• 한국환경복원기술학회지
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.85-92
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• 2022

The amphibian breeding habitat is confirmed by mating call. In some cases, the researcher directly identifies the amphibian individual, but in order to designate the habitat, it is necessary to map the mating call region of the amphibian population. Until now, it has been a popular methodology for researchers to hear mating calls and outline their breeding habitats. To improve this subjective methodology, we developed a technique for mapping mating call regions using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The technology uses a UAV, fitted with a sound recorder to record ground mating calls as it flies over an amphibian habitat. The core technology is to synchronize the recorded sound pressure with the flight log of the UAV and predict the sound pressure in a two-dimensional plane with probability density. For a demonstration study of this technology, artificial mating call was generated by a potable speaker on the ground and recorded by a UAV. Then, the recorded sound data was processed with an algorithm developed by us to map mating calls. As a result of the study, the correlation coefficient between the artificial mating call on the ground and the mating call map measured by the UAV was R=0.77. This correlation coefficient proves that our UAV recording system is sufficiently capable of detecting amphibian mating call regions.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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• 제5권2호
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• pp.55-59
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• 2024

The remarkable economic growth achieved in the modern era has revitalized various industries, including pet trade. More than 2,000 species of non-native species have been introduced to South Korea and approximately 7.7 tonnes of alien turtles are imported annually. Turtles belonging to the family Kinosternidae. They are mostly small and popular pets, although they are designated as Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) species. In the present study, we present the first two species of musk turtles found in the wild in South Korea. On April 5, 2023 and July 8, 2023, an eastern musk turtle (Sternotherus odoratus) and a razorbacked musk turtle (Sternotherus carinatus) were captured in Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do and Jung-gu, Daejeon, respectively. The carapace length was 88.6 mm for S. odoratus and 105.68 mm for S. carinatus. They were identified based on their morphological characteristics and mtDNA cytochrome b gene. These turtles were found in waterfront areas with over 1.4 million annual visitors. Both sites were found to have threatened amphibians and reptiles. There is an urgent need to continue monitoring and conducting risk assessments for the protection of endemic species in Korea.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제33권11호
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• pp.1412-1419
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• 2023

Retroviral integration into ancient vertebrate genomes left traces that can shed light on the early history of viruses. In this study, we explored the early evolution of retroviruses by isolating nine Spuma endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) and one Epsilon ERV from the genomes of Agnatha and Chondrichthyes. Phylogenetic analysis of protein sequences revealed a striking pattern of co-evolution between jawless fish ERV and their host, while shark ERV underwent ancient cross-class viral transmission with jawless fish, ray-finned fish, and amphibians. Nucleotide sequence analysis showed that jawless fish ERV emerged in the Palaeozoic period, relatively later than ray-finned fish ERV. Moreover, codon analysis suggested that the jawless fish ERV employed an infection strategy that mimics the host codon. The genealogical diversity of ERVs in the jawless fish genome highlights the importance of studying different viral species. Overall, our findings provide valuable insights into the evolution of retroviruses and their interactions with their hosts.

• 한국농공학회논문집
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• 제46권3호
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• pp.93-105
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• 2004

The Shihwa wetland, a newly developed constructed wetland prototype in Korea with an area of approximately 104 ha, was established to improve the water quality severely polluted inflow streams into Lake Shihwa. Because this wetland could play a role as an ecological park in addition to improving the water quality, an ecological impact of the Shihwa constructed wetland has been a national concern. This paper focused on reporting the survey results for fauna among the entire investigation results for 3 years. A total of 129 terrestrial insect species have been observed from August 2001 to June 2002. Among them, Ischnura asiatica (Brauer) (order Odonata), Scymnus species (order Coleoptera) and Orthopteran species were frequently found in the reed bushes. A total of 77 bird species were recorded in a seasonal count, the maximum number of species was 34 in winter and the maximum number of individuals was 4,599 in summer. For the freshwater fish, only 4 species were found in 2000, however in 2001 and 2002, 12 species and 459 individuals were collected at four survey points. Among these 12 species, the dominant species were Mugil cephalus(36%), followed by Carassius auratus (25%) and Rhinogobius brunneus (22%). Meanwhile,12 individuals of Oryzias latipes were observed nearby, mostly downstream of the wetland. For the Herpetofauna at four survey areas, 3 species of amphibians and 3 species of reptiles were recorded. Because of remaining salinity in the soil of the Shiwha constructed wetland, Herpetofauna inflow to the wetland was scanty and mainly inhabited the upstream area. A total of 8 mammal species were recorded. Small-sized species were the striped field mouse, the Ussurian harvest-mouse, the Manchurian reed vole and the brown rat. Middle- and large-sized species were Korean water-deer, Korean raccoon dogs, Korean yellow weasels and feral cats.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제60권4호
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• pp.289-293
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• 2022

