• Title/Summary/Keyword: NATURAL ECOLOGY

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Bacterial communities in the feces of insectivorous bats in South Korea

  • Injung An;Byeori Kim;Sungbae Joo;Kihyun Kim;Taek-Woo Lee
    • Journal of Ecology and Environment
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    • v.48 no.2
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    • pp.120-127
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    • 2024
  • Bats serve as vectors and natural reservoir hosts for various infectious viruses, bacteria, and fungi. These pathogens have also been detected in bat feces and can cause severe illnesses in hosts, other animals, and humans. Because pathogens can easily spread into the environment through bat feces, determining the bacterial communities in bat guano is crucial to mitigate potential disease transmission and outbreaks. This study primarily aimed to examine bacterial communities in the feces of insectivorous bats living in South Korea. Fecal samples were collected after capturing 84 individuals of four different bat species in two regions of South Korea, and the bacterial microbiota was assessed through next generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The results revealed that, with respect to the relative abundance at the phylum level, Myotis bombinus was dominated by Firmicutes (47.24%) and Proteobacteria (42.66%) whereas Miniopterus fuliginosus (82.78%), Rhinolophus ferrumequinum (63.46%), and Myotis macrodactylus (78.04%) were dominated by Proteobacteria. Alpha diversity analysis showed no difference in abundance between species and a significant difference (p < 0.05) between M. bombinus and M. fuliginosus. Beta-diversity analysis revealed that Clostridium, Asaia, and Enterobacteriaceae_g were clustered as major factors at the genus level using principal component analysis. Additionally, linear discriminant analysis effect size was conducted based on relative expression information to select bacterial markers for each bat species. Clostridium was relatively abundant in M. bombinus, whereas Mycoplasma_g10 was relatively abundant in R. ferrumequinum. Our results provide an overview of bat guano microbiota diversity and the significance of pathogenic taxa for humans and the environment, highlighting a better understanding of preventing emerging diseases. We anticipate that this research will yield bioinformatic data to advance our knowledge of overall microbial genetic diversity and clustering characteristics in insectivorous bat feces in South Korea.

Distribution of Invasive Species in Metropolitan Busan, South Korea (생태계교란식물의 부산광역시 분포 실태)

  • Ryu, Tae-Bok;Lim, Jeong-Cheol;Lee, Cheol-Ho;Kim, Eui-Ju;Choi, Byoung-Ki
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.27 no.4
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    • pp.408-416
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    • 2017
  • This research aimed to identify the diversity and the distribution of invasive alien plant species in the metropolitan city of Busan, South Korea. According to our results, we discovered 10 species of invasive alien plants distributed in Busan, demonstrating that this urban area has a high domestic plant diversity. A cluster analysis identified that the dominant communities of Aster pilosus, Lactuca serriola, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Rumex acetosella and Solanum carolinense were highly similar in species composition. Different species of invasive alien plants tended to occur together in dominant communities, indicating their preference for shared habitats. The most extensively distributed species in Busan were Lactuca serriola (16 districts), followed by Ambrosia artemisiifolia (11 districts), Aster pilosus (11 districts) and Rumex acetosella (10 districts). The administrative districts with the most diverse invasive alien plants were Gangseo-gu (8 species) and Buk-gu (8 species), which are both areas with high human interference and diverse habitats. Additional environmental information was collected for these species' habitats in Busan. The results of this research can be used to assess the current status of invasive alien plants in Busan and can provide basic data useful for effectively controlling and preventing the spread of invasive plants.

Study on the Wintering of Aegypius monachus, No. 243-1 Natural Monument Bird (천연기념물 제 243-1호 독수리(Aegypius monachus)의 월동실태에 관한 연구)

