• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.609-618
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• 2014

We have been studied for geographic distribution, dominance and inhabitation characteristics of marine algal species at intertidal zones of Geojin in the northern part of east coast of Korea, Jukbyeon in the middle part and Gampo in the southern part in May and August 2014. For the geographic distribution, the three areas (Geojin, Jukbyeon and Gampo) were a characteristic of the temperate region. Geojin dominated with Ulva pertusa and Chaetomorpha moniligera, Jukbyeon dominated with C. moniligera and Chondria crassicaulis, Gampo dominated with Sargassum thunbergii, U. pertusa and Ectocarpus species. C/P, R/P and (R+C)/P, which can represent the marine algal flora, were 0.85, 2.10, 2.94 in Geojin, 0.58, 3.15, 3.73 in Jukbyeon and 0.80, 3.91, 4.71 in Gampo. As a result of cluster analysis, Those regions were divided in two groups, which were a group A of Geojin and group B of Jukbyeon and Gampo. This result was well matched with Jukbyeon and Gampo shared their temperate region character in the geographic distribution study.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.156-168
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• 2024

This study was carried out to provide fundamental data for forest land and the environment by investigating the vegetation structure and soil properties of forest land where Sarcodon impricatus are present. The study area was divided into the Quercus mongolica community, dominated by Q. mongolica and the Quercus variabilis community, a mixed forest with Q. variabilis, Q. mongolica and Pinus densiflora. Also, Calamagrostis arundinacea in the former community and Disporum smilacinum and Carex siderosticta in the latter community showed significant levels as indicator species. Both communities showed a strong correlation between available phosphate and pH, sand, and clay, and the high organic matter content and slightly acidic pH of the soil are believed to be related to the development of S. impricatus. The species appearing at the lower layer continue to dominate because the species appearing at the upper layer have secured realized niches. The site was distributed in a relatively humid place in a north-east direction, and soil was developed with a thin litter layer and low rock exposure. In the selected S. impricatus growing areas, vegetation centered on highly adaptable species to disturbance or external interference was developed. Therefore, it is expected to be used as fundamental data to promote the occurrence of S. impricatus during artificial cultivation, as it is possible to identify the stand where S. impricatus occurs indirectly.

• Mycobiology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.73-78
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• 2014

Cryptococcal infection is primarily caused by two species, Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii. Between the two species, C. neoformans var. grubii is the major causative agent of cryptococcosis in Asia. We investigated the molecular characteristics of 46 isolates of C. neoformans from patients with cryptococcosis between 2008 and 2012 in Seoul, Korea. All the isolates were determined to be C. neoformans var. grubii (serotype A), mating type $MAT{\alpha}$, and molecular type VNI by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism of the URA5 gene. Multilocus sequencing type (MLST) analysis using the International Society of Human and Animal Mycoses (ISHAM) consensus MLST scheme identified two sequence types (ST). Out of the 46 strains, 44 (95.7%) were identified as ST5, and remaining 2 were identified as ST31. Our study revealed that the clinical strains of C. neoformans in Korea are genetically homogeneous with the VNI/ST5 genotypes, and new appearance of VNI/ST31 genotype may serve as an important indicator of global genetic analysis.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.53-64
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• 2012

In order to understand the relationship between the formation of hypoxia sediment by eutrophication and changes in benthic foraminiferal assemblage, micropaleontological and geochemical analyses were carried out on one sediment box core (K-1) recovered in the northern Gamak Bay, which is one of the aquacultural areas in the South Sea of Korea. In this analysis, the PON content in the sediment rapidly increased, while the C/N ratio and the C/S ratio decreased since 1977. These results indicate that eutrophication commenced in 1977 in the northern Gamak Bay, and consequently, the hypoxia sediment is 20 cm thick. Ammonia beccarii-Buccella frigida assemblage occurs before the formation of hypoxia sediment. Trochammina hadai-Buccella frigida assemblage appeared in the transitional period toward hypoxia and Trochammina hadai assemblage with a low abundance and diversity is observed in the hypoxia sediment. The agglutinated species T. hadai is regarded as a bio-indicator (opportunistic species) of the organic pollution in northern Gamak Bay.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.192-203
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• 2018

