• Journal of Distribution Science
• /
• v.10 no.7
• /
• pp.33-41
• /
• 2012

The purpose of this study is to analyse the state of the energy industry and to determine the efficiency of its functioning on the basis of energy conservation principle and application of innovative technologies aimed at improving the ecological modernisation of agricultural sectors of Kazakhstan. The research methodology is based on an integrated approach of financial and economic evaluation of the effectiveness of the investment project, based on calculation of elasticity, total costs and profitability, as well as on comparative, graphical and system analysis. The current stage is characterised by widely spread restructuring processes of electric power industry in many countries through introduction of new technical installations of energy facilities and increased government regulation in order to enhance the competitive advantage of electricity market. Electric power industry features a considerable value of creating areas. For example, by providing scientific and technical progress, it crucially affects not only the development but also the territorial organisation of productive forces, first of all the industry. In modern life, more than 90% of electricity and heat is obtained by Kazakhstan's economy by consuming non-renewable energy resources: different types of coal, oil shale, oil, natural gas and peat. Therefore, it is significant to ensure energy security, as the country faces a rapid fall back to mono-gas structure of fuel and energy balance. However, energy resources in Kazakhstan are spread very unevenly. Its main supplies are concentrated in northern and central parts of the republic, and the majority of consumers of electrical power live in the southern and western areas of the country. However, energy plays an important role in the economy of industrial production and to a large extent determines the level of competitive advantage, which is a promising condition for implementation of energy-saving and environmentally friendly technologies. In these circumstances, issues of modernisation and reforms of this sector in Kazakhstan gain more and more importance, which can be seen in the example of economically sustainable solutions of a large local monopoly company, significant savings in capital investment and efficiency of implementation of an investment project. A major disadvantage of development of electricity distribution companies is the prevalence of very high moral and physical amortisation of equipment, reaching almost 70-80%, which significantly increases the operating costs. For example, while an investment of 12 billion tenge was planned in 2009 in this branch, in 2012 it is planned to invest more than 17 billion. Obviously, despite the absolute increase, the rate of investment is still quite low, as the total demand in this area is at least more than 250 billion tenge. In addition, industrial infrastructure, including the objects of Kazakhstan electric power industry, have a tangible adverse impact on the environment. Thus, since there is a large number of various power projects that are sources of electromagnetic radiation, the environment is deteriorated. Hence, there is a need to optimise the efficiency of the organisation and management of production activities of energy companies, to create and implement new technologies, to ensure safe production and provide solutions to various environmental aspects. These are key strategic factors to ensure success of the modern energy sector of Kazakhstan. The contribution of authors in developing the scope of this subject is explained by the fact that there was not enough research in the energy sector, especially in the view of ecological modernisation. This work differs from similar works in Kazakhstan in the way that the proposed method of investment project calculation takes into account the time factor, which compares the current and future value of profit from the implementation of innovative equipment that helps to bring it to actual practise. The feasibility of writing this article lies in the need of forming a public policy in the industrial sector, including optimising the structure of energy disbursing rate, which complies with the terms of future modernised development of the domestic energy sector.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.751-761
• /
• 2014

