• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.1-27
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• 2017

It is known that the economic sentiment index and macroeconomic indicators are closely related because economic agent's judgment and forecast of the business conditions affect economic fluctuations. For this reason, consumer sentiment or confidence provides steady fodder for business and is treated as an important piece of economic information. In Korea, private consumption accounts and consumer sentiment index highly relevant for both, which is a very important economic indicator for evaluating and forecasting the domestic economic situation. However, despite offering relevant insights into private consumption and GDP, the traditional approach to measuring the consumer confidence based on the survey has several limits. One possible weakness is that it takes considerable time to research, collect, and aggregate the data. If certain urgent issues arise, timely information will not be announced until the end of each month. In addition, the survey only contains information derived from questionnaire items, which means it can be difficult to catch up to the direct effects of newly arising issues. The survey also faces potential declines in response rates and erroneous responses. Therefore, it is necessary to find a way to complement it. For this purpose, we construct and assess an index designed to measure consumer economic sentiment index using sentiment analysis. Unlike the survey-based measures, our index relies on textual analysis to extract sentiment from economic and financial news articles. In particular, text data such as news articles and SNS are timely and cover a wide range of issues; because such sources can quickly capture the economic impact of specific economic issues, they have great potential as economic indicators. There exist two main approaches to the automatic extraction of sentiment from a text, we apply the lexicon-based approach, using sentiment lexicon dictionaries of words annotated with the semantic orientations. In creating the sentiment lexicon dictionaries, we enter the semantic orientation of individual words manually, though we do not attempt a full linguistic analysis (one that involves analysis of word senses or argument structure); this is the limitation of our research and further work in that direction remains possible. In this study, we generate a time series index of economic sentiment in the news. The construction of the index consists of three broad steps: (1) Collecting a large corpus of economic news articles on the web, (2) Applying lexicon-based methods for sentiment analysis of each article to score the article in terms of sentiment orientation (positive, negative and neutral), and (3) Constructing an economic sentiment index of consumers by aggregating monthly time series for each sentiment word. In line with existing scholarly assessments of the relationship between the consumer confidence index and macroeconomic indicators, any new index should be assessed for its usefulness. We examine the new index's usefulness by comparing other economic indicators to the CSI. To check the usefulness of the newly index based on sentiment analysis, trend and cross - correlation analysis are carried out to analyze the relations and lagged structure. Finally, we analyze the forecasting power using the one step ahead of out of sample prediction. As a result, the news sentiment index correlates strongly with related contemporaneous key indicators in almost all experiments. We also find that news sentiment shocks predict future economic activity in most cases. In almost all experiments, the news sentiment index strongly correlates with related contemporaneous key indicators. Furthermore, in most cases, news sentiment shocks predict future economic activity; in head-to-head comparisons, the news sentiment measures outperform survey-based sentiment index as CSI. Policy makers want to understand consumer or public opinions about existing or proposed policies. Such opinions enable relevant government decision-makers to respond quickly to monitor various web media, SNS, or news articles. Textual data, such as news articles and social networks (Twitter, Facebook and blogs) are generated at high-speeds and cover a wide range of issues; because such sources can quickly capture the economic impact of specific economic issues, they have great potential as economic indicators. Although research using unstructured data in economic analysis is in its early stages, but the utilization of data is expected to greatly increase once its usefulness is confirmed.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.30-36
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• 2014

This study was conducted to determine the causes of unreasonable prices and small numbers of azalea cultivars by analyzing the price trends and the number of azalea cultivars announced over the last 25 years based on data from the Public Procurement Service(PPS), Korea Price Research Center and the Landscaping Tree Association(LTA)(hereinafter, officially announcing agencies and organizations) which are major references used when landscape planting is decided. The prices of azalea cultivars announced by the official announcing agencies and organizations have moved in similar patterns over the past 25 years because the prices of azalea cultivars announced by the LTA were referred to by other official announcing agencies and organizations when they officially announced the prices of azalea cultivars. The PPS set lower officially fixed prices of azalea cultivars compared to other official announcing agencies and organizations, and the reason for this is considered to be the intention of the PPS to suppress landscape tree price increases because of the government's policies to suppress price increases. The prices of azalea cultivars seem to change rapidly due to the imbalance between the demand and supply of azalea cultivars rather than the effects of consumer price fluctuation rates because the production periods of azalea cultivars are shorter when compared to other landscape trees. The prices of azalea cultivars from the official announcing agencies and organizations have been set higher than the prices in actual transactions. The reason for this is considered to be the intention of the official announcing agencies and organizations to allow landscaping companies to cover defect costs resulting from the practice of subcontracting planting work and secure profits of subcontractors for planting work. The official announcing agencies and organizations have simply announced prices of 5~8 main azalea cultivars that have been used in the past. The names of azalea cultivars being cultivated and criteria for classification have not been clear; thus, landscape designers have not written clear names of azalea cultivars to be cultivated on planting drawings as practice and landscapers planted those azalea cultivars which could be easily obtained. Therefore, it is assumed that there has been no demand for new azalea cultivars. Thus, the vicious circle in which the prices of only those azalea cultivars that were produced in the past have been announced is repeated.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.45-72
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• 2005

