• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.754-768
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• 2017

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a group of industrial aromatic organobromine chemicals that have been used since the 1970s as flame retardants in a wide range of consumer products and articles, including plastics, computers, textiles and upholstery. Commercial PBDEs were added to Annex A of the Stockholm Convention as persistent organic pollutants in May 2009. PBDEs are still frequently found in sludge and effluent from wastewater treatment plants, even though commercial PBDEs were prohibited or voluntarily phased out several years ago. Conventional wastewater treatment processes are not designed to effectively remove PBDEs. This indicates that there is an urgent need for new developments and improvements to enhance upon the treatment techniques which are currently available. Several studies have suggested the potential removal and degradation technologies for PBDEs in wastewater. In this study, the concentrations and compositional profiles of PBDE congeners in sludge and effluent are investigated by analyzing the relevant literature data in relation to their usage patterns in commercial products in North America and South Korea. The strengths and weaknesses of the current PBDEs removal techniques (i.e., biodegradation, zero-valent iron, photolysis, sorption, etc.) are discussed critically. In addition, future research direction regarding the treatment and removal of PBDEs from wastewater is also suggested, based on the literature review.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.63-73
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• 2010

A comprehensive mapping project for agroclimatic zoning in South Korea will end by April 2010, which has required 4 years, a billion won (ca. 0.9 million US dollars) and 22 experts from 7 institutions to complete it. The map database from this project may be categorized into primary, secondary and analytical products. The primary products are called "high definition" digital climate maps (HD-DCMs) and available through the state of the art techniques in geospatial climatology. For example, daily minimum temperature surfaces were prepared by combining the climatic normals (1971-2000 and 1981-2008) of synoptic observations with the simulated thermodynamic nature of cold air by using the raster GIS and microwave temperature profiling which can quantify effects of cold air drainage on local temperature. The spatial resolution of the gridded climate data is 30m for temperature and solar irradiance, and 270m for precipitation. The secondary products are climatic indices produced by statistical analysis of the primary products and includes extremes, sums, and probabilities of climatic events relevant to farming activities at a given grid cell. The analytical products were prepared by driving agronomic models with the HD-DCMs and dates of full bloom, the risk of freezing damage, and the fruit quality are among the examples. Because the spatial resolution of local climate information for agronomic practices exceeds the current weather service scale, HD-DCMs and the value-added products are expected to supplement the insufficient spatial resolution of official climatology. In this lecture, state of the art techniques embedded in the products, how to combine the techniques with the existing geospatial information, and agroclimatic zoning for major crops and fruits in South Korea will be provided.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.413-420
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• 2008

The phytosociological study was carried out to investigate the structural characteristics of paddy levee vegetation in South Korea. The vegetation data of total 59 releves were analyzed by the Zurich-Montpellier school's method. 6 syntaxa (3 associations and 3 communities) of paddy levee were recognized : Echinochlo-Digitaretum ciliaris ass. nov. hoc., Artemisia princeps-Erigeron annus community, Imperata cylindrica v. koenigii community, Glycine soja-Humulus scandens community, Miscantheum sinensis f. purpurascens ass. nov. hoc,, Polygonetum thunbergii Lohm. et Miyawaki 1962. Detrended correspondence analysis(DCA) showed that Artemisia princeps-Erigeron annus community and Imperata cylindrica v. koenigii community were positively correlated with soil hardness. Polygonetum thunbergii Lohm. et association and Miscantheum sinensis f. purpurascens ass. nov. hoc. was intimately correlated with high soil total nitrogen.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.61-80
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• 2012

