• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.105-116
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• 2021

In the city of high population density crowded with buildings, Urban Heat Island (UHI) is intensified, and the city is vulnerable to thermal comfort. The maintenance of vacant land in downtown is treated as a factor that undermines the residential environment, spoils the urban landscape, and decreases the economic vitality of the whole region. Therefore, this study compared the effects on microclimate in the surrounding area according to the development scenarios targeting the vacant land in Songhyeon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. The status quo, green oriented, building oriented and green-building mediation scenarios were established and ENVI-met was used to compare and analyze the impact of changes in wind speed, air temperature and mean radiant temperature (MRT) within 1 km of the target and the target site. The result of inside and 1 km radius the targeted area showed that the seasonal average temperature decreased and the wind speed increased when the green oriented scenario was compared with the current state one. It was expected that the temperature lowered to -0.73 ℃ or increased to 1.5 ℃ in summer, and the wind speed was affected up to 210 meters depending on the scenario. And it was revealed that green area inside the site generally affects inside area, but the layout and size of the buildings affect either internal and external area. This study is expected to help as a decision-making support tool for developing Songhyeon-dong area and to be used to reflect the part related to microclimate on the future environmental effects evaluation system.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.361-367
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• 2022

This study was conducted to identify annual variation of observation and activity pattern of Korean chipmunk (Tamias sibiricus) using camera traps in the Seoraksan and Jirisan National Parks, South Korea from May 2019 to May 2021. The annual variation was identified based on the observed frequency through weekly observations. Daily activity patterns of the species were also analyzed by season. The daily activity pattern of chipmunk appeared to be constantly diurnal across the years regardless of habitat or season. The Korean chipmunks living in the two different regions were observed in different time periods throughout the year. While the chipmunks inhabiting the Seoraksan were observed from 18^th to 45^th week, the chipmunks inhabiting the Jirisan National Park were observed from 7^th to 48^th week. This may be influenced by the hibernation period of chipmunks in the two different regions. In both regions, chipmunks were most frequently observed in autumn. It is considered that seasonal variation on population dynamic and activity patterns of chipmunks were reflected in the observation frequency. Although the observation frequency of camera trap is an indirect indicator and thus having a limitation that it cannot distinguish the population density and amount of activity for the target species, camera trapping is still an effective survey technique for monitoring mammals due to its high accessibility and easy use.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.445-459
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• 2022

In this study, we investigated current vegetation and assessed the health of vegetation through the KERVI (Korea Estuary Riparian Vegetation Index) to monitor vegetation changes near estuaries due to the opening of the Nakdong River estuary. As the first investigation of the long-term monitoring, six areas near the Nakdong River estuary were surveyed twice in July and October 2021, and vegetation monitoring and a survey of species composition and distribution density of aquatic, riparian, and land plants were carried out. The survey identified 262 taxa, 82 families, 192 genera, 196 species, 3 subspecies, 26 varieties, and 1 form of vascular plants in the surveyed area. The results of the vegetation health assessment through KREVI showed that sites 1 and 6 were rated "Very good" in both surveys, sites 2 and 4 were rated "Very good" in the first survey and then "Good"in the second survey, and site 3 and 5 were rated one grade higher in the second survey than the first survey. The assessment showed that the health grades of most species in the survey area were generally high. Most of the potential natural vegetation after the opening of estuary gates to create a brackish water area is expected to consist of reed (Phragmites communisTrin.) communities. The area of the willow (Salix koreensisAndersson) community adjacent to the water area may be somewhat narrower, but the community will be maintained. In the case of freshwater areas in inland areas with very low salinity, reeds (Phragmites communisTrin.) are expected to occupy most of them, and some communities such as amur silver-grass (Miscanthus sacchariflorusBenth.) and cattails (Typha orientalisC. Presl) are expected to be distributed. We suggest establishing measures such as estuary gate operation to create healthy brackish water regions through long-term monitoring.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.149-156
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to compare of growth and chlorophyl between old-barley seed (OBS, 2019) and New-barley seed (NBS, 2020) exposed by X-ray. After germination the OBS and NBS, experimental group was exposed by 30 Gy X-ray using linear accelerator (Clinac IS, VERIAN, USA), by 6 MV X-ray, SSD 100 cm, 18 × 10 cm², 600 MU/min. Length was measured every day until 9th day, and chlorophyl was analyzed using spectrophotometer(uv-1800, shimadzu, japan) after measuring weight in 9th day. Data analysis was performed the Independent T-test using SPSS ver 26.0(Chicago, IL, USA). NBS grow more faster than OBS in control group, but OBS grow more faster than NBS in experimental group. Length of control group was longer significantly every day than that of experimental group in OBS. NBS weighted more than OBS in control group, but OBS weighted more than NBS in experimental group. In comparing chlorophyl density, NBS high more than OBS in control group as well as experimental group. Growth and weight of OBS was effected more those than NBS by X-ray, but NBS in chlorophyl by X-ray. It is expected to be used as basic data for future X-ray research in barley seed.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.359-375
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• 2022

