• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.1-19
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• 2022

The Geumgang Pine (Pinus densiflora) Forest in Sogwang-ri, Uljin has traditionally been a pine tree protection area (prohibited forest) for timber production purposes, and is now designated and managed as a protected area for forest genetic resource conservation by the Korea Forest Service. This study, we analyzed topographical characteristics, existing vegetation, tree age, and plant community structure, and proposed a sustainable management method for the Geumgang Pine (Pinus densiflora) Forest in Sogwang-ri, Uljin for timber havesting purposes. The topographical characteristics of the target area were 36.7% ridges and 38.7% valleys; the ratio of ridges to valleys was similar, and the slopes formed 24.7% of the total area. The types of pine forest communities are divided into six types based on the progress of pine forest renewal, the competition with other species such as deciduous broadleaf trees, and the formation of layered structures. It has been confirmed that the age of the large-diameter pine trees (40~60cm in diameter) is approximately 60~70 years, which is relatively low. As a result of the analysis of the relative importance percentage and layered structure, differences depended on the progress of the pine forest renewal project, and not only the maintenance of the pine forest, but also the creation of a secondary growth forest, the density adjustment of pine trees, and the active management of competitive trees. The average basal area by the community was 12,642.1~25,424.4cm² for the tree layer and 1.8~1,956.5cm² for the low tree layer based on a quadrat of 400m². The difference in the basal area appeared to depend on the size and number of trees forming the tree layer and the degree of pine forest renewal (the degree of time elapsed after thinning pine trees). The average number of species that appeared in each community was 8.7-20.3; there were many species located in valleys, and the type competes with deciduous broadleaf trees due to the lack of management. The diversity of species ranged from 0.6915-1.0942, and was evaluated as low compared to pine communities in central temperate zones. In this paper, we determined the management goals of Geumgang Pine (Pinus densiflora) Forest in Sogwang-ri, Uljin to produce timber with high economic value, and suggested efficient vegetation management for continuous afforestation, the establishment of a timber production system, and improvement of wood production as a management direction.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.78-85
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• 2021

Objectives: When elderly patients show depressive symptoms, discrimination between depressive disorder and prodromal phase of Alzheimer's disease is important. We tested whether a quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG) marker was associated with cerebral amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition in older adults with depression. Methods: Non-demented older individuals (≥ 55years) diagnosed with depression were included in the analyses (n = 63; 76.2% female; mean age ± standard deviation 73.7 ± 6.87 years). The participants were divided into Aβ+ (n = 32) and Aβ- (n = 31) groups based on amyloid PET assessment. EEG was recorded during the 7min eye-closed (EC) phase and 3min eye-open (EO) phase, and all EEG data were analyzed using Fourier transform spectral analysis. We tested interaction effects among Aβ positivity, condition (EC vs. EO), laterality (left, midline, or right), and polarity (frontal, central, or posterior) for EEG alpha band power. Then, the EC-to-EO alpha reactivity index (ARI) was examined as a neurophysiological marker for predicting Aβ+ in depressed older adults. Results: The mean power spectral density of the alpha band in EO phase showed a significant difference between the Aβ+ and Aβ- groups (F = 6.258, p = 0.015). A significant 3-way interaction was observed among Aβ positivity, condition, and laterality on alpha-band power after adjusting for age, sex, educational years, global cognitive function, medication use, and white matter hyperintensities on MRI (F = 3.720, p = 0.030). However, post-hoc analyses showed no significant difference in ARI according to Aβ status in any regions of interest. Conclusion: Among older adults with depression, increased power in EO phase alpha band was associated with Aβ positivity. However, EC-to-EO ARI was not confirmed as a predictor for Aβ+ in depressed older individuals. Future studies with larger samples are needed to confirm our results.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.99-112
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• 2021

