• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.180-189
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• 2018

Agricultural landscapes in Korea comprise a large cultivation area of rice paddies, other crops, and forests which surround the cropland and the farmers' residential village. The forests in this agricultural landscape play important roles as ecological corridors and refuges for plants and animals in this agroecosystem. The present study investigated the spatial and temporal diversity patterns among these components of the agroecosystem to provide baseline data that describes how fauna change in the studies system. Insect sampling was conducted at four sites in two regions, Chungcheong (Ockcheon and Geumsan) and Jeonnam (Younggwang and Haenam), from March to August of 2014, using an UV light trap for moths and five pitfall traps for beetles. Beetles comprised 225 species and 2,457 individuals in 35 families, while moths consisted of 141 species and 403 individuals in 17 families. Beetles showed higher diversity in Chungcheong than Jeonnam, while moths showed no difference in diversity between regions. Forests showed the highest number of species and individuals, followed by orchards and rice paddies. The food preference of beetles showed that forests contained a higher proportion of herbivores, while orchards and rice paddies had a higher proportion of carnivores. Temporal changes in moths in the two regions were synchronous, while those of beetles were nonsynchronous. Moths increased from spring to summer across all habitats, especially in rice paddies during summer. Beetles also increased from spring to summer in orchards and rice paddies, although the beetles in the forests increased in the middle of summer. A detailed and long-term study is needed to reveal the causes of different diversity patterns of taxa among the different habitats within the agroecosystems.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.404-417
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• 2017

In this study, we analyzed response patterns of rotifer community to eutrophic state, and estimated the applicability of rotifer community as an environmental indicator for highly eutrophicated reservoirs. In order to evaluate the relationships among spatial and temporal distributions and the water quality of rotifer community, we selected the Jundae Reservoir and Chodae Reservoir in Chungcheongnam-do, Korea, which are geographically adjacent but have different water quality, particularly in their eutrophic states. For the analyses on their correlations, monthly survey of water quality and rotifer community, was conducted from April to November 2013 in both reservoirs. The rotifer community was divided into different compositions of functional groups as well as species. Functional groups were classified according to the structure and shape of trophi which can represent feeding behavior of rotifer genus. To reflect ecological characteristics of species, body size and habitat preferences were also considered. Species-based composition did not show a consistent tendency with water quality parameters related with eutrophication. On the contrary, functional group composition showed relatively clear group-specific patterns, increasing or decreasing according to the parameters. The results suggest the possible application of rotifer functional group composition as an indicatorforthe lentic systems, especially hyper-eutrophicated reservoirs. The present study can suggest the applicability based on the field observations from the limited time scale and sites, and further studies on feeding behavior of the rotifer functional group and its interactions with environmental variables are necessary for the further application.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.100 no.4
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• pp.609-615
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• 2011

Forsythia saxatilis is a Korean endemic plant designated as rare and endangered by the Korea Forest Service (KFS). Growth and physiological characteristics of F. saxatilis were investigated under two different light intensities in order to figure out an appropriate growth environment for conservation and restoration of the species in its natural habitat. Shoot length, leaf size and weight, photosynthetic pigment content and photosynthetic parameters were measured for F. saxatilis grown at two experimental plots under relative light intensities (RLI) of 20% and 60% of the full sun, respectively. Fresh leaf weight of plants grown under high relative light intensities (RLI-60) exceeded that of plants grown at 20% RLI. The ratio of fresh leaf weight to leaf size at RLI-60 was 1.47 times superior comparing to that recorded at RLI-20. The content of photosynthetic pigments such as chlorophyll a, b and carotenoid were higher in plants grown at RLI-60, whereas the ratio of total chlorophyll to carotenoid content was higher in the leaves at RLI-20. Photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate at RLI-60 were, respectively, 2.5, 2.65 and 1.79 times higher comparing to those recorded at RLI-20. Water use efficiency, however, was higher at RLI-20. The chlorophyll/nitrogen ratio was 1.83 times higher at RLI-20 than at RLI-60. In contrast, the ratio of net photosynthesis to chlorophyll content at RLI-60 was 2.58 times higher than that of RLI-20. In conclusion, light intensity might be the major factor affecting growth and physiological characteristics of F. saxatilis grown under canopy of tall tree species.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.48-67
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• 2021