Headwater streams provide various microhabitats, resulting in high diversity of macroinvertebrate community. In this study, we compared the differences of communities between two adjacent headwater streams (Jangjeon stream (GRJ; GRJ1-GRJ5) and Haanmi stream (GRH; GRH1-GRH3)) in Jungwang and Gariwang mountains, Gangwon-do and evaluated the effects of habitat condition to the macroinvertebrates community composition. In order to characterize the macroinvertebrate communities and extract influential environmental factors, we applied to Cluster analysis (CA), Indicator species analysis and Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). Total 33,613 individuals in 3 phyla, 5 classes, 13 orders, 51 families, and 114 taxa (genera or species) were collected. Gammarus sp. was dominant at the upper stream of GRJ, whereas Chironomidae spp. was abundant at GRH and the downstream of GRJ. The CA classified samples into six clusters (1-6) reflecting spatial and temporal variation of benthic macroinvertebrate communities. Benthic macroinvertebrate community composition was significantly different between two adjacent streams. Sweltsa sp. 1, Psilotreta kisoensis, Rhyacophila shikotsuensis and Serratella setigera were identified as representative indicator species for clusters 1, 2, 3 and 5, respectively. Similar to CA results, NMDS revealed the spatial and temporal differences of benthic macroinvertebrate communities, indicating the difference of community composition as well as microhabitat condition. Forest composition, proportion of boulders (>256 mm), and water velocity were main factors affecting the macroinvertebrate community composition.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.220-229
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• 2017

This study was carried out to investigate the forest community classification and vegetation structure in NYNRF(National Yonghyeon Natural Recreation Forest). We studied by 26 plots($20{\times}20m$) from April to September 2014. NYNRF were classified into the Quercus mongolica Community, Quercus variabilis community and Acer pictum community in the 3 community units. The Q. mongolica Community was subdivided into the Pinus densiflora group and Typical group and A. pictum community was also subdivided into the Euonymus sachalinensis group and Typical group. NYNRF were classified into 3 communities and 4 groups and 5 VU(vegetation units). According to the result of importance value analysis between vegetation units, VU 1 P. densiflora(65.1%), VU 2 Q. mongolica(73.6%), VU 3 Q. variabilis(75.1%), VU 4 E. sachalinensis(33.3%) and VU 5 Lindera erythrocarpa(27.1%) were highly showed in tree layer and VU 1 Rhododendron mucronulatum (19.3%), VU 2 Calamagrostis arundinacea (16.9%), VU 3 Indigofera kirilowii (75.1%), VU 4 and VU 5 Pseudostellaria heterophylla(each other 14.8% and 24.7%) were highly showed in herb layer. In INSPAN(INdicator SPecies ANalysis) of vegetation units, 33 species were analyzed significantly(p<0.05).

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.22 no.2 s.57
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• pp.171-175
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• 2007

Indigenous species means a species that is likely, due to historical presence, to occur at a specified site for some portion of its life span. Therefore, indigenous species can be useful as an indicator to assess environmental risk caused by hazardous chemicals in a specific site. So far a few toxicity studies using freshwater species which are indigenous to Korea have been carried out. In this study, a freshwater shrimp (Neocardina denticulata) indigenous to Korea was used for acute toxicity test of heavy metals. Neocardina denticulata were exposed to cadmium chloride $(CdCl_2)$, copper chloride $(CuCl_2)$ and zinc chloride $(ZnCl_2)$ using automatic flow-through system for 96 hours. The 96h LC50s were calculated as 0.043 $(0.042{\sim}0.045)mg\;CdCl_2/L,\;0.104(0.098{\sim}0.113)mg\; CuCl_2/L\;and\;2.021\;(1.633{\sim}2.594)mg\;ZnCl_2/L$. When compaired with some international standard species such as medaka(Oryzias latipes), Neocardina denticulata had high sensitivity. Therefore, this study suggested that Neocardina denticulata have possibilities for a sensitive test species to test heavy metal toxicity in aqua-system.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.91-98
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• 1999

