• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.10-20
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• 2024

The study investigated species diversity, relative abundance, and decline of flying insects and plants within a fragmented forest in the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Ondo State, Nigeria. It is known that habitat fragmentation can reduce biodiversity. Thus, it is important to perform comprehensive assessments to understand implications of the habitat fragmentation for flora and fauna. Species richness and abundance of flying insects and plants across fragmented forest patches were quantified using field surveys and taxonomic identification. This study revealed shifts in species diversity, with fragmented areas exhibiting reduced biodiversity compared to contiguous forest ecosystems. Flying insects crucial for ecosystem functioning and pollination services demonstrated decreased species richness and relative abundance within fragmented habitats. This decline was attributed to habitat loss, altered microclimates, and limited movement pathways known to hinder insect dispersal. Similarly, plant species richness and abundance showed decline in fragmented forest due to disrupted mutualistic interactions with pollinators, altered nutrient cycling, and increased competition among plant species. This study underscores the importance of maintaining intact forest habitats to sustain healthy ecosystems and preserve biodiversity. Effective conservation strategies should focus on habitat connectivity, reforestation efforts, and protection of essential ecological corridors to mitigate effects of fragmentation. In conclusion, this investigation provides empirical evidence for effects of habitat fragmentation on flying insects and plants in a forest ecosystem in FUTA Akure, Nigeria. Findings emphasize an urgency of adopting conservation measures to safeguard these invaluable components of biodiversity and ecosystem stability in the face of ongoing habitat loss and fragmentation.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.317-323
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• 2012

Fragmented urban forests, as green islands within urban area, are the primary habitats for a vast number of different organisms inhabiting large cities. The areas of the urban forests are usually small, and hence, the proportion of the forest edge is relatively high. It is therefore expected that overall butterfly diversity may be lower than that of suburban or rural forests, and that those of grassland species, forest edge species, and generalist species with a wider niche breadth may be richer. Butterflies were surveyed weekly by the line transact method in order to characterize the butterfly community of the Hongneung Forest, a fragmented urban forest in Seoul. Butterfly richness of the study forest is much lower than those of main forests around or in Seoul. Grassland species, forest edge species, and generalist species were found to be richer, which was in agreement with the expected patterns of urban butterfly communities. Also, an endangered species, Spindasis takanonis, was observed in the Hongneung Forest, showing that urban forests play important roles for conservation of rare species.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.163-173
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• 2015

The occurrence of wild boars (Sus scrofa Linnaeus) and reports of wildlife-vehicle conflicts (i.e., road-kill) involving them have increased in natural forest regions of Korea. In the past few decades, many wildlife passages have been constructed to reduce vehicle collisions involving wildlife species. However, few studies have assessed the habitat suitability of target wildlife species when locating the construction sites of wildlife passages. Target species rarely use wildlife passages if built in an inappropriate location. Therefore, a quantitative habitat model is required to find suitable sites for wildlife passages that can connect the fragmented forest patches of wildlife habitats in Korea. In this study, the wild boar was selected as the target species, and six environmental variables (percentage of Quercus forest, slope aspect, distance to roads, water accessibility, forest stand age and density) were measured. The habitat model for wild boars was developed with a Delphi survey, and habitat suitability maps were delineated for the provinces of Gangwon-do and Jeollanam-do. In this study, 298 and 64 boars were observed in Gangwon-do and Jeollanam-do, respectively. Observations of wild boars derived from the second nationwide natural environmental survey were used to evaluate the habitat model. Habitat suitability maps that superimposed existing road networks suggested that wild boar habitats were severely fragmented in both provinces, particularly in Gangwon-do. To connect the fragmented habitats and prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions, this study proposes 11 and 5 wildlife passage sites in Gangwon-do and Jeollanam-do, respectively.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.94 no.2 s.159
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• pp.108-111
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• 2005

This study was conducted to identify the road effect on small rodent populations within fragmented forest areas around the road from June to September 2002, in 9 study sites of Baekdugdaegan mountains, Korea. Two species of small rodents, Korean field mouse Apodemus peninsulae and striped field mouse Apodemus agrarius, were captured in this study. Korean field mouse preferred forest area, and striped field mouse generally has been found edge area around road. Mean body weight of Korean field mouse was significantly different, but that of striped field mouse was not between both distance from road. Korean field mouse is forest-dwelling species and their distribution is limited in forest area. In contrast, striped field mouse has wide distributional range around road. The effects of road is different in each small rodent species and their habitat preferences.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.97 no.2
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• pp.187-195
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• 2008

Picea jezoensis (Sieb. et Zucc.) Carriere is one of the major and widespread components of the cold-temperate and boreal forests in Russian Far East, northeast China, Korea, and Japan. However, it is restricted to a highly fragmented range in South Korea with small populations. Mean expected heterozygosity $(H_e)$ based on 22 loci in 11 isozyme systems was 0.077 for four sampled populations that covered the whole distribution range of P. jezoensis in South Korea. This value is within the range reported for conifers, but it is very low compared to that of other spruce species as well as that of P. jezoensis populations in Russian Far East. Most populations had a slight excess of heterozygotes and the Wright's $F_{IS}$ (-0.019) was comparable to that previously reported for other spruce species. In all of the four populations, the Wilcoxon sign-rank test indicated no greater heterozygosity than that expected for populations at mutation-drift equilibrium, suggesting that the populations have not been bottlenecked recently. Despite a fragmented range and isolated populations, population differentiation was not high $(F_{ST}=0.047)$ and the number of migrants per generation was 5.09. Nei's genetic distances were also small $({\bar{D}}=0.005)$ but strongly related to geographic distances between populations, suggesting an Isolation by Distance. The northernmost isolate, Mt. Gyebang population was genetically distinct from the other three populations. Implications for the conservation of genetic variation of P. jezoensis in South Korea were discussed.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.91-103
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• 2021

