• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.129-137
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• 2008

Alien apple snails (Pomacea canaliculata, Pomacea insularus) used in environmentally-friendly agriculture are different from indigenous snails found in Korea. Due to high herbicidal effects and cost-effectiveness, the number of farmers using the snails has been growing every year since 2000. Moreover, in 2008, because of the outbreaks of avian influenza throughout the country from March to May, 2008, central and local governments recommended the use of alien apple snails in agriculture as an alternative to the ducks-oriented environmentally-friendly agriculture. Therefore, it is expected that the use of alien apple snails in agriculture should be expanded in a near future. Since alien apple snails lay eggs with 95.8% of eclosion rate, they are considered to be potential pests unlike indigenous snails. In addition, Japan, Taiwan and most of the southeast Asian countries had already experienced severe ecological and agricultural damage by the alien apple snails. Subsequently, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) designated P. canaliculata as one of "the 100 of the world's worst invasive alien species". It seems highly likely that the alien apple snails in Korea pose a potential threat to conservation of ecosystem and biodiversity since the snails were either found or invaded into the natural environments in some regions of Gangwon-Do and southern parts of Korean Peninsula. However, just recently, agricultural authorities and farmers using alien apple snails in agriculture opposed a proposition of designating the alien apple snails as an ecosystem-disturbing animal described by the Wildlife Protection Act. This is because there has been no concrete evidence of the ecological risk imposed by the alien snails up to now in Korea. Subsequently, in this paper, we analysed the ecological and agricultural risks imposed by the alien snails from the studies done in domestic and abroad. In addition, we proposed an urgent need and reasoning for ecological risk management of the alien snails at the national level as well as using the snails in agriculture.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.87-95
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• 2005

Vegetation structure of the vascular plants was investigated from March 2003 to October 2003 in Haepyeong wetland, Gumi-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea. Actual vegetation of Haepyeong wetland largely can be classified by floristic composition and physiognomy into 18 communities; Xanthium strumarium-Digitaria sanguinalis, Humulus japonicus, Persicaria perfoliata-Humulus japonicus, Phragmites japonica-Miscanthus sacchariflorus, Persicaria hydropiper-Phragmites communis, Persicaria hydropiper, Phragmites japonica-Persicaria hydropiper, Miscanthus sacchariflorus- Phragmites japonica, Persicaria hydropiper-Phragmites japonica, Miscanthus sacchariflorus-Salix glandulosa, Salix nipponica-Salix glandulosa, Salix nipponica-Salix koreensis, Salix nipponica, Miscanthus sacchariflorus-Salix nipponica, Phalaris arundinacea-Salix nipponica, Salix glandulosa-Salix nipponica, Trapa japonica, and Ceratophyllum demersum-Trapa japonica. Among them, the area of the Salix nipponica-Salix koreensis community was the largest as 122.2ha(9.23%). The dominant vegetation type was Miscanthus sacchariflorus-Persicaria hydropiper community based on phytosociological method, and it was was classified into three subcommunities; Salix glandulosa-Salix nipponica subcommunity, Digitaria sanguinalis subcommunity, and Cyperus amuricus subcommunity. Differential species of Salix glandulosa-Salix nipponica subcommunity were Salix nipponica, S. glandulosa, S. koreensis, Scirpus radicans, Persicaria maackiana, and Achyranthes japonica; differential species of Digitaria sanguinalis subcommunity were D. sanguinalis, Setaria viridis, Ambrosia artemisiifolia var. elatior, and Cyperus orthostachyus; differential species of Xanthium strumarium subcommunity were X. strumarium, Acalypha australis, Erigeron canadensis, Echinochloa crus-galli, and Vicia tetrasperma. Zonation of vascular hydrophytes and hygrophytes was as followers: Salix glandulosa, S. koreensis, S. nipponica were distributed in the region of land which water table is low, and Persicaria maackiana, Persicaria hydropiper, Scirpus radicans were distributed in the understory. And emergent plants such as Phragmites communis and Scirpus karuizawensis, floating-leaved plant such as Trapa japonica, submersed plant such as Ceratophyllum demersum, and free floating plant such as Spirodela polyrhiza formed the zonation from shoreline to water. The specified wild plants designated by the Korean Association for Conservation of Nature, Ministry of Forest, and Ministry of Environment were not distributed in the study area. It was expected that Haepyeong Wetland worthy of conservation contributed purifying water pollution, giving habitats of many lifes, and providing beautiful scenes of the river.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.396-418
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• 2018

