• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.115-126
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• 2023

Understanding the carrying capacity of a habitat is crucial for effectively managing populations of wild boars (Sus scrofa), which are designated as harmful wild animal species in national parks. Carrying capacity refers to the maximum population size supported by a park's environmental conditions. This study aimed to estimate the appropriate wild boar population size by integrating population characteristics and habitat suitability for wild boars in the Bukhansan National Park using the HexSim program. Population characteristics included age, survival, reproduction, and movement. Habitat suitability, which reflects prospecting and resource acquisition, was determined using the Maximum Entropy model. This study found that the optimal population size for wild boar ranged from 217 to 254 individuals. The population size varied depending on the amount of resources available within the home range, indicating fewer individuals in a larger home range. The estimated wild boar population size was 217 individuals for the minimum amount of resources (50% minimum convex polygon [MCP] home range), 225 individuals for the average amount of resources (95% MCP home range), and 254 individuals for the maximum amount of resources (100% MCP home range). The results of one-way analysis of variance revealed a significant difference in wild boar population size based on the amount of resources within the home range. These findings provide a basis for the development and implementation of effective management strategies for wild boar populations.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.193-199
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• 2023

Background: The least weasel (Mustela nivalis) holds the distinction of being the world's smallest carnivorous animal, yet its presence in South Korea has remained poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, this study investigates the habitat preferences and distribution of the least weasel in South Korea. Results: Our study compiled presence data from various sources, including citizen reports, national surveys, and expert observations. The results confirmed the nationwide presence of the least weasel in mainland South Korea, with notable concentration regions such as Gangwon province. Among the various habitats, forest edges and forests emerged as the predominant choice, with over half of the documented locations situated within these environments, particularly in broadleaf forests. Additionally, the data reveal a year-round presence of the least weasel, with recorded cases occurring at varying levels throughout the year. Conclusions: Our research advances the understanding of least weasels in South Korea. Despite the relatively modest dataset, our results provide as a valuable resource for future conservation initiatives, emphasizing the significance of forested landscapes. Additionally, it assists in identifying priority areas for protection and management efforts. To secure the future of the least weasel in South Korea and beyond, further research, including long-term monitoring and genetic studies, is imperative.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.26 no.11
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• pp.669-677
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• 2023

The spotted seal (Phoca largha) in the Yellow Sea has declined due to poaching and habitat destruction. To aid conservation efforts, Argos satellite tracking were used to monitor the movements of a free ranging spotted seal around Baengnyeongdo Island. The satellite-transmitting tag successfully attached to the seal provided 1,556 location data collected during 107 days. The seal mostly moved between two haul-out sites, Yeonbong Rock and Mulbeom Rock. From October 6th to December 12th, the seal stayed within a 7 km radius of Yeonbong Rock. However, as the signal was lost, it was not possible to identify when the seal started to migrate from Baengnyeongdo Island to winter breeding area. This study provide understanding into the habitat preferences and movement patterns of spotted seals around Baengnyeongdo Island, contributing to the conservation and management of this species. Further research with more individuals and different age groups is essential to understand their habitat preference and develop effective conservation measures for the spotted seal population in the Yellow Sea.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.12-25
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• 2004

Integration system of conservation ecology, ecosystem management and land planing in landscape scale is major principle strategy for national management system of environmental resource and biodiversity. Current conservation strategy is concerned with not only population and habitat level but also ecosystem and landscape level. In especially, ecological networking to link core areas or major habitat patches is most eminent and emerging issue in European Union (EU) and North America. Moreover, the promotion of national ecological network system in EU is focused on national cooperation to construct ecological corridor for key habitat that distributed in many countries. Integrating landscape ecology into conservation ecology and restoration have important role to stimulate the network system in regional and national level. In this review paper, comprehensive and necessary considerations arisen from the view of landscape ecology were discussed for the present situations of wildlife conservation and management in Korea compared with other countries. Especially, the conservation strategy and policy of biodiversity were addressed in broad sense including habitat protection, legal approaches, and ecological network programs. Finally, a national ecological network system was suggested for environmental policy in Korea in global consideration after the Korean Unification.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.53-69
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• 2011

