• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.208-217
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• 2020

A biopolymer based on microorganism-derived β-glucan and xanthan gum is being studied as a new eco-friendly material that stabilizes the riverbank slope, and also promotes vegetation growth. However, it is still inconclusive whether biopolymers have a positive effect on plant performance in the riverbanks which are subjected to various climatic factors and plant competitions. For a practical ecological evaluation of the biopolymers, their effect on plant growth promotion was studied in a natural environment. Considering the relationship between competition and plant community formation, the effects of biopolymers on competition were also investigated. For four plant species (Echinochloa crus-galli, Pennisetum alopecuroides, Leonurus japonicus, and Coreopsis lanceolata), the biopolymer effects under intra/interspecific competition were tested at the riverbank (20 m × 10 m) near Samjigyo Bridge in Damyang-gun, Jeollanam-do. A biopolymer powder was mixed with water and commercial soil following the manufacturer's recommendations. The soil mixed with the biopolymer was filled in a pot or applied to the surface of the commercial soil with a thickness of 3 cm. Across the competition treatments, the biopolymer treatment promoted root growth of the target plant species and decreased the specific leaf area. The total biomass and shoot dry weight of P. alopecuroides increased in response to the biopolymer treatment. The competition treatment decreased the total biomass and shoot dry weight compared to the case without competition. Notably, such a competitive effect was similar in all the biopolymer treatments. Thus, biopolymers, when mixed with soil, promote the growth of some plant species, but do not appear to affect the competitive ability of plants.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.46-53
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• 2009

Urbanization brings several changes to the natural environment. Its consequences can have a direct effect on climatic features, as in the Urban Heat Island Effect. One factor that directly affects the urban climate is the green area. In urban areas, vegetation is suppressed in order to accommodate manmade buildings and streets. In this paper we analyze the effect of green areas on the urban temperature in Seoul. The period selected for analysis was July 30th, 2007. The ground temperature was measured using Landsat TM satellite imagery. Land cover was calculated in terms of city area, water, bare soil, wet lands, grass lands, forest, and farmland. We extracted the surface temperature using the Linear Regression Model. Then, we did a regression analysis between air temperature at the Automatic Weather Station and surface temperature. Finally, we calculated the temperature decrease area and the population benefits from the green areas. Consequently, we determined that a green area with a radius of 500m will have a temperature reduction area of $67.33km^2$, in terms of urban area. This is 11.12% of Seoul's metropolitan area and 18.09% of the Seoul urban area. We can assume that about 1,892,000 people would be affected by this green area's temperature reduction. Also, we randomly chose 50 places to analysis a cross section of temperature reduction area. Temperature differences between the boundaries of green and urban areas are an average of $0.78^{\circ}C$. The highest temperature difference is $1.7^{\circ}C$, and the lowest temperature difference is $0.3^{\circ}C$. This study has demonstrated that we can understand how green areas truly affect air temperature.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.83 no.4
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• pp.545-555
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• 1994

The objective of the study was to provide the useful scientific data on the early rehabilitation of the legging road after timber harvesting in the forest area. This study was carried out at logging roads which were constructed during 1989 and 1994 in Mt. Baekwoon. The field survey was conducted in July, 1991. Judging from the analysis of soil bulk density, time required for recovery as the undisturbed forest soil condition was more than 10 years in the road which was left, and the regression equation is as follows, $$Y_1=1.4195-0.0744{\cdot}X(R^2=0.91)$$ $$Y_2=1.4673-0.0688{\cdot}X(R^2=0.73)$$ (X : elapsed year after road construction. $Y_1$, $Y_2$ : soil bulk density($g/cm^3$) at 0~7.5cm, and 7.5~15.0cm, respectively) Especially soil bulk density with buffer strip-woods was $0.890-0.903g/cm^3$, so it was 20% lower than that of logging road surface without buffer strip-woods. Among the 7 factors, location, sand content, and soil hardness had statistically significant effect on the soil bulk density in logging road surface. The pioneer species on logging road surface were Rhus cratargifolius, Prunus chinensis, and Lespedeza cyrtobotrya, etc. in woody species, and Pteridium aquilinum, Arundinella hirta, and Lysimachia clethroides, etc. in herb species. So, in process of year, average plant coverage were 70% on cutting and banking slope and 20% on logging road surface which elapsed 6 years after logging road construction. Through this research, buffer strip-woods must be remained for environmental conservation of forest conditions, and from the time to be closed the road, planting, seeding, and grazing works could be effective to the soil condition and vegetation recovery.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.229-237
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• 2015

