• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.389-400
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• 1999

Habitat preferences of benthic macroinvertebrates were studied according to the different substrate composition. Although it was hard to determine the common dwellers in the habitats with cobbles and pebbles, some taxa such as Ephemera orientalis, Davidius lunatus, Tipula KUb, Isonychica japonica and Tabanus amaenus etc. occurred preferably in the habitats with gravel/sand. In all the sampling stations, the numbers of species collected in the habitats with gravel/sand were always remarkably smaller as compared with the habitats with cobbles and pebbles.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.817-826
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• 2017

We analyzed how foraging area use changed in female Pipistrellus abramus during the breeding season. Radio tracking was used to follow 12 female P. abramus in Gyeongju City, from 2013 to 2015. We followed three bats in each of four stages of reproduction: early pregnancy, late pregnancy, lactation, and post-lactation. Our data showed that the usable area of a foraging site and the area that was actually used by bats in that site were different, and foraging site use also differed according to stage of reproduction. The bats used arable land the most, with use rates of 57%, 40.4%, and 73.2% during early pregnancy, late pregnancy, and lactation, respectively. Bats in a post-lactation state did not use arable areas at all and instead foraged over bodies of water 90% of the time. There was no difference in the use of each foraging environment between bats in early pregnancy and late pregnancy. However, bats in late pregnancy and those that were lactating did use arable land to different extents, and bats that were lactating and those that were post-lactation also used arable land and bodies of water to different extents.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2023

In this study, we aimed to quantify the population size and spatial distribution of three predatory Scarites species in coastal sand dunes. In June and August 2014, 252 pitfall traps were utilized to conduct a trapping web analysis at three distinct sites with varying vegetation dominance values. Scarites sulcatus had the largest estimated population in a 10 m² area with a habitat density of 36.6 in a Vitex rotundifolia community area (site B) in the June survey. In contrast, Scarites aterrimus had the largest population size with a habitat density of 2.9 in a Calystegia soldanella community area (site A) in the August survey. Spatial distribution analysis revealed that S. sulcatus dominated the Vitex rotundifolia community without preference for a particular site, whereas S. aterrimus and Scarites terricola pacificus were primarily observed on the beach. The results indicated that the three Scarites species in the Sohwang coastal sand dune region exhibited differences in their spatial and temporal distributions in the coastal dune ecosystem in order to avoid competition and predation. In conclusion, our findings can be utilized to estimate the population density of the genus Scarites on the Korean Peninsula. The outcomes of this study will contribute to estimating insect population densities on the Korean Peninsula and developing investigative assessment methodologies.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.163-169
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• 2021

Background: Understanding the habitat characteristics of the endangered Siberian flying squirrel Pteromys volans is the first step in conserving and managing the forests it requires for nesting, gliding, and feeding. Therefore, in the present study, we characterized the habitats of P. volans using GIS analysis of 411 forest sites in South Korea where fecal droppings were found. Results: Fecal signs of P. volans were found in various regions in South Korea, including the Baekdudaegan Mountains. GIS analysis with six environmental layers (vegetation type, wood-age class, diameter at breast height [DBH], crown density, elevation, and distance from stream) revealed that fecal signs of P. volans were more frequently found in broad-leaved deciduous forests (42%) located 200-399 m above sea level (43.1%) and 0-199 m from the nearest stream (53%), with 5th class wood-age (35.3%), middle size class DBH (51.1%), and high crown density (71%). Conclusions: The present study provides information on the biotic and abiotic characteristics of P. volans habitats. In South Korea, the fecal droppings of P. volans were found predominantly old deciduous broadleaf forests. Further studies are needed to reveal whether the more frequent occurrence of P. volans dropping in broadleaf forests may be due to a particular preference of this species for the forests or to a simple reflection of the area of the broadleaf forests occupying a much larger area than other forest types in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.632-639
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• 2008