Blastocystis is a genus of unicellular heterokont parasites belonging to a group of organisms known as Stramenopiles, which includes algae, diatoms, and water molds. Blastocystis includes several species that habitat in the gastrointestinal tracts of organisms as diverse as humans, farm animals, birds, rodents, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and cockroaches. It is important to public health and distributed globally, but its prevalence in dogs in Korea has not been reported to date. Here, we collected 787 canine fecal samples and assessed Blastocystis infection by age, sex, region, season, and diarrhea symptoms. We determined Blastocystis subtypes using phylogenetic analyses based on 18S rRNA gene sequences. We identified, 10 Blastocystis positive samples (1.3%). A higher proportion of infected dogs was asymptomatic; however, infection rates did not significantly differ according to region, age, sex, and season. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Blastocystis sp. identified belonged to 4 subtypes (STs), ST1, ST5, ST10, and ST14, thus revealed the genetic diversity of Blastocystis sp. in dogs Korean. This is first report on the presence of Blastocystis sp. in dogs Korean. This study revealed a lower infection rate than expected and differed from previous studies in STs. Further studies are warranted to observe the national infection status of Blastocystis in dogs and the genetic characteristics of this genus.

• 한국환경생태학회지
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• 제35권5호
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• pp.480-489
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• 2021

기후변화는 동·식물의 서식지와 개체군을 감소, 소멸시키며, 생물다양성 보존에 위협이 되고 있다. 특히, 도롱뇽과 (Hynobiidae)에 속한 종들은 다른 분류군들에 비해 행동권이 작고, 분산 능력이 극히 제한되기 때문에 기후변화에 매우 취약한 분류군이다. 본 연구에서는 한국꼬리치레도롱뇽(Onychodactylus koreanus)의 관찰지점과 종 분포 모델링 기법을 바탕으로 국내 서식하고 있는 한국꼬리치레도롱뇽의 주요 분포지역과 서식특성을 파악하고 기후변화에 따른 분포변화를 예측하였다. 그 결과 고도가 그들의 분포에 가장 주요한 영향을 끼친 환경변수로 확인되었으며, 강원도와 경상북도와 같은 고도가 높은 산림 지역에 밀집된 분포 형태를 보였다. 이처럼 종 분포 모델에서 예측된 공간적 분포 범위와 서식특성은 선행 조사 결과를 충분히 포함하고 있었다. 기후변화에 따른 분포변화를 확인한 결과, 한국꼬리치레도롱뇽은 현재 분포 범위에 비해 RCP4.5 시나리오에서 62.96% 가 감소할 것으로, RCP8.5 시나리오에서는 98.52% 감소할 것으로 예측되어 기후변화로 인해 서식 적합 공간들이 급격하게 감소하는 것으로 확인되었다. 모델의 AUC값은 현재에서 0.837, RCP4.5에서 0.832, RCP8.5에서 0.807로 높게 측정되었다. 이러한 결과들은 기후변화로 인해 영향을 받는 양서류의 보전 대책 수립에 중요한 기초자료가 될 수 있을 것이다. 추후, 한국꼬리치레도롱뇽의 생활사에 따른 서식지 특성과 미세한 서식 요인들이 반영된 다양한 분석기법을 통한 추가적인 연구가 수행된다면 종 감소에 영향을 끼치는 주요환경 요인들을 밝혀낼수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

• 생태와환경
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• 제52권4호
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• pp.358-365
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• 2019

본 연구에서는 방사선 촬영 기법을 사용하여 국내에 서식하는 무미양서류인 청개구리 (Hyla japonica), 옴개구리(Glandirana rugosa), 참개구리(Pelophylax nigromaculatus), 황소개구리(Lithobates catesbeianus)의 체성분과 골밀도를 분석하였다. 이중 엑스선 촬영 장치(Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry)를 사용하여 체성분과 골밀도를 측정하였으며 암수 간 차이와 종 간 차이를 파악하였다. 또한 방사선 촬영 기법을 사용한 신체 상태 평가 방법의 효용성을 확인하기 위해 무미양서류 4종의 먹이자원 가용성을 파악하고 신체상태와의 관계를 확인하였다. 신체를 구성하는 성분인 골, 지방, 제지방 비율과 골밀도는 암수 간 차이가 없었지만 무미양서류 4종 간 차이는 있었다. 골밀도와 먹이자원 가용성은 황소개구리가 가장 높았으며 청개구리가 가장 낮았다. 옴개구리와 참개구리의 먹이자원 가용성은 차이는 없었다. 골밀도와 먹이자원 가용성은 유의미한 상관관계를 가졌으며 먹이 상태를 나타내는 질소 안정동위원소비는 골밀도에 의해서만 변화하는 것을 확인하였다. 기회적 포식자인 무미양서류의 먹이 상태 혹은 자원 가용성이 체성분은 물론 골밀도에 영향을 미칠 수 있다. 개체의 신체 상태를 나타내는 체성분과 골밀도는 무미양서류에서 서식지의 안정성을 평가하는 생태지표로서 사용이 가능할 것으로 보인다.