This study was performed to predict spatial change of future forestland area in South Korea at regional level for supporting forest-related plans established by local governments. In the study, land use was classified to three types which are forestland, agricultural land, and urban and other lands. A logistic regression model was developed using transitional interaction between each land use type and topographical factors, land use restriction factors, socioeconomic indices, and development infrastructures. In this model, change probability from a target land use type to other land use types was estimated using raster dataset(30m×30m) for each variable. With priority order map based on the probability of land use change, the total annual amount of land use change was allocated to the cells in the order of the highest transition potential for the spatial analysis. In results, it was found that slope degree and slope standard value by the local government were the main factors affecting the probability of change from forestland to urban and other land. Also, forestland was more likely to change to urban and other land in the conditions of a more gentle slope, lower slope criterion allowed to developed, and higher land price and population density. Consequently, it was predicted that forestland area would decrease by 2027 due to the change from forestland to urban and others, especially in metropolitan and major cities, and that forestland area would increase between 2028 and 2050 in the most local provincial cities except Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, and Jeju Island due to locality extinction with decline in population. Thus, local government is required to set an adequate forestland use criterion for balanced development, reasonable use and conservation, and to establish the regional forest strategies and policies considering the future land use change trends.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.111 no.3
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• pp.357-364
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• 2022

We investigated the early growth characteristics of Quercus rubra planted in six regions (Hwaseong, Yangpyeong, Pyeongchang, Samcheok, Chungju, and Gimje) in South Korea in relation to soil physicochemical properties and meteorological factors. Q. rubra (1-0) were planted at a density of 3,000 trees ha^-1. The average height, root collar diameter (RCD), and volume of 8-year-old Q. rubra planted in 2014 were 3.52 m, 3.84 cm, and 0.0023 m³, respectively. The growth parameters of Q. rubra were the highest and lowest in Hwaseong and Pyeongchang, respectively. Correlation analysis among the soil physicochemical properties, meteorological factors, and plantation growth characteristics found that pH was the only soil factor negatively correlated with RCD, and the other soil factors were not significantly correlated with the growth characteristics. However, growth characteristics were positively correlated to average temperature from March to October and daily maximum temperature; and they were negatively correlated to altitude, topology, and the number of rainy days from March to October. In particular, the trees planted in Hwaseong area showed the best early growth characteristics because this area had the highest daily maximum temperature, the x average temperature from March to October, the low altitude, and it is located close to the foot of a mountain. In Pyeongchang, the early growth characteristics were negatively affected by winter cold damage because of the high altitude, low daily minimum temperature, and damage by wild animals. In Hwaseong, meteorological factors such as temperature and altitude were more highly correlated to growth characteristics of Q. rubra than the physicochemical soil properties. These results will provide useful information for determining suitable sites for Q. rubra plantations and for predicting early growth characteristics in response to environmental factors.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.83-92
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• 2022

The amount of the plastic waste has been increasing according to global demand for plastic. Microplastics are the most hazardous among all plastic pollutants due to their toxicity and unknown physicochemical properties. This study investigates the optimal methodology that can be applied to sewage samples for detecting microplastics before discussing reducing microplastics in MWTPs. In this study, the effect of different pretreatment methods while detecting microplastic analysis of MWTP influent samples was investigated; the samples were collected from the J sewage treatment plant. There are many pretreatment methods but two of them are widely used: Fenton digestion and hydrogen peroxide oxidation. Although there are many pretreatment methods that can be applied to investigate microplastics, the most widely used methods for sewage treatment plant samples are Fenton digestion and H₂O₂ oxidation. For each pretreatment method, there were factors that could cause an error in the measurement. To overcome this, in the case of the Fenton digestion pretreatment, it is recommended to proceed with the analysis by filtration instead of the density separation method. In the case of the H₂O₂ oxidation method, the process of washing with distilled water after the reaction is recommended. As a result of the analysis, the concentration of microplastics was measured to be 2.75ea/L for the sample using the H₂O₂ oxidation method and 3.2ea/L for the sample using the Fenton oxidation method, and most of them were present in the form of fibers. In addition, it is difficult to guarantee the reliability of measurement results from quantitative analysis performed via microscope with eyes. A calibration curve was created for prove the reliability. A total of three calibration curves were drawn, and as a result of analysis of the calibration curves, all R² values were more than 0.9. This ensures high reliability for quantitative analysis. The qualitative analysis could determine the series of microplastics flowing into the MWTP, but could not confirm the chemical composition of each microplastic. This study can be used to confirm the chemical composition of microplastics introduced into MWTP in the future research.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.33-47
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• 2022

