• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.411-421
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• 2017

Understanding the need for temperature regulation, behavior, and ecology of hibernating bats provides the possibility of conservation and management for target species. Our objective in this study was to improve understanding of the population trend and ecological requirement in Myotis formosus population in South Korea. From 2007 to 2016, total of 58 hibernacula for Myotis formosus were found across the country. Of the 58 hibernating sites of Myotis formosus, 86% (n=49) were abandoned mines and 14% (n=8) were natural caves. During the survey period, 28 (5%) bats of total 570 bats were observed in natural caves (n=8) and 542 (95%) bats were observed in abandoned mines (n=49). The internal environments of hibernacula of M. formosus were highly stable despite dramatic variation in the external environment. Specifically, we examined the population trend of the endangered bat Myotis formosus in South Korea by long-term monitoring for hibernation sites. The population trend of endangered species M. formosus showed a marked stable in hibernating population. Our results indicate that a tightly collected long-term data set may help to establish the initial approximation of population trends and manage to threats for the endangered bat species.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.56 no.1
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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.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.60-71
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• 2008

Through analyzing the specific physicochemical alterations in depth-based soil at reclaimed dredging area, the baseline data were provided for developing the reclaimed dredging area as natural landscape planting sites and ecological-landscape sites based on the soil improvement technology. There was no physical disturbance for 15 to 20 years in Gwangyang Bay reclaimed dredging area after reclamation. Physicochemical examinations of the soil were performed based on the vertical depth. Results of physicochemical analysis such as pH, electric conductivity, total salt contents, silt, clay contents, available phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sodium, chlorine, and sodium-adsorption ratio showed increasing patterns with the depth while total organic contents, total nitrogen, and sand showed decreasing patterns. Potassium as an exchangeable cation, showed similar distribution patterns between the shallow and deep soil. This result strongly implied that long-term exposure to natural rainfall in reclaimed dredging area altered soil characteristics related to salinity. This research demonstrated that there were no remarkable differences in physicochemical characteristics at soil depth and groundwater table height, suggesting a baseline data for developing reclaimed dredging area. Additional investigation is required for different reclaimed dredging areas. Also, additional monitoring and examination are need on plant communities and time variable alteration in the soil to test the feasibility of reclaimed dredging areas as natural landscape planting sites and ecological-landscape sites.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.313-322
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• 2018

To investigate the changing patterns of sub-alpine forest vegetation due to climate change requires accumulation of contiguous reference data and continuous monitoring. Furthermore, it is crucial to monitor short-term ecological change of lower level vegetation to understand the trend of long-term vegetation change. Therefore, this study carried out a vegetation survey and tree diameter measurement in 36 plots of Mt. Jiri inhabited by Abies koreana species from 2015 to 2017 to examine the short-term dynamics of Abies koreana seedling and the change of vegetation distribution according to altitude. We analyzed the importance value and MIV (mean importance value) of major species by each stratum as well as the importance value and species diversity index of major species and the change of seedling population by altitude. The results showed that Abies koreana had the highest importance value on tree layer, Rhododendron schlippenbachii on shrub layer and Tripterygium regelii on herb layer. MIV was high in the order of Abies koreana, Rhododendron schlippenbachii and Acer pseudosieboldianum. Regarding the species composition and species diversity index (H') along the altitudinal gradient, Sasa borealis showed high MI and low H' in the elevation less than 1,500 m, and IV of Tripterygium regelii and H' of herb layer were high in the elevation of 1,700 - 1,800 m. Abies koreana seedling decreased by 22.4% from 1,250 n/ha in 2015 to 970 n/ha in 2017 (p <0.05) throughout the investigated area. The decline rate along seedling and sapling height were 22.9% in less than 10 cm, 3.4% in 10-30 cm, 8.9% in 30-50 cm, 39.3% in 50-100 cm, and 55.1% more than 100 cm. Few of A. koreana seedlings appeared due to the dominance of Sasa borealis in the elevation of 1,500 m or less and due to the dominance and high species diversity of Tripterygium regelii in the elevation of 1,700-1,800 m. On the other hand, many of A. koreana seedlings appeared in the elevation of 1,600-1,700 m due to no distribution of S. borealis and T. regelii species in that altitude range. Therefore, we concluded that those seedlings and saplings of A. koreana could be more stable in the altitude of 1,600-1,700 m.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.125-136
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• 2016

