• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.45 no.3
• /
• pp.105-116
• /
• 2021

Background: The creation of the National Institute of Ecology began as a national alternative project to preserve mudflats instead of constructing the industrial complexes by reclamation, and achieve regional development. On the other hand, at the national level, the research institute for ecology was needed to cope with the worsening conditions for maintaining biodiversity due to accelerated climate change such as global warming and increased demand for development. In order to meet these needs, the National Institute of Ecology has the following objectives: (1) carries out studies for ecosystem change due to climate change and biodiversity conservation, (2) performs ecological education to the public through exhibition of various ecosystem models, and (3) promotes regional development through the ecological industry. Furthermore, to achieve these objectives, the National Institute of Ecology thoroughly followed the basic principles of ecology, especially restoration ecology, in the process of its construction. We introduce the principles and cases of ecological restoration applied in the process. Results: We minimized the impact on the ecosystem in order to harmonize with the surrounding environment in all the processes of construction. We pursued passive restoration following the principle of ecological restoration as a process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem degraded for all the space except in land where artificial facilities were introduced. Reference information was applied thoroughly in the process of active restoration to create biome around the world, Korean peninsula forests, and wetland ecosystems. In order to realize true restoration, we pursued the ecological restoration in a landscape level as the follows. We moved the local road 6 and high-voltage power lines to underground to ensure ecological connectivity within the National Institute of Ecology campus. To enhance ecological diversity, we introduced perch poles and islands as well as floating leaved, emerged, wetland, and riparian plants in wetlands and mantle communities around the forests of the Korean Peninsula in the terrestrial ecosystem. Furthermore, in order to make the public aware of the importance of the intact nature, the low-lying landscape elements, which have disappeared due to excessive land use in most areas of Korea, was created by imitating demilitarized zone (DMZ) landscape that has these landscape elements. Conclusions: The National Institute of Ecology was created in an eco-friendly way by thoroughly reflecting the principles of ecology to suit its status and thus the impact on the existing ecosystem was minimized. This concept was also designed to be reflected in the process of operation. The results have become real, and a result of analysis on carbon budget analysis is approaching the carbon neutrality.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.32-37
• /
• 2009

This study was conducted to assess the impact of agricultural land use on the water quality in mountain village farmlands. Two soil types, paddy and upland soil were analysed for their chemical properties. Although, pH and organic matter contents were not significantly different to each other, concentrations of available P and exchangeable K and Ca were much higher in upland soil compared with those in paddy soil. The results of water quality analysis indicated that, in Goseong-cheon watershed, the nutrients contents were much higher in downstream area than in upstream area. Particularly, the elevation of $COD_{Mn}$ and T-P were significant during rainy season. When paddy fields coexist with upland fields, SS, T-N, and T-P concentrations in paddy fields were lower than those of upland fields. This may indicate that paddy fields possess an water-purifying ability by absorbing nutrients. This effect may reduce excessive nutrients discharged into the neighboring streams which may cause eutrophication problem. The difference between inflow and outflow of nitrogen and phosphorus during the cultivation period were measured as -98.9 kg $ha^{-1}$ and -29.7 kg $ha^{-1}$, which means that nutrient outflow was higher than inflow. This may suggest that much nutrient was discharged during the crop harvest period.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.111-124
• /
• 2010

To monitor the environment of land surface change is considered as an important research field since those parameters are related with land use, climate change, meteorological study, agriculture modulation, surface energy balance, and surface environment system. For the change detection, many different methods have been presented for distributing more detailed information with various tools from ground based measurement to satellite multi-spectral sensor. Recently, using high resolution satellite data is considered the most efficient way to monitor extensive land environmental system especially for higher spatial and temporal resolution. In this study, we use two different spatial resolution satellites; the one is SPOT/VEGETATION with 1 km spatial resolution to detect coarse resolution of the area change and determine objective threshold. The other is Landsat satellite having high resolution to figure out detailed land environmental change. According to their spatial resolution, they show different observation characteristics such as repeat cycle, and the global coverage. By correlating two kinds of satellites, we can detect land surface change from mid resolution to high resolution. The K-mean clustering algorithm is applied to detect changed area with two different temporal images. When using solar spectral band, there are complicate surface reflectance scattering characteristics which make surface change detection difficult. That effect would be leading serious problems when interpreting surface characteristics. For example, in spite of constant their own surface reflectance value, it could be changed according to solar, and sensor relative observation location. To reduce those affects, in this study, long-term Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) with solar spectral channels performed for atmospheric and bi-directional correction from SPOT/VEGETATION data are utilized to offer objective threshold value for detecting land surface change, since that NDVI has less sensitivity for solar geometry than solar channel. The surface change detection based on long-term NDVI shows improved results than when only using Landsat.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.53-62
• /
• 2015

