• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.128-137
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of hiking trails on forest landscape's fragmentation, based on which also to assess the landscape-ecology-based integrity by small drainage area by selecting Bukhansan National Park as a survey target. The results of effect analysis are as follow; size of forest patch decreased; the density of patch and edge increased; patch shape became complicated; the dimensions of core area noticeably decreased and proximity degree between patch increased after trail-building. In addotion, the assessment results of overall landscape ecology-based integrity by small drainage basin showed that the Bukhansan catchment area was highest making 3.7 point, while Gugi catchment area was rated the lowest making 1.6 point. Putting the above results together, it is necessary to prohibit the opening up of unnecessary trails and to make room for ecological restoration of damaged and disturbance area to their original state as nature goes for landscape-ecology-based conservation and management of forests.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.237-249
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• 2011

Land-use changes due to the socio-economic environment influence landscape patterns and processes, which affect habitats and biodiversity. This study considers the effects of such land-use changes, particularly on the traditional rural "Maeul" forested landscape, by analyzing landscape structure and vegetation changes. Three study areas were examined that have seen their populations decrease and age over the last few decades. Five types of plant life-forms (Raunkier life-forms) were distinguished to investigate ecosystem function. Principle component analysis was used to understand vegetation dynamics and community characteristics based on a vegetation similarity index. Ordination analysis transformed species-coverage data was introduced to clarify vegetation dynamics. Landscape indices, such as area metrics, edge metrics, and shape metrics, showed that spatial heterogeneity has increased over time in all areas. Pinus densiflora was the main land-use plant type in all study areas but decreased over time, whereas Quercus spp. increased. Over a decade, P. densiflora communities shifted to deciduous oak and plantation. These findings indicate that the impact of human activities on the Maeul landscape is twofold. While forestry activities caused heavy disturbances, the abandonment of traditional human activities has led to natural succession. Furthermore, it can be concluded that the type and intensity of these human impacts on landscape heterogeneity relate differently to vegetation succession. This reflects the cause and consequence of patch dynamics. We discuss an approach for sustainable landscape planning and management of the Maeul landscape based on traditional management.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.22-34
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• 2004

An artificial disturbance like fragmentation in watershed forest has impacted a sustainability of watershed ecosystem, therefore this research quantified the landscape structure in the Geumho river watershed using landscape indices and GIS. Landscape indices were calculated from the forest distributed maps for 24 subwatersheds. Three common factors, which explained about 85% of the variation in the original data, were extracted by a factor analysis. The fragmentation gradient in forest landscape, which was calculated from the factor scores, was correlated with proportion of urban land (r=0.827, p<0.01, $R^2$=0.685), elevation (r=-0.637, p<0.01) and slope gradient (r=-0.593, p<0.01). The result of the study presented that the methodology and the values of landscape indices to assess the structural patterns of forest landscape for the Geumho river watershed management. Future research will be directed towards the detection of impacts of landscape patterns and their changes on the integrity of watershed environments.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.135-151
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• 2015

DMZ is considered as an ecologically sensitive landscape and one of the highest biodiversity regions in the Republic of Korea. There have been, albeit the significant value, increased interests in developing this region for a variety of purposes including tourism and commemorative events. As this region has been already facing a range of problems derived from previous development, natural disaster and invasive species, the necessity for active management of ecological health within this region has been increased, which weighs the importance of executing ecological restoration. The objective of this study was to develop evaluation indices as an effective management means of properly evaluating ecological restoration and sustainably maintaining the restored conditions on a long-term scale. Through literature review existing evaluation indices related to restoration were collected, and then the most suitable indices were selected based upon two interviews and one questionnaire survey targeting experts in the relevant field to ecological restoration. They were categorized by two major division and their subclasses (Ecological base - vegetation structure & composition, habitat characteristics, soil environment; landscape ecology - connectivity, landscape patch, boundary & surrounding) and 40 indices. These indices were considered helpful to comprehensively evaluate ecological restoration on degraded environments within ecologically sensitive areas, and sustainably manage target areas by employing a long-term monitoring approach. As this result played a meaningful role in providing the fundamentals of evaluating ecological restoration, it should develop a suitable evaluation system through further research.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.1-13
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• 2011

