• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.237-254
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• 2021

Background: Some of the introduced alien species introduced settle, multiply, and spread to become invasive alien species (IAS) that threaten biodiversity. To prevent this, Korea and other countries legally designate and manage alien species that pose a risk to the environment. Moreover, 2160 alien species have been introduced in South Korea, of which 1826 animals and 334 plants are designated. The inflow of IAS can have negative effects such as ecosystem disturbance, habitat destruction, economic damage, and health damage to humans. To prevent damage caused by the inflow of IAS in advance, species that could potentially pose a risk to the environment if introduced in South Korea were designated as alert alien species (AAS). Results: The designation criteria were in accordance with the "Act on the Conservation and Use of Biological Diversity" and the "Regulations on the Ecological Risk Assessment of AAS and IAS" by the National Institute of Ecology. The analysis result of risk and damage cases indicated that mammals affect predation, competition, human economic activity, virus infection, and parasite infection. Birds have been demonstrated to affect predation, competition, human economic activity, and health. It was indicated that plants intrude on the ecosystem by competing with native species with their high-population density and capacity to multiply and cause allergic inducement. Interestingly, 300 species, including 25 mammals, 7 birds, 84 fishes, 28 amphibians, 22 reptiles, 1 insect, 32 spiders, 1 mollusk, 1 arthropod, and 99 plants, are included in the list of AAS. Conclusions: AAS designation plays a role in preventing the reduction of biodiversity by IAS in South Korea and preserving native species. Moreover, it is determined to provide considerable economic benefits by preventing socio-economic losses and ecological damage.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.425-431
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• 2001

From an ecological point of view, the western part of the Atlantic sector is one of the most productive areas in the Southern Ocean. Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and krill-dependent predators such as fish, seals, and birds are abundant there, and most krill fisheries have operated in this area since 1970s. The hottest issues for the proper management of krill resources nowadays are to determine total biomass in this area, and to identify environmental forces controlling stock fluctuation. This paper reviews and collates information on ongoing oceanographic activities in the Antarctic Peninsula region concerning these issues. To delineate the status and function of Antarctic krill population in Antarctic marine ecosystems, multinational researches along the Antarctic Peninsula area have been developing recently. Four member states of CCAMLR (Japan, Russia, UK, and USA) had conducted acoustic surveys in January-February 2000 (socalled CCAMLR-2000 survey), and krill standing stock at 120 kHz was estimated to be 44.29 million metric tonnes in the western Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. On the other hand, the Southern Ocean GLOBEC (SO-GLOBEC) Programme has prepared a serial winter survey to examine the factors that govern krill survivorship and distribution in relation to shelf circulation processes. Ship-based surveys using ice-breakers are being conducted by three nations (Germany, UK, and USA) around the Marguerite Bay during the austral fall and winter 2001 and 2002. In addition to these two large-scale surveys, some CCAMLR members have carried out joint oceanographic surveys near the South Shetland Islands to detect ecosystem changes since 1994. Especially from December 1999 to February 2000, in conjunction with CCAMLR-2000 survey, four nations (Japan, Korea, Peru, and USA) conducted acoustic surveys to produce time-series information on krill distribution and biomass near the South Shetland areas. Though the aims of each program and the approach to solve the scientific questions were different each other, the results from each program fill the gaps between programs. Further cooperation and exchange in these activities could be beneficial to each program.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.111 no.2
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• pp.319-329
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• 2022

Using the structural equation model (SEM), this paper investigated the relations between the recognition of forest ecosystem services and the pro-environmental behavior with personal environmental commitment and environmental consciousness. The research data was collected from April 11 to 21, 2019, as an online survey by residents in Korea. 425(91.4%) of the total 465 copies were used as final analysis data, excluding insincere responses. Results showed that most respondents recognized forest ecosystem services as positive and recognition of forest ecosystem services has a positive impact on both environmental commitment and environmental consciousness. Moreover, cultural services positively affected both constructs more than supply and control services. The most significant total effect was the path of 'cultural services-environmental commitment-pro-environmental behavior'. Environmental commitment is more effective in inducing the behavior than environmental consciousness to those who consider forest ecosystem services significant. Even if forest ecosystem services are recognized as important, those with experience of commitment to the natural environment would have more intention of pro-environmental behavior. In conclusion, this study is meaningful in that it identified the hypothesized path relationship between the recognition of forest ecosystem services and the pro-environmental behavior and analyzed the antecedent factors.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.160-170
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to perform clustering of the habitat types and to identify the characteristics of species in the habitat types using mammal data (70,562) of the 3rd National Ecosystem Survey conducted from 2006 to 2012. The 15 habitat types recorded in the field-paper of the 3rd National ecosystem survey were reclassified, which was followed by the statistical analysis of mammal habitat types. In the habitat types cluster analysis, non-hierarchical cluster analysis (k-means cluster analysis), hierarchical cluster analysis, and non-metric multidimensional scaling method were applied to 14 habitat types recorded more than 30 times. A total of 7 Orders, 16 Families, and 39 Species of mammals were identified in the 3rd National Ecosystem Survey collected nationwide. When 11 clusters were classified by habitat types, the simple structure index was the highest (ssi = 0.07). As a result of the similarities and hierarchies between habitat types suggested by the hierarchical clustering analysis, the residential areas were the most different habitat types for mammals; the next following type was a cluster together with rivers and coasts. The results of the non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis demonstrated that both Mus musculus and Rattus norvegicus restrictively appeared in a residential area, which is the most discriminating habitat type. Lutra lutra restrictively appeared in coastal and river areas. In summary, according to our results, the mammalian habitat can be divided into the following four types: (1) the forest type (using forest as the main habitat and migration route); (2) the river type (using water as the main habitat); (3) the residence habitat (living near residential area); and (4) the lowland type (consuming grain or seeds as the main feeding resource).