This paper deals with feeding site distribution aspect and seasonal distribution change of the wintering geese in Cheonsu bay and reclaimed area from October 2006 to March 2007. Geese were distributed mostly in agricultural land(rice field) during day time. According to the distribution map by maximum counts, observed geese of agricultural land were frequently distributed in large agricultural land. Especially, Geese were more used agricultural land near the reservoir where used as roosting site than the other sites. Diurnal feeding site of the geese were agricultural land near the reservoir with huge flock during early wintering season(October), but geese were used the agricultural land far from reservoir after mid wintering season(after January). The feeding flock size of Geese were decreased and feeding site was more far from the reservoir than in mid wintering season during late wintering season(March). Habitat use rate of the quadrat area where below 1km from the reservoir was most high in early wintering season. Contrary, habitat use rate where 2km far from the reservoir was shown lowest habitat use rate in early wintering season, but it was increased during mid wintering season(January) and decreased after mid wintering season. Habitat use rate of the agricultural land where 2km below and 1 km far from reservoir was shown middle rate, but it was increased until November and decreased after November. This result shown that feeding site preference of the wintering geese was affected by distance from roosting site(reservoir), and feeding site was changed as a food sources decreasing by stay time of geese flock.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.299-306
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• 2011

This paper examines relation between growth of adult top shell and their selectivity over different marine algae. For the study the top shell density and the algal species in different depth were surveyed by SCUBA. To test selectivity over different types of algae, five algal species including Ecklonia cava, Undaria pinnatifida, Ulva spp, Gelidium amansii and Sargassum spp were provided to top shells in indoor water tank condition. In the field survey, the wet weight of Ecklonia cava was significantly (r = 0.612, p < 0.05) correlated to the shell length (SL) of top shell. In the indoor water tank experiment conducted over 12 hours after sunrise, adult top shell (SL > SL 4.5 cm) tended to select Ecklonia cava and Undaria pinnatifida, which are common and abundant algal in the subtidal waters in Jeju Island. Our field survey and the indoor experiment suggest that E. cava and U. pinnatifida could be food preferred by adult top shell in its habitat.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.343-349
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• 2012

A variety of fish species undergo an ontogenetic change in prey selectivity, and several potentially interacting factors, including nutrient requirement, microhabitat change, and foraging ability, may account for the occurrence of the shift. Here we examine the foraging ecology and ontogenetic diet shift of a micro-carnivorous goby, Pterogobius elapoides (serpentine goby), dominant component of fish assemblage in shallow rocky areas off the coast in Korea and Japan. Although most other gobies are primarily benthic carnivores, P. elapoides is a semipelagic fish; however, little is known about how those species change their foraging tactics with growth. In our diet analyses, the most common diet was pelagic copepods and benthic amphipods, and diet shift was observed from pelagic to benthic with growth. The ontogenetic diet shift seems to be the result of the preference for energetically more profitable prey in larger-size classes as well as the results of different prey availability due to among-habitat variation in diet. However, differential food preference does not appear to affect individual scope for searching food. Several factors such as predation pressures and interspecific resource partitioning might contribute to the changes in diet observed among size classes, which were included in our ongoing tests.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.47-62
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• 1969

