• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.161-172
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• 2018

A mixed farming system that includes organic rice production and freshwater fish farming is being called into attention in Korean agricultural industry and rural areas in order to improve farm management and environmental conservation. This study was conducted to evaluate the environmental and ecological value of such mixed farming practices. Expert assessment and rapid assessment method (RAM) of wetland evaluation were employed for this study. Experts have responded that biodiversity conservation including amphibian and reptile habitat (2.39), aquatic insect habitat (2.36), Fishery habitat (2.34), vegetation diversity (2.13), avian habitat (2.05), and experience and education were the most important function of mixed farming. The wetland function evaluation conducted using modified RAM indicated that rice-fish mixed system showed improvements in most of the evaluated functions, compared to the conventional rice paddies. The overall wetland function of rice paddies in rice-fish mixed system was greatly improved as compared with the conventional rice paddies. Rice paddies are known to play an important role in biodiversity maintenance, and provide ecosystem services such as climate modulation and carbon reduction. Rice-fish mixed system of farming may not only improve various ecosystem services of rice paddies, but may increase farm income through value added fish farming, as well as promotion of social services such as education and maintenance of tradition. Additional research is needed for quantitative analysis of the values gained from the most improved wetland function when mixed farming system is actually put into practice, and to utilize the results in advertising of the organic rice, and in various sectors such as food, education and direct payment policy.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.604-619
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• 2012

According to the concept of woodland aesthetic in Germany and forest design in United Kingdom, artificial forest should be restore ecologically step by step in National Park, Korea. This study was carried out to provide the density criterion of thinning for the inducement of the ecological succession by analysing of vegetational structure in Artificial Forest, National Parks. Eleven plots(size is $20m{\times}20m$) were set up in the artificial forest such as Pinus koraiensis forest, Abies holophylla forest, Chamaecyparis obtusa forest, Populus tomentiglandulosa forest, and Larix kaempferi forest and in the natural forest such as Pinus densiflora community, Pinus densiflora-Quercus serrata community, and Quercus serrata community in Chiaksan, Songnisan, Deogyusan, and Naejangsan National Parks, Korea. We classified the artificial forest into undeveloped type of succession, type of alien young trees developing, and early phase type of succession based on the vegetational structure. According to the index of Shnnon's diversity(unit: $400m^2$), undeveloped type of succession was ranged from 0.9681 to 1.1323, type of alien young trees developing was ranged from 1.0192 to 1.1870, early phase type of succession was ranged from 1.3071 to 1.3892, and natural vegetation was ranged from 1.2202 to 1.3428, therefore early phase type of succession forest and natural vegetation are more higher than simple-layered artificial forest with one needle leaf tree species. The limit for the step-by-step thinning was in the range of 30~60%. In case of undeveloped type of succession, we should thin out from large trees throughout three phases, because alien species dominated high value 88~90% in canopy layer. In case of type of alien young trees developing, we should thin out from alien young trees such as Populus tomentiglandulosa throughout one or two phases, because alien species dominated high value 60~97% and young trees with saplings growing up in understory and shrub layer. In case of early phase type of succession, we should thin out from alien trees that compete with native species throughout one or two phases, because alien species dominated less than value 30%.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.59-73
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• 2012

The importance of rice paddy wetland has been raised since the 10th Ramsar Convention in 2010. However, there is shortage of study on the evaluation of rice paddy wetland and also of the study on the effect of organic agriculture on the vegetation characteristics. Accordingly, this study examined the vegetation characteristics of organic rice paddy for the basic resources of evaluating value of rice paddy wetland. 6 places of organic rice paddy and conventional rice paddy were chosen as research targets. It analyzed the function of 'Floral Diversity and Wildlife Habitat' among the revised RAM, an existing wetland evaluation system. As to the factor affecting the analysis result, simple land-use result was proved to determine the evaluation. As a result of vegetation investigation total 176 taxa, 53 families, 146 generics, 148 species, 26 varieties and 1 forma. When the difference of appearance of life form between organic area and conventional area was examined, organic paddy had higher appearance of life form in Therophyte and Megaphanerophyte. For the distribution of Naturalized plants, organic rice paddy had lower naturalized rate and urbanization index than conventional rice paddy. As to the Pearson correlation analysis between growing condition and vegetation characteristics, variety of rice paddy vegetation showed it was not heavily influenced by the land use. However, the organic rice paddy area had more variety in vegetation than conventional rice paddy. There was about 1% correlation with types of Cyperaceae, which means that the classification group of Cyperaceae can be utilized in evaluating rice paddy wetland later on. It is determined that the wetland evaluation has been widely influenced by soil environment, water environment and surrounding natural and artificial landscape as well as vegetation characteristics. Accordingly, further research seems to be required with minute investigation to an extensive area.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.395-405
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• 2010