Wild boars(Sus scrofa) are expanding their range of behavior as their habitats change. Appearing in urban centers and private houses, it caused various social problems, including damage to crops. In order to prevent damage and effectively manage wild boars, there is a need for ecological research considering the characteristics and movement characteristics of wild boars. The purpose of this study is to analyze home range and identify land cover types in key areas through tracking wild boars, and to predict the movement connectivity of wild boars in consideration of previous studies and their preferred land use characteristics. In this study, from January to June 2021, four wild boars were captured and tracked in Jinju city, Gyeongsangnam-do, and the preferred land cover type of wild boars was identified based on the MCP 100%, KDE 95%, and KDE 50% results. As a result of the analysis of the home range for each individual, it was found that 100% of MCP was about 0.68km², 2.77km², 2.42km², and 0.16km², and the three individuals overlapped the home range, refraining from habitat movement and staying in the preferred area. The core areas were analyzed as about 0.55km², 2.05km², 0.82km², and 0.14km² with KDE 95%., and about 0.011km², 0.033km², 0.004km², and 0.003km² with KDE 50%. When the preferred land cover type of wild boar was confirmed based on the results of analysis of the total home range area and core area that combined all individuals, forests were 55.49% (MCP 100%), 54.00% (KDE 95%), 77.69% (KDE 50%), respectively, with the highest ratio, and the urbanization area, grassland, and agricultural area were relatively high. A connectivity scenario was constructed in which the ratio of the land cover type preferred by the analyzed wild boar was reflected as a weight for the resistance value of the connectivity analysis, and this was compared with the connectivity evaluation results analyzed based on previous studies and wild boar characteristics. When the current density values for the wild boar movement data were compared, the average value of the existing scenario was 2.76, the minimum 1.12, and the maximum 4.36, and the weighted scenario had an average value of 2.84, the minimum 0.96, and the maximum 4.65. It was confirmed that, on average, the probability of movement predictability was about 2.90% better even though the weighted scenario had movement restrictions due to large resistance values. It is expected that the identification of the movement route through the movement connectivity analysis of wild boars can be suggested as an alternative to prevent damage by predicting the point of appearance. In the future, when analyzing the connectivity of species including wild boar, it is judged that it will be effective to use movement data on actual species.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.24 no.2 s.63
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• pp.65-70
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• 1985

The locational preference of the brown planthopper (BPH) Nilaparvata lugens ($St{\aa}l$) and the whitebacked plant hopper (WBPH) Sogatella furcifera(Horvath) was studied on rice cultivars IR22 and IR36 as an integral part of subsequent research on insect-fungal pathogen relationships. The BPH was observed to stay consistently on the basal portion while the WBPH showed a general preference for the upper portion regardless of varieties, rice growth stages and insect population density levels. The habitat preference of both species (BPH and WBPH) was found not to be affected by the presence of the other species when both species are present on the same host plant Five rice cultivars with different reactions to BPH biotype 2 were used in the study on BPH-Rhizoctonia solani relationship: IR22 and TN1 (susceptible); Triveni and ASD7 (moderately resistant); and IR42 (resistant). Test plants were inoculated with R. solani (Kuhn) $3{\sim}4$days after insect infestation. Sheath blight disease severity/incidence was significantly higher in the treatment where BPH+R. solani were together than in the treatment with only the pathogen. Symptom expression of the disease in the BPH-pathogen combination was faster and mycelial growth was more profuse inducing the formation of more infection structures. Regardless of varietal reaction to BPH biotype 2, the degree of hopperburn was significantly higher in the combination of the two pests as compared with that of BPH alone. There could be a synergistic relationship between the insect pest and the pathogen indicated by a positive interaction between the two species.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2023