This study was carried out to analyze the vegetation properties, soil characteristics and ordination of Rhododendron brachycarpum population in South Korea. Rhododendron brachycarpum were mainly distributed along the Ulleungdo and Baekdudaegan of the Korean penninsula and it's population was located at an elevation of 872m to 1466m. The Rhododendron brachycarpum population was classified into Taxus cuspidata var. latifolia dominant population, Magnolia sieboldii dominant population, Thuja koraiensis dominant population and Rhododendron brachycarpum typical population. The composition of soil properties in the same areas are as follows: organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorous, exchangeable $K^+$, exchangeable $Ca^{2+}$, exchangeable $Mg^{2+}$ contained, and soil pH. The capacities of these chemical properties of the soil ranged from 10.45~15.28%, 0.37~0.61%, $0.21{\sim}0.35cmol^+/kg$, $0.39{\sim}2.54cmol^+/kg$, $0.17{\sim}0.50cmol^+/kg$, $18.28{\sim}22.81cmol^+/kg$ and 4.66~5.23 respectively. The results of the correlation between communities and soil conditions of vegetation of Rhododendron brachycarpum by DCCA ordination method are as follows: Taxus cuspidata var. latifolia dominant population was found in the very steep sloped area that has low percentage of total organic matter and nitrogen than other populations. Magnolia sieboldii dominant population and Thuja koraiensis dominant population was found in the steep sloped area that has high percentage of total organic matter and nitrogen than other populations. Thuja koraiensis dominant population was found in the gentle sloped area that has high percentage of altitudinal and rock exposure. Current status of Rhododendron brachycarpum is very vulnerable with a collection of herbs constantly threatening the species' survival. Thus, concrete conservation plans to protect natural habitats should be set up as soon as possible.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
• /
• v.53 no.2
• /
• pp.110-139
• /
• 2020

Reclamation is the act of creating new lands by constructing dikes in offshore tidal flats to utilize them for various purposes, including the establishment of farmland to secure food for an increasing population. Based on the fact that reclamation has resulted in drastic changes in the environmental, economic, social, and cultural aspects of land expansion and development, population movement, and the formation of cities since ancient times, I reviewed the value of reclamation sites and addressed the issue of how to preserve and utilize them. "Reclamation culture" refers collectively to the recognition and concept system, behavior styles, and cultural products created by changes in the environment, and the tangible, intangible, and natural heritage generated directly and indirectly by reclamation is defined as "reclamation cultural heritage". It shows that the historical background of reclamation accords with prevailing trends, and that the reclamation sites possess cultural heritage value due to their historical, academic, and scarce characteristics. Numerous reclamation cultural heritage sites at the Gwangwhal and Gyehwa dikes are on the verge of being destroyed, with their original function having ended after the construction of Saemangeum Sea Wall. I propose measures to preserve these under the principle that utilization is based on the basic premise of conservation. First of all, modern and contemporary reclamation sites must necessarily be designated and managed as registered cultural properties, local cultural heritage, future heritage, and agricultural heritage. In particular, as it has been confirmed that reclamation sites created after the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties and the 1950s have not been designated as cultural heritage sites. It is necessary to review the characteristics and values of such reclamation sites through a full survey of national reclamation data. Effective and sustainable utilization of reclamation cultural heritage, which has not been acknowledged in the past due to its close relationship with our lives, is necessary to search for hidden stories found within that heritage, to organize governance for the efficient use of reclamation resources, and to build a museum to collect and display the history and culture of the reclaimed areas. Finally, through links with countries with experience in reclamation, we will be able to cope jointly with international issues such as those pertaining to society, culture, and environment, and would be able to implement various projects to further the advancement of human beings.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.66-73
• /
• 2019

The Royal Tomb of the Joseon Dynasty, which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2009, is a cultural resource recognized for its 'outstanding universal value' around the world. The royal tomb of Joseon has been managed with an emphasis on the preservation of cultural assets since it was designated as a historical site in the 1970s, but it has received many visitors as a valuable historical and cultural resource and haven that connects the past and the present in today's bustling city. In order to investigate and analyze the current status of pavements in the royal palace in terms of quality and quantity, and to suggest the direction of improvement, this study conducted a complete survey of 53 royal palace viewing roads in 18 regions, and the results are as follows. First of all, problems are found in both the early Masato pavement of the creation, which was introduced with an emphasis on the preservation and protection of cultural assets, and the hardening pavement(KAP), which began to be used in the 1990s for the convenience of maintenance. In other words, the Masato pavement used to create a more environmentally friendly atmosphere of the Joseon royal tombs is showing a high percentage of use, but it lacks support for walking activities, such as the slippage of the pavement and water pooling during the rainy season or during the ice season. Also, hardening pavement introduced for convenience of maintenance, such as the movement of repair vehicles, is not functioning properly as it is damaged by physical deformation after construction. In addition, in awe zones such as parking lots, although the first image of the Joseon royal tombs is determined, the formation of the functional landscape centered on the carriageway does not harmonize with the traditional landscape, and, because of its lack of walking and environment-friendly features, there is a need for improvement, such as the experimental introduction of relevant pavement materials developed afterwards and continuous monitoring.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.220-256
• /
• 2022