This study is to offer the basic data for restoration and conservation of wetland ecosystem by surveying and analysing the flora distributed in the Binae marsh, Namhan River, Chungju-si. The flora in the Binae marsh were verified 204 taxa including 48 families, 152 genera, 179 species, 23 varieties and 2 forms. In flora, pteridophyta were 2 taxa including 1 family, 1 genus and 2 species, among angiospermae, dicotyledonae were 153 taxa including 37 families, 110 genera, 138 species, 13 varieties and 2 forms and monocotyledonae were 49 taxa including 10 families, 41 genera, 39 species and 10 varieties. In the result of classifying the life form of flora, megaphanerophytes (M), nanophanerophytes (N) and chamaiphytes (Ch) were each 9 taxa (4.4%), 37 taxa (18.1%) of hemicryptophytes (H), 19 taxa (9.3%) of geophytes (G), 97 taxa (47.6%) of therophytes (Th) and 24 taxa (11.8%) of hydrophytes (HH). The rare plant designated by Korea Forest Service was 1 taxa (Aristolochia contorta), and the endemic plant was 1 taxa (Salix koriyanagi) too. The specific plants by floristic region were 6 taxa. From among these, the species of degree I were 5 taxa including Salix chaenomeloides, Aristolochia contorta, Artemisia selengensis, Cirsium pendulum and Vallisneria natans, and degree III was 1 taxa including Alisma orientale. The naturalized plants were 45 taxa and the invasive alien plants were 3 taxa including Sicyos angulatus, Ambrosia artemisiifolia and Ambrosia trifida. The naturalized index (NI) was about 22.1%, 16.1% of urbanized index (UI) and 27.3% of disturbed index (DI). The extinct species by construction were 17 taxa including Persicaria sagittata, Typha orientalis, Zizania latifolia and so forth. The new-occured species were 14 taxa including Brassica juncea, Thlaspi arvense, Carduus crispus and so forth. The important species among the extinct species were Aristolochia contorta, Alisma orientale and Vallisneria natans.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.13-33
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to offer the raw data for establishing the management and restoration plan by objective surveying and analysing the flora distributed in Seoak District, Gyeongju National Park, Korea. The flora summarized as 411 taxa including 92 families, 285 genera, 363 species, 2 subspecies, 41 varieties and 5 forms. The rare plants designated by Korea Forest Service were 2 taxa including Exochorda serratifolia and Potentilla discolor. The Korean endemic plants were 3 taxa including Philadelphus schrenkii, Lespedeza maritima and Weigela subsessilis. The specific plants by floristic region were 16 taxa including Asplenium sarelii, Pyrrosia petiolosa, Vitex negundo var. incisa and so forth. The target plants adaptable to climate change were 2 taxa including Lespedeza maritima and Carpesium macrocephalum, and the plants with approval for delivering oversea were 4 taxa including Exochorda serratifolia, Glycine soja, Lespedeza maritima and Weigela subsessilis. The naturalized plants were 51 taxa including Phytolacca americana, Viola papilionacea, Lamium purpureum and so forth. The invasive alien plants were 3 taxa including Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Aster pilosus and Lactuca scariola. NI(Naturalized Index) was 12.4% of all 411 taxa of surveyed flora in this study and UI(Urbanized Index) was 15.9% of all 321 taxa of naturalized plants in Korea. Potentilla discolor in rare plant, Philadelphus schrenkii in endemic plant and Dictamnus dasycarpus in specific plant were established the conservation plan. Whereas, invasive alien plants such as Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Aster pilosus and Lactuca scariola should be removed as soon as possible. The damaged sites in Seoak District were divided between wildfire area and farmland. To restore a forest fire site, we will have to apply a natural renewal and community planting. In case of farmland, we will have to do ecological planting using native species and constrcut a forest wetland.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2013

This study examined the status of the vegetation around Gangcheonsan provincial park located in Sunchang-gun in Jeollabuk-do and Damyang-gun in Jeollanam-do from June 4 to October 12, 2011. Gangcheonsan vegetation was arranged 9 plant communities in accordance with data of 28 releves. Major forest vegetation included Quercus variabilis communityand Quercus variabilis-Quercus serrata community, Pinus densiflora community, and Pinus densiflora-Quercus variabilis community (evergreen coniferous forest in all), and Phyllostachys nigra var. henonis community (plantation). Wetland vegetation included Salix gracilistyla community (riverbank forests), Phragmites japonica community, and Polygonia thunbergii community. Gangcheonsan Provincial Park has beautiful scenery that is in harmony with fantastically-shaped rocks, waterfalls, and valleys and conserves a specific plant community habitat distributed through the forest wetlands including its valleys. It is necessary to conduct long-term monitoring with its focus on Pinus densiflora community, Lycoris koreana community, and Lycoris squamigera community in the provincial park to grasp the characteristics of ecological inhabit changes in major communities and provide active methods for conservation, restoration, and publicity.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.207-215
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• 2011