  • Jin, Seon Deok;Yu, Jae Pyoung;Paik, In Hwan;Han, Sung Woo;Kim, Seong Man;Han, Kab Soo;Kang, Tae Han;Kim, In Kyu;Yoo, Seung Hwa;Lee, Ki Sup;Kim, Soo Ho;Kim, Tae Jwa;Kim, Sung Hyun;Choi, Jong Soo;Hong, Kil Pyo;Cho, Hae Jin;Ping, Ki Chang;Kang, Jung Hoon;Park, Chi Young;Kim, Woo Yeol;Oh, Hong Shik;Paek, Woon Kee
    • Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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    • v.42 no.1
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    • pp.62-70
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    • 2009
  • The study was conducted from Jan. 11 to Jan. 12 2008 on 17 areas which were the wintering area of Aegypius monachus and where the birds were observed. In the study, a total of 1,912 individuals were observed to winter in the areas, which was larger than any previous observation. The study found that 1,500 individuals wintered in the central region of Korea including Gyeonggido and Kangwondo, which accounted for 78.45%, and 412 individuals (21.55%) in the southern region such as Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, Jeannam and Jejudo (Island). Given the number of individuals wintering by region, Jangdan Peninsula (777 individuals), Cheorwon (488 individuals) and Sancheonggun(193 individuals) were mostly found. In comparison with the previous studies, 20-30% of the individuals have moved south since 2006. This movement might be attributed to the suspension of feeding campaigns, but the birds still crowded some specific areas.

Occurrence characteristics and management of Parthenium hysterophorus, an ecosystem disturbing plant (생태계교란식물인 돼지풀아재비의 발생특성과 관리)

  • In Yong Lee;Seung Hwan Kim;Yong Ho Lee;Hae Ryong Song;Baek Jun Kim;Sunghyun Woo;Aram Jo;Sun Hee Hong
    • Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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    • v.41 no.1
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    • pp.31-40
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    • 2023
  • In 2022, the Korean Ministry of Environment designated Parthenium hysterophorus as an ecosystem-disturbing plant. The purpose of this study was to present a management plan for P. hysterophorus considering its distribution, morphological, physiological, and ecological characteristics, and to introduce various control techniques. P. hysterophorus is native to Central America and occurs in about 45 countries worldwide. However, in Korea, it only grows in some areas of Tongyeong and Changwon, Gyeongsangnam Province. P. hysterophorus is an annual plant and spreads by seeds, moves between countries in the process of importing and/or exporting agricultural seeds, and spreads by agricultural machinery and vehicles after introduction. P. hysterophorus releases parthenin, an allelochemical that suppresses the occurrence of the surrounding vegetation, from its stems and roots. In addition, P. hysterophorus causes damage to humans and livestock through various allergens. P. hysterophorus can be controlled by physical methods, such as cutting its stems or pulling roots, and by treatment with non-selective herbicides, such as glyphosate. Many biological control research studies have been conducted and, unfortunately, there is no a practical solution so far.

Reproductive Ecology and Spawning Behavior of the Natural Monumental and Endangered Species, Cobitis choii (Pisces: Cobitidae) in Geumgang (River), Korea (천연기념물이며 멸종위기종인 미호종개 Cobitis choii (Pisces: Cobitidae)의 번식생태 및 산란행동)

  • Myeong-Hun Ko;Il-Ro Lee;In-Chul Bang
    • Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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    • v.36 no.3
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    • pp.209-219
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    • 2024
  • A survey was conducted in 2011 to investigate the reproductive ecology and spawning behavior of the natural monumental and endangered species, Cobitis choii. C. choii exhibits sexual dimorphism with the development of lamina circularis on the second pectoral fin ray in males at one year old, facilitating easy differentiation between males and females. A total of 1,288 females and 881 males were collected from January to December, resulting in a sex ratio of 1 : 0.68. The spawning season was estimated to be from late June to early July (spawning peak from late June, with water temperatures ranging from 22 to 25℃), coinciding with a sharp decrease in the condition index. Gonadal maturity was observed with maturity indices of 17.5±2.11% for females and 2.9±0.46% for males, with fecundity of 2,444±838 eggs and egg size of 0.75±0.05 mm. Spawning behavior was induced by hormone injection (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, HCG) in laboratory conditions. Experimental results revealed that males and females paired in a 1 : 1 ratio before spawning. Males pressed the abdomen of females using their lamina circularis to induce spawning, followed by immediate fertilization. Spawning behavior was repeated 15 to 25 (average 20) times per pair of males and females, and 80 to 120 eggs were spawned per time, and the total amount of spawned eggs were 2,500±250 on average.