We surveyed butterfly community in a rural area of the southwestern part of Korea to investigate the changes of species composition and their abundances between 2001~2002 and 2014. The butterfly survey was conducted at the same site using a line transect method. There was a significant decrease of the numbers of species and individuals between 2001~2002 and 2014. We categorized each species based on six ecological traits: habitat type, habitat breadth, food plant type, food plant breadth, number of generation per year and overwintering stage. The comparison of number of species using these ecological traits showed no difference during the 10-yr time intervals. However, the comparison of number of individuals for the ecological traits showed the significant differences except for one trait, overwintering stage. We could suspect that the decrease of butterflies in the study area was resulted from the habitat change. To investigate the causal factors and the changes of butterfly fauna, we need a long-term monitoring of the local butterfly community.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.102 no.4
• /
• pp.491-498
• /
• 2013

Preliminary feasibility of REDD mechanism to combat forest degradation in North Korea is reviewed as a means of cooperation between South Korea and North Korea. North Korea has not established a national REDD+ strategy and a forest monitoring system which are required to implement REDD+ under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Credible statistical data of forest resources is a necessary condition for implementing REDD mechanism in the developing countries. However, other than forest area data using satellite images, statistical data of forest resources of North Korea are mostly estimated based on simple hypothesis rather than transparent and robust results from national forest inventory. The review of statistical data of forest resources of North Korea shows that North Korea is in a pre-stage of REDD readiness. The study suggests that following research and cooperation agendas should be considered to implement REDD mechanism in North Korea: 1) detecting land use change since 2000, measuring carbon stock change, and identifying causes of deforestation and forest degradation; and 2) establishing a national REDD+ strategy' and a national forest inventory system in North Korea.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.33 no.6
• /
• pp.570-582
• /
• 2017

In recent years, national and local government's air quality management and climate change adaptation policy has been significantly strengthened. The measures in the two policies may be in a relationship of trade-off or synergy to each other. Greenhouse gases and air pollutants are mostly emitted from the same sources of using considerable amounts of fossil fuels. Co-benefits, in which either measure has a positive effect on the other, may be maximized by reducing the social costs and by consolidating the objectives of the various policies. In this study, the co-benefits were examined by empirically analyzing the effects of air pollutants and greenhouse gas emission reduction, social cost, and cost effectiveness between the two policies. Of the total 80 projects, the next 12 projects generated co-benefits. They are 1) extend restriction area of solid fuel use, 2) expand subsidy of low-$NO_x$ burner, 3) supply hybrid-vehicles, 4) supply electric-vehicles, 5) supply hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, 6) engine retrofit, 7) scrappage of old car, 8) low emission zone, 9) transportation demand management, 10) supply land-based electric of ship, 11) switching anthracite to clean fuel in private sector, 12) expand regional combined-energy supply. The benefits of air pollutants and greenhouse gas-related measures were an annual average of KRW 2,705.4 billion. The social benefits of the transportation demand management were the highest at an annual average of KRW 890.7 billion, and followed by scrappage of old cars and expand regional combined-energy supply. When the social benefits and the annual investment budgets are compared, the cost effectiveness ratio is estimated to be about 3.8. Overall, the reduction of air pollutants caused by the air quality management policy of Gyeonggi-do resulted in an annual average of KRW 4,790.2 billion. In the point sources management sector, the added value of $CO_2$ reduction increased by 4.8% to KRW 1,062.8 billion, while the mobile sources management sector increased by 3.6% to KRW 3,414.1 billion. If social benefits from $CO_2$ reduction are added, the annual average will increase by 7.2% to KRW 5,135.4 billion. The urban and energy management sectors have shown that social benefits increase more than twice as much as the benefits of $CO_2$ reduction. This result implies that more intensive promotion of these measures are needed. This study has significance in that it presents the results of the empirical analysis of the co-benefits generated between the similar policies in the air quality management and the climate change policy which are currently being promoted in Gyeonggi-do. This study suggested that the method of analyzing the policy effect among the main policies in the climate atmospheric policy is established and the effectiveness and priority of the major policies can be evaluated through the policy correlation analysis based on the co-benefits. It is expected that it could be a basis for evaluation the efficiency of the climate change adaptation and air quality management policies implemented by the national and local governments in the future.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.228-240
• /
• 2023