A goby, Synechogobius hasta (Temminck et Schlegel) was studied to investigate the food consumed and the biological change of the food organisms, and the fish were sampled from the closed tributary and the lower Part of the Naktong River, near Pusan, during the period from November of 1967 to December of 1968. The fish were sampled from four stations (Fig. 1), the total number of fish being 1,295 and they were grouped and analysed monthly. The content of the alimentary canal was analysed in three categories according to modified Nilsson's method (Dahl 1962) with a slight alteration: 1) The number of each item of stomach contents was counted and the percentage of each item in proportion to the total number of food organisms is indicated by the letter 'N' representing numerical percentage in Table 2. 2) The percentage of fish which contained any items of food organisms in proportion to the total number of fish caught in a given season is indicated by the letter 'O' representing frequency of occurrence. 3) Dominant groups of food items were selected and the percentage of the number of each dominant item in proportion to the number of the food organisms belonging to the dominant groups is indicated by the letter 'D' representing dominance. All food organisms were classified in 50 food item categories and then they were grouped in 13 main groups (Fig. 2-1), and they were further divided into 1) obligatory bottom animals, 2) organic drifts and 3) actively swimming forms; according to the conditions of the animal communities within the habitat. Since the majority of its food was composed of the obligatory bottom animals ($94.6\%$), the fish appeard to be a typical bottom feeder. And the dominant food organisms of the fish is generally determined by the local composition of the benthic fauna within the fish habitat. And their seasonal rhythm occurs among the food organisms in the stomach by the biological interaction. Locality variation in the population of the same food organism occurs due to the difference of food organisms in the habitat of the fish at Seonam and Garak, and at Seongsan and Hadan the condition of the niche for the fish in the both regions seems to be the same since the composition and the seasonal variation of the organisms were the same. The results may be summarized as follows: 1) The goby mainly feed on the animals of bottom fauna, and the food organisms are deter-mined by the food compositions within the habitat. 2) Seasonal variation of the stomach content shows the seasonal rhythm due to the biological variation of the population and their interaction. 3) The goby shows no preference on specific food, and the food is composed of a variety of animals. 4) Major food items of the goby are Polychaeta, Palaemon modestus, Isopoda, Gammaridea, Insecta (nymphs and larvae), Ilyoplax deschampsi, and Paratye compressa. 5) Logitudinal succession oil the population of the food organisms is apparently recognized within the community of Seongsan, Garak and Seonam. 6) The goby begins to descend toward the estuary and sea around April when the water temperature reaches $20^{\circ}C$, and they begin to return to river waters in September.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.191-197
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• 2020

The purpose of this was to examine the differences of large whopper swan (Cygnus cygnus) in wintering habitat preference among bridge sections of the lower Nakdong River of the Nakdong River Estuary, the largest whopper swan's wintering habitat in Korea. This species is designated and protected as Natural Monument in Korea. The survey was conducted in six time-series during the 2018~2019 wintering season, and it found up to 500 whopper swans were wintering in the lower Nakdong River. For the survey, a seven sections were set up based on the bridges across the river. Whopper swans were rarely observed in five narrow sections where the distance between bridges was less than 2 km. The stable population of the whopper swan was observed only in two broader sections where the distance between bridges was is over 4 km. As these sections were relatively little affected by artificial interference, the distance from the mouth of the Nakdong River was not a factor. Securing a stable space is considered as one of the most important factors for wintering of whopper swans, which are an endangered species. The survey results indicate that the distance between bridges should be at least 4 km to secure the whopper swan's stable habitat. These results are expected to be a reference to the development or restoration of the river ecosystems, especially bridge construction.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.177-188
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• 2019

The objective of this study was to analyze the distribution patterns of two exotic disturbing fish species (largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides and bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus), their physical habitat features, and chemical water qualities from 13 sites of Dongjin River. The relationships between the fish distributions and water chemistry and physical habitat characteristics (i.e., bottom substrate) were evaluated by comparing dominant vs. absent regions of largemouth bass and bluegill. The relative abundance of the two species decreased sharply with decreased in the water quality in terms of BOD, PO₄-P and pH, but not with NO₃-N and conductivity. The bluegill showed no difference in habitat preference between the two regions with regard to the bottom structure, while the largemouth bass had significant differences in the bottom structures of silt, coarse gravels and boulders. The dominant species were Zacco platypus (14.6%), Lepomis macrochirus (14.0%), and Micropterus salmoides (9.8%) in the order of relative abundance, indicating that exotic species (24% in total) dominated the fish community, perhaps ensuing large ecological disturbances on the ecosystem. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that the distribution of the two exotic species may be largely influenced by water quality of organic matter and nutrient pollutions.