The most important thing for conserving plant diversity in an area is to make an overall inventory of the plant species inhabiting the area. In particular, limestone areas are known for their high plant diversity and distribution of specific plants. Despite that, only a few have been designated as protected areas. This study investigated the vascular plants distributed in Goyangsan Mtn. and Munraesan Mtn., located in limestone areas of the central part of the Korean Peninsula. A field survey was conducted eight times from April to October 2021. As a result, we identified a total of 654 taxa comprising 113 families, 357 genera, 592 species, 15 subspecies, 44 varieties, and 3 formulas. They included four endangered wild plant species: Astilboides tabularis, Eleutherococcus senticosus, Cypripedium macranthos, and Epilobium hirsutum. Endemic plants in Korea were identified as 32 taxa. Floristic target plants were identified as 168 taxa, specifically 5 taxa of grade V, 41 taxa of grade IV, and 36 taxa of grade III. The red data plants included 2 taxa as "Endangered (EN)", 7 taxa as "Vulnerable (VU)", and 7 taxa as "Near threatened (NT)". A total of 41 taxa of naturalized plants were identified, and 4 of them were invasive alien plants. The surveyed vicinity of Goyangsan Mtn. and Munraesan Mtn. showed high plant diversity and contained core habitats for distribution of an endangered wild plant, Astilboides tabularis,in the limestone area. Moreover, both mountains contained a small population of Cotoneaster integerrimus. These findings confirm that the area has conservation values. Therefore, we propose to identify areas with high plant diversity and designate them as special protected areas.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.259-272
• /
• 2023

This study set up 49 survey areas with an area of about 400 square meters in Abies koreana natural habitat to identify the species composition and vegetation structure of the A. koreana forest in the Mt. Jiri Nation Park, conducted field surveys using phytosociological methods, and performed the cluster analysis using the Two-Way Indicator Species Analysis (TWINSPAN) and Table manipulation. Subsequently, species composition analysis using the importance value, species diversity analysis, DBH analysis, sapling analysis, and similarity analysis was conducted by each cluster type. The cluster analysis classified the A. koreana forest in Mt. Jiri into five clusters, A, B, C, D, and E. The forest was divided into two clusters, Magnolia sieboldii-Dryopteris crassirhizoma-Sasa borealis and Betula ermanii-Solidago virgaurea-Calamagrostis arundinacea. The former was classified as type A and B by Cornus controversa-Hydrangea macrophylla, and the latter was classified as type E, a typical community, and a Sorbus commixta-Rhododendron mucronulatum cluster. And the S. commixta-R. mucronulatum cluster was divided into C type and D type by Picea jezoensis-Ligularia fischeri and Ainsliaea acerifolia. Through vegetation analysis, the importance value of A. koreana, Quercus mongolica, Acer pseudosieboldianum, Fraxinus sieboldiana, and B. ermanii was highly expressed in the A. koreana forest in Mt. Jiri. Regarding species diversity, the results were similar to those reported in other studies of A. koreana forests in Mt. Jiri. The analysis of diameter at breast height (DBH) showed that A. koreana dominated all layers, and the growth of saplings was also good, indicating that the dominance of A. koreana is expected to continue for a while. However, when considering the value of biodiversity that is expected to increase and threats caused by climate change, systematic preservation and management are required to respond to various threats based on continuous monitoring.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.147-154
• /
• 2011

