• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.237-254
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• 2021

Background: Some of the introduced alien species introduced settle, multiply, and spread to become invasive alien species (IAS) that threaten biodiversity. To prevent this, Korea and other countries legally designate and manage alien species that pose a risk to the environment. Moreover, 2160 alien species have been introduced in South Korea, of which 1826 animals and 334 plants are designated. The inflow of IAS can have negative effects such as ecosystem disturbance, habitat destruction, economic damage, and health damage to humans. To prevent damage caused by the inflow of IAS in advance, species that could potentially pose a risk to the environment if introduced in South Korea were designated as alert alien species (AAS). Results: The designation criteria were in accordance with the "Act on the Conservation and Use of Biological Diversity" and the "Regulations on the Ecological Risk Assessment of AAS and IAS" by the National Institute of Ecology. The analysis result of risk and damage cases indicated that mammals affect predation, competition, human economic activity, virus infection, and parasite infection. Birds have been demonstrated to affect predation, competition, human economic activity, and health. It was indicated that plants intrude on the ecosystem by competing with native species with their high-population density and capacity to multiply and cause allergic inducement. Interestingly, 300 species, including 25 mammals, 7 birds, 84 fishes, 28 amphibians, 22 reptiles, 1 insect, 32 spiders, 1 mollusk, 1 arthropod, and 99 plants, are included in the list of AAS. Conclusions: AAS designation plays a role in preventing the reduction of biodiversity by IAS in South Korea and preserving native species. Moreover, it is determined to provide considerable economic benefits by preventing socio-economic losses and ecological damage.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.255-263
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• 2021

Background: Ecosystem service mapping is an important tool for decision-making in landscape planning and natural resource management. Today, pollination service mapping is based on the Lonsdorf model (InVEST software) that determines the availability of nesting and floral resources for each land cover and estimates pollination according to the foraging range of the desired species. However, it is argued that the Lonsdorf model has significant limitations in estimating pollination in a landscape that can affect the results of this model. Results: This paper presents a free software, named PollMap, that does not have the limitations of the Lonsdorf model. PollMap estimates the pollination service according to a modified version of the Lonsdorf model and assumes that only cells within the flight range of bees are important in the pollination mapping. This software is produced for estimating and mapping crop pollination in agricultural landscapes. The main assumption of this software is that in the agricultural landscapes, which are dominated by forest and agriculture ecosystems, forest patches serve only as a nesting habitat for wild bees and the surrounding fields provide floral resources. Conclusion: The present study provided new software for mapping crop pollination in agricultural landscapes that does not have the limitations of the Lonsdorf model. We showed that the use of the Lonsdorf model for pollination mapping requires attention to the limitations of this model, and by removing these limitations, we will need new software to obtain a reliable mapping of pollination in agricultural landscapes.

• Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-23
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• 2021

This study introduces novel research using Practice Context Models supported by Knowledge Networks and Percolation Theory with the aim to contribute to knowledge management in Proof-of-Concept (PoC) activities. The authors envision this proposal as a potential instrument to identify network structures based on a percolation (propagation) threshold and to analyze the importance of nodes (e.g., practitioners, practices, competencies, movements, and scenarios) during the percolation of knowledge in PoC activities. After thirty months immersed in the natural PoC habitat, acting as observers and practitioners, and supported by an ethnographic exercise and a designer-research mindset, the authors identified the production of meaning in PoC activities occurring in a hermeneutic circle characterized by the presence of several knowledge networks; thus, discovering the 'natural knowledge' in PoC as a spectrum of cognitive development spread throughout its network, as each node could produce and disseminate certain knowledge that flows and influences other nodes. Therefore, this research presents the use of Practice Context Models 'connected' to Knowledge Networks and Percolation Theory as a potential and feasible proposal to be built using the attribution of values (weights) to the nodes (e.g., practitioners, practices, competencies, movements, scenarios, and also knowledge) in the context of PoC with the aim to allow the players (e.g., PoC practitioners) to have more flexibility in building alliances with other players (new nodes); that is, focusing on those nodes with higher value (focus on quality) in collaboration networks, i.e., alliances (connections) with the aim to contribute to knowledge management in the context of PoC.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.989-999
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• 2021

The sound of finless porpoises Neophocaena asiaeorientalis was recorded with an acoustic recorder to confirm their emergence in the South Sea of South Korea in February, June, and November 2020. Sea water temperature and salinity were also measured. In addition, a sighting survey was conducted to observe the behavior of the finless porpoises and the marine environment, and the clicks of the finless porpoises were recorded every day. The results showed that they always emerged in the survey area. The finless porpoises mainly foraged, whereas some played or rested. The water temperature range of areas where the finless porpoises emerged was 7.5-23.5℃. Assuming that the number of clicks corresponds to the number of finless porpoises, the finless porpoises emerged the most during spring. The emergence decreased during winter and was the lowest during autumn. The finless porpoises emerged more during the daytime than during the nighttime in all seasons, indicating a temporal difference in the usage of the survey area. This might be due to the movement of prey organisms according to regional characteristics. A long-term survey and research on habitat use and environment is needed to manage and conserve the finless porpoises.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.311-321
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• 2021

