• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.52-61
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• 2021

Decay fungi can decompose plant debris to recycle carbon in the ecosystem. Still, they can also be fungal pathogens, which can damage living trees and/or wood material and cause a large amount of timber loss. We isolated and identified basidiomycetous fungi from the decayed bark of Mongolian oak wrapped with sticky roll traps. The degrading enzyme activities were then tested for all fungal isolates. The decay ability of selected isolates was assessed based on the weight loss of wood discs after inoculating with culture suspension of decay fungi under the different humidity levels. A total of 46 basidiomycetous fungal isolates belonged to 12 species, and 10 genera were obtained from Jong Myo (16 isolates), Chang Kyung palace (7 isolates), Cheong Gye (10 isolates), and Gun Po (13 isolates). Gymnopus luxurians was the most dominant fungus in the present study, and this species distributed in all survey sites with 9 isolates in Jong Myo, followed by 3 isolates in Chang Kyung palace, while Cheong Gye and Gun Po had only 1 isolate each. Among 46 isolates, 44 isolates secreted at least one enzyme, while 25 isolates produced both cellulase and phenol oxidase enzymes, and 2 isolates produced neither. The assessment of decay ability by artificial inoculation indicated that the weight loss of wood discs was significantly influenced by humidity conditions when inoculated with bark decay fungi. The percent weight losses by G. luxurians inoculation in RH of 90-100% and RH of 65-75% were 4.61% and 2.45%, respectively. The weight loss caused by Abortiporus biennis were 6.67% and 0.46% in RH of 90-100% and RH of 45-55%, respectively. The humidity reduction approach should be applied for further studies to control the growth and spread of bark decay fungi on the trunks wrapped with sticky roll traps.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.31-41
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• 2021

This study targets the city of Paju, Gyeonggi-do, where many challenges are facing ecological assets management due to the increase in recent development. Using the survey data provided by the National Institute of Ecology in Korea, the study analysed the differences in the local residents' perception of local ecological assets. The Q methodology, which is useful for revealing differences in opinions, was applied to classify the narrative groups, which had different points of view in evaluating each asset. Next, the study compared the differences in perceptions of the vulnerability of ecological assets. As a result of the analysis, the city of Paju was divided into two main narrative groups: a 'Nature Conservation Group' and a 'Heritage Conservation Group'. The Nature Conservation Group wanted to prioritize ecologically valuable assets, such as wetlands, brackish zones, and forests. The Heritage Conservation Group preferred preserving ecological assets having a cultural contexts, such as royal tombs, graves, and the surrounding landscape. Evaluating the ecological assets, the two groups identified 23 ecological sites under threat from development among the 25 ecological sites considered. The Nature Conservation Group noted the importance of sites such as the Sannam Wetlands, Gongneungcheon, Gongneungcheon Brackish Zone, and Simhak Mountain. These were considered to be the most vulnerable ecological assets in the city. The study found differences in the perceived values for each ecological asset by residents. The results can serve as useful data for decision-making on ecological asset management in the city of Paju.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.277-286
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• 2021

Background: As trade increases, the influx of various alien species and their spread to new regions are prevalent and no longer a special problem. Anthropogenic activities and climate changes have made the distribution of alien species out of their native range common. As a result, alien species can be easily found anywhere, and they have nothing but only a few differences in intensity. The prevalent distribution of alien species adversely affects the ecosystem, and a strategic management plan must be established to control them effectively. To this end, hot spots and cold spots were analyzed according to the degree of distribution of invasive alien plants, and major environmental factors related to hot spots were found. We analyzed the 10,287 distribution points of 126 species of alien plants collected through the national survey of alien species by the hierarchical model of species communities (HMSC) framework. Results: The explanatory and fourfold cross-validation predictive power of the model were 0.91 and 0.75 as AUC values, respectively. The hot spots of invasive plants were found in the Seoul metropolitan area, Daegu metropolitan city, Chungcheongbuk-do Province, southwest shore, and Jeju island. Generally, the hot spots were found where the higher maximum temperature of summer, precipitation of winter, and road density are observed, but temperature seasonality, annual temperature range, precipitation of the summer, and distance to river and sea were negatively related to the hot spots. According to the model, the functional traits accounted for 55% of the variance explained by the environmental factors. The species with higher specific leaf areas were more found where temperature seasonality was low. Taller species preferred the bigger annual temperature range. The heavier seed mass was only preferred when the max temperature of summer exceeded 29 ℃. Conclusions: In this study, hot spots were places where 2.1 times more alien plants were distributed on average than non-hot spots (33.5 vs 15.7 species). The hot spots of invasive plants were expected to appear in less stressful climate conditions, such as low fluctuation of temperature and precipitation. Also, the disturbance by anthropogenic factors or water flow had positive influences on the hot spots. These results were consistent with the previous reports about the ruderal or competitive strategies of invasive plants instead of the stress-tolerant strategy. The functional traits are closely related to the ecological strategies of plants by shaping the response of species to various environmental filters, and our result confirmed this. Therefore, in order to effectively control alien plants, it is judged that the occurrence of disturbed sites in which alien plants can grow in large quantities is minimized, and the river management of waterfronts is required.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.162-168
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• 2024