Decision making in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Consultation on the Coastal Area Utilization (CCAU) is footing on the survey reports, thus requires concrete and accurate information on the natural habitats. In spite of the importance of reporting the ecological quality and status of habitats, the accumulated knowledge and recent techniques in ecology such as the use of investigated cases and indicators/indices have not been utilized in evaluation processes. Even the EIA report does not contain sufficient information required in a decision making process for conservation and development. In addition, for CCAU, sampling efforts were so limited that only two or a few stations were set in most study cases. This hampers transferring key ecological information to both specialist review and decision making processes. Hence, setting the effective number of sampling stations can be said as a prior step for better assessment. We introduced a few statistical techniques to determine the number of sampling stations in macrobenthos surveys. However, the application of the techniques requires a preliminary study that cannot be performed under the current assessment frame. An analysis of the spatial configuration of sampling stations from 19 previous studies was carried out as an alternative approach, based on the assumption that those configurations reported in scientific journal contribute to successful understanding of the ecological phenomena. The distance between stations and number of sampling stations in a $4{\times}4$ km unit area were calculated, and the medians of each parameter were 2.3 km, and 3, respectively. For each study, approximated survey area (ASA, $km^2$) was obtained by using the number of sampling stations in a unit area (NSSU) and total number of sampling stations (TNSS). To predict either appropriate ASA or NSSU/TNSS, we found and suggested statistically significant functional relationship among ASA, survey purpose and NSSU. This empirical approach will contribute to increasing sampling effort in a field survey and communicating with reasonable data and information in EIA and CCAU.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.87 no.4
• /
• pp.535-542
• /
• 1998

This study was carried out for the purpose of supplying the basic data for artificial forestation, natural regeneration and ecological conservation etc., and obtaining information on alpine vegetation, by establishing vegetation units on the basis of phytosociological classification of community and studying growth pattern on the basis of species composition, hierarchy structure and population dynamics, for Taxes cuspidata naturally growing at the alpine districts in Korea. The importance value of Taxus cuspidata by districts mostly showed above 100 in the upper story but at Mt. Chiri and Mt. Hanra communities its value was comparatively low. In the middle story it showed lower value than that of upper story and not quite showed at Mt. Chiri. Taxus cuspidata communities in the lower story were only in Mt. Hanra, Mt. Odae and Mt. Sobaek, and their importance values were about 10 which were relatively low values. The communities were classified into five groups as Taxus cuspidata-Males baccata var. mandshurica, Taxus cuspidata-Abies nephrolepis, Taxus cuspidata-Abies koreana, Taxus cuspidata-Acer mono and Taxus cuspidata-Euonymus quelpaertensis by TWINSPAN analysis. Taxus cuspidata-Abies koreana community was distributed at the northern aspect of the mountain ridges and at higher elevation than other communities and distributed. Taxus cuspidata-Acer mono community was relatively low than the others and distributed at the hillsides of mountain. And Taxus cuspidata-Euonymus quelpaertensis communities were distributed at the relatively high elevation and northern and eastern aspect of the mountain tap, and Taxus cuspidata-Malus baccata var. mandshurica communities were distributed at the medium elevation, and southern and eastern aspect of the mountain ridge. In the relation between communities and environmental factors, it was correlated with aspect, elevation and topography at the first axis, and elevation, slope at the second axis.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.85-97
• /
• 2010