This study aims to analyse the landscape ecological characteristics of 39 rural villages in Korea and classify them according to their characteristics. After producing a land-use map of rural villages, this study quantified the landscape ecological characteristics of the subject sites as 18 landscape indexes using Fragstats. By applying the landscape index as a variable, selecting 4 factor through principal component analysis and conducting a cluster analysis, it classified them into 3 groups. Rural villages of Korea have their unique types of land-use due to the influence of physical environment such as geography, climate and ecology as well as the social and cultural influence, and the characteristics of land-use can be analysed and classified using the landscape index, the quantified landscape ecological characteristics.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.139-146
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• 2019

There is often confliction between conservation for protected ecosystem assets and development for various stakeholders at wetland protection areas. The concept of Ecosystem Services can be an alternative solution for the conflicts. This paper attempted to measure and evaluate cultural ecosystem services according to the index evaluation approach. For the evaluation, the paper suggested five indicators of ecosystem cultural services including: inspiration, landscape aesthetics, education, eco-tourism, and heritage. The developed indices of cultural services in this study can be also utilized as a policy support tool for conservation of the wetland protected areas. The result illustrates the ranking and correlation of each indicator of ecosystem cultural services and suggestions for useful means of management policy in wetland protected areas.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.49-57
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• 2007

The purpose of this study is to analyze contemporary changes of landcover patterns and landscape structure in order to provide basic data and methods for sustainable management and conservation in Baekdu Daegan region using GIS and landscape indices. According to the results based on the pattern analysis of landcover changes using the change detection matrix between 1975 and 2000, addition on $3.6km^2$ became urbanized areas. Otherwise, $85.7km^2$ of forest area shift into agriculture($72.2km^2$) and grass area($10.1km^2$) for the vegetables in highland condition and stock farm. According to the landscape structure analysis using landscape indices, forest areas were unstable forest structures because of fragmentation. Thus, to improve forest ecosystem, significant amount of forest through a new forest management policy considering local environmental conditions are needed. And, the connectivity of forests in local regions should be considered as well.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.145-156
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• 2005

An artificial disturbance like forest fragmentation has affected the sustainability of forest ecosystem. Therefore, in order to manage the forest ecosystem efficiently needed to analyze quantity and quality (structural pattern) of forest simultaneously. This study analyzed the structural patterns of forest landscape to provide a basic data for evaluation and management of forest ecosystem in Nakdong River Basin during 10 years from 1980s to 1990s using landscape indices and GIS methods. Forest distribution maps and 6 landscape indices(LPI, PD, ED, MSI, CPLAND, IJI) for the analysis were reconstructed from land-cover maps constructed by Ministry of Environment and pearson correlation analysis. According to the structural analysis of forest landscape using landscape indices, the forest fragmentation of watersheds along the main stream of the Nakdong river was more severe than any other watersheds. Futhermore, the Nakong-sangju and Nakdong-miryang watersheds had unstable forest structures as well as least amount of forest quantity. Thus, these watersheds need significant amount of forest through a new forest management policy considering local environmental conditions. The connectivity between forests in local regions should be considered as well.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.34-41
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• 2003

Connectivity is a quantitative indicator of landscape structure, and connectivity of urban green areas is an indicator of ecological integrity in urban landscapes. The purposes of this study are to assess the connectivity of urban green areas in Seoul, and to develop a method of siting new green areas for better connectivity. Diverse methods for connectivity assessment and indices of connectivity are reviewed and applied to the connectivity assesment of green areas in Seoul. The indices of connectivity of green areas in Seoul turned out to be higher than expected, maybe because many of them are rather evenly distributed, serving as stepping stones, and because there are many riparian corridors, including the Han River. Analysis also shows the optimum location of new green space patches or corridors will be those spots that would link the mainland, or large green areas outside the city, and existing green areas in the city. Restoration of urban streams as ecological corridors will significantly enhance connectivity. Three different scenarios with increasing numbers of new green areas in the city were then prepared. The changes of connectivity were measured and the possible success rates of animal dispersal were simulated. The results revealed that restoration of streams will increase the connectivity and success rates of animal dispersal.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.9-18
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• 2002

Landscape, the land mosaics, is combined with human and natural environment. Landuse and landcover changes are an important factor that changes structure and function of regional landscape. In this study, the changes of landcover and landscape structures are examined in Kyongsan between 1985 and 1997, using Landsat TM images and landscape indices. The results of this study are as follows; First, according to the classification of landcover, forest and agriculture areas have decreased as a result of urban expansion. Second, forest fragmentation has been brought by development; So forest healthiness has weakened. It is proved that urban expansion has happened in agriculture land. Third, a variety of landuse types around forest have changed from agriculture-oriented types to the ones mixed with urban and agriculture areas between 1985 and 1997.