This study aims to offer basic data to effectively preserve and manage pine forests using more precise pine forests' distribution status. In this regard, this study predicts the geographical distribution change of pine forests growing in South Korea, due to climate change, and evaluates the spatial distribution characteristics of pine forests by age. To this end, this study predicts the potential distribution change of pine forests by applying the MaxEnt model useful for species distribution change to the present and future climate change scenarios, and analyzes the effects of bioclimatic variables on the distribution area and change by age. Concerning the potential distribution regions of pine forests, the pine forests, aged 10 to 30 years in South Korea, relatively decreased more. As the area of the region suitable for pine forest by age was bigger, the decreased regions tend to become bigger, and the expanded regions tend to become smaller. Such phenomena is conjectured to be derived from changing of the interaction of pine forests by age from mutual promotional relations to competitive relations in the similar climate environment, while the regions suitable for pine forests' growth are mostly overlap regions. This study has found that precipitation affects more on the distribution of pine forests, compared to temperature change, and that pine trees' geographical distribution change is more affected by climate's extremities including precipitation of driest season and temperature of the coldest season than average climate characteristics. Especially, the effects of precipitation during the driest season on the distribution change of pine forests are irrelevant of pine forest's age class. Such results are expected to result in a reduction of the pine forest as the regions with the increase of moisture deficiency, where climate environment influencing growth and physiological responses related with drought is shaped, gradually increase according to future temperature rise. The findings in this study can be applied as a useful method for the prediction of geographical change according to climate change by using various biological resources information already accumulated. In addition, those findings are expected to be utilized as basic data for the establishment of climate change adaptation policies related to forest vegetation preservation in the natural ecosystem field.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.105-123
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• 2018

Currently, satellite images act as essential and important data in water resources, environment, and ecology as well as information of geographic information system. In this paper, we will investigate basic characteristics of satellite images, especially application examples in water resources. In recent years, researches on spatial and temporal characteristics of large-scale regions utilizing the advantages of satellite imagery have been actively conducted for fundamental hydrological components such as evapotranspiration, soil moisture and natural disasters such as drought, flood, and heavy snow. Furthermore, it is possible to analyze temporal and spatial characteristics such as vegetation characteristics, plant production, net primary production, turbidity of water bodies, chlorophyll concentration, and water quality by using various image information utilizing various sensor information of satellites. Korea is planning to launch a satellite for water resources and environment in the near future, so various researches are expected to be activated on this field.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.31-41
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• 2016

Deutzia paniculata is an endemic species to the Korean Peninsula. Despite of importance for conservation, the population structure and habitat characteristics of D. paniculata have not been determined yet. We analyzed the ecological characteristics of the species based on the literature review and field survey. Field survey was conducted on May to October 2014 during which 11 quadrats of size $15{\times}15m$ were studied in six regions. Each of the quadrats were further divided into $5{\times}5m$ small quadrats and population characteristics were recorded. The population and habitat characteristics were analyzed, including species abundance (density and coverage), demographic attributes (flowering rates and fruiting plants), vegetation (structure, species composition), light availability (transmitted light and canopy openness) and soil characteristics (temperature and humidity). We found that D. paniculata mainly distributed in Gyeongsangdo (including Taebaek in Gangwondo) along a broad elevational range of 290~959 m (mean: 493 m) above sea level. In preferred habitat the species grows within the slope range of $7^{\circ}$ and $35^{\circ}$ with the average of $16^{\circ}$. D. paniculata was generally distributed on talus deposits and low adjacent slopes. The average number of individual plants per small quadrat was 12.5 with the mean density $0.5stems\;m^{-2}$. The vegetative reproduction was frequent in D. paniculata and mean flowering rate was as low as 15%. Altogether 138 taxa were found in whole observation area with the dominant tree species mainly spring ephemerals, such as Cornus controversa (importance value: 25.5%) and Fraxinus rhynchophylla (importance value: 15.8%). Although, C. controversa usually grows on steep slopes and F. rhynchophylla mostly distributed at high-altitudes, however, both species distributed in disturbed environments and among talus deposits. Thus based on our results, we concluded that D. paniculata is a disturbance-prone species, primarily existing in habitats subjected to natural disturbances, such as floods. The species occurs less at anthropogenically disturbed sites, thus there is no apparent threat to the populations and habitat of D. paniculata.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.307-318
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• 2010

This study was to analyze the ecological conditions, based on physical habitat, chemical, and biological conditions before (2006, 2007) and after ecological restoration (2009) in five sites of Changwon Stream (CS) and six sites of Nam Stream (NS), respectively, and then to compare ecological health between the two period. The analysis of ecological health was based on the multimetric models of Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) and Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) along with water chemistry in the streams. For the study, the models of IBI and QHEI were modified as 8 and 11 metric attributes, respectively. For the evaluations, the survey was conducted in the period of 2006~2007 before the restoration and in 2009 after the restoration by the city. Chemical conditions, based on conductivity, in both streams showed a typical longitudinal declines along the axis of the upstream-to-downstream. There were no significant differences (p>0.05) in water quality between the two periods. Values of IBI in the CS and NS averaged 21.6 and 19.7, respectively, indicating a C grade in the criteria of Ministry of Environment, Korea, and there was no significant differences in the IBI between the two periods. Values of QHEI after the restoration averaged 29.2 and 63.2 in the CS and NS, respectively and the values decreased markedly especially, in the NS (35.3) after the restoration. The habitat disturbance was mainly attributed to destructions (i.e., the narrower width of riparian vegetation and higher substrate exposure by the air) of artificial materials by massive flood in 2009. Overall, our results suggest that the restoration was not effective in the two streams between the two periods, even if the budget was used a lot and that such ecological restoration, not considered the natural disaster, may not effect for the stream restoration.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.160-166
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• 2014

