing the production of pro-inflammatory mediators NO and $PGE_2$, and pro-inflammatory protein iNOS expression in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.87-107
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to present the basic data for maintenance and management of river ecosystem by surveying and analysing the kinds and their characteristics of vascular plants in Bukcheon stream, Gyeongju-si, South Korea. The numbers of vascular plants were summarized as 428 taxa including 92 families, 265 genera, 3 subspecies, 24 varieties, 6 forms, 5 hybrids and 5 cultivars. Among the identified taxa, there were 90 planted species. The endangered wild species was Cicuta virosa, and the rare plants were 5 taxa including Prunus × yedoensis, Juniperus chinensis L. var. sargentii and so on. The Korean endemic plants were 5 taxa Populus × tomentiglandulosa, Salix koriyanagi, Lespedeza maritima, Forsythia koreana and Aster pseudoglehni. The specific plants by floristic region were 26 taxa including 2 taxa of grade V, 3 taxa of grade IV, 2 taxa of grade III, 8 taxa of grade II and 11 taxa of grade I. The naturalized plants were 81 taxa including Euphorbia maculata, Erigeron strigosus, Vulpia myuros and so on. The invasive alien plants were 7 taxa including Humulus scandens, Rumex acetosella, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Ambrosia trifida, Lactuca seriola, Symphyotrichum pilosum and Paspalum distichum.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.81-91
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• 2020

As part of method for ecologically utilizing abandoned paddy, potential of the abandoned paddy as a target site for ex-situ conservation of 9 endangered species of different life form was confirmed by considering the nature of rice paddy. In order to create Dum-bung, a component of traditional Korean rice paddy, a part of the abandoned paddy was modified to change the water environment. The seeds, asexual reproductive and sexually reproductive individuals of each endangerd species were transplanted into the abandoned paddy to observe the survival rate and phenological response for 1 year, and then monitored for 2 years. As a result, Hydrophyte 4 taxa (Euryale ferox, Saururus chinensis, Dysophylla yatabeana, Menyanthes trifoliata), Geophyte taxa 1 (Epilobium hirsutum), and Hemicryptophyte taxa 1 (Cicuta virosa) could be introduced into the abandoned paddy. In particular, Euryale ferox, Dysophylla yatabeana, and Menyanthes trifoliata should be introduced into Dum-bung, and Saururus chinensis, Epilobium hirsutum, and Cicuta virosa should be introduced into paddy wetland. Growth of Euryale ferox and Brasenia schreberi was inhibited by herbaceous species, and the growth of Epilobium hirsutum was inhibited by herbivores. Therefore, in order to help efficient settlement of endangered plants introduced in abandoned paddy, it is necessary to remove herbs that inhibit growth and to manage herbivores. In addition, it is necessary to prevent the collapse of paddy bank by planting on the paddy field trees or herbaceous forming vegetation mat. When using abandoned paddy ecologically, it is effective to diversify the moisture environment by creating a Dum-bung to increase biodiversity.