Purpose: Adult Korean men belonging to the main economically active population are known to have long sedentary hours. This study was undertaken to determine the difference and relevance of sedentary hours on the nutrition, diet, and health status of adult men, and to suggest how to prevent health risk factors. Methods: Subjects (n = 1,068) were classified into 4 groups based on their sedentary hours, ranging from the first quartile (Q1) having the least hours spent sitting, to the fourth quartile (Q4) spending the longest hours. Results: Subjects belonging to Q4 had the lowest average age, the largest waist circumference, and the highest level of education. Among those engaged in economic activities, the ratio of white-collar workers was significantly higher in Q4. Accordingly, the rate of not doing high-intensity or moderate-intensity physical activity while working was also the highest in Q4. A significant difference was obtained in the drinking frequency between groups, but this was found to be associated with the average working hours rather than sedentary hours. The proportion of not doing aerobic exercise was higher with longer sitting hours. The highest diagnosis of diabetes (8.8%) was obtained in the Q4 group. Among the factors related to cardiovascular disease, only low density lipoprotein-cholesterol showed a significant difference, with Q4 being significantly higher than Q1. Considering energy and nutrient intake, vitamin B₁ and calcium intake were the lowest in the group with the longest sitting hours, as well as the least consumption of vitamin C than the recommended estimated average requirement. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the health and nutritional status of Korean adult men are affected by sedentary hours. This should be recognized as a health risk factor and guidelines need to be developed for sedentary lifestyle management.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.120-140
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate whether adherence to the Korea Healthy Eating Index (KHEI) was associated with metabolic syndrome and risk markers. Methods: The participants included 8,345 adults, aged 20-59 years, who took part in the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). The data were analyzed using a complex-sample t-test, the Rao Scott χ²-test, and logistic regression analysis on the SPSS v. 26.0 software. The participants were divided into four groups by quartiles of KHEI scores. Results: The average KHEI score was 61.06 points out of 100, and the women's score (62.50 points) was significantly higher than that of men (59.63 points). The KHEI quartiles status showed significant differences by age (p < 0.001), household income (p < 0.001), smoking status (p < 0.001), and food security. Specifically, the KHEI quartiles in the men showed significant differences in education (p < 0.001) and economic activity (p < 0.001) whereas those of women showed significant differences in alcohol-consumption (p < 0.001), depression (p < 0.01) and eating-out (p < 0.001). As the KHEI scores increased, the proportion of subjects with an energy intake below the estimated energy requirement (EER) was lower, and significantly better levels of intake were observed for carbohydrate, protein, vitamin C, calcium, vitamin B₁, vitamin B₂, and niacin. The incidence of the metabolic syndrome risk factors, hypertriglyceridemia and hyperglycemia for men and hypertension, and hyperglycemia for women showed significant differences. The KHEI scores were inversely associated with abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hyperglycemia, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome. Conclusion: Based on these results, we conclude that higher adherence to the KHEI was associated with lower metabolic syndrome risk factors and incidence of the metabolic syndrome.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.1-19
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• 2022