C. neoformans-associated cryptococcosis is primarily a disease of immunocompromised persons, has a world-wide distribution, and is often spread by pigeons in the urban environment. In contrast, C. gattii causes infection in normal hosts, has only been described in tropical and semi-tropical areas of the world, and has a unique niche in river gum Eucalyptus trees. Cryptococcosis is acquired through inhalation of the yeast propagules from the environment. C. gattii has been identified as the cause of an emerging infectious disease centered on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. No cases of C. gattii-disease were diagnosed prior to 1999; the current incidence rate is 36 cases per million population. A search was initiated in 2001 to find the ecological niche of this basidiomycetous yeast. C. gaftii was found in the environment in treed areas of Vancouver Island. The highest percentage of colonized-tree clusters were found around central Vancouver Island, with decreasing rates of colonization to the north and south. Climate, soil and vegetation cover of this area, called the Coastal Douglas fir biogeoclimatic zone, is unique to British Columbia and Canada. The concentration of airborne C. gattii was highest in the dry summer months, and lowest during late fall, winter, and early spring, months which have heavy rainfall. The study of the emerging colonization of this organism and subsequent cases of environmentally acquired disease will be informative in planning public health management of new routes of exposure to exotic agents in areas impacted by changing climate and land use patterns. Cryptococcosis is an infection associated with an encapsulated, basidiomycetous yeast Cryptococcus neoformans. The route of entry for this organism is through the lungs, with possible systemic spread via the circulatory system to the brain and meninges. There are four cryptococcal serogroups associated with disease in humans and animals, distinguished by capsular polysaccharide antigens. Cryptococcus neoformans: variety grubii (serotype A), variety neoformans (serotype D), and variety gattii (serotypes B and C) (Franzot et at. 1999). C. neoformans variety gattii has recently been elevated to species status, C. gattii. C. neoformans val. grubii and var. neoformans have a world-wide distribution, and are particularly associated with soil and weathered bird droppings. In contrast, C. gattii (CG) is not associated with bird excrement, is primarily found in tropical and subtropical climates, and has a restricted environmental niche associated with specific tree species. (Ellis & Pfiffer 1990) Ellis and Pfeiffer theorize that, as a basidiomycete, CG requires an association with a tree in order to become pathogenic to mammals. In Australia, CG has been found to be associated with five species of Eucalypts, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, E. tereticornis, E. blakelyi, E. gomphocephala, and E. rudis. Eucalypts, although originally native to Australia, now have a world-wide distribution. CG has been found associated with imported eucalypts in India, California, Brazil, and Egypt. In addition, in Brazil and Columbia, where eucalypts have been naturalized, native trees have been shown to harbour CG (Callejas et al. 1998; Montenegro et al. 2000). In British Columbia, Canada, since the beginning of 1999, there have been 120 confirmed cases of cryptococcal mycoses associated with CG in humans, including 4 fatalities (data from British Columbia Centre for Disease Control), and over 200 cases in animal pets in BC (data from Central Laboratory for Veterinarians). What is remarkable about the BC outbreak of C. gattii-cryptococcosis is that all of the cases have been residents of, or visitors to, a narrow area along the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, BC, from the tip of the island in the south (Victoria) to Courtenay on the north-central island as illustrated in Figure 1. Of the first 38 human cases, 58% were male with a mean age of 59.7 years (range 20 - 82): 36 cases (95%) were Caucasian. Ten cases (26%) presented with meningitis, the remainder presented with respiratory symptoms. Cultures recovered from cases of cryptococcosis associated with the outbreak were typed as serogroup B, which is specific to CG (Bartlett et al. 2003). This was the first reported outbreak of CVG in Canada, or indeed, the world. Where infection with CG is endemic, for example, Australia, the incidence of cryptococcosis ranges from 1.8 - 4.7 per million between the southern and northern states (Sorrell 2001). However, the overall incidence of cryptococcosis in immunocompenent individuals has been estimated at 0.2 per million population per year (Kwon-Chung et al. 1984). The population of Vancouver Island is approximately 720,000,consequently, even if the organism were endemic, one would expect a maximum of 0.15 cases of cryptococcal disease annually.