The effect of the relative abundances of planktonic foraminifera juveniles on the climatic and oceanographic history interpretations is documented for the first time (as far as we know) by use of the year-long time-series sediment trap samples. Statistical correlation analysis suggests that many climatic and oceanographic variables such as sinking flux (total number) of planktonic foraminifera, relative abundance of some climatic indicator species G. bulloides and N. dutertrei, temperature, and salinity do not show any significant correlations with the relative abundance of planktonic foraminifera juveniles. However, planktonic foraminifera juveniles show moderate correlations with species diversity indices (species richness, Shannon-Wiener index, and Equitability). These indicate that the juveniles do not affect the relative abundances(%) of species compositions but affect the species diversity indices. Based on this one-year trap result, special care is required when we use species diversity indices for the interpretations of paleoceanography when the juveniles are excluded from total planktonic foraminiferal countings.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.304-317
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• 2020

This study conducted selected two sites in Geumnamhonam and four sites in Honam-Jeongmaek for vegetation survey with consideration to the location environment and anthropogenic impacts to investigate the vegetation structures of the Geumnamhonam-Jeongmaek·Honam-Jeongmaek ridge areas. Using TWINSPAN (two-way indicator species analysis), each of the two ridge areas were categorized into seven plant communities. The differential species in the TWINSPAN technique indirectly represent the environmental factors of plant communities, and the community types of the two ridge areas were divided based on environmental factors such as altitudes above sea level, soil moisture, and disturbance. These results were in harmony with the environmental factors of the DCA (detrended correspondence analysis) axis 1. In the low-lying areas of both ridge areas, afforestation tree species such as Pinus rigida and P. thunbergii were in competition with native tree species. As such, in the low-lying areas, artificial vegetation disturbance was severe due to afforestation and development projects. In relatively highland areas, such as upper slopes, and top areas, in the ridge, the vegetation type with the dominance of Quercus mongolica, Q. variabilis, and P. densiflora was preserved well. As for differences between the two ridge areas, communities dominated by Q. mongolica were distributed widely in Geumnamhonam-Jeongmaek because of the altitudes above sea level, and the latitude of this ridge area are higher than those of Honam-Jeongmaek. On the other hand, communities dominated by P. densiflora were distributed along with communities dominated by Q. mongolica, and communities dominated by Q. variabilis appeared in Honam-Jeongmaek because it is adjacent to the south coast. In quantitative vegetation analysis such as TWINSPAN and DCA, changes in species composition and the extracting environmental factors that cause the changes are important. To that end, the removal of accidental emergent species, the establishment of an investigation plan that assumes environmental factors, and the selection of the optimal analytical method suitable for the characteristics of the survey data are necessary.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.153-167
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• 2015

In order to understand the relationship between the distribution of epilithic diatoms and the habitual environments, land-use, water qualities, and epilithic diatoms were studied at 141 sampling sites in the midwestern stream of Korean peninsula (Geum river, Mangyeong river, Dongjin river, and Sapgyo river). The total 183 diatom taxa was appeared in the study, while the dominant species were found to be Nitzschia palea (10.9%) and Achnanthes convergens (8.4%). Based on the abundance of epilithic diatoms, a cluster analysis results indicate that the sampling sites divided the sampling sites into 4 groups (G) at the 25% level. In term of geographic and aquatic environments, G-I and -II accounted for the upper and mid streams of the Geum river, and had large forest areas and good in water quality. G-III accounted for farmland and urban, and high concentration nutrient levels (TN and TP) and electric conductivity. G-IV accounted for mostly farmland, and high levels in turbidity, BOD, nutrient and electric conductivity. CCA results showed that the saproxenous taxa Meridion circulare was the indicator species of G-I, which strongly influenced by altitude and forests. In G-II, the indifferent taxa Navicula cryptocephala was influenced by Chl-a, AFDM, and DO. In G-III and -IV, the indifferent taxa Fragilaria elliptica and saprophilous taxa Aulacoseira ambigua were influenced by electric conductivity, turbidity, and nutrient counts. Meanwhile, random forest results showed that the predicting factor of indicator species appearance in G-I, -II, and -III was found to be electric conductivity whereas in G-IV it was found to be turbidity. Collectively, the distribution of diatoms in the midwestern of Korean peninsula was found to depend more on the land-use and its subsequent water qualities than the inherent characteristics of the aquatic environment.