• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.143-147
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• 2008

This study estimated the mound litter biomass and the nutrient content of mound litter in the two study plots in Durokoppin Nature Reserve, Western Australia between 2004 and 2005. There were no significant differences in biomass of litter in individual mounds between the two study plots. Seven components of litter were found in the mounds. The nutrient concentrations were higher in the woodland than in the shrubland plot, although the differences were not statistically tested, and the total amount of each nutrient measured was generally greater in the woodland than in the shrubland plot. The aforementioned results show that D. tamminensis harvests various plant material according to biomass availability. The role of this termite takes on particular importance in view of the fact that Western Australian soils are notoriously impoverished in nutrients.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.213-219
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• 2023

The wetland ecosystem has a key role in climate change and can capture and store carbon long-term as blue carbon. Currently, the Republic of Korea and People's Republic of China are preparing for the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Phase II inscription, and cross-border cooperation among the two Koreas and the People's Republic of China is expected in term of the coastal wetland in the Yellow Sea region. However, there is a lack of research on the importance of coastal wetland in the Yellow Sea region for migratory bird habitats, roosting sites, feeding grounds, and stop-over sites. Thus, this study focused on the coastal wetland of the Yellow Sea region, including the southwestern coastal wetlands in the Republic of Korea, the Yancheng National Nature Reserve in the People's Republic of China designated as UNESCO World Natural Heritage, and the Mundok Migratory Bird Reserve in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, which is listed on the Tentative List. The cooperation for ecosystem conservation between the two Koreas and China was analyzed. The importance of coastal wetlands in the Yellow Sea region as habitats for migratory birds, roosting sites, feeding grounds, and stop-over sites, significant characteristics of Yellow Sea coastal wetlands, and conditions for cooperation among three countries, were analyzed. The direction of ecosystem conservation cooperation for coastal wetlands in the Yellow Sea region in this study will be developed into Pan-Yellow Sea conservation.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.315-328
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• 2011

Landsat data incorporated with additional bands-normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and band ratios were used to assess the extent and rate of deforestation in the Gunung Mutis Nature Reserve (GMNR), a mountainous tropical forest in Eastern of Indonesia. Hybrid classification was chosen as the classification approach. In this approach, the unsupervised classification-iterative self-organizing data analysis (ISODATA) was used to create signature files and training data set. A statistical separability measurement-transformed divergence (TD) was used to identify the combination of bands that showed the highest distinction between the land cover classes in training data set. Supervised classification-maximum likelihood classification (MLC) was performed using selected bands and the training data set. Post-classification smoothing and accuracy assessment were applied to classified image. Post-classification comparison was used to assess the extent of deforestation, of which the rate of deforestation was calculated by the formula suggested by Food Agriculture Organization (FAO). The results of two periods of deforestation assessment showed that the extent of deforestation during 1989-1999 was 720.72 ha, 0.80% of annual rate of deforestation, and its extent of deforestation during 1999-2009 was 1,059.12 ha, 1.31% of annual rate of deforestation. Such results are important for the GMNR authority to establish strategies, plans and actions for combating deforestation.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.233-237
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• 2001

Changes of the oribatid mite species composition during the litter decomposition was investigated in the north-facing and south-facing slopes with different lower vegetation (annual herbaceous plants in north and perennial Sasa in south) in the altitude 1,000 m of Mt. Jumbong, a nature reserve area in Korea, from August 1994 to September 1995. Total 58 species of oribatid mites were collected. The values of O1son's negative exponential index (k) were -0.56 in the south-facing slope and -0.49 in the north-facing slope, but there was no significant difference between them. The decomposition rate of litter increased rapidly until Oct. 1994, and decreased thereafter. Intensive settlement of the forest litter by oribatid mites was recorded in the autumn periods and it decreased in the next spring and summer. Species diversity index (H'), and species evenness (J') ranged from 1.74 to 2.69, and from 0.57 to 0.93, respectively, and the values were lowest in spring. In the successive periods of growing season, there followed great changes in the structure of species dominance. Heminothrus minor was one of the most dominant species in autumn in the first year when litter were placed, but was never recovered next seasons. In contrast, Platynothrus yamasakii was also dominant in the first autumn, then decreased very low in numbers in next spring and summer, but regained its number in autumn. On the other hand, an increase of the number during these periods was observed by Epidamaeus sp.2. Ceratopia bipilis and Epidamaeus sp.1 were abundant both in the north-and south-facing slopes. Trichogalumna nipponica was only found in the south-facing slope, and Nanhermannia elegantula was only found in the north-facing slope.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.381-395
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• 2011