Perception of the public to structural fires is very important because there are only a number of tall timber buildings constructed in the world. People are hesitating to accept tall timber buildings, so it is essential to ensure the first generation of tall timber buildings to a very high standard, especially fire safety. Right now, there are no specific design standards or regulations for fire design of tall timber buildings in Europe. Even though heavy timber members have better fire resistance than steel components, many conditions still need to be verified before considering the use of timber materials, e.g. fire spread, post-fire collapse, etc. This research numerically explores the structural behaviours of a tall Glulam building when one of its internal Glulam (Glued laminated timber) columns fails after sustaining a full 120-min standard fire and is removed from the established finite element building model created in SAP2000. The numerical results demonstrate that the failure and removal of the selected internal Glulam column may lead to the local failure of the adjacent CLT (Cross laminated timber) floor slabs, but will not lead to large disproportionate damage and collapse of the whole building. Here, the building is assumed to be located in Glasgow, Scotland, UK.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.93-105
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• 2023

Seismic isolation and vibration control techniques have been developed and put into practical use by challenging researchers and engineers worldwide since the latter half of the 20th century, and after more than 40 years, they are now used in thousands of buildings, private residences, highways in many seismic areas in the world. Seismic isolation and vibration control structures can keep the structures undamaged even in a major earthquake and realize continuous occupancy. This performance has come to be recognized not only by engineers but also by ordinary people, becoming indispensable for the formation of a resilient society. However, the dynamic characteristics of seismically isolated bearings, the key elements, are highly dependent on the size effect and rate-of-loading, especially under extreme loading conditions. Therefore, confirming the actual properties and performance of these bearings with full-scale specimens under prescribed dynamic loading protocols is essential. The number of testing facilities with such capacity is still limited and even though the existing labs in the US, China, Taiwan, Italy, etc. are conducting these tests, their dynamic loading test setups are subjected to friction generated by the large vertical loads and inertial force of the heavy table which affect the accuracy of measured forces. To solve this problem, the authors have proposed a direct reaction force measuring system that can eliminate the effects of friction and inertia forces, and a seismic isolation testing facility with the proposed system (E-isolation) will be completed on March 2023 in Japan. This test facility is designed to conduct not only dynamic loading tests of seismic isolation bearings and dampers but also to perform hybrid simulations of seismically isolated structures. In this paper, design details and the realization of this system into an actual dynamic testing facility are presented and the outcomes are discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.17-29
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• 2024

This study was conducted to select the restoration priority of forest damage sites in Gangwon Province. We first identified the status of damaged areas. We then selected restoration evaluation indicators through a literature review. We then set weights for these indicators through expert surveys. We next acquired data that can represent these indicators and spatially mapped them. Finally, we prioritized the restoration target sites by taking the weights. The results of the study showed that disaster sensitivity and ecologicality are important criteria for selecting the restoration priority of damage sites. The analysis showed that damage sites in Doam, Jeongseon, Samcheok and Inje are in urgent need of restoration. The results of this study are significant in that they selected the restoration priority of damage sites in Gangwon Province based on the restoration priority evaluation criteria selected based on expert surveys. However, the priority restoration areas derived from the results of this study are not actually implementing restoration projects at present. Therefore, it is judged that it would be efficient in various aspects to establish the restoration priority area based on scientific analysis techniques and carry out the project for efficient implementation of the restoration project. In this study, it can be pointed out that the priority of restoration of damage sites was derived based on data from the past due to the limitation of data acquisition. However, the fact that the priority restoration area inferred based on past data has been restored over time has improved the reliability of the study by verifying the usefulness of the priority extraction technique. In the future, if the priority of damage sites is extracted by extracting the restoration target area boundary through the latest data based on the methodology applied in this study, it is considered that it will be available as a result that can be applied to the field.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.168-176
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• 2023