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.9-21
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• 2007

Research was initiated to examine establishment efficiency of zoysiagrass by plugging. Zoysiagrass is known to be a slowly establishing turfgrass species. Properly-treated zoysiagrass seed can speed up the establishment rate, while initial irrigation practice is intensively required after seeding. A planting method with small plugs($2.5{\times}2.5cm$) from seeding can overcome initial watering requirement. Establishment speed, however, can vary with planting dates, planting spaces, and plastic film cover in early stage. Establishment characteristics were investigated for two years by planting dates that were April 5, May 18, July 13, August 24 and October 29 in 2004 and April 6 in 2005. They were also compared with three different spaces($20{\times}20,\;25{\times}25,\;and\;30{\times}30cm$) and three different fertilizer levels(15, 30, and $45g\;N{\cdot}m^{-2}$). Ground coverage reached to 90% in plugs of 'Zenith' zoysiagrass planted on April 5. It increased suddenly in period of July to August, resulting in about 50% of full establishment rate. Establishment rates were significantly faster over 9% in plugs spaced at $20{\times}25cm$ than in those at $30{\times}30cm$. No significant differences were observed on the stolen number and stolen length in the study. Survival rate in zoysiagrass plug was over 90% at all plantings. These results demonstrated that zoysiagrass establishment using small plug from seeding is considered to be a safe and efficient method.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-24
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• 1974

A national programme of erosion control for soil and water conservation needs to be based on factual information about rates and quantities of soil erosion and of water runoff. The best and simplest way of reducing sedimentation pollution is to prevent or control the erosion at its sources. Steeply sloping earth banks are liable to both surface erosion and land-slides and the key to the control of these form of erosion lies with drainages and dense vegetation establishment including surface mulching on the slopes. Micro-plots having $1.6m^2$ (1 metre in width and 1.6 metres in slope length, and 1:1.2 in gradient) of banking slopes on the coarse sand soil are used to establish the order of magnititude of the difference in controlling of soil erosion and water runoff, and in potentiality of execution in consideration of the values of landscapes, performed on the 2 repetetions of six-experiment plots consisted of five surface mulches including seedings and one bare slope as a control treatment. The main results obtained may be summarized as follows: 1. The significant difference is realized in the quantities of soil erosion between the measures of six treatments. 2. Excepting the differences between treatment III and VI, the significant difference is realized in the rate of surface runoff between each treatment measures. 3. Both measures of treatment II and IV are recognized as the most effective measures in controlling the soil erosion and water runoff and also in establishing the ground vegetation. (Treatment II is a measures of the coarse straw-mat mulchings on the micro-strip seedings, Treatment IV is a measures of the "SPRAY-ON method" on the micro-strip seedings). In consideration of the potentiality of execution as well as the value of landscapes, the measures of treatment II could be recommendable for establishing the vegetation cover on the denuded gentle slopes in hillsides while the measures of treatment IV could be suitable for accelerating the establishment of vegetation on steeply sloping earth banks and cuts.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.213-223
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• 2013