The cathode, which is one of the four major components of a lithium secondary battery, is an important component responsible for the energy density of the battery. The mixing process of active material, conductive material, and polymer binder is very essential in the commonly used wet manufacturing process of the cathode. However, in the case of mixing conditions of the cathode, since there is no systematic method, in most cases, differences in performance occur depending on the manufacturer. Therefore, LiMn₂O₄ (LMO) cathodes were prepared using a commonly used THINKY mixer and homogenizer to optimize the mixing method in the cathode slurry preparation step, and their characteristics were compared. Each mixing condition was performed at 2000 RPM and 7 min, and to determine only the difference in the mixing method during the manufacture of the cathode other experiment conditions (mixing time, material input order, etc.) were kept constant. Among the manufactured THINKY mixer LMO (TLMO) and homogenizer LMO (HLMO), HLMO has more uniform particle dispersion than TLMO, and thus shows higher adhesive strength. Also, the result of the electrochemical evaluation reveals that HLMO cathode showed improved performance with a more stable life cycle compared to TLMO. The initial discharge capacity retention rate of HLMO at 69 cycles was 88%, which is about 4.4 times higher than that of TLMO, and in the case of rate capability, HLMO exhibited a better capacity retention even at high C-rates of 10, 15, and 20 C and the capacity recovery at 1 C was higher than that of TLMO. It's postulated that the use of a homogenizer improves the characteristics of the slurry containing the active material, the conductive material, and the polymer binder creating an electrically conductive network formed by uniformly dispersing the conductive material suppressing its strong electrostatic properties thus avoiding aggregation. As a result, surface contact between the active material and the conductive material increases, electrons move more smoothly, changes in lattice volume during charging and discharging are more reversible and contact resistance between the active material and the conductive material is suppressed.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.231-243
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• 2022

Anthropogenic disturbances on freshwater ecosystem are known to degrade biodiversity, especially on fish assemblage. In this study, we have conducted fish surveys to identify impact of a bridge construction on fish assemblages. A total of eight study sites were surveyed in the Danjang and the Dong Stream in southern part of South Korea from June to November in 2021. The fish samplings were carried out five times, using cast-nets(10×10 mm mesh size), scoop-nets(4×4 mm, 5×5 mm mesh size), set-nets (10×10 mm mesh size), and fish traps (3×3 mm mesh size), along with the Stream/River Ecosystem Survey and Health Assessment by the Ministry of Environment of Korea and basic water quality measurement. Also, we applied the species diversity index and length-weight relationship regressions on certain species to identify interspecific growth rate differences in accordance with study sites. As a result, a total of 782 individuals, 23 species and 10 families were collected. The dominant species was Zacco Koreanus and relative abundance was 50.89%. When applying the length-weight relationship regressions on certain species, the 'b' value for Z. Koreanus was lower at the downstream points than at the upstream points of the construction site. In addition, when comparing to the results of the past survey, relative density of demersal fish at the upstream and downstream points decreased from 26% to 1.4%, and from 18% to 6.3%, respectively. In conclusion, it is considered that bridge construction negatively affects the habitat of fishes, especially on demersal fishes. Therefore, appropriate conservation efforts such as installation of silt protector and sand sedimentation pond are needed to alleviate the disturbance in habitat such as occurrence of turbidity and destruction of micro-habitats.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2023

When carrying out development projects around Ardeidae breeding habitats, we intend to devise a plan for sustainable coexistence by presenting measures to select and reduce key evaluation items so that conflicts can be prevented in advance at the environmental impact assessment stage. The results of the study are as follows. The main evaluation items are animal and plant items for preservation of Ardeidae breeding habitats and odor and noise items that can evaluate the effects of odors and noise in Ardeidae breeding habitats. First, the scope of the survey in animals and plants categories is not limited to legal guardian species, but includes egrets breeding and feeding grounds corresponding to major species breeding grounds and migratory birds, and preservation measures are established according to the reduction of the area of breeding and feeding grounds. Second, in the odor category, the irradiation period includes the period when the odor generation is the highest from the end of June to the end of July. The odor evaluation standard is based on the complex odor discharge standard, which is a concentration regulation, and the odor concentration felt by humans shall be 2 to 5OU/m³ and the frequency shall be 2% or less. Third, in the noise category, the timing of the survey is measured every month from May to August, including when the sound of egrets and young birds is combined to maximize noise generation. Since the noise of Ardeidae, a bird in summer, occurs only for a certain period of time, measures are taken to reduce noise by securing separation distances, securing buffer green areas, and installing construction rather than installing artificial structures such as soundproof walls. In order for existing Ardeidae breeding sites to maintain an appropriate density of populations and not move populations elsewhere, it is necessary to manage nesting tree and maintain stable habitat quantity and quality.