This study was carried out to investigate the flora and the vegetation of Samusan mountain on Jecheon-si, located in the middle part of the Korean peninsula. The vascular plants which were collected in 9 times from June 2014 to October 2015 were identified as 502 taxa in total, including 102 families, 314 genera, 445 species, 6 subspecies, 49 varieties, 1 form and 1 hybrid. The largest families were as follows; Asteraceae (70 taxa), Poaceae (52 taxa), Rosaceae (30 taxa), Fabaceae (28 taxa), and Cyperaceae (20 taxa). Of them, Korean endemic plants numbered 10 taxa, and vascular plants listed in the red data according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) numbered 14 taxa. The floristic regional indicator plants found in this area were 61 taxa in total. Among them, 5 taxa revealed the floristic grade V, 11 for floristic grade IV, 14 for floristic grade III, 10 for floristic grade II, and 21 for floristic grade I. The alien plants were identified as 43 taxa and the percentage of naturalized index (NI) was 8.6%, and urbanization index (UI) was 13.4%, respectively. Samples of the forest vegetation on the Samusan Mt. were mainly classified as Pinus densiflora, Quercus variabilis, Q. acutissima, Q. mongolica, Zelkova serrata and Robinia pseudoacacia forest. The vertical structures of the forest were stable and the DBH-Class analyses showed that the dominant tree species would be maintained. In the surveyed areas, high plant diversity was shown, and a number of endemic, rare, calcicole plants and phytogeographically important plants were found. Nonetheless, numerous and diverse biological resources native have been consistently disturbed or damaged by human activities without some form of protection. Therefore, it is needed to set up strategies for conservation forest vegetation in this study area.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.317-326
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• 2021

The present study was carried out with a view to understand the distribution and ecology of Clihton retropictus (Martens, 1879), a class II endangered wildlife designated and protected by the Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea, and to suggest the effective conservation and management measures for this species and its habit. First, the distribution of Clihton retropictus was investigated nationwide, and environmental factors such as salinity and substratum were analyzed in consideration of the ecological characteristics of this species. In addition, the individual size, density, and movement of Clihton retropictus per each district surveyed were analyzed. Due to its nature of inhabiting in the brackish water zone, the analysis showed that the salinity of this species was 0.7 ~ 16.6‰ at low tide and 1.0 ~ 17.3% at high tide. It was learned from the analysis of substratum that its composition in each river under investigation was slightly different, but most of substratum had a higher composition ratio than gravel (pebble, 16 ~ 64 mm). On the other hand, the size of each individual was checked by measuring the length of its diameter, and there was almost no change in the individual when the inhabited range of Clihton retropictus was short. However, there was tendency that the longer the habitat range, the bigger the individual size. From surveying the population density by season, it was made clear that, during the summer (July to August) and fall (September to October), the density was relatively higher while the number of individuals decreased significantly during winter (November to December) when the water temperature was lowered. In an effort to effectively establish conservation and management measures, the moving distance was measured, and it became known that, during the surveys in summer and fall when the individuals were active, the individuals moved in more distances than during the winter survey. The results of this study are expected to be utilized as basic data for establishing effective management plans such as creation of habitats for Clihton retropictus, its migration projects and selection of migration destinations which get unavoidable due to development projects.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.525-547
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• 2021

The main purpose of this study is to examine the use of plant species in ecological restoration projects. To this end, planting drawings from 58 sites that had completed the return of the ecosystem conservation cooperation fund for the past six years were collected and analyzed. The analysis used the construction completion and design drawings to determine the overall selection status and analyze frequency by classifying planted plants into wild and cultivated plants by nature, size, vegetation climate, and upland and wetland habitat. The investigation and analysis process found many cases of wrong plant names, so an analysis was also performed on the matter. In the 58 investigation sites, 282 plants were used for planting: 91 tree species, 69 shrub species, 11 vine species, and 111 herbal species. The most commonly used plant species was Spiraea prunifolia f. simpliciflora, followed by Sorbus alnifolia, Quercus acutissima, Zoysia japonica, Callicarpa dichotoma, and Weigela subsessilisin that order. The most commonly used tree species was Sorbus alnifolia,followed by Quercus acutissima, Zelkova serrata, Chionanthus retusus, and Cornus officinalis, in that order. The most commonly used shrub species was Spiraea prunifolia f. simpliciflora, followed by Weigela subsessilis, Callicarpa dichotoma, Rhododendron yedoense f. poukhanense. and Euonymus alatusin that order. The most commonly used herbal plant species was Zoysia japonica, followed by Dendranthema zawadskii var. latilobum, Aster koraiensis, Miscanthus sacchariflorus, and Pennisetum alopecuroidesin that order. In the analysis by vegetation climate, Spiraea prunifolia f. simpliciflora, Callicarpa dichotoma, and Sorbus alnifoliawere most used in that order in both the temperate central and the warm temperate forest zones, but the pattern does not properly reflect the climate characteristics. In the analysis by habitat, Miscanthus sacchariflorus and Lythrum salicariawere most used in the wetland. In particular, the ratio of wild plants to cultivated plants was 76% to 24%, indicating the ratio of selecting cultivated plants was high. The names of plants on the drawings were mostly common names that did not appear in the Korea National Arboretum or the National Species List of Korea. It is necessary to use proper plant names in the future. Regarding the use of planting plants for ecological restoration, it is necessary to adopt the approach of diversifying selected plants, selecting plants according to characteristics of climate zones, and lowering the specifications of plants used for ecological restoration. Moreover, it is important to fully understand the ecological characteristics of wetland plants and minimize the ratio of using cultivated plants to ensure the plant selection centered on wild plants.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.166-177
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• 2016