This study was carried out to offer basic data to minimize the indiscreet development and damage of coastal wetlands through an evaluation from an ecological standpoint highlighting the importance of the coastal wetland in South Gyeongsang Province, Korea. The result of the macrobenthos survey for the coastal wetland assessment showed that Dongdal and Hwasan-ri, Yongnam-myeon, and Tongyeong city had the largest species number; Oegan-ri and Naegan-ri, Geoje-myeon, and Geoje city had the largest population and biomass; and Miryong-ri, Samsan-myeon, Goseong-gun had the highest species diversity. In the halophytes survey, Imyeong-ri, Jinjeon-myeon, Masan city and Oegan-ri and Naegan-ri, Geoje-myeon, Geoje city had the large character species and companion species. The evaluation results of the ecological values of the coastal wetlands were categorized into five grades based on the field surveys, and the sedimentary environment factor in the case of Danghang-ri, Hoehwa-myeon, and Goseong-gun; Miryong-ri, Samsan-myeon, Goseong-gun; Guho-ri, Gonyang-myeon, Sacheon city; Sulsang-ri Yangpo-ri, Jingyo-myeon, Hadong-gun; and Seokpyeong-ri, Idong-myeon, Namhae-gun, were appraised at the highest rating of grade II. The halophytes factor in the case of Imyeong-ri, Jinjeon-myeon, Masan city, Dongdal-ri and Hwasan-ri, Yongnam-myeon, Tongyeong city and Oegan-ri and Naegan-ri, Geoje-myeon, Geoje city, were highly evaluated as grade II. The macrobenthos factor in the case of Imyeong-ri, Jinjeon-myeon, Masan city and Oegan-ri and Naegan-ri, Geoje-myeon, Geoje city was highly evaluated as grade II. The final evaluation grade was calculated by the mean values of three evaluation factors, and Imyeong-ri, Jinjeon-myeon, Masan city and Oegan-ri and Naegan-ri, Geoje-myeon, and Geoje city had the highest rating of II. On the other hand, Seokpyeong-ri, Idong-myeon, Namhae-gun had the lowest rating of IV. These locations will require future research to survey and monitor the coastal wetland ecosystems by season, in addition to the construction of the GIS-based wetland information system with a view to manage the coastal wetlands.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.730-740
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• 2012

Korea Expressway Corporation have a plan to make a new highway from East Hongcheon to Yanayang in Kangwon-do(province). This research was conducted to analyze a vegetation structure of japanese red pine forest and to prepare conservation and restoration basic information for minimizing the effects on pine mushroom producing by road construction. Considering the range of effects by road construction, twenty plots were set up near road construction reserved area, and surveyed. The result analyzed by TWINSPAN, one of the classification technique, showed that the communities were divided into four groups which are two Pinus densiflora community, Pinus densiflora-Quercus variabilis community and Pinus densiflora-Deciduous broad leaves forest community(IV). Species diversity index of each community ranged from $1.7353{\pm}0.0341$ to $1.9079{\pm}0.2471$, and the average number of species was $9.2{\pm}2.8$, especially $9.6{\pm}5.0$ at canopy layer in the unit area($100m^2$). The number of individuals ranged from 4 to 29 and average 9.55 in the unit area($100m^2$). The average RSI(relative space index) was below 35%, the average estimated age of the forest was $38{\pm}8.34$ years. The depth of $A_0$ layer of soil was 4~6cm and the range of soil acidity was pH4.70~5.63(average pH 5.29). Pine mushroom and Japanes red pine have a close symbiosis relation. Therefore it is needed that minimizing the read construction which goes through the pine mushroom producing area. If a road goes through a pine mushroom producing area, restoration measurement is prepared to prevent forest from rapid change such as succession or vegetation structure.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.465-473
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• 2016

