• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.525-536
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• 2014

In this study, a method to assess and monitor hydrological drought using remote sensing was investigated for use in regions with limited observation data, and was applied to the Upper Namhangang basin in South Korea, which was seriously affected by the 2008-2009 drought. Drought information may be obtained more easily from meteorological data based on water balance than hydrological data that are hard to estimate. Air temperature data at 2 m above ground level (AGL) were estimated using remotely sensed data, evapotranspiration was estimated from the air temperature, and the correlations between precipitation minus evapotranspiration (P-PET) and streamflow percentiles were examined. Land Surface Temperature data with $1{\times}1km$ spatial resolution as well as Atmospheric Profile data with $5{\times}5km$ spatial resolution from MODIS sensor on board Aqua satellite were used to estimate monthly maximum and minimum air temperature in South Korea. Evapotranspiration was estimated from the maximum and minimum air temperature using the Hargreaves method and the estimates were compared to existing data of the University of Montana based on Penman-Monteith method showing smaller coefficient of determination values but smaller error values. Precipitation was obtained from TRMM monthly rainfall data, and the correlations of 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month P-PET percentiles with streamflow percentiles were analyzed for the Upper Namhan-gang basin in South Korea. The 1-month P-PET percentile during JJA (r = 0.89, tau = 0.71) and SON (r = 0.63, tau = 0.47) in the Upper Namhan-gang basin are highly correlated with the streamflow percentile with 95% confidence level. Since the effect of precipitation in the basin is especially high, the correlation between evapotranspiration percentile and streamflow percentile is positive. These results indicate that remote sensing-based P-PET estimates can be used for the assessment and monitoring of hydrological drought. The high spatial resolution estimates can be used in the decision-making process to minimize the adverse impacts of hydrological drought and to establish differentiated measures coping with drought.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• 제45권6호
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• pp.1194-1202
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• 2012

Remotely sensed satellite images can be applied to monitor and obtain land surface information on inaccessible areas. We classified paddy field area in North Korea based on on-screen digitization with visual interpretation using 291 RapidEye satellite images covering the whole country. Criteria for paddy field classification based on RapidEye imagery acquired at different time of rice growth period was defined. Darker colored fields with regular shape in the images with false color composite from early May to late June were detected as rice fields. From early July to late September, it was hard to discriminate rice canopy from other type of vegetation including upland crops, grass, and forest in the image. Regular form of readjusted rice field in the plains and uniform texture when compared with surrounding vegetation. Paddy fields classified from RapidEye imagery were mapped and the areas were calculated by administrative district, province or city. Sixty six percent of paddy fields ($3,521km^2$) were distributed in the west coastal regions including Pyeongannam-do, Pyeonganbuk-do, and Hwanghaenam-do. The paddy field areas classified from RapidEye images showed less than 1% of difference from the paddy field areas of North Korea reported by FAO/WFP (Food and Agriculture Organization/World Food Programme).

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• 제45권4호
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• pp.555-559
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• 2012

Manures contain a variety of pathogenic microorganisms that pose a risk to human or animal. On-farm contaminations through contaminated manure were considered likely sources of the pathogen for several outbreak. Pathogenic microorganisms may survive in low numbers during the composting process and subsequently regrow to high levels under favorable conditions. The objective of this study was to investigate effect of temperature on survival of Salmonella enterica and Staphylococcus aureus in livestock manure compost. Commercial livestock manure compost (manure 60%, sawdust 40%) was inoculated with S. enterica and S. aureus. Compost was incubated at four different temperatures (10, 25, 35, and $55^{\circ}C$) for 20 weeks. Samples were taken every week during incubation depending on the given conditions. S. enterica persisted for up to 1 day in livestock manure compost at $55^{\circ}C$, over 140 days at $10^{\circ}C$, 140 days at $25^{\circ}C$, and 70 days at $35^{\circ}C$, respectively. S. aureus persisted for up to 1 day in livestock manure compost at $55^{\circ}C$ and 90 days at $10^{\circ}C$, 70 days at $25^{\circ}C$, and 40 days at $35^{\circ}C$, respectively. The results indicate that S. enterica and S. aureus persisted longer under low temperature condition. S. enterica survived longer than S. aureus at three different temperatures (10, 25, and $35^{\circ}C$). This study will provide useful and practical guidelines to applicators of soil in deciding appropriate handling and time frames for land application of livestock manure compost for sustainable agriculture. Results from these studies provide useful information in identifying manure handling practices to reduce the risk of S. enterica and S. aureus transmission to fresh produce.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• 제47권3호
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• pp.205-217
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• 2014