Growing complexity in ecosystem structure and functions, under impacts of climate and land-use changes, requires interdisciplinary understandings of processes and the whole-system, and accurate estimates of the changing functions. In the last three decades, observation networks for biodiversity, ecosystems, and ecosystem functions under climate change, have been developed by interested scientists, research institutions and universities. In this paper we will review (1) the development and on-going activities of those observation networks, (2) some outcomes from forest carbon cycle studies at our super-site "Takayama site" in Japan, and (3) a few ideas how we connect in-situ and satellite observations as well as fill observation gaps in the Asia-Oceania region. There have been many intensive research and networking efforts to promote investigations for ecosystem change and functions (e.g., Long-Term Ecological Research Network), measurements of greenhouse gas, heat, and water fluxes (flux network), and biodiversity from genetic to ecosystem level (Biodiversity Observation Network). Combining those in-situ field research data with modeling analysis and satellite remote sensing allows the research communities to up-scale spatially from local to global, and temporally from the past to future. These observation networks oftern use different methodologies and target different scientific disciplines. However growing needs for comprehensive observations to understand the response of biodiversity and ecosystem functions to climate and societal changes at local, national, regional, and global scales are providing opportunities and expectations to network these networks. Among the challenges to produce and share integrated knowledge on climate, ecosystem functions and biodiversity, filling scale-gaps in space and time among the phenomena is crucial. To showcase such efforts, interdisciplinary research at 'Takayama super-site' was reviewed by focusing on studies on forest carbon cycle and phenology. A key approach to respond to multidisciplinary questions is to integrate in-situ field research, ecosystem modeling, and satellite remote sensing by developing cross-scale methodologies at long-term observation field sites called "super-sites". The research approach at 'Takayama site' in Japan showcases this response to the needs of multidisciplinary questions and further development of terrestrial ecosystem research to address environmental change issues from local to national, regional and global scales.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.230-235
• /
• 2022

BACKGROUND: Ammonia gas emitted from nitrogen fertilizers applied in agricultural land is an environmental pollutant that catalyzes the formation of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). A significant portion (12-18%) of nitrogen fertilizer input for crop cultivation is emitted to the atmosphere as ammonia gas, a loss form of nitrogen fertilizer in agricultural land. The widely practiced method for fertilizer use in agricultural fields involves spraying the fertilizers on the surface of farmlands and mixing those with the soils through such means as rotary work. To test the potential reduction of ammonia emission by nitrogen fertilizers from the soil surface, we have added N, P, and K at 2 g each to the glass greenhouse soil, and the ammonia emission was analyzed. METHODS AND RESULTS: The treatment consisted of non-fertilization, surface spray (conventional fertilization), and soil depth spray at 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 cm. Ammonia was collected using a self-manufactured vertical wind tunnel chamber, and it was quantified by the indophenol-blue method. As a result of analyzing ammonia emission after fertilizer treatments by soil depth, ammonia was emitted by the surface spray treatment immediately after spraying the fertilizer in the paddy soil, with no ammonia emission occurring at a soil depth of 10 cm to 30 cm. In the upland soil, ammonia was emitted by the surface spray treatment after 2 days of treatment, and there was no ammonia emission at a soil depth of 15 cm to 30 cm. Lettuce and Chinese cabbage treated with fertilizer at depths of 20 cm and 30 cm showed increases of fresh weight and nutrient and potassium contents. CONCLUSION(S): In conclusion, rather than the current fertilization method of spraying and mixing the fertilizers on the soil surface, deep placement of the nitrogen fertilizer in the soil at 10 cm or more in paddy fields and 15 cm or more in upland fields was considered as a better fertilization method to reduce ammonia emission.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.155-170
• /
• 2016

This study established the definition of invasive disturbance species for a sustainable management and biodiversity, and derived the influence factors caused by the species. To define the species, the paper reviewed similar words such as alien species and invasive species, using standard definitions. Also reviewed the results of recent research on the factors of the species. The paper defined the invasive disturbance species as an species whose establishment and spread threaten ecosystems, habitats or species with economic or environmental harm including native and non-native. Through the reviews, The factors were classified as geographic (altitude, slope, and soil, etc.), climate (temperature, precipitation, climate change, etc.) and, anthropogenic (land use, population, road, and human activity, etc.), and species & vegetation structure (species property, local-species richness, and canopy, etc.). Especially, human activity such as urbanization and highways may be associated with both higher disturbance and higher propagule pressure. In the further study, it is required development of mitigation strategies and vegetation structure model against invasive disturbance species in urban forest based on this study.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
• /
• v.49 no.8
• /
• pp.719-729
• /
• 2016

Extreme events of rainfall has increased mainly from climate change, resulting in more severe floods intensified by land use development. Appropriate estimation of design floods gets more attention to ensuring the safety of life and property in flood-prone areas for hydraulic structures such as dams and levees. In the current study, we reestimated the design flood of the Nam River Dam to adopt the influence of climatic change of hydrometeorological variables including recent datasets of extreme rainfall events. The climate change scenarios of extreme rainfall events in hourly scale that has been downscaled was used in analyzing the annual maximum rainfall for the weather stations in the Nam River Dam basin. The estimates of 200-year and 10,000-year return periods were calculated to provide a design flood and a probable maximum flood case for the Nam River Dam. The results present that the new estimate employing the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 downscaled data is much higher than the original design flood estimated at the dam construction stage using a 200-year return period. We can conclude that the current dam area might be highly vulnerable and need an enhancement of the dam safety regarding the reduction of damage in Sachen bay from the outflow of Nam River Dam.