This study was carried out to evaluate restoration process of a few wetlands in the National Institute of Ecology (NIE). Wetlands were composed of the former rice paddies that passive restoration was led through only natural process and by creating waterway, and an ecological pond, a reservoir that restorative treatment was practiced. As the result of analysis on landscape change in the current wetland space, existing wetland in NIE was usually from the former rice field and some parts were from the residential area or forest. Change of species composition was progressed from crops or ruderals resistant to human interferences to plant species, which has removed artificially for cultivation and grow usually in the typical wetland. Both species diversity and occurrence of exotic plants were the highest when restoration project is in progress and stages after and before restoration were followed. In an ecological pond that restorative treatment was done, vegetation introduced as riparian buffer was established successfully and thereby it was expected that it could contribute to buffer environmental stress comming from the outside. Synthesized the above mentioned results, change of wetland vegetation established in NIE resembled the typical trend of early successional stage occurring in the abandoned rice paddy and consequently, it was estimated that successful restoration is under progress. Restoration under progress in an ecological pond where artificial aid in the least level was added, could be evaluated in successful as well. In particular, successful establishment of buffering vegetation, which can play diverse ecological functions, could be evaluated as significant restoration effect. But adaptive management to improve ecological quality for the section that buffering vegetation is insufficient, is required.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.77-82
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• 1999

Three floating islands have been constructed for water quality improvement for a polluted irrigation reservoir. Each floating island consists of 10 segments. Each segment hay an area of $16m^2$(4×4m) and is made of wood frames and floats(polystyrene foam). We planted three species of aquatic macrophytes(Typha angustifolia, Zizania latifolia, and Phragmites australis) in floating island on June, 1998. They grew very well without death. We would like to evaluate Phragmites australis is the most suitable aquatic macrophyte that could be planted in a floating island because it maintained the best balance of its root and shoot among them. During their grown period, net primary productivity of Typha angustifolia was $962gDM/m^2$, Zizania latifolia was $1,115gDM/m^2$, and Phragmites australis was $523gDM/m^2$. From these data, it would be estimated to 5.0Kg uptake of nitrogen by aquatic macrophytes and phosphorus 0.8Kg in 3 floating islands. The floating islands worked well as a habitat of fish and prawns. Many kinds of insect lived on the floating islands. The floating island has not only the function of water quality treatment but also several advantages: improvement of landscape and species diversity; low cost of maintenance; low technology; unnecessary of energy; less susceptible to variations in pollutant loading. It could be evaluated a good measure of water quality improvement for an irrigation reservoir. However, it should be intensively studied to develop more light, strong, durable and low-priced frames for efficient floating islands.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.168-181
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• 2024

Constructed wetlands (CWs) deliver a range of ecosystem services, including the removal of contaminants, sequestration and storage of carbon, and enhancement of biodiversity. These services are facilitated through hydrological and ecological processes such as infiltration, adsorption, water retention, and evapotranspiration by plants and microorganisms. This study investigated the correlations between microbial populations, soil physicochemical properties, and treatment efficiency in a horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland (HSSF CW) treating runoff from roads and parking lots. The methods employed included storm event monitoring, water quality analysis, soil sampling, soil quality parameter analysis, and microbial analysis. The facility achieved its highest pollutant removal efficiencies during the warm season (>15℃), with rates ranging from 33% to 74% for TSS, COD, TN, TP, and specific heavy metals including Fe, Zn, and Cd. Meanwhile, the highest removal efficiency was 35% for TOC during the cold season (≤15℃). These high removal rates can be attributed to sedimentation, adsorption, precipitation, plant uptake, and microbial transformations within the CW. Soil analysis revealed that the soil from HSSF CW had a soil organic carbon content 3.3 times higher than that of soil collected from a nearby landscape. Stoichiometric ratios of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in the inflow and outflow were recorded as C:N:P of 120:1.5:1 and 135.2:0.4:1, respectively, indicating an extremely low proportion of N and P compared to C, which may challenge microbial remediation efficiency. Additionally, microbial analyses indicated that the warm season was more conducive to microorganism growth, with higher abundance, richness, diversity, homogeneity, and evenness of the microbial community, as manifested in the biodiversity indices, compared to the cold season. Pollutants in stormwater runoff entering the HSSF CW fostered microbial growth, particularly for dominant phyla such as Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Bacteroidetes, which have shown moderate to strong correlations with specific soil properties and changes in influent-effluent concentrations of water quality parameters.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.429-438
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• 2023