Classification of estuaries based on their multi-component and multidisciplinary processes is important for the systematic management of estuaries. In this study, an integrated GlS-based analysis system including high resolution aerial photographies and topographic maps was used to classify 463 estuaries based on estuarine circulation pattern, geomorphological feature, natural habitat distribution and characteristics of land use. These estuaries were divided into two basic types, open and closed. Two hundred and thirty five systems were open estuaries comprising of forty one mountainous type (OM), eighty sevcn sandpit type (OS) and one hundred seven funnel type (OF). Each type of open estuary was further classified into three types based on habitat distribution and land use characteristics resulting in total ninc types of open estuaries. Two hundred and twenty eight estuaries were closed systems comprising of one hundred and forty four blocked type (CB directly) and eighty four lake type (CL, indirectly). CB type estuary was further classified into three types based on habitat distribution and land use characteristics. This estuarine classification scheme can be applied to provide a framework for effective management strategies of individual estuaries to estimate the management priority and strategy.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.280-291
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• 2019

A. antiquum, first observed in Jeju Samdo Island in 1949, was designated as the Natural Monument No. 18 in December 1962 in recognition of its academic value. In Korea, it grows in nature only in Samdo in Jeju Island. Although its natural habitat was greatly damaged and almost destroyed due to firewood, stealing, etc. After the emancipation, it has been maintained by the transplantation and restoration. The site observed by this study has been managed as a restricted area since 2011. Since it has been about 20 years since the restoration of the native site in the 2000s, it is necessary to check the official management history records, such as the origin of transplantation and restoration to monitor the changes in the growth status and to control the habitat. As the results of this study, we have secured the records of cultural property management history, such as the identification of native species and the transplantation and restoration records. We also examined the change of the growth and development of A. antiquum 20 years after the restoration. There are no official records of the individuals transplanted to the restored natural habitat of A. antiquum in the 1970s and 1980s, and there was a controversy about the nativeness of those individuals that were restored and transplanted in 1974 since they were Japanese individuals. The studies of identifying native as the results of this study, we have secured the records of cultural property management history, such as the identification of native species and the transplantation and restoration records. We also examined the change of the growth and development of A. antiquum 20 years after the restoration. There are two sites in natural habitat in Samdo Island. A total of 65 individuals grow in three layers on three stone walls in a site while 29 individuals grow in two columns in the other site. A. antiquum grows in an evergreen broad-leaved forest dominated by Neolitsea sericea, and we did not find any other individuals of naturally growing A. antiquum outside the investigated site. This study checked the distribution of A. antiquum seedlings observed initially after the restoration. There were more than 300 seedling individuals, and we selected three densely populated sites for monitoring. There were 23 A. antiquum seedlings with 4 - 17 leaves per individual and the leaf length of 0.5 - 20 cm in monitoring site 1. There were 88 individuals with 5 - 6 leaves per individual and the leaf length of 1.3 - 10.4 cm in monitoring site 2 while there were 22 individuals with 5 - 9 leaves per individual and the leaf length of 4.5 - 12.1 cm in monitoring site 3. Although the natural habitat of A. antiquum was designated as a restricted public area in 2011, there is a high possibility that the habitat can be damaged because some activities, such as fishing and scuba diving are allowed. Therefore, it is necessary to enforce the law strictly, to provide sufficient education for the preservation of natural treasures, and to present accurate information about cultural assets.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.867-877
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• 2011