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.279-317
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• 2020

This study presents the flora of nonvascular plants (bryophytes) and vascular plants within the Wangpicheon Ecosystem and Landscape Conservation Area in Korea. The time of the survey was divided into four seasons. The fieldwork was conducted for a total of 18 days from November of 2016 to October of 2017. The land plants in the Wangpicheon conservation area were identified as 758 taxa with 164 families, 455 genera, 698 species, 10 subspecies, 47 varieties and 3 forms. Among them, bryophytes amounted to 122 taxa and vascular plants numbered 636 taxa. Native plant amounted to 693 taxa. In total, there are 113 floristic target species in Korea, including one level V taxon, in this case Swertia wilfordii; six level IV taxa; 31 level III taxa; 38 level II taxa; and 37 level I taxa. There are nine endemic plants, including Sillaphyton (=Peucedanum) podagraria, which is the endemic genus; two rare plants; fifteen northern plants; and one southern plant as target plants adaptable to climate change. Also, there are forty-six naturalized plants and five ecosystem-disturbance organisms. The results of this study suggest several species that should be preserved and can serve as basic information with which to establish conservation and management plans for the Wangpicheon conservation area.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.491-511
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• 2013

In this study, three survey areas in Changnyeong, Miryang and Jinju of the confirmed the habitation of nutria and carried out the performance on the plant diet resource. From the habitat trace survey in the nutria habitat, a total of 336 trace points was shown. There were 181 trace points (54%) confirmed from St. 1 as the highest showing, followed by 52 trace points (15.4%) from St. 2, and 103 trace points (30.6)% from St. 3. The vascular plants distributed in the habitat area were a total of 182 taxonomic group with 57 families, 99 genus, 16 hybrids, and 1 race. The vascular plant living types in the habitat area are 1-year plant (Th, Th(w)) for 63class groups (34.6%), hemicryptophyte (H) for 42class groups(23.1%). plants, trees, crop plants were included. As a result of analyzing the overseas research cases on the diet plants of nutria, there are 195 taxonomic groups in a total of 39 families, 126 genus, 183 breeds, and 12 hybrids. In the study areas, feeding the plants was confirmed by the 7 taxonomic groups, aquatic plant, terrestrial From the total of 182 taxonomic groups discovered in the habitat area, 20 class groups, in 3 habitation region, 10 class groups of commonly appearing 49 class groups were shown to be the breed confirmed for diet in existing case studies, and assuming from it basis, the nutria habitating in the survey area is considered to have the supply of diverse diet resource to have flawless habitation. This is implication of having potential breeding possibility.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.558-572
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to classify the types of degraded areas of Mt. Jirisan section in Baekdudaegan and survey the actual condition of each damage type to use it as basic data for the direction of the restoration of damaged areas according to damage type based on the vegetation information of reference ecosystem. The analysis of the Mt. Jirisan section's actual degraded conditions showed that the total number of patches of degraded areas was 57, and the number of patches and size of degraded areas was higher at the low average altitude and gentle slope. Grasslands (deserted lands) and cultivated areas accounted for a high portion of the damage types, indicating that agricultural land use was a major damage factor. The survey on the conditions of 14 degraded areas showed that the types of damage were classified into the grassland, cultivated area, restoration area, logged-off land, and bare ground. The analysis of the degree of disturbance (the ratio of annual and biennial herb, urbanized index, and disturbance index) by each type showed that the simple single-layer vegetation structure mostly composed of the herbaceous and the degree of disturbance were high in the grassland and cultivated land. The double-layer vegetation structure appeared in the restoration area where the pine seedlings were planted, and the inflow of naturalized plants was especially high compared to other degraded areas due to disturbances caused by the restoration project and the nearby hiking trails. Although the inflow of naturalized plants was low because of high altitude in bare ground, the proportion of annual and biennial herb was high, indicating that all surveyed degraded areas were in early succession stages. The stand ordination by type of damage showed the restoration area on the I-axis, cultivated area, grassland, logged-off land, and bare ground in that order, indicating the arrangement by the damage type. Moreover, the stand ordination of the degraded areas and reference ecosystem based on floristic variation showed a clear difference in species composition. This study diagnosed the status of each damage type based on the reference ecosystem information according to the ecological restoration procedure and confirmed the difference in species composition between the diagnosis result and the reference ecosystem. These findings can be useful basic data for establishing the restoration goal and direction in the future.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.341-351
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• 2019