This study was aimed at looking into the distribution status and age structure of Abies holophylla population in Sudo-Am temple forest. It was found that a total of 302 individuals of Abies holophylla existed which were more than 2m in height within the study area. Furthermore the population size is one of the largest in the southern region of Korea. The CBH of Abies holophylla ranged from 1.5 cm to 500.8 cm. Age structure of Abies holophylla looks like a gourd-shaped bottle. This means that they have an unstable structure status and do not survive very long. This status results from a variety of factors including, vegetation succession, anthropogenic activities, and global warming. The environmental characteristics of Abies holophylla population was $931{\pm}64.5m$ in mean altitude, $19.2{\pm}8.7^{\circ}$ in mean slope in the northeastern and southeastern area of the slope direction, and $1,324,323{\pm}174,459wh\;m^{-2}$ in average of direct normal irradiation. Among the site environmental factors, the significant ones which influence the potential habitat for Abies holophylla distribution were chosen using the MaxEnt model. According to the results of this study, altitude and slope were found as the important factors. The average value of environmental conditions by ROC analysis were altitude 903.2 m, slope $20.04^{\circ}$, irradiation $1,352.248wh\;m^{-2}$, and the southeastern aspect.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 2009

From 2006 to 2008, natural habitat of Sparassis crispa were surveyed for investigating ecological conditions at sixteen different sites in Korea. The investigated sites showed very wide altitudinal distribution ranged from 240 meters to 1,100 meters above the sea level. In general, S. crispa showed distinct feature of heart-rot fungi as it occurs on soils around the stems of larch (Larix kaempferi) and Korean white pine (Pinus koraiensis). But it also could be found on stems or on the stumps of dead trees, which indicated that the fungus might have several invasion routes and capabilities to grow on various ecological conditions. All of the sixteen sites were pure stands consisted with conifers such as larch or Korean white pine. The dominant tree layer showed $15.3{\sim}38.0$ meters for tree heights, thicker than twenty centimeters for the diameter at breast height (DBH), and all of them were older than thirty years. Since the stands were pure stand, species diversity of trees in the sites was extremely low. While the dominant tree layer showed only pure coniferous stand, the co-dominant tree layer, shrub layer and herbaceous layer showed more diverse features with higher Shannon-Wiener (H') indices. Soil texture of thirteen sites among sixteen investigated sites were loamy soils, and the contents of organic matter in soil were more or less higher than general forest soils in Korea with $3.79{\sim}14.32%$. The cation exchange capacity (CEC) was also relatively higher than general forest soils with $16.1{\sim}27.2$ cmol+/kg. The data indicated that the cauliflower mushroom occurring sites were relatively fertile than general forest soils. The soils were acidic with pH ranged from 4.2 to 5.2, which were typical features for conifer stands in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.374-390
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• 2015

This study aimed to identify the insect diversity and forest in urban green space, which can determine the current status of the ecosystem and provide basic data and information required for conservation planning and sustainable use of the environment. For this study, we have surveyed insect diversity by habitat types in the botanic garden of Wonkwang University, Iksan, from September, 2010 to September, 2011. During the research period, a total of 209 species, 78 families and 10 orders were observed, including 10 exportable species, 1 species of Korean Red List, 2 climate-sensitive indicator species and 70 designated species. Among these taxonomic groups, Coleoptera (36.36 %) showed the highest diversity with 76 species, followed by Hemiptera (25.36 %) with 46 species, Diptera (11.48 %) with 24 species and Hymenoptera (7.66 %) with 16 species. As for the diversity by survey time, the largest number of species were observed in September 2010 (52 families, 105 species), followed by May 2011 (37 families, 87 species), July 2011 (50 families, 86 species), June 2011 (40 families, 80 species) and August 2011 (43 families, 73 species). Relatively low diversity was observed in September 2011 (38 families, 60 species), October 2010 (36 families, 52 species) and April 2011 (19 families, 29 species). As for the diversity by survey point, the highest diversity was observed in S4 (75 families, 186 species, 88.99 %), followed by S1 (41 families, 70 species, 33.49 %), S2 (41 families, 63 species, 30.14 %), and S3 (36 families, 59 species, 28.22 %). According to the community analysis, the survey area S4 (H'=3.344, RI=9.257) showed the highest numbers in diversity index (H') and richness index (RI) of insects and S1 (0.985) showed the highest species evenness index (EI). On the other hand, S3 showed the lowest numbers (H'=2.428, RI=4.307, EI=0.832) in every index. The insect fauna is closely associated with the plants and vegetation structure in the green space. Therefore, it is necessary to manage and maintain the urban green space to make it similar to the natural environment.