A study was conducted to find the habitat change and the insects and flora that live in the abandoned paddy field in Daun-dong Jung-gu, Ulsan, to provide basic information for the conservation and restoration of Nannophya pygmaea Ramber from June 2008 to July 2011. In case of the insects, 53 species in 32 families of 10 orders were identified, with Odonata, Hemiptera and Coleoptera being the three dominants (18.9% in total). For flora, 60 species in 30 families of 23 orders were identified, with Cyperaceae and Gramineae being the dominants(13.3% and 11.7%, respectively). The influx of woody plants in the surveyed area led to the rapid progress of succession and the carnification of the habitats for aquatic plants. Besides, the number of phytophagous insects and mountainous insects were increasing. Consequently, the habitat of Nannophya pygmaea Ramber has been relocated to the place, whose water depth remains unchanged at 2.5~9.5cm and water space is opened. Therefore, it is required to conduct long-term monitoring and appropriate management based on the ecological characteristic of the habitats to continuously conserve and maintain the habitats of Nannophya pygmaea Ramber.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.62-69
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• 2008

This study was conducted in order to recommend forest-based wildlife protection areas in Chung-nam Province using several basic habitat conditions. The conditions used in this study were the forest patch size with the potential to keep wildlife animals safe, the distance from water sources, and the availability of food for wildlife. The fractal dimension index was also used to find the edge line dynamics, which can influence on habitat conditions for edge species. The natural conservation management indices including a forest map (indicating the level of forest age), a slope map, and an elevation map were used to find the forest patches with enough space for wildlife to live on. Water resources and their buffer areas were considered as factors to protect the space as an ecological corridor. Deciduous trees and trees mixed with deciduous trees and conifers were chosen to provide wildlife animals their food. In total, 525 forest patches were chosen and recommended for the wildlife protection area. Five of these forest patches were recommended as wildlife protection areas managed by the provincial government. The other 520 forest patches were recommended to protect local wildlife animals and be managed by each county or city. These forest patches were located around the Geum-buk and Geum-nam mountains, and the forest patches are important resources as habitats to keep wildlife in the area. An ecological network consists of these separate forest patches with the ecological integration. A fractal dimension index was used to divide forest patches into several categories in order to find how patches are shaped. The forest patches with longer edges or more irregular shapes have a much higher possibility of being inhabited by various types of edge species. Through comparison of the wildlife protection areas recommended in this study to the current wildlife protection areas, we recognized that the current wildlife protection areas need boundary adjustments in order for wildlife animals to survive by themselves with water sources and food.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.213-220
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• 1994

This study was conducted to investigate bird community and to suggest a proper way how to manage and protect bird community in Tokyusan National Park. The survey was carried over 2 main trail districts by line transect method at 20, February and 22, July in 1993. The observed birds were belong to 5 orders 17 families 34 species, they also have Sparrow Hawk Accipiter nisus, Kestrel Falco tinunnculus(natural monument no. 323), White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos(R) and Japanese Waxwing Bombycilla japonica(R). It is estimated that grass region above 1,000m altitude provided breeding habitats for Gray-headed Bunting Emberiza fucata in summer and wintering habitats for Rosy Finch Leucosticte arctoa in winter, This shows that this region should be protected for inhabitation of these birds. Mujukucheontong valley of Tokyusan National Park, which had been a good habitat for valley-inhabituating birds before twenty years ago, has a lower species richness by increasing using density, and so this valley shoud be properly managed urgently.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.57-67
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• 2019

Water-Birds are the birds that occupy the highest proportion in Korea, inland wetlands and reservoirs provide them with a good environment as habitat, but their habitats have been losing because of thoughtless development. Therefore, artificial plant islands in reservoirs are important for improving habitat environment and providing food resources. However, there are no research and standards on the built and management of artificial plant islands. So this study is to find out the density of bird using artificial plant island as habitat through monitoring using UAV focus on the Cheonho-reservoirs located in Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si(Middle Chungcheong Province). Further, the correlation analysis with environmental factors was conducted to determine the effect of artificial plant islands as habitats for water-birds. The supervised classification of the three-time images taken by the drone identified 244 white-billed ducks and 46 mandarin ducks. The utilization rate was different for each photographed date, and more individuals were identified in wet artificial plant islands than dry ones. As a result of analyzing the utilization follow environmental factors, the distance from the trail showed a significant correlation, and the other factors did not have a statistically significant effect. This study is the first case of the UAV monitoring method of the water-birds using artificial plant islands in the reservoir, and can be used as the basic data for the built and management.