• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.233-241
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• 1998

In order to test of intermediate disturbance hypothesis that an intermediate level of disturbance maximize biodiversity and to elucidate the effect of disturbance during the early old-field succession, the response of plant community along an experimental disturbance gradient was investigated in a five-year old-field. Response of plant community along an experimental disturbance gradient was connected with light condition because artificial disturbance gradient had been treat by clipping of plants and removing of litter. Artificial disturbance in five-year old-field plant community retarded rate of succession by increasing invasion and performance of the earlier successional species in the initial and middle stage of disturbance treatment. The species richness in the blocks of intermediate disturbance level showed the peak in early and mid-summer. This result did correspond with the prediction of intermediate disturbance hypothesis.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.117-123
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• 2013

This study investigated the impact of the fire disturbance and the pattern of recovery of soil dwelling oribatid mite communities with respect to the resilience from the fire disturbance. Oribatid mites are important decomposer animals of plant debris in soil with the feeding habits of saprophagy and mycophagy. Massive wild fire reduced soil oribatid mite abundance and diversity. The impact varied relative to the intensity of the disturbance. The proportion of the species common to the non-disturbed natural site increased as the time after the disturbance elapsed, which implying some degree of naturalness occurring in reorganization phase of the oribatid mite community. From the sites with different degree of fire impact, we found higher diversity in intermediately disturbed sites than in severely disturbed or non-disturbed site, supporting the intermediate disturbance hypothesis. Also this study showed that with differential degree of disturbance plots, resilience pattern after the disturbance can be explored even with shorter period research relative to the ecological succession of community.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.739-749
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• 2013

The seasonal and spatial diversity of picocyanobacteria (Pcy) in lakes of the Great Mazurian Lakes (GLM) system was examined by DGGE analysis of molecular markers derived from the 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of the ribosomal operon and the phycocyanin operon (cpcBA-IGS). The study of nine lakes, ranging from mesotrophy to hypereutrophy, demonstrated seasonal variance of Pcy. The richness and Shannon diversity index calculated on the basis of both markers were higher in spring and lower in early and late summer. No statistically significant relationships were found between the markers and trophic status of the studied lakes or Pcy abundance. There were, however, statistically significant relationships between the diversity indices and sampling time. The analysis pointed to a different distribution of the two markers. The ITS marker exhibited more unique sequences in time and space, whereas a greater role for common and ubiquitous sequences was indicated by the cpcBA-IGS data. Examination of the Pcy community structure demonstrated that communities were grouped in highly similar clusters according to sampling season/time rather than to the trophic status of the lake. Our results suggest that time is more important than trophic status in shaping the diversity and structure of Pcy communities. The seasonal changes in picocyanobacteria and differences in diversity and community structures are discussed in the context of well-established ecological hypotheses: the PEG model, intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH), and horizontal gene transfer (HGT).

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.505-513
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to analyze the distribution patterns and characteristics of plant species by human impact in urban areas. In order to achieve a comprehensive data acquisition of all autogenously introduced vascular plant species occurring in the city of Cheon-ju, this study made an analysis of 106 sample plots, each with a size of one hectare, These sample plots were selected to represent the typical land-use patterns within the city of Cheon-ju and to cover the various distances from the city center. Species richness, patterns of life forms, and the percentage of non-native species were analyzed in relation to the degree of hemeroby of the sample plots. It was found that the species number appeared the largest in sites that were moderately influenced. This result corresponds to the intermediate disturbance hypothesis that moderate disturbance leads to an increase in species richness. The flora of sites which were subject to the highest level of human impact, was characterized by a high proportion of annual species and non-native species. In addition, some species were divided into three groups with similar distribution corresponding to land-use type and urban zone: urbanophobic (e.g. Indigofera kirilowii, Prunus sargentii, Rhus trichocarpa), urbanoneutral (e.g. Commelina communis, Erigeron annuus, Metaplexis japonica) and urbanophilus (e.g. Euphorbia supina, Senecio vulgaris, Taraxacum officinale).

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.17-22
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• 2011

The distributional pattern of benthic diatoms in tidal flats of Hampyeong Bay, Korea, was studied from January to October in 2009. As benthic diatoms of Hampyeong Bay tidal flats, 45 species were identified, and the most dominant species was Paralia sulcata. The most diverse flora was observed at Gaip and Songseok sites in April with 22 species, and the least at Hyeonhwa site in January. The ranges of chlorophyll-a concentration in tidal flats were 21.2~31.8 mg$m^{-2}$ at Hyeonhwa site, 23.6~35.4 mg $m^{-2}$ at Gaip site, and 24.2~34.3 mg $m^{-2}$ at Songseok site. The concentrations of pheopigment ranged between 25.3 and 45.2 mg$m^{-2}$. The standing crops of benthic diatoms showed highest density in April and lowest in January, February, and October. The cell volumes of benthic diatoms were highest in April. The taxa and biomass of benthic diatoms showed correlations with temperature. On temperature variables, the benthic diatoms showed optimal occurrences at the range of $14{\sim}17^{\circ}C$.