As Mt. Backdu is expected to erupt, the social and economic impacts of the eruption on the Korean peninsula as well as on the world become a research topic of interest. If the volcano erupts, South Korea can be directly impacted by volcanic ash, which will bring out secondary damages in various ways. Given that the direct damage is a basis to estimate indirect and secondary damages, this paper was to review a method to estimate direct damages, called catastrophe risk models, and estimate the direct damages of available eruption scenarios of Mt. Baekdu. Based on the results, the damages by volcanic ash will occur mostly around Gangwon province if the Mt. Backdu erupts. Thus the inventory lists and their damage functions of Gangwon provinces were collected. In particular agricultural and forestry products were surveyed based on the land use. Direct damages were estimated using volcanic ash distribution of eruption scenarios, inventory information and their damage functions. In result, a scenario in winter caused the damage of 299.8 billion KRW (20.4% of total agricultural production in 2010) and 28.9 billion KRW (9.0% of total forestry production in 2010) in agriculture and forestry, respectively. The damages in agriculture was larger, and it is due to the damage functions which show the agricultural products are more vulnerable to volcanic ash than forestry products. Also the agricultural production (1,471.7 billion KRW in 2010) are more than 4.5 times the forestry production (322.3 billion KRW in 2010) in Gangwon province. Inje and Gangnung had the most damages in the scenario in winter. Inje had the most damage due to the thick ash deposit (8.5 mm in average) despite the low production. On the other hand, Goseong had a low damage compared to the ash thickness larger than 20mm, owing to the low production. The direct damage estimated through this process can be used to estimate indirect damages.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.235-248
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• 2010

This study was carried out to the actual conditions and improvement of the eco-forests master plan in South Korea, and suggested its problems and improvement direction. Results from survey and analysis of limiting factors or constraints in the construction plans of eco-forests in Korea revealed that there were highly frequent problems involving site feasibility, topographic aspect, and existing vegetation. The results of survey on the status of land use indicated that the average ratio of the use of private estate was 29.7%, so then it was estimated that a great amount of investment in purchase of eco-forest site would be required. Results from survey on major introduced facilities showed that there was high frequency of introduction of infrastructure, building facility, recreational facility, convenience facility, and information facility, and that there was low frequency of introduction of plant culture system, ecological facility, structural symbol and sculpture, and the likes. There was just one eco-forest park where more than 500 species of plants grew, and the result of investigation indicated that the diversity of plant species in 11 eco-forest parks was lower than the standards for construction of eco-forest. Results from analysis of the projects costs revealed that investment cost in facilities was higher than planting costs, and that a large amount of investment was made in the initial stage of the project. There was no planned budget for the purpose of cultivating and maintaining the plants and vegetation after construction of eco-forest. The basic concepts in construction of eco-forests were established according to the guidelines presented by the Korea Forest Service; however, the detailed work of the project was planned with its user-oriented approach. Then the construction of eco-forest was being planned following the directions, which would lead to development of a plant garden similar to arboretum or botanical garden. Therefore, it is required that the architect who designs eco-forest as well as the public officer concerned firmly establish the concepts of eco-forest, and that, through close analysis of development conditions, a candidate site to fit the purpose of constructing eco-forest be selected, and also a substantive management plan be established upon completion of construction of eco-forest.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.1-24
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• 1974