Objectives Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common reason for people in Korea to visit Korean medical institutions. To assess actual amounts of use in the treatment of LBP in Korean medicine and to provide objective base line data for policy decision making, research regarding the current state of LBP patients' treatment in Korean medical institutions are in need. Methods The current study was designed as a retrospective chart review to investigate descriptive characteristics of LBP patients. The clinical records of 304 patients who were hospitalized for the treatment of LBP in Korean rehabilitation medicine inpatient clinics of five different Korean medicine hospitals were analyzed. The percentage of patient characteristics such as sex, age, average duration of admission, insurance type, diagnosed LBP related disease code, and rates of interventions applied were assessed. Results 1. The female sex was significantly predominant among patients with LBP : 105 patients (34.5%) were male and 199 patients (65.5%) were female. Percentage of the patients' age appeared as followed : 76 people (25.0%) were in their 50s, 64 people (21.1%) were in their 40s, 51 people (16.8%) were in their 30s, 37 people (12.2%) were in their 60s, and 33 people (10.9%) were in their 70s. Approximately half of the total LBP patients investigated were older than 50. 2. The average duration of admission was 16.2 days. Approximately one third (30.3%) of the patients were hospitalized for 8 to 14 days. 3. Female patients tended to stay admitted in hospitals slightly longer than male patients. Elderly (age 60~79) patients stayed in hospitals longer (17.8 days) compared to younger (age 20~39) patients (13.5 days). 4. More than half of the patients (171 cases, 56.3%) had their hospital bills covered with automobile insurance. 40.1% (122 cases) of the patients had medical insurance to cover their hospital bills. The average duration of admission of patients who had automobile insurance was 14.2 days, while that of the patients who had medical insurance was 18.4 days. 5. "Sprain and strain of the lumbar spine and pelvis" was the most commonly used (195 cases, 64.1%) disease code in patients with LBP. Patients diagnosed as "lumbar and other intervertebral disc disorders with radiculopathy" required the longest admission duration (22.1 days). 6. Herbal medication was applied to all of the patients during admission. Acupuncture was applied to all of the patients except one case diagnosed as spinal stenosis. Physical therapy, cupping therapy, moxibustion therapy, chuna therapy, and pharmacopuncture therapy were applied to 94.7, 92.8, 85.2, 83.9, and 49.7% of the patients, respectively. 7. There were certain differences among Korean medicine hospitals in terms of the LBP patients' duration of admission, type of insurance, frequency of the disease code use, type of intervention applied. Conclusions It is thought that the current study can be used as reference data in assessing the current state of LBP treatment in Korean rehabilitation medicine and a basis for future research. Provided improvements of certain limitations of the current study in future researches, such data would act as better base line data in policy decision making.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.630-639
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• 2003

This study aims to analysis the distribution and change of cropland and forest, the Onseong, Saebyeol, and Eundeok counties on the lower reach of Duman(Tumen) river, northeast Korea, using 1992 year Landsat TM data, 2000 year Landsat ETM data, and digital terrain elevation data(DTED). Land cover and land use of the study areas are classified into cropland, forest, village, and water body, using the supervised classification method including 1:50,000 DTED analysis, image band composition, and principal component analysis(PCA). Results of quantitative analysis present that each growth rate of cropland of Onseong and Eundeok are 22.8% and 14.7% corresponding to decreasing rates of forest, 8% and 13.6% during 8 years from 1992 to 2000. In Onseong, Saebyeol, and Eundeok, each values of mean elevations and slope gradients increased to 192m, 95m, and 91m from 157m, 85m, and 78m, and to 6.6$^{\circ}$, 3.0$^{\circ}$, and 4.4$^{\circ}$ from 5.2$^{\circ}$, 2.5$^{\circ}$, and 3.0$^{\circ}$. Especially, in case of newly developed cropland, the values of mean elevation and mean gradient have 225m, 122m, and 127m, and 9.4$^{\circ}$, 5.1$^{\circ}$, and 8.0$^{\circ}$, in above three regions. These new croplands were developing along to deeper valleys and toward lower hill and mountain slope up to knickpoint zone of gradient change. Deforested lands for cropland have formed irregular pattern of patch-type, and become sources for the sheet erosion, rilling and gulleying in mountain slope and sedimentation in local river channel. Though there were no field checking, analysis using landsat images and GIS mapping can help understand actual environmental problems relating to cropland development of mountain slope in North Korea.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.153-168
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• 2000