This study analyzed the distribution, structure and environmental condition of the vegetation of the Chionanthus retusus Lindly et Paxton community at the Wansanchielbong in the Jeonju city to offer basic data for sustainable conservation and ecological management system. And the results are as follows; 1. The average pH of soil at the community was pH 5.69 and it was slightly higher than the average of forest soil pH of Korea. But if the degree of pH will be down, it will be needed some more fertilization of Calcium. 2. The total average for contents of organism was 4.98%. And the nitrate - nitrogen content(mg/kg) of A, B, C, D quadrat was 20.29%, 28.87%, 7.65%, and 23.3% respectively. And there were good condition except quadrat C which was contaminated by amount of earth and sand. 3. The flora of the Chionanthus retusus Lindly et Paxton community was listed as 60 taxa; 37 families, 50 genera, 47 species, 10 varieties and 3 forms. The average appearance species of each Quadrat were A sector 30, B sector 26, C sector 19 and D 19 taxa respectively. 4. Surveyed woody plants in the community were as follows : Chionanthus retusus, Zelkova serrata, Quercus variabilis, Cornus walteri, Robinia pseudo-acacia and those were mixed status. And Chionanthus retusus, Zelkova serrata, Robinia pseudo-acacia, Albizzia julibrisin, Cudrania tricuspidata, Symplocos chinensis for. pilosa were mixed in mid layer trees. Herbaceous plants were founded such as Chionanthus retusus, Zelkova serrata, Robinia pseudo-acacia, Grewia parviflora, Rosa multiflora, Trachelospermum asiaticum was dominant with 35~64% in the ground cover, and Commelina communis, Calamagrostis arundinacea, Dryopteris bissetiana, Lilium lancifolium were founded also. 5. The importance values of Chionanthus retusus was 40.2% in the quadrat A1, 50.2% at quadrat A, 50.0% B1, 45.2% B2, 22.4% C1, 73.6% C2, 33.2% D1 and the total average of I.V. was 44.9%. 6. The average height of surveyed Chionanthus retusus was 5.7m and the average DBH was 12.4cm. The number of trees higher than 2m were 107 and the number of trees lower than 2m were 63. The total numbers of Chionanthus retusus were 170. 7. The age of surveyed Chionanthus retusus were analyzed 42 thru 87 years old and that of Zelkova serrata were 42, Quercus variabilis were 60, Quercus aliena were 48, Robinia pseudo-acacia were 40. 8. The number of trees with DBH 40 through 50cm were 6, and that of 30~39cm were 3, and that of 20~29cm were 16, so the total number that was over 20cm was 25. And there were 70 trees under 10cm of DBH and 63 seedlings. It will be very important data to conserve the habitat that the structure and environmental condition of the Chionanthus retusus Lindly et Paxton community at the Wansanchielbong was stable, and sustainable monitoring will be needed. Now that community is nurse forest of Jeonju City but more positive preservation plan will be needed and assigning monument of city or province also be necessary.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.100 no.4
• /
• pp.577-584
• /
• 2011

To estimate level of genetic variation and genetic differentiation among populations of 3 populations in Abies koreana and 5 populations in Abies nephrolepis, 5 nSSR markers were analyzed. Except 1 locus where too many alleles were observed excessively, population genetic parameters were recalculated with 4 loci. Mean expected heterozygosities ($H_e$) were 0.292 in A. koreana and 0.220 in A. nephrolepis, respectively. In both species, positive fixation coefficient was estimated (F=0.065 for A. koreana and F=0.095 for A. nephrolepis), which suggests that there is an excess of homozygotes relative to Hardy-Weinberg expectations within populations. Relatively high degree of population differentiation was observed in A. koreana ($F_{ST}=0.063$). compared to that of A. nephrolepis ($F_{ST}=0.039$). From 3-level Hierarchical estimation of F-staticstics, only 4.9% of the genetic variation was allocated between species ($F_{PT}$), which suggested that most of genetic variation was shared between two species. On the basis of results from analysis of genetic relationships among populations, 2 populations of A. koreana (Mt. Halla and Mt. Deogyu) were genetically distinct from the populations of A. nephrolepis but a population of Mt. Jiri was allocated within a group of populations of A. nephrolepis. Populations of both species seemed to have undergone genetic drift due to gradual decrease in population size induced by global warming after the last glacier, which resulted in increase of homozygotes by inbreeding. It could be also postulated that these species might be diverged recently and It is likely that the two species have not fully speciated yet.