Plant species exhibit current characteristics as a result of interactions with environmental conditions. The plants of Viola sp. have selected chasmogamous flowers with vigorous vegetative propagation or development of cleistogamous flowers as an adaptation strategy. Viola websteri is distributed on the Korean peninsula and the eastern part of Jilin Province, China. The center and edge of the distribution are expected to exhibit different population-dynamics. It is necessary to investigate the cause of its current limited distribution even though V. websteri has a mixed-mating strategy. Firstly, We examined the vegetation environment of habitats and evaluated its characteristics. Growth characteristics were examined through plant phenology. We then evaluated the population structure, characteristics of chasmogamous flowers, and productivity of cleistogamous flowers. Moreover, we compared population sizes between 2014 and 2018. Most habitats were located in deciduous broadleaf mixed forests adjacent to valleys. V. websteri produced chasmogamous flowers with self-incompatibility in April-May and cleistogamous flowers in June-September. The cleistogamous flower production is a strategy ensuring seed production under uncertain environmental fluctuations; these were approximately twice as numerous as chasmogamous flowers. The population structure was distinguished into stable and very unstable regions. There were sites where the population experienced a sharp decline in the 2018 compared to that of 2014. This large decline was found in the edge populations. The habitats had different microsites depending on the natural disturbances of drought and the matrix constituting the habitat, thus supporting various plants. Ensuring the production of seeds through cleistogamous flowers, it was determined that rapid seedling re-establishment and population replenishment were possible when the natural disturbance factor was removed. Environmental factors did not equally affect all populations or individuals. Therefore, it was expected that it would be able to persisted in a long time, despite the rapid decrease in the number of individuals in the population regionally. Local extinction and re-establishment are likely to repeat according to environmental change. We propose the additional population investigation based on this works are required. We also suggest a need to assess the long-term population dynamics and the genetic characteristics of chasmogamous flowers and cleistogamous flowers to establish and implement effective conservation strategies.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.194-205
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• 2022

Sandbars formed by sediment transportation and sedimentation are some of the most important habitats for specific wildlife and they provide an aesthetic landscape in streams. The purpose of this study was to understand the successional process of the colonization and development of early vegetation over time on sandbars exposed by the opening of a gate at a downstream weir. We selected the following four study sites in the Geumgang River, South Korea: three weir-upstream sites with different gate-opening times and a control site that was not affected by weir operation. Changes in the structural characteristics and spatial distribution of the riparian vegetation on the sandbars exposed after opening the gate at the weir were surveyed according to the different exposure periods of the sandbars at the study sites. The newly formed sandbars accounted for more than 33% of the area of the existing floodplain in the three weir-upstream sites of the Geumgang River after opening the gate at the weir. Nine main plant communities were distributed on the exposed sandbars. These communities were classified as annual mesophytic, perennial hydrophytic, perennial hygrophytic, subtree, and tree vegetation based on their species traits. As the duration of exposure of the sandbar increased, the area of the bare sandbar and the annual herbaceous and perennial hydrophytic communities decreased, and the areas occupied by perennial hygrophytic, subtree, and tree communities increased. Changes in vegetation on the sandbar were classified into three types of succession according to the condition of the aquatic habitat before the gate-opening and the degree of physical disturbance caused by the water flow after the gate-opening. The types of succession were: 1) succession starting from hydrophytes in the lentic aquatic zone, 2) succession starting from annual herbaceous hygrophytes in the lotic aquatic zone, and 3) willow-dominated succession in the disturbed channel side. Our results suggested that the dynamics of successional changes in vegetation should be considered during weir operation to ecologically manage the habitats and landscape of the fluvial landforms, including sandbars in streams.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.962-969
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• 2016

This study assessed the ecological and behavioral characteristics of the sika deer from April 2012 to August 2016. To obtain basic information on the behavioral patterns of the sika deer (Cervus nippon) including their annual home range, sika deer wearing GPS tracking collars were released into 1,385 locations at a different altitude around where they had been captured in Songnisan. The released individuals were studied through home range analysis. According to our observations, annual home ranges of the sika deer (n=6) is seen to be $2.24{\pm}1.50km^2$ (t=3.648, p<0.05) of MCP 95% for the entire area of home range and $0.46{\pm}0.31km^2$ (t=3.666, p<0.05)$km^2$ of FK 50% for the home range core area respectively. The annual home ranges of the sika deers by sex were $2.94km^2$ for female and $1.53km^2$ for male. This study is expected to provide basic data for habitat management and ecological study of sika deer and to contribute to the management of wild animals.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.502-513
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• 2016