An estuarine marsh is semi -inclosed inlets, located between coastal and terrestrial environment. The sediment transport by river and tide through tidal river and vertical accretion by sediment accumulation are important processes in estuarine marsh. An analysis of the vertical accretion rate at various time scale is important work for understanding and managing coastal environments. The purpose of this study is to determin the spatial characteristics of vertical accretion rate in an estuarine marsh, Sunchon Bay, in the southern coastal region of Korean peninsula. The methods of analysis are sedimentation rate by individual tidal cycle, annual accretion rate, concentration of total suspended load in water column. Spatial characteristics of sedimentation rate by individual tidal cycle was investigated using 30 filter paper traps. Sedimentation rate by individual tidal cycle at levee edge was higher than that at back marsh. The sedimentation rate decreased with distance from estuarine front. Levee effect and proximity to the turbidity maximum zone result in a higher sedimentation rate in the levee edge. There is a weak relation-ships between tidal regime and sedimentation rate by individual tidal cycle. Spatial cahracteristics of annual accretion rate was investigared using 30 artificial marker plots. Annual accretion rate at back marsh($1.5{\sim}3.5cm/yr$) was higher than that at tidal river levee edge($0.8{\sim}3.0cm/yr$). Total suspended load (TSL) concentrations in water column also indicate this spatial characteristics of annual accretion rate. TSL concentration in water column leaving the vegetation part dramatically decreased. There is a very strong relationship between the concentration of suspended load and accretion rate. These results indicate that annual accretion rate is controlled by vegetation cover and proximity to the turbidity maximum zone. This difference of spatial characteristics of vertical accretion rate ar various time-scale was due to the fact that surface sediment of levee edge was eroded by tide and other factors. The major findings are as follows. First, the spatial characteristics of vertical accretion rate are different from various time-scale. Second, the major mechanism for the vertical accretion rate in this region is suspended load trapping by vegetation. Third, this region is primarily a depositional regime over the time-scale of the present data Fourth, this estuarine marsh is accreting at rates beyond other area.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.312-318
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• 2010

This study was carried out to develop and test a prototype program that recommends the nitrogen topdressing rate using the color digital camera image taken from rice field at panicle initiation stage (PIS). This program comprises four models to estimate shoot N content (PNup) by color digital image analysis, shoot N accumulation from PIS to maturity (PHNup), yield, and protein content of rice. The models were formulated using data set from N rate experiments in 2008. PNup was found to be estimated by non-linear regression model using canopy cover and normalized green values calculated from color digital image analysis as predictor variables. PHNup could be predicted by quadratic regression model from PNup and N fertilization rate at panicle initiation stage with $R^2$ of 0.923. Yield and protein content of rice could also be predicted by quadratic regression models using PNup and PHNup as predictor variables with $R^2$ of 0.859 and 0.804, respectively. The performance of the program integrating the above models to recommend N topdressing rate at PIS was field-tested in 2009. N topdressing rate prescribed for the target protein content of 6.0% by the program were lower by about 30% compared to the fixed rate of 30% that is recommended conventionally as the split application rate of N fertilizer at PIS, while rice yield in the plots top-dressed with the prescribed N rate were not different from those of the plots top-dressed with the fixed N rates of 30% and showed a little lower or similar protein content of rice as well. And coefficients of variation in rice yield and quality parameters were reduced substantially by the prescribed N topdressing. These results indicate that the N rate recommendation using the analysis of color digital camera image is promising to be applied for precise management of N fertilization. However, for the universal and practical application the component models of the program are needed to be improved so as to be applicable to the diverse edaphic and climatic condition.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.5-14
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• 1975

Eroded sloping faces in hillsides including cut-bank slopes are liable to both surface erosion and land-slides and the key to control of these form of erosion lies with drainages of excessive run-off and dense vegetation establishment including surface mulching on the slopes. Micro-plots having $1.6m^2$ (1 metre in width and 1.6 metres in slope length, and 1:1.2 in gradient) of banking slopes on coarse sand soil are used to establish the order of magnititude of the difference in controlling of soil erosion and water runoff, and in rating of survival, performed on the repetetions of three-experiment plots consisted of such three levels as 90% (Dense), 70% (Moderate), and 50% Sparse of the density of the coarse straw-mat mulchings. The main results obtained may be summarized as follows: 1. The rates of surface runoff are calculated as 13.13% from the dense mulchings, 14.21% from the moderate mulchings, and 15.57% from the sparse mulchings respectively. 2. The total amounts of soil loss are measured as about 1.24 tons/ha. from the dense mulchings, about 1.33 tons/ha. from the moderate mulchings, and about 1.44 tons/ha. from the sparse mulchings respectively. The amounts of soil loss under these treatments are much lower than the standard of erosion in USDA (1939 Bennet). 3. Average numbers of germination by treatment are counted as 80 seedlings at the dense mulchings. 132 at the moderates and 121 at the sparse respectively. Large numbers of seedling are suppressed and died during the growing at the dense mulchings due to mainly mechanical obstruction. 4. Coarse straw-mat having about 70% of coverage density is the most suitable mulches in both soil erosion control and vegetation establishment. 5. The method of coarse straw-mat mulching is the most recommendable measure for establishing the vegetation cover with less soil erosion on the denuded gentle slopes in hillsides at present in Korea.