In order to establish fundamental data for stream restoration and environmental flow, we investigated physical habitat conditions of Korean chub (Zacco koreanus) in the typical streams of Han River. Field monitoring including fish sampling was conducted from September 2008 to April 2010. A total number of fish caught in the 8 sites was 3,421 representing 8 families 31 species, and 17 species (54.8%) including Korean shinner (Coreoleuciscus splendidus) and Z. koreanus were Korean endemic species during the study period. The most frequently found species in number was pale chub (Z. platypus, 25.7%) followed by Z. koreanus (22.8%) and Microphysogobio longidorsalis (16.8%). Numbers of Z. Koreanus ranged from 8 to 10 cm of total length were the highest in size distribution of their population in all sites. They were widely found in ranges of flow velocity (0.2~0.9 m/sec, 89.6%), water depth (0.3~0.9 m, 91.6%), and different types of substrates except for silt, and they tended to prefer run (58.1%) and riffle (33.7%) with cobble bed (47.0%) microhabitat. Most of upper streams in Korea consist of riffles and runs that are repeatedly followed by another one. However, stream channelization and leveling have caused reduction of habitat diversity. Therefore, it is necessary to make an effort on stream rehabilitation with evaluation of physical habitat condition by indicator species in order to maintain biodiversity and perform ecological restoration.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.74-83
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• 2000

Facade Greenery requires little earth and, because it grows vertically, it provides a lot of bio-mass. Facade greenery cannot replace areas such as parks, but it can act as a supplement, particularly in providing a greater degree of nature in our cities. The purpose of this paper is to promote the spread of facade greenery in order to improve the ecological worth of cities. But there is no basic data about fauna in Facade Greenery Zones. Thus for the first time this research investigates what kind of invertebrate communities exist in Facade Greenery Zones. To study the fauna in a facade greenery zone, three sites (Ewha-dong, Kongnung-dong, Daechi-dong) have been selected as representative facade greenery zones in Seoul and 9 plots ($0.5m{\times}0.5m$) were set up. Thirty seven species in 28 families in 10 orders were observed at Ewha-dong, 27 Species in 14 Families in 9 Orders were found at Kongnung-dong, 34 Species in 17 Families 10 in Orders were observed at Daechi-dong. From the investigations (October 3, 1998 and August 25, 1999), a high species diversity in facade greenery zones was proved with low dominance indices, and high diversity indices of the investigated sites. This study shows that facade greenery zone may be habitable space for invertebrates.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.163-175
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• 2012

In spite of the ecological value of the DMZ, there have not been established guidelines for sustainable conservation and use on the DMZ and adjacent area. In this study we suggested a method about zoning the conservation and utilization area considering environmental data and the characteristic of the DMZ region, and we make the guideline for conservation of the DMZ region based on the zone. Using 10 legal protection areas, the Environmental Conservation Value Assessment Map (ECVAM) and the boundaries of the DMZ region, we evaluated this region into conservation areas, management areas, and utilization areas. The results showed that as much as 91.8% of the DMZ region was evaluated as conservation areas, 6.9% as management areas, and 1.3% as utilization areas. After consultation with experts we suggested management principles, the direction, and the guideline based on the planning process considering the evaluation map. The study suggests principles and guidelines for management, and the guidelines could be a effective tool for the sustainable conservation and management strategy of DMZ region.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.31-40
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• 2012

The Environmental Conservation Value Assessment Map (ECVAM) is a five grade assessment map created with nationally integrated environmental information and environmental values. The map is made through the evaluation of 65 items, including greenbelt area and naturalness. Naturalness means original state of nature, and it is one of the most important evaluation items for conserving nature. The criteria of naturalness includes the Degree of Green Naturality (DGN) made by MOE. Using the data which has been not updated is a problem of accuracy for ECVAM. Therefore, this study would like to improve the criteria of naturalness. To improve the criteria, the study examined the effectiveness of DGN using field survey. The results of analysis the naturalness without DGN, some area changed grade of naturalness have been already damaged or cleared for agriculture and industrial purposes. The grade of naturalness should be included the concept of vegetation transition like DGN. The study suggested a improved method using vegetation type (natural and planted forest), forest age, and the grade of vegetation conservation. The method was reviewed by experts and field survey. After applying the method in South Korea, the grade of naturalness were distributed evenly like GradeI is 38.87%, GradeII is 37.62%, GradeIII is 23.51%, respectively. From the results of field survey, over 4 grade of forest age in natural forest showed similar pattern of structure and composition in original forests. Therefore, the improved criteria explained the naturalness better than existing criteria, and the accuracy of ECVAM has been improved more.