The Geumgang Pine (Pinus densiflora) Forest in Sogwang-ri, Uljin has traditionally been a pine tree protection area (prohibited forest) for timber production purposes, and is now designated and managed as a protected area for forest genetic resource conservation by the Korea Forest Service. This study, we analyzed topographical characteristics, existing vegetation, tree age, and plant community structure, and proposed a sustainable management method for the Geumgang Pine (Pinus densiflora) Forest in Sogwang-ri, Uljin for timber havesting purposes. The topographical characteristics of the target area were 36.7% ridges and 38.7% valleys; the ratio of ridges to valleys was similar, and the slopes formed 24.7% of the total area. The types of pine forest communities are divided into six types based on the progress of pine forest renewal, the competition with other species such as deciduous broadleaf trees, and the formation of layered structures. It has been confirmed that the age of the large-diameter pine trees (40~60cm in diameter) is approximately 60~70 years, which is relatively low. As a result of the analysis of the relative importance percentage and layered structure, differences depended on the progress of the pine forest renewal project, and not only the maintenance of the pine forest, but also the creation of a secondary growth forest, the density adjustment of pine trees, and the active management of competitive trees. The average basal area by the community was 12,642.1~25,424.4cm² for the tree layer and 1.8~1,956.5cm² for the low tree layer based on a quadrat of 400m². The difference in the basal area appeared to depend on the size and number of trees forming the tree layer and the degree of pine forest renewal (the degree of time elapsed after thinning pine trees). The average number of species that appeared in each community was 8.7-20.3; there were many species located in valleys, and the type competes with deciduous broadleaf trees due to the lack of management. The diversity of species ranged from 0.6915-1.0942, and was evaluated as low compared to pine communities in central temperate zones. In this paper, we determined the management goals of Geumgang Pine (Pinus densiflora) Forest in Sogwang-ri, Uljin to produce timber with high economic value, and suggested efficient vegetation management for continuous afforestation, the establishment of a timber production system, and improvement of wood production as a management direction.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.111 no.3
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• pp.357-364
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• 2022

We investigated the early growth characteristics of Quercus rubra planted in six regions (Hwaseong, Yangpyeong, Pyeongchang, Samcheok, Chungju, and Gimje) in South Korea in relation to soil physicochemical properties and meteorological factors. Q. rubra (1-0) were planted at a density of 3,000 trees ha^-1. The average height, root collar diameter (RCD), and volume of 8-year-old Q. rubra planted in 2014 were 3.52 m, 3.84 cm, and 0.0023 m³, respectively. The growth parameters of Q. rubra were the highest and lowest in Hwaseong and Pyeongchang, respectively. Correlation analysis among the soil physicochemical properties, meteorological factors, and plantation growth characteristics found that pH was the only soil factor negatively correlated with RCD, and the other soil factors were not significantly correlated with the growth characteristics. However, growth characteristics were positively correlated to average temperature from March to October and daily maximum temperature; and they were negatively correlated to altitude, topology, and the number of rainy days from March to October. In particular, the trees planted in Hwaseong area showed the best early growth characteristics because this area had the highest daily maximum temperature, the x average temperature from March to October, the low altitude, and it is located close to the foot of a mountain. In Pyeongchang, the early growth characteristics were negatively affected by winter cold damage because of the high altitude, low daily minimum temperature, and damage by wild animals. In Hwaseong, meteorological factors such as temperature and altitude were more highly correlated to growth characteristics of Q. rubra than the physicochemical soil properties. These results will provide useful information for determining suitable sites for Q. rubra plantations and for predicting early growth characteristics in response to environmental factors.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.83-92
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• 2022

The amount of the plastic waste has been increasing according to global demand for plastic. Microplastics are the most hazardous among all plastic pollutants due to their toxicity and unknown physicochemical properties. This study investigates the optimal methodology that can be applied to sewage samples for detecting microplastics before discussing reducing microplastics in MWTPs. In this study, the effect of different pretreatment methods while detecting microplastic analysis of MWTP influent samples was investigated; the samples were collected from the J sewage treatment plant. There are many pretreatment methods but two of them are widely used: Fenton digestion and hydrogen peroxide oxidation. Although there are many pretreatment methods that can be applied to investigate microplastics, the most widely used methods for sewage treatment plant samples are Fenton digestion and H₂O₂ oxidation. For each pretreatment method, there were factors that could cause an error in the measurement. To overcome this, in the case of the Fenton digestion pretreatment, it is recommended to proceed with the analysis by filtration instead of the density separation method. In the case of the H₂O₂ oxidation method, the process of washing with distilled water after the reaction is recommended. As a result of the analysis, the concentration of microplastics was measured to be 2.75ea/L for the sample using the H₂O₂ oxidation method and 3.2ea/L for the sample using the Fenton oxidation method, and most of them were present in the form of fibers. In addition, it is difficult to guarantee the reliability of measurement results from quantitative analysis performed via microscope with eyes. A calibration curve was created for prove the reliability. A total of three calibration curves were drawn, and as a result of analysis of the calibration curves, all R² values were more than 0.9. This ensures high reliability for quantitative analysis. The qualitative analysis could determine the series of microplastics flowing into the MWTP, but could not confirm the chemical composition of each microplastic. This study can be used to confirm the chemical composition of microplastics introduced into MWTP in the future research.

• 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.