• 한국농공학회논문집
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• 제56권1호
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• pp.89-99
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• 2014

The cultivation of biomass crops is now global demand for decreasing emissions of carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) from fossil fuel. Miscanthus species have been studied as a suitable crop for biomass production, due to its characteristics of fast growth and high biomass. In Korea, Miscanthus species have gained wide attention as an option for biomass production alternative to fossil fuels, recently. New strain of giant Miscanthus has been developed and two large trial sites for the giant Miscanthus production were built in the lower reaches of the Geum River. To evaluate the ecological influence of the giant Miscanthus as an bioenergy crop for the future, we investigated the impact of the construction of the giant Miscanthus production fields on the biota and also compared it with biota in paddy fields near the study sites. The biota including plants, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, avifauna, insects, and bugs was investigated. The plant diversity of the giant Miscanthus production fields was poorer than the paddy fields because the high height of the giant Miscanthus might hinder the growth of other plants. However, the giant Miscanthus production fields serves habitat to animals, leading to rich diversity of animals including avifauna, insects, and bugs. The rich diversity of the animals in the giant Miscanthus production fields coincides with the fact that the giant Miscanthus was grown without any pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer. This study showed that the giant Miscanthus can influence on biota and further long term study is needed to elucidate the interaction between the diversity of biota and the giant Miscanthus.

• 한국조경학회지
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.32-42
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• 2004

This study aims at establishing an ecological planning for road construction. which is considered to be a main cause of damage to the natural environment in Korea. This study focuses on the Pyungtak-Eumsung Highway development project. It considers the ecological factors and status of the site and its surrounding area. The study site is a four-way highway with a width of 23.4m and a length of 5.7km that spans from Hyungok-ri, Anseong City, Kyeonggi Province to Jukhyun-ri, Jincheon-gun, Chungbuk Province. The objective of the plan is "the establishment of an eco-road in harmony with nature." The plan is divided into five detailed goals: 1) restoration of river morphology and ecosystem through ecological planning; 2) establishment of wet biotopes; 3) construction of ecological corridors; 4) restoration of damaged forest ecosystems; and 5) ecological restoration of the roadside slopes that are linked with the surrounding forest. A master plan has been developed based on the detailed goals. The master plan involves: 1) establishment of a natural river, wet biotopes, and ecological corridors that facilitate the movement of amphibians, wild fowls, mammalians and fish; 2) development of a planting plan for the visitor center, the tunnel entrance, and soundproof banks; and 3) the presentation of a planting model for restoring roadside slopes that are connected to the surrounding forest. The eco-road plan needs to entail ecological conservation and restoration plans. In addition, a monitoring plan for ecological corridors and habitats should be included in the comprehensive plans, along with the continuous development of environmentally friendly technologies.

• 한국동물학회지
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• 제33권3호
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• pp.365-372
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• 1990

Transgenic 양서류를 만들기 위한 연구의 일환으로 bacterial $\beta$-galactosidase 유전자를 cytopalsmic actin promoter에 연결시킨 plasmid를 xenopus 수정란에 미세주입하여 외부 DNA의 발현을 조사하였다. $\beta$-gal DNA를 20nl당 1ng에서 2ng의 농도로 미세주입하는 경우, 이 농도는 배발생에 크게 영향을 미치지 않는 것으로 나타났다. 또한 유전자 산물인 $\beta$-galactosidase는 양서류의 모든 배엽성 세포에서 발현 가능하고, 정상적인 활성을 나타내므로 외부 DNA의 발현여부를 in situ 상태에서 판명할 수 있었다. 주입된 외부 DNA는 낭배기 시기에 최초로 발현되고, 적어도 올챙이 시기까지 유지 및 발현 가능하며, 초기 발생동안 extrachromosomal 상태에서 발현되는 것으로 나타났다. 그러나 발현의 정도는 주입된 개체는 물론 매 실험마다 차이를 보였고, 또한 기질인 X-Gal에 반응하는 부위가 전체 배에 분포하는 겅우는 거의 없으며, 일정 부위에 한정되어 있음이 관찰되었다. 이는 세포막을 통해서 DNA가 다른 할구로 이동하지 못하는 사실에 비추어 미세주입된 DNA가 난할시 각 할구로 균등하게 분포되지 못하고 국부적으로 나뉘어 들어가기 때문인 것으로 사료된다.