The Korea Forest Service(KFS) has been initiating restoration activities of ridgeline in damaged and fragmented areas of Baekdudaegan since 2011. Completed project in Ihwaryeong, Yuksimnyeong & Beoljae(2012; 2013) were selected as sites for this study. The changes in microclimate condition, vegetation composition and soil properties between project sites and adjacent stands were compared to evaluate the effect of restoration at early stage(after 2years). Pinus densiflora was planted mainly for these restoration sites, however Robinia pseudoacacia and Alnus sibirica invaded the area two years after the restoration activities. Ihwaryeong showed the most changes in understory vegetation among the study sites. Exotic species, such as Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Oenothera odorata, Erigeron annuus, and Coreopsis tinctoria invaded Ihwaryeong, and the dominance have invaded currently. It resulted from the poor survival rate of trees and high difference in microclimate wherein there's an increased temperature and decreased humidity in both restored sites and adjacent stands. In addition, it is also caused by poor soil chemical property, especially pH and organic matter content due to lack of humus layer and its accumulation, compared to adjacent forest soil in restored sites. Significant difference on chemical soil property was observed between restored sites and adjacent forest but no significant difference was observed after two years of restoration. Ecological monitoring is needed to understand the ecological changes after restoration and to establish a long-term management strategy.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.104 no.4
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• pp.527-535
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• 2015

With results from previous Korean studies on forest thinning, we conducted a meta-analysis on the effect of thinning on diameter at breast height (DBH) growth and carbon (C) stocks (tree, litter layer, coarse woody debris (CWD), and soils) in Korean forests. Thinning increased the DBH growth and the C stocks in soils by 39.2% and 12.8%, respectively, while it decreased the C stocks in tree by 30.9%. In contrast, thinning had no significant effect on the C stocks in litter layer and CWD. The DBH growth and the C stocks in tree showed significant correlations with thinning intensity and recovery time. The C stocks in litter layer correlated with recovery time while those in CWD and soils did not show significant correlation neither with thinning intensity nor with recovery time. Regression models of the DBH growth and the C stocks in tree were developed to quantify the effect of thinning intensity and recovery time. An integration of the regression model of the tree C stock into forest carbon models is expected to be essential to quantify the effect of thinning on the C stocks in litter layer, CWD, and soils. We also suggested expansion of study species, long-term and frequent monitoring, and investigation on understory vegetation in order to elucidate changes in Korean forests following thinning practices.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.93-103
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to assess the recovery rate of vegetation structure after restoration works at the damaged Nogodan area in Jirisan National Park. Fourteen monitoring plots were set up at restoring work area and twelve control plots were set up at natural forest near monitoring plots. Flora, Relative Importance Percentage and Similarity Index were analyzed. Mean Similarity Index between monitering plot and control plot near helliport area showed thirty five point two percent and height of shrub layer recovered up to twenty percent, approxomately durindg twenty three years after experimental restoration works. Mean Similarity Index between monitering plot and control plot around Nogodan peak area showed seventeen point six percent but height of shrub layer recovered up to twenty percent, approxomately during ninteen years after restoration works. Mean similarity index between monitering plot and control plot on transfered millitary area showed thirty four point three percent but coverage of shrub layer showed twenty percent,approxomately during seven years after restoration works. Long term monitering shall be necessary for developing assessment criteria of ecologial restoration and ecological restoration technology.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.867-877
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• 2011