Background: Standing biomass, litter production, rate of litter decomposition, amount of litter on forest floor, and amount of soil organic carbon distribution were investigated from March 2016 to November 2018 in order to evaluate the ecosystem value through organic carbon distribution in the Pinus densiflora forest at Namsan, Seoul Metropolitan City. Results: The amount of organic carbon in the Pinus densiflora forest was 261.09 ton C ha^-1 during the research period, and fixed organic carbon in plant through net photosynthesis was 3.2 ton C ha^-1 year^-1. The organic carbon in plant was 62.77 ton C ha^-1 (24.04%), in litter on the forest floor was 3.65 ton C ha^-1 (1.40%), and in soil was 194.67 ton C ha^-1 (74.56%). The value of plant, litter on forest floor, and soil organic carbon distribution were each 6,277,000 won ha^-1, 365, 000 won ha^-1, and 19,467,000 won ha^-1. The value per ton of fixed organic carbon in plant through net photosynthesis was 320,000 won ha^-1 year^-1 and the value of ecosystem services stored in carbon in the Namsan forest ecosystem was about 26.1 million won ha^-1 for 3 years. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that the pine forests of Namsan rapidly decompose leaves due to the high atmospheric temperature and accumulate a large amount of organic carbon in the soil to provide climate control regulatory service function.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.25-56
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• 2006

We reviewed and compared nationwide surveys conducted in advanced countries (i.e., Japan, Germany, USA, and UK) with those in Korea, including the third Nationwide Survey of Natural Environments, which began in 2006 and will proceed until 2010. Based on this comparative analysis, we suggest alternatives to the nationwide survey of natural environments that are suited to Korea. Given the focus on species abundances and distributions in previous nationwide surveys in Korea, surveys of habitats, ecosystems, and ecoregions are required to more effectively protect biological resources in Korea. Furthermore, their spatial distributions should be mapped using periodical satellite images and aerial photographs. In particular, satellite images can be used to survey species, habitats, and ecosystems. Natural resources monitoring and management specialists are needed to collect various data and improve survey results. The participation of community volunteers is also important to develop an awareness in local residents of natural environment conservation. Independent survey institute (i.e., a 'National Ecosystem Institute') should be established to develop a database and survey scheme for species, habitats, and ecosystems throughout Korea. Moreover, the survey institute could develop natural environmental policy through the data analysis to meet the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The establishment of a survey institute will allow the completion of a natural environment survey that considers various factors, including physical habitat conditions. This will allow us to detect subtle changes in species abundance and spatial distributions and provide accurate and timely information on natural environments.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.239-250
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• 2018

This study classified the predictors affecting the life satisfaction level of married immigrant women into socio-demographic factors (age, education, personal system factors (Korean proficiency, self-rated health, depressed mood, multicultural attitude), family system factors (spouse relationship satisfaction, child relationship satisfaction, couple conversation time, decision-making status), and social factors (social support, social capital, experience of social discrimination, multicultural family support center use) based on ecosystem perspectives and comprehensively examined their effects. The data for 14,464 married immigrant women from the National Survey on Multicultural Families 2015 were analyzed through hierarchical multiple regression. The findings of this study are as follow. First, the results indicated that all ecosystem factors- that is personal, family, and social system factors-significantly affected life satisfaction level of married immigrant women and especially personal and family system factors increased the predictability on their satisfaction. Second, among all predictors, spouse relationship satisfaction was the factor most strongly associated with life satisfaction. Finally, the income variable among socio-demographic factors, depression among personal system factors, spouse relationship satisfaction among family system factors, and experience of social discrimination among social system factors all showed the strongest significant effects on the life satisfaction level of married immigrant women. These results suggest that comprehensive factors based on the ecosystem perspectives to intervene and promote the life satisfaction of married immigrant women should be considered.