In this study, heavy metal distributions in the tissues of feral pigeon (Columba livia) were characterized using samples collected from bio-monitoring sites (Hangang Park and Hampyeong Park) of the NESB (National Environmental Specimen Bank), Korea, in order to evaluate the feasibility of feral pigeons as an indicator for the environmental monitoring. Cadmium (Cd) was analyzed to be accumulated in kidneys at higher concentration than in the other tissues. Such trend can also be found in the reviews on the Cd accumulations of the 34 cases including 17 avian species which showed that 31 cases had the highest Cd concentrations in the kidney among tissues. However, lead (Pb) was found to be richest in the bones in this study. 17 cases out of 30 reviewed cases had the highest Pb concentration in bones, whereas other 10 cases showed the highest concentration in kidneys, and 3 cases in livers. Therefore, kidneys together with bones can be a main target organ to test cadmium exposure to different habitat environments depending on physiological traits of birds. Zinc (Zn) was found to be the highest concentration in the pigeon livers of Hangang Park, but not in the bones. In contrast, the 13 cases of 16 reviewed cases had the highest Zn concentration in bones, and the 3 cases in livers. In addition, the heavy metal distribution patterns in relations to the metal accumulation mechanisms (a competition between Pb and Ca, a function of methallothionein protein, and etc.) were discussed.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.429-442
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• 2002

The faunal assembalges of macrobenthos and their habitat conditions on the soft-bottoms around Dokdo(Dok Island) was investigated using a box corer and a van Veen grab in Sept. 1999 and May 2000. The sediments in the slope sites were composed of sand particles and those in Ullneung Basin were mud. The sediments in the shelf sites were in the range of fine to medium sand. The organic content of the slope sediments was in the range of 1 to 2%. The macrobenthos occurred at the slope sites represented by 15faunal groups belonging to 8 phyla, and the major faunal group was polychaetous annelids. They comprised ca. 80.6% in slope sites, and 84.8% in shelf sites. Dominant species in the slope were Exogone verugera(40.9%), Cossura longocirrata (8.4%), Tharyx sp. (6.6%), Scalibregma inflatum (4.9%), Aedicira sp. (4.7%), Aricidea ramosa (3.8%), and Sigambra tentaculata (3.7%). Dominant species in the shelf were Chone sp. (49.3%), Tharyx sp. (18.4%), Ophelina acuminata (6.7%), Chaetozone setosa (3.8%), Glycera sp. (2.6%), and Aedicira sp. (2.4%). The mean densities of macrobenthos in the slope and shelf area were $2,028\;ind./m^2$ and $456\;ind./m^2$, respectively. The trophic composition of benthic polychaete worms in the slope area was different from that in shallow shelf area: surface deposit feeding worms were most abundant in slope area whereas filter feeding worms in shelf area. According to the cluster analysis and MDS plots, the spatial distribution of macrobenthos in Dokdo slope region was related with the sediment properties such as particle size and organic content. In the case of vertical distribution of macrobenthos in slope sites, most faunas concentrated in the upper sediment layer within 2cm depth.

• 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.46 no.2
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• pp.215-224
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• 2013

We clarified the background for establishment of vegetation by comparing the spatial distribution maps of vegetation and substrate on a gravel bar in the Bangtae stream located on Inje-gun of Gangwon-do, the central eastern Korea. The total vegetation coverage was higher in the interior and lower in the marginal parts of the gravel bar. Spatial distribution of vegetation on the longitudinal section of the gravel bar tended to be arranged in the order of shrub, subtree, and tree dominated vegetation types from the front (upstream) toward the rear (downstream) parts. Coverage of the herbaceous plants was higher in the central and rear parts and lower in the front and right parts of the gravel bar. Vegetation height was higher in the rear part and became lowered as move toward the front part. Substrate was distributed in the order of boulder, gravel, sand, and boulder from the front toward the rear parts. Ordination of stands based on vegetation data was arranged in the order of annual plant, perennial herb, shrub, and tree dominated vegetation as move from the right to the left parts on the axis I. Species richness was higher in the order of Pinus densiflora community, Phragmites japonica community, Salix gracilistyla community, Fraxinus rhynchophylla community, annual plant dominated vegetation, and Prunus padus for. padus community based on the species rank-abundance curve. The order based on the Shannon's index was some different; diversity of Phragmites japonica community and Salix gracilistyla community, which showed higher dominance degree, were low differently from species richness. In conclusion, it was evaluated that the gravel bar newly established toward the upstream and vegetation dynamics of the gravel bar seemed to follow ecosystem mechanisms of succession. As were shown in the above results, the Bangtae stream corresponded to the upstream and thereby particle size of substrate was big. Therefore, they move by rolling and are accumulated for the upstream. Vegetation types were arranged in the order of woodland, shrub-land and grassland from the rear toward the front parts of the gravel bar and thereby reflected the formation process of the bar. However, the gravel bar is disturbed frequently by not only the running water but also the suspended sand as the dynamic space. Such disturbances cause habitat diversity and consequently led to high biodiversity.