This essay explores the problems with applying the concept of "original form" to natural heritage when it is based on originality and diachronic, historical period. It also suggests an alternative perception that the concept of "original form" can be considered based upon "integrity". First, the conceptual framework for applying the concept of "original form" falls into three types: one that centers on the time point at which heritage originated; another that respects the diachronic characteristics of the concept of "original form"; and the last that bases original form on a particular time after the heritage originated. Second, the national policy for the conservation of natural monuments and scenic sites stayed at the level of consulting the Decree on the Preservation of Treasures, Historical Remains, Scenic Sites, and Natural Monuments of Joseon, under Japanese colonial rule. And after the legal framework was established through enacting and proclaiming of the Cultural Heritage Protection Act in 1962, 564 cases have been designated as natural monuments. Third, the natural conservation movement, the first national policy for natural heritage, was initiated from the heritage field, but the Environment Ministry subsumed all nature-related policies and ever since the heritage agency (Cultural Heritage Administration) has implemented only heritage policies regarding "cultural" heritage. The present state of the coexisting policies about the natural heritage by the Environment Ministry and the Cultural Heritage Administration resulted in leading the public confused about official terms and main policy agency of natural heritage. Fourth, the difficulty of applying the concept of "original form" to natural heritage stems from the fact that natural heritage is inherently distinct from cultural heritage, which is placed at the center of the heritage policies implemented by the heritage agency. In addition, natural heritage, similarly distinct from the overall natural environment, has evolved in a way that incorporates human culture and thus diversely includes characteristics of originality, diachrony, and historical period. Under these circumstances, an incorporative, professional approach is required rather than independent approaches for each type of natural heritage. In conclusion, this essay suggests that issues related to the restoration of original conditions of natural heritage should be resolved through the application of the "integrity" concept by restoring "the characteristics of an object or a place that imbue it with meaning and value," with consideration given to efforts for alleviating logical contradictions within the concept of "original form" through the preparation of standards and guidelines for the restoration of original condition.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.80-95
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to establish an effective protection and management system for World Heritage (WH) nomination of Southwestern Coast Tidal Flat (SCTF) by proposing a model of protection and management. SCTF has a potential to become a representative best practice to achieve a sustainable development for human society. SCTF has a potential Outstanding Universal Values (OUVs) for WH nomination, thus a harmony between human and nature for wise use of natural resources needs to be pursued. It is required to present the system of SCTF's protection and management and to analyze present status of the regions in the Tentative List by comparing the case which were already inscribed as WH. For better protection of nominated areas, SCTF should expand an area for protection with additional designation. For the management system, two separate management systems such as the Department of Culture & Tourism and the Department of Oceans & Fisheries need to be reconciled. Because of this overlapping management structure, the management of the nominated sites has been inefficient and long-term management plan is lacking. Therefore, it is necessary to integrate conflicting management system of each local government and make a long-term, integrated management plan. To make an efficient and sustainable protection and management, it is essential to set up a collaboration system by integrating various stakeholders such as central and local governments, academic organizations, local residents, and NGOs. As in the case of Wadden Sea, the combined community system of the stakeholders mentioned above should be established. Because it is essential for local residents to understand a basic concepts for protection and management, it is necessary to establish capacity-building of local people. The protection and management structure should be set up by bottom-up processes, that is the proper structure shoud be based on thorough research on local society as well as thorough communication with local residents to make relevant laws and policies. This study also propose the proper plan for better conservation and management of SCTF.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.106-121
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• 2011