We conducted an analysis of agroforestry system efficiency to conserve biodiversity in the Mbalmayo Forest Reserve (MFR) between March 2018 and June 2018. A synthesis of forest fragmentation data observed on multiple strata and scale satellite imageries over 31 years, between 1987 and 2018 as well as, the use of both a floristic and a faunal surveys, revealed that although 29.28% of natural forests was fragmented and converted to agroforests landscapes, banana and cocoa based agroforest appeared to perform the most relevant records in carbon storage and to attract wild terrestrial and avifauna. Analysis of NDVI, NDWI and Iron Oxyde helped monitor the vegetation cover of the reserve, and differentiate natural and fragmented classes, majority of conserved forest wetlands and agroforestry systems, and a minority of natural dryland forest. Further analysis also revealed significant correlations between NDVI and Shannon Index, and between NDVI and carbon stock. Based on the NDVI value and the equation Y=3.827×X-1.587 (where Y for the carbon stocks and X for NDVI value), we estimated the total carbon stock of the forest reserve at about 99557.6 tonnes, and its mean value at about 8.491 tons/ha. Nevertheless, environmental efforts to sustainably manage agroforestry landscape appear to be a relevant key to conserve wild biodiversity and mitigate climate change at the level of the Mbalmayo Forest Reserve. If anthropogenic activities have deeply changed the reserve's natural landscape, reduced its carbon sequestration performance, and wildlife conservation status, forest wetlands appear to remain its most conserved places and the best refuge for wild fauna still occurring in diverse strata of the MFR.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.104 no.4
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• pp.622-631
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• 2015

This study was conducted to clarify the distribution and fragmented points of mountain range and to select priority points for restoration by assessment in Daejeon. There were ten Semaek of mountain extended from three Jimaek in Daejeon. As a result of overlapping the main mountain ridge with a network of roads, twelve points out of total thirty-one fragmented points were chosen as practical points for restoration. We developed index and model to assess twelve practical points for restoration. All points were classified into three grades, four points of grade I, five points of grade II and three points of grade III. From this study, we proposed differentiated restoration plan for each grade. Further studies on development of more objective assessment and detailed methodology should be needed to prepare effective restoration plan.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.108 no.3
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• pp.454-467
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• 2019

This study proposed a forest landscape (patch) fragmentation monitoring framework using a cadastral forest land dataset and validated the feasibility of such monitoring. The following results were found. First, the forest landscape has fragmented too quickly. Hence, immediate national monitoring and management are required. Second, forest landscape monitoring should be linked to other survey frameworks. Horizontal fragmentation monitoring based on the forest landscape (geographic information system [GIS] polygons) is insufficient to determine ecological processes. Third, precautionary principle regulation to link forest landscape fragmentation monitoring to assessment systems such as environmental impact analysis or disaster impact analysis should follow.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.61-70
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• 2021

The effects of forest type and fragmentation of forests by a road on the beetle community were investigated in the Gwangneung Forest, South Korea. Beetles were collected monthly using pitfall traps and by sweeping at 16 sites (eight in coniferous forests and eight in deciduous forests) for one year from April 1993 to April 1994, excluding winter. A total of 17,616 beetles belonging to 271 species from 39 families were collected. Among them, Synuchus cycloderus was the dominant species, with 14,060 individuals accounting for 80% of the total population. The influence of forest type (coniferous and deciduous) or sampling region (fragmented by a road) on species richness(number of species) was observed. We found that species richness was substantially different depending on the sampling method and taxa used. Beetles collected using pitfall traps responded more sensitively to habitat types than those collected by sweeping. Four dominant families differently responded to forest fragmentation and forest types. Carabidae was influenced by forest fragmentation, whereas Staphylinidae and Curculionidae were influenced by forest types. Chrysomelidae was not influenced.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.13-23
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• 1999

This study was carried out to investigate the degree of impact from road construction and forest fragmentation after urbanization. And this study was also conducted to compare the urban forest fragmentations of four cities, Taegu, Pohang, Kyungju, and Kumi, in Kyungpook, Korea, with referring the Landsat TM remotely sensed data. Taegu metropolitan city has the largest forest volume of our surveying sites, comparing with three other cities-Kyungju Pohang Kumi city in kyungpook, Korea. The forest has been fragmented during urbanization, the number of forest patch has been increased, therefore, the patch size has been smaller. The forest in Pohang and Kyungju city represented the intermediate aspect between Taegu Metropolitan city and Kumi city, it means forest of the region has been stable condition. Road construction brings to increasing edge habitat area. However, as the core area was decreased, the habitats have been unstable. This result can be a basis on the management of the forest which is the origin of biodiversity. Hereafter, if the research, based on the multi-temporal remote sensing data, is proceeded continuously, the forest fragmentation will be able to be reduced. We will be able to settle urban forest management more practically.