The purpose of this study was to record for the first time in Korea the presence of Melanoides tuberculata (an invasive alien species), which was confirmed during the "National Survey on the Status of Alien Species" in Jukdang stream (also known as Guppy Stream, located in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province), which is affected by the year-round discharge of heated effluent from a large semiconductor factory and where various tropical organisms, including ornamental fish, appear due to artificial release. A Total of 52 specimens were collected, and they can be visually distinguished from native melanian snails by their reddish-brown flames and spots. Genetic analysis further confirmed the species as Melanoides tuberculate. Melanoides tuberculata typically inhabits tropical climates, but its presence has been confirmed in altered aquatic environments such as Jukdang stream, where the water temperature remains warm even in a temperate climate. This indicates the need for further monitoring of domestic streams with similar conditions, particularly those receiving heated effluent, like Jukdang stream. Additionally, due to its strong reproductive capacity, including parthenogenesis, and its adaptability to various environments, there have been cases where the populations of Pomacea lineata and Aylacostoma tenuilabris have declined. This suggests that Melanoides tuberculata may have a competitive advantage in interspecific competition, potentially suppressing native species populations if it spreads within the domestic ecosystem. Melanoides tuberculata serves as an intermediate host for parasites that can cause diseases in both humans and animals, raising public health concerns in many countries. There is also a significant risk that it could be mistaken for native melanian snail species and consumed, which necessitates a high level of caution.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.637-648
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• 2024

The frequency of extreme weather events such as heavy and extreme rainfall has been increasing due to global climate change. Accordingly, it is essential to quantify hydrometeorological variables for efficient water resource management. Among the various hydro-meteorological variables, Land Surface Temperature (LST) and Evapotranspiration (ET) play key roles in understanding the interaction between the surface and the atmosphere. In Korea, LST and ET are mainly observed through ground-based stations, which also have limitation in obtaining data from ungauged watersheds, and thus, it hinders to estimate spatial behavior of LST and ET. Alternatively, remote sensing-based methods have been used to overcome the limitation of ground-based stations. In this study, we evaluated the applicability of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) LST and ET data estimated across Korea (from July 1, 2018 to December 31, 2022). For validation, we utilized NASA's MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data and eddy covariance flux tower observations managed by agencies under the Ministry of Environment of South Korea. Overall, results indicated that ECOSTRESS-based LSTs showed similar temporal trends (R: 0.47~0.73) to MODIS and ground-based observations. The index of agreement also showed a good agreement of ECOSTRESS-based LST with reference datasets (ranging from 0.82 to 0.91), although it also revealed distinctive uncertainties depending on the season. The ECOSTRESS-based ET demonstrated the capability to capture the temporal trends observed in MODIS and ground-based ET data, but higher Mean Absolute Error and Root Mean Square Error were also exhibited. This is likely due to the low acquisition rate of the ECOSTRESS data and environmental factors such as cooling effect of evapotranspiration, overestimation during the morning. This study suggests conducting additional validation of ECOSTRESS-based LST and ET, particularly in topographical and hydrological aspects. Such validation efforts could enhance the practical application of ECOSTRESS for estimating basin-scale LST and ET in Korea.