The number of World Natural Heritage Sites is smaller than that of World Cultural Heritage Sites. As of 2010, the total number of natural sites was 180, which is less than 1/3 of all cultural sites. The reason why the number of natural sites is smaller can be attributed to the evaluating criteria of OUV(outstanding universal value). Only 9 fossil related sites were designated as World Heritage Sites among 180 Natural Sites. This study compares their OUVs including the academic value and characteristics of the 9 World Heritage Sites to provide data and reference for KCDC(Korean Cretaceous Dinosaur Coast) to apply as a World Natural Heritage Site. This study was carried out to obtain information and data on the Wadi Al-Hitan of Egypt which was designated as a World Natural Heritage Site. The study includes field investigation for whale fossils, interviews of site paleontologists and staff, and inspections of facilities. Three factors can likely be attributed to its successful management and operating system. First, there is a system for comprehensive research and a monitoring plan. Secondly, experts have been recruited and hired and professional training for staff members has been done properly. Finally, the Wadi Al-Hitan has developed local resources with specialized techniques for conservation and construction design, which matched well with whale fossils and the environment at the site. The Wadi Al-Hitan put a master plan into practice and achieved goals for action plans. To designate a future World Natural Heritage Site in Korea, it is important to be recognized by international experts including IUCN specialists as the best in one's field with OUV. Full-time regular-status employees for a research position are necessary from the preparation stage for the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Local government and related organizations must do their best to control monitoring plans and to improve academic value after the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation. As we experienced during the designation process of Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes as the first Korean World Natural Heritage Site, participation by various scholars and specialists need to be in harmony with active endeavors from local governments and NGOs.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.21-31
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• 2024

Macromia daimoji Okumura, 1949 was designated as an endangered species and also categorized as Class II Endangered wildlife on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List in Korea. The spatial distribution of this species ranged within a region delimited by northern latitude from Sacheon-si(35.1°) to Yeoncheon-gun(38.0°) and eastern longitude from Yeoncheon-gun(126.8°) to Yangsan-si(128.9°). They generally prefer microhabitats such as slowly flowing littoral zones of streams, alluvial stream islands and temporarily formed puddles in the sand-based lowland streams. The objectives of this study were to analyze the similarity of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in M. daimoji habitats, to predict the current potential distribution patterns as well as the changes of distribution ranges under global climate change circumstances. Data was collected both from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and by field surveys from April 2009 to September 2022. We adopted MaxEnt model to predict the current and future potential distribution for M. daimoji using downloaded 19 variables from the WorldClim database. The differences of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in the mainstream of Nakdonggang were smaller than those in its tributaries and the other streams, based on the surrounding environments and stream sizes. MaxEnt model presented that potential distribution displayed high inhabiting probability in Nakdonggang and its tributaries. Applying to the future scenarios by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), SSP1 scenario was predicted to expand in a wide area and SSP5 scenario in a narrow area, comparing with current potential distribution. M. daimoji is not only directly threatened by physical disturbances (e.g. river development activities) but also vulnerable to rapidly changing climate circumstances. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the habitat environments and establish conservation strategies for preserving population of M. daimoji.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.204-216
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• 2024

Understanding the trade-off effect in ecosystem services and measuring the interrelationships between services are crucial for managing limited environmental resources. Accordingly, in this study, we identified the dominant trends and increases and decreases in ecosystem services derived from changes in land cover over about 30 years and tracked changes in the relationships between ecosystem services that occurred over time. Through it, we determined the relationship between land cover changes and ecosystem service changes, as well as the distinct characteristics of service changes in different areas. The research primarily utilized the InVEST model, an ecosystem service assessment model. After standardizing the evaluation results between 0 and 1, it went through principal component analysis, a dimensionality reduction technique, to observe the time-series changes and understand the relationships between the services. According to the research results, the area of urbanized regions dramatically increased between 1989 and 2019, while forests showed a significant increase between 2009 and 2019. Between 1989 and 2019, the national ecosystem service supply witnessed a 13.9% decrease in water supply, a 10.5% decrease in nitrogen retention, a 2.6% increase in phosphorus retention, a 0.9% decrease in carbon storage, a 1.2% increase in air purification, and a 3.4% decrease in habitat quality. Over the past 30 years, South Korea experienced an increase in urbanized areas, a decrease in agricultural land, and an increase in forests, resulting in a trade-off effect between phosphorus retention and habitat quality. This study concluded that South Korea's environment management policies contribute to improving ecosystem quality, which has declined due to urbanization, and maximizing ecosystem services. These findings can help policymakers establish and implement forestry policies focusing on sustainable environmental conservation and ecosystem service provision.