The forest in the lower Tumen River serves as an important ecosystem spanning the territories of North Korea, Russia, and China, and it provides habitat and movement corridors for diverse mammals, including the endangered Amur tiger (Panthera tigris) and Amur leopard (Panthera pardus). This study focuses on the Mijiang area, situated as a potential ecological corridor connecting North Korea and China in the lower Tumen River, playing a crucial role in conserving and restoring the biodiversity of the Korean Peninsula. This study aimed to identify mammal species and estimate their relative abundance, occupancy, and distribution based on the 48 camera traps installed in the Mijiang area from May 2019 to May 2021. The results confirmed the presence of 18 mammal species in the Mijiang area, including large carnivores like tigers and leopards. Among the dominant mammals, four species of ungulates showed high occupancy and detection rates, particularly the Roe deer (Capreolus pygargus) and Wild boar (Sus scrofa). The roe deer was distributed across all areas with a predicted high occupancy rate of 0.97, influenced by altitude, urban residential areas, and patch density. Wild boars showed a predicted occupancy rate of 0.73 and were distributed throughout the entire area, with factors such as wetland ratio, grazing intensity, and spatial heterogeneity in aspects of the landscape influencing their occupancy and detection rates. Sika deer (Cervus nippon) exhibited a predicted occupancy rate of 0.48, confined to specific areas, influenced by slope, habitat fragmentation diversity affecting detection rates, and the ratio of open forests impacting occupancy. Water deer (Hydropotes inermis) displayed a very low occupancy rate of 0.06 along the Tumen River Basin, with higher occupancy in lower altitude areas and increased detection in locations with high spatial heterogeneity in aspects. This study confirmed that the Mijiang area serves as a habitat supporting diverse mammals in the lower Tumen River while also playing a crucial role in facilitating animal movement and habitat connectivity. Additionally, the occupancy prediction model developed in this study is expected to contribute to predicting mammal distribution within the disrupted Tumen River basin due to human interference and identifying and protecting potential ecological corridors in this transboundary region.

• The Journal of Natural Sciences
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.83-121
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• 2004

This study was carried out to examine how solid the production foundation of rice in Chung-Nam Province is, and, if not, to probe alternative measures through the size of farms specializing in rice, of which direction would be a pivot of rice industry-oriented policy. The results obtained can be summarized as follows : 1. The amount of rice production in Chung-Nam Province is highest in Korea and the size of paddy field area is the second largest : This implying that the probability that rice production in Chung-Nam Province would be severely influenced by a global trend of market conditions. The number of farms specializing in rice becoming the core group of rice farming account for 7.7 percent of the total number of farm household in Korea. Average field area financial support which had been input to farm household by Government had a noticeable effect on the improvement of the policy of farm-size program. 2. Farm-size program in Chung-Nam Province established from 1980 to 2002 in creased the cultivation size of paddy field to 19,484 hectares, and this program enhanced the buying and selling of farmland and the number of farmland bargain reached 6,431 household and 16,517 hectares, respectively, in 1995-2002. Meanwhile, long-term letting and hiring of farmland appeared so active that the bargain acreage reached 6,970 hectares, and farm involved was 7,059 households, however, the farm-exchange-and-unity program did not satisfy our expectation, because the retirement farm operators reluctantly participated to sell their farms. Another reason that had delayed the bargain of farms rested on the general category of social complication attendant upon the exchange and unity operation for scattered farm. Such difficulties would work negative effects out to carry on the target of farm-size work in general. 3. The following measures were presented to propel the farm-size promotion program : a. Occupation shift project, followed by the social security program for retirement and elderly farm operators, should be promptly established and also a number of types of incentives for promoting the letting and hiring work and farm-exchange-and-unity program would also be set up. b. To establish the effective key system of rice production, all the farm operators should increase the unit area yield of rice and lower the production cost. To do so, a great deal of production teams of rice equipped with managerial techniques and capabilities need to be organized. And, also, there should be appropriate arrays of facilities including information system. This plan is desirable to be in line with a diversity of the structural implement of regional integration based on farm system building. c. To extend the size of farm and to improve farm management, we have to devise the enlargement of individual size of farm for maximized management and the utilization of farm-size grouping method. In conclusion, it can be said that the farm-size project in Chung-Nam Province which has continued since the 1980s was satisfactorily achieved. However, we still have a lot of problems to be solved to break down the barrier for attainment of the desirable farm-size operation work.. Farm-size project has fairly close relation with farm specialization in rice and, thus, the positive support for farm household including the integrated program for both retirement farmers and off-farm operators should be considered to pursue the progressive development of the farm-size program, which is key means to successful achievement of rice farming enforcement in Chung-Nam Province.