A study was conducted to find the habitat change and the insects and flora that live in the abandoned paddy field in Daun-dong Jung-gu, Ulsan, to provide basic information for the conservation and restoration of Nannophya pygmaea Ramber from June 2008 to July 2011. In case of the insects, 53 species in 32 families of 10 orders were identified, with Odonata, Hemiptera and Coleoptera being the three dominants (18.9% in total). For flora, 60 species in 30 families of 23 orders were identified, with Cyperaceae and Gramineae being the dominants(13.3% and 11.7%, respectively). The influx of woody plants in the surveyed area led to the rapid progress of succession and the carnification of the habitats for aquatic plants. Besides, the number of phytophagous insects and mountainous insects were increasing. Consequently, the habitat of Nannophya pygmaea Ramber has been relocated to the place, whose water depth remains unchanged at 2.5~9.5cm and water space is opened. Therefore, it is required to conduct long-term monitoring and appropriate management based on the ecological characteristic of the habitats to continuously conserve and maintain the habitats of Nannophya pygmaea Ramber.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.125-131
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• 2017

The ground beetles collected during the investigation period were nine subfamilies, 24 genera, 51 species, and 3504 ground beetles. Species richness was high in Pterostichinae has 24 species (47%), Harpalinae nine species (17.6%), Carabinae six species (11.8%), and Lebiinae three species (5.9%). Overall dominant species was Synuchus agonus, and dominance index was 0.361. Synuchus agonus was investigated as the dominant species in both Namcheon Valley and Geumseon Valley. Regarding subdominant species, it was Synuchus nitidus (52 individuals, 12.6%) and Synuchus cycloderus (52 individuals, 12.6%) in the order in Namcheon Valley, and it was Pterostichus orientalis orientalis (660 individuals, 21.3%) and Pterostichus audax (378 individuals, 12.2%) in the order in Geumseon Valley. Total species diversity index of ground beetles in Sobaeksan National Park was 2.917. By area, the number of collected ground beetles was smaller in Namcheon Valley than in Geumseon Valley. Sobaeksan National Park is located at the boundary of northern and southern parts in Korea and is a very important place in terms of geography and climate. Sobaeksan has been designated as a national park, and its ecosystem is relatively preserved well. If continuous investigation of basic data for ground beetles is conducted through long-term monitoring, the data can be used as key data to research mutual relationship with organisms, effects by climate change, and ecosystem change depending on human activities.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2019

Right after the 2007 Hebei Spirit Oil Spill phytoplankton ecosystems were investigated for 11 years based on the seasonal monitoring of the composition and abundance of phytoplankton species. Comparable time-series data from the 1989 Exxon Valdez or the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill sites were not available. It was suggested that the ecological healthiness of phytoplankton ecosystems at EVOS sites had recovered after 10 years following the oil spill based on chlorophyll concentrations even though these concentrations only represented phytoplankton communities in most cases. Chlorophyll concentrations can only reflect limited aspects of highly complex phytoplankton ecosystems. During the last 11 years following the 2017 HSOS, extreme variabilities were met in the seasonally averaged ratios of diatoms to phototrophic flagellates including dinoflagellates based on the microscopic cell countings. Summer phytoplankton communities exhibited some cyclic interannual changes in dominant groups every 2-4 years. During the early years (2008-2010) cryptophytes or raphidophytes (Chattonella spp.) dominated alternately each year, which was repeated again in 2014, 2015 and 2017. Two thecate dinoflagellates, Tripos fusus and Tripos furca, together accounted for 52.5% and 50.0% of all organisms in the summers of 2011 and 2012, respectively, which was repeated again in 2018. Summer occurrence and dominance by the phototrophic flagellates including HABs (Harmful Algal Blooms) species as well as their interannual variabilities in the oil spill sites could be utilized as markers for the stable and long-term management of healthy ecosystems. For this type of scientific ecosystem management monitoring of chlorophyll concentrations may sometimes be insufficient to gain a proper and comprehensive understanding of phytoplankton communities located in areas where oil spills have occurred and harmed the ecosystem.