A national programme of erosion control for soil and water conservation needs to be based on factual information about rates and quantities of soil erosion and of water runoff. The best and simplest way of reducing sedimentation pollution is to prevent or control the erosion at its sources. Steeply sloping earth banks are liable to both surface erosion and land-slides and the key to the control of these form of erosion lies with drainages and dense vegetation establishment including surface mulching on the slopes. Micro-plots having $1.6m^2$ (1 metre in width and 1.6 metres in slope length, and 1:1.2 in gradient) of banking slopes on the coarse sand soil are used to establish the order of magnititude of the difference in controlling of soil erosion and water runoff, and in potentiality of execution in consideration of the values of landscapes, performed on the 2 repetetions of six-experiment plots consisted of five surface mulches including seedings and one bare slope as a control treatment. The main results obtained may be summarized as follows: 1. The significant difference is realized in the quantities of soil erosion between the measures of six treatments. 2. Excepting the differences between treatment III and VI, the significant difference is realized in the rate of surface runoff between each treatment measures. 3. Both measures of treatment II and IV are recognized as the most effective measures in controlling the soil erosion and water runoff and also in establishing the ground vegetation. (Treatment II is a measures of the coarse straw-mat mulchings on the micro-strip seedings, Treatment IV is a measures of the "SPRAY-ON method" on the micro-strip seedings). In consideration of the potentiality of execution as well as the value of landscapes, the measures of treatment II could be recommendable for establishing the vegetation cover on the denuded gentle slopes in hillsides while the measures of treatment IV could be suitable for accelerating the establishment of vegetation on steeply sloping earth banks and cuts.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 2005

Tidal flats have been regarded to carry out transformation and removal of land-derived organic matter, and this purifying capability of organic matter by tidal flats is one of very important reasons for their conservation. However, integral biogeochemical studies on production and decomposition of organic matter by benthic microbes in tidal flats have been absent in Korea, although the information is indispensable to quantification of the purifying capability. Our major goals in this multidisciplinary research were to understand major biogeochemical processes and rates mediated by diverse groups of microbes dominating material cycles in the tidal flats, and to assess the contribution of benthic microbes to removal of organic matter and nutrients in the tidal flats. Our study sites were Ganghwa and Incheon north-port tidal flats that had been regarded as naturally well reserved and organically polluted, respectively. Our research group measured over 3 years primary production, biomass and community structure of primary producers, abundance and production of bacteria, enzyme activities, distribution of protozoa and protozoan grazing rates, rates of denitrification and sulfate reduction, early sediment diagenesis, primary production and respiration based on oxygen microelectrode. We analyzed major features of each biogeochemical process and their interactions. The results are compiled in the following articles in this special issue: An (2005), Hwang and Cho (2005), Mok et at. (2005), Na and Lee (2005), Yang et at. (2005), and Yoo and Choi (2005).

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.34-40
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• 2008

Underwater seismic refraction with advanced interpretation approaches makes important contributions to shallow marine exploration and geotechnical investigations in Australia's coastal areas. A series of case studies are presented to demonstrate the recent applications of continuous and static USR methods to river crossing and port infrastructure projects at various sites around Australia. In Sydney, static underwater seismic refraction (USR) with bottom-placed receivers and borehole seismic imaging assisted the development of improved geotechnical models that reduced construction risk for a tunnel crossing of the Lane Cove River. In Melbourne, combining conventional boomer reflection and continuous USR with near-bottom sources and receivers improved the definition of a buried, variably weathered basalt flow and assisted dredging assessment for navigation channel upgrades at Geelong Ports. Sand quality assessment with continuous USR and widely spaced borehole information assisted commercial decisions on available sand resources for the reclamation phase of development at the Port of Brisbane. Buried reefs and indurated layers occur in Australian coastal sediments with the characteristics of laterally limited, high velocity, cap layers within lower velocity materials. If these features are not recognised then significant error in depth determination to deeper refractors can occur. Application of advanced refraction inversion using wavefront eikonal tomography to continuous USR data obtained along the route of a proposed offshore pipeline near Fremantle allowed these layers and the underlying bedrock refractor to be accurately imaged. Static USR and the same interpretation approach was used to image the drowned granitic regolith beneath sediments and indurated layers in the northern area of Western Australia at a proposed new berthing site where deep piling was required. This allowed preferred piling sites to be identified, reducing overall pile lengths. USR can be expected to find increased application to shallow marine exploration and geotechnical investigations in Australia's coastal areas as economic growth continues and improved interpretation methods are developed.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• 제11권3호
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• pp.123-148
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• 2012