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

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1-12
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• 2018

During few decades, Korean economy has been growing with heavy and manufacturing industries. However, the economy meets limitations of growth rate, and employment rate. The Korean government has been trying to overcome these limitations using development of venture businesses and re-organization of industrial ecosystem. These efforts make high survival rate of recent venture companies. There are previous researches about relation between characteristics of entrepreneur and managerial performance, there are several limitations. Firstly, most of papers were based on survey with specific region or industry. Secondly, related researches were carried out with unable to distinguish among firm's survival periods. This paper uses the '2017 Survey of Korea Venture Firms' data that is approved by the Korean government. This data includes whole industries and survival periods. The aim of this research is finding the effect of characteristics of entrepreneur on managerial performance of venture firms by different survival periods using data envelopment analysis (DEA). If entrepreneur has doctoral degree, the firm's managerial performance is lower than bachelor degree. In addition, over 10 years of working career, and joint-venture have positive effect on firm's performance. This paper can provide valuable information to venture related policy makers and investment decision makers.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.315-330
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• 2017

The aim of this study is to examine the damage of plants in the islands due to the habitat and feeding of European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and to suggest future management plan. The survey area Beomseom Island is found to be a vegetation distribution type that was formed secondary by the exposure of artificial interference except for evergreen vegetation distribution and European rabbit showed high habitat track density mainly in the lumbering area. Kkamakseom Island was identified as a severe vegetation distribution area due to interference, and European rabbit showed high habitat track density around deciduous broad leaved forests. Feeding plants of European rabbit was identified as a total of 12 families 17 breeds. Total 9 families 11 breeds were found in Beomseom Island while 5 families 6 breeds were found in Kkamakseom where most available food resources were loss to European rabbit. As for vegetation index of Beomseom Island, about 6.6% of total island area was declined and the vegetation index of Kkamakseom Island was reduced at most area of the island. In Kkamakseom Island, the area where EVI decreased to less than -0.008 unit/yr was reduced to 5.2%, and the area where it was reduced to -0.008 to -0.006 unit/yr in total was 13.32% of the total area. Thus, it was estimated to be seriously damaged by vegetation. Therefore, immediate management is required.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.12-23
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• 2021

As fish communities are sensitive to natural environmental changes as well as anthropogenic pressures, their composition and characteristics help us to assess the aquatic ecosystem health. The fish fauna and the length-weight relationship of Zacco platypus in the Seomjin River system were investigated from July 2018 to May 2019. The collected species during the survey period were 49 species belong to 14 families including 19 Korean endemic and two endangered species. According to Bray-Curtis similarities, 14 sites were divided into four groups based on the fish community composition; two groups(group A, B) and two uncategorized sites(group C, D). There were significant differences between groups A and B(analysis of similarities, R=0.722, p=0.002). A similarity percentage analysis revealed that Z. koreanus(8.55%), Micropterus salmoides(6.90%), and Lepomis macrochirus (4.90%) contributed to these differences of fish assemblages between group A and B. Group A showed higher relative abundances of exotic species such as M. salmoides and L. macrochirus, while Z. platypus and Z. koreanus which are the common species in Korea, were the most dominant species in group B. Based on the length-weight relationship of Z. platypus, b values were varied from 2.82 to 3.80, indicating that growth patterns of the species were spatially different. This study could be served as baseline data for understanding fish fauna, assessing habitat characteristics based on the fauna, and identifying health conditions of Z. platypus in the Seomjin River system.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.147-165
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• 2021

The flora of the vascular plants in Deoksesan Mt. and its adjacent areas, located at Inje-gun, Gangwon province, were surveyed for a total ten times from April of 2018 to July of 2020. The result of this survey revealed 457 taxa, consisting of 90 families, 287 genera, 404 species, 13 subspecies, 35 varieties, and 5 forms. Among them, 12 taxa were endemic plants to Korea, and 7 taxa were rare plants. Red list plants and those designated as controlled Korean biological resources, requiring special permission for export outside of the county, numbered 3 and 103 taxa, respectively. The floristic target species amounted to 83 taxa, specifically 8 taxa of grade IV, 26 taxa of grade III, 21 taxa of grade II, and 28 taxa of grade I. In addition, 14 taxa were classified as plants adaptable to climate change, and 4 taxa at their respective northern limits, first recorded in this study, were also investigated. Twenty-nine taxa of alien plants and 4 taxa of ecosystem disturbance species were also found in this area. Our results suggest that some species should be preserved and can serve as basic information with which to establish data on the preservation of resources, such as plant diversity and distributional changes on Deoksesan Mt.