Background: Many insectivorous bats have flexible diets, and the difference in prey item consumption among species is one of the key mechanisms that allows for the avoidance of interspecies competition and promotes coexistence within a microhabitat. In Korea, of the 24 bat species that are known to be distributed, eight insectivorous bats use forest areas as both roosting and foraging sites. Here, we aimed to understand the resource partitioning and coexistence strategies between two bat species, Myotis ikonnikovi and Plecotus ognevi, cohabiting the Mt. Jumbong forests, by comparing the differences in dietary consumption based on habitat utilization. Results: Upon examining their dietary composition using the DNA meta-barcoding approach, we identified 403 prey items (amplicon sequence variants). A greater prey diversity including Lepidoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera, and Ephemeroptera, was detected from M. ikonnikovi, whereas most prey items identified from P. ognevi belonged to Lepidoptera. The diversity index of prey items was higher for M. ikonnikovi (H': 5.67, D: 0.995) than that for P. ognevi (H': 4.31, D: 0.985). Pianka's index value was 0.207, indicating little overlap in the dietary composition of these bat species. Our results suggest that M. ikonnikovi has a wider diet composition than P. ognevi. Conclusions: Based on the dietary analysis results, our results suggests the possibility of differences in foraging site preferences or microhabitat utilization between two bat species cohabiting the Mt. Jumbong. In addition, these differences may represent one of the important mechanism in reducing interspecific competition and enabling coexistence between the two bat species. We expected that our results will be valuable for understanding resource partitioning and the coexistence of bats inhabiting the Korean forests.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.247-255
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• 2024

Background: To effectively understand and evaluate plant diversity in a specific area and make meaningful comparisons between regions, standardized methods that measure diversity irrespective of survey plot size are crucial. This study proposes a model equation for comparing plant species diversity using the modified Whittaker plots. Plant species diversity was measured in two Gotjawal areas on Jeju Island, where the coexistence of northern and southern limit species significantly impacts diversity. By analyzing the relationship between plant species diversity and environmental factors, the study clarified the characteristics of plant and habitat diversity in the Gotjawal ecosystem. Results: The species richness of vascular plants, herbaceous plants, and woody plants increased with area and was higher in Jeoji Gotjawal than in Seonheul Gotjawal. Similarly, the species turnover rate (slope value) was higher in Jeoji Gotjawal (4.37) than in Seonheul Gotjawal (3.85). This indicates that the species richness in Jeoji Gotjawal increases more with the expansion of the survey area (1-1,000 m²), reflecting a faster species turnover rate. Additionally, in Gotjawal areas, species richness increased with greater leaf litter depth, elevation, slope, and rock ratio. These results indicate that differences in plant species diversity were attributed to soil environmental factors. Conclusions: The plant species diversity of Gotjawal, surveyed using standardized methods, was lower than that of forested areas in the central region of South Korea where the same method was applied. Most previous studies on species diversity likely compared diversity without considering a consistent survey area. Therefore, when comparing plant species diversity domestically and globally, it emphasizes the need for the use of standardized survey methods.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.33-47
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• 2022

Wild boars(Sus scrofa) are expanding their range of behavior as their habitats change. Appearing in urban centers and private houses, it caused various social problems, including damage to crops. In order to prevent damage and effectively manage wild boars, there is a need for ecological research considering the characteristics and movement characteristics of wild boars. The purpose of this study is to analyze home range and identify land cover types in key areas through tracking wild boars, and to predict the movement connectivity of wild boars in consideration of previous studies and their preferred land use characteristics. In this study, from January to June 2021, four wild boars were captured and tracked in Jinju city, Gyeongsangnam-do, and the preferred land cover type of wild boars was identified based on the MCP 100%, KDE 95%, and KDE 50% results. As a result of the analysis of the home range for each individual, it was found that 100% of MCP was about 0.68km², 2.77km², 2.42km², and 0.16km², and the three individuals overlapped the home range, refraining from habitat movement and staying in the preferred area. The core areas were analyzed as about 0.55km², 2.05km², 0.82km², and 0.14km² with KDE 95%., and about 0.011km², 0.033km², 0.004km², and 0.003km² with KDE 50%. When the preferred land cover type of wild boar was confirmed based on the results of analysis of the total home range area and core area that combined all individuals, forests were 55.49% (MCP 100%), 54.00% (KDE 95%), 77.69% (KDE 50%), respectively, with the highest ratio, and the urbanization area, grassland, and agricultural area were relatively high. A connectivity scenario was constructed in which the ratio of the land cover type preferred by the analyzed wild boar was reflected as a weight for the resistance value of the connectivity analysis, and this was compared with the connectivity evaluation results analyzed based on previous studies and wild boar characteristics. When the current density values for the wild boar movement data were compared, the average value of the existing scenario was 2.76, the minimum 1.12, and the maximum 4.36, and the weighted scenario had an average value of 2.84, the minimum 0.96, and the maximum 4.65. It was confirmed that, on average, the probability of movement predictability was about 2.90% better even though the weighted scenario had movement restrictions due to large resistance values. It is expected that the identification of the movement route through the movement connectivity analysis of wild boars can be suggested as an alternative to prevent damage by predicting the point of appearance. In the future, when analyzing the connectivity of species including wild boar, it is judged that it will be effective to use movement data on actual species.