Deforestation and forest degradation in Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) accelerated from the mid 1980s through the economic crisis in 1990s and is still happening. DPRK has conducted afforestation and reforestation activities against this trend. However there are not many official documents on achievement of forest rehabilitation in DPRK. "Rodong Shinmun," as an official newspaper published by North Korean Workers Party, represents governmental policies and is one of a few accessible information on DPRK which is available in Republic of Korea (ROK). This paper aims to investigate the national forest policies of the DPRK represented in Rodong Shinmun. Total of 499 articles using the word 'Sanlim (forest)' and 'Rimsan (forest product)' in the title of articles were selected for content analysis. The national forest plans and forest policy instruments contained in the selected articles were analyzed. The subjects of represented forest policies were classified into four groups; forestation, forest management, land management and forest protection or conservation. The focus of forest policy was changed from economic utilization of forest resources such as timber production in the 1990s to forest protection in the 2000s. Rodong Shinmun reported more frequently about regulatory instruments and informational instruments than the economic instruments. Official commendation and awards were the main incentives given to the people who contributed to forestry achievements. In particular, forest policies were emphasized by Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il and afforestation and forest protection were described as patriotic activities in the Rodong Shinmun. In conclusion, this research revealed that Rodong Shinmun plays a role as a means for introducing, propagating and instigating forest policies in the society of the DPRK. The findings help to understand the forest policies of the DPRK which could be useful when designing development aids for DPRK.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제17권11호
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• pp.1615-1634
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• 2004

A review was undertaken to obtain information on the sustainability of pig free-range production systems including the management, performance and health of pigs in the system. Modern outdoor rearing systems requires simple portable and flexible housing with low cost fencing. Local pig breeds and outdoor-adapted breeds for certain environment are generally more suitable for free-range systems. Free-range farms should be located in a low rainfall area and paddocks should be relatively flat, with light topsoil overlying free-draining subsoil with the absence of sharp stones that can cause foot damage. Huts or shelters are crucial for protecting pigs from direct sun burn and heat stress, especially when shade from trees and other facilities is not available. Pigs commonly graze on strip pastures and are rotated between paddocks. The zones of thermal comfort for the sow and piglet differ markedly; between 12-22$^{\circ}C$ for the sow and 30-37$^{\circ}C$ for piglets. Offering wallows for free-range pigs meets their behavioural requirements, and also overcomes the effects of high ambient temperatures on feed intake. Pigs can increase their evaporative heat loss via an increase in the proportion of wet skin by using a wallow, or through water drips and spray. Mud from wallows can also coat the skin of pigs, preventing sunburn. Under grazing conditions, it is difficult to control the fibre intake of pigs although a high energy, low fibre diet can be used. In some countries outdoor sows are fitted with nose rings to prevent them from uprooting the grass. This reduces nutrient leaching of the land due to less rooting. In general, free-range pigs have a higher mortality compared to intensively housed pigs. Many factors can contribute to the death of the piglet including crushing, disease, heat stress and poor nutrition. With successful management, free-range pigs can have similar production to door pigs, although the growth rate of the litters is affected by season. Piglets grow quicker indoors during the cold season compared to outdoor systems. Pigs reared outdoors show calmer behaviour. Aggressive interactions during feeding are lower compared to indoor pigs while outdoor sows are more active than indoor sows. Outdoor pigs have a higher parasite burden, which increases the nutrient requirement for maintenance and reduces their feed utilization efficiency. Parasite infections in free-range pigs also risks the image of free-range pork as a clean and safe product. Diseases can be controlled to a certain degree by grazing management. Frequent rotation is required although most farmers are keeping their pigs for a longer period before rotating. The concept of using pasture species to minimise nematode infections in grazing pigs looks promising. Plants that can be grown locally and used as part of the normal feeding regime are most likely to be acceptable to farmers, particularly organic farmers. However, one of the key concerns from the public for free-range pig production system is the impact on the environment. In the past, the pigs were held in the same paddock at a high stocking rate, which resulted in damage to the vegetation, nutrient loading in the soil, nitrate leaching and gas emission. To avoid this, outdoor pigs should be integrated in the cropping pasture system, the stock should be mobile and stocking rate related to the amount of feed given to the animals.