Present work aims to establish an integrated management system of environmental data base for nine typical wind holes or air holes in Korea. It basically deals with definition, geographical distribution, morphological pattern, physical characteristics and anthropogenic environments of wind hole to propose systematic preservation strategy of their periglacial landscape and flora, which are known to be sensitive to global warming. Wind hole, in which cool air blows out during the summer, but mild air comes out during the winter from a cave or hole, is frequently found on northwest- and north-facing slopes on the terminal point of steep talus, block field, and block stream, and can be categorized into three types, i.e., talus, cave and sink types. Environmental characteristics of nine wind holes are analyzed on the basis of their geology, landform, climate, soil, hydrology, vegetation, road, footpath, land-use, and management system, and relevant DB are prepared. Wind hole areas with unique landscape and ecological values need to be designated as a nature reserve, and zoning of core, buffer, and transitional zones are required for the multi-dimensional preservation of periglacial landscape and ecosystem. Phytogeographical values of glacial relict plants, including mountain cranberry(Vaccinium vitis-idaea) at its global southernmost limit at Bangnaeri wind hole, Hongchon County, Gangwon Province of Korea are discussed in detail as a floristic refugia in connection with climate change during the Pleistocene Epoch and potential in-situ and ex-situ preservation sites in the future.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.24-33
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• 2011

Wingstem, Verbesina alternifolia of North America origin, was introduced in 1981 into the Korea terrestrial ecosystem. It scattered in a number of places with limited population size in most cases. Its population has spread into the forest at the Chiaksan National Park and occupied the natural vegetation. Distributions of wingstem were the most popular along the 12 road sites, especially in Route 453, Seohwa-myeon, Inje-gun, Gangwon-do and in Route 31, Yeongyang-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do with 60% coverage of wingstem. It was also distributed in the 5 forest sites and 5 riversides. Despite of its attractive yellow flower, it is recommended to limit cultivation in the nature reserve or other ecosystem of conservation value.

• Mycobiology
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.360-371
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• 2023

Hispidin is an important styrylpyrone produced by Sanghuangporus sanghuang. To analyze hispidin biosynthesis in S. sanghuang, the transcriptomes of hispidin-producing and non-producing S. sanghuang were determined by Illumina sequencing. Five PKSs were identified using genome annotation. Comparative analysis with the reference transcriptome showed that two PKSs (ShPKS3 and ShPKS4) had low expression levels in four types of media. The gene expression pattern of only ShPKS1 was consistent with the yield variation of hispidin. The combined analyses of gene expression with qPCR and hispidin detection by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled with ion-trap and time-of-flight technologies (LCMS-IT-TOF) showed that ShPKS1 was involved in hispidin biosynthesis in S. sanghuang. ShPKS1 is a partially reducing PKS gene with extra AMP and ACP domains before the KS domain. The domain architecture of ShPKS1 was AMP-ACP-KS-AT-DH-KR-ACP-ACP. Phylogenetic analysis shows that ShPKS1 and other PKS genes from Hymenochaetaceae form a unique monophyletic clade closely related to the clade containing Agaricales hispidin synthase. Taken together, our data indicate that ShPKS1 is a novel PKS of S. sanghuang involved in hispidin biosynthesis.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.707-712
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• 2011

The objective of the present study was to determine gender-related and month-related behavioral differences in captive alpine musk deer. The study was conducted at Xinglongshan Musk Deer Farm (XMDF) of Xinglongshan National Nature Reserve in Gansu Province of western China. The integrated method of focal sampling and all occurrence recording was utilized to quantify the behavioural patterns of 45 captive alpine musk deer (Moschus sifanicus) during non-mating season (from August $1^{st}$ to October $25^{th}$), and the behavioural durations of 12 behavioural patterns such as standing-gazing were recorded. The behavioural modes were compared to explore the potential differences between females and males, and the monthly behavioural modes for males and females were analyzed. Our results showed that the captive female deer in XMDF could compensate the energy lost in pregnancy, parturition and lactation through improving its ingestive efficiency. In order to be more sensitive to the changing environment, females expressed more standing-gazing (SG: $67.38{\pm}12.69\;s$) and moving (MO; $27.41{\pm}5.02\;s$), but less bedding (BE: $42.32{\pm}11.35\;s$) than male deer (SG: $56.43{\pm}9.19\;s$; MO: $19.23{\pm}4.64\;s$; BE: $96.14{\pm}15.71\;s$). Furthermore, females perform more affinitive interaction (AI: $7.89{\pm}4.81\;s$) but less ano-genital sniffing (AS: $0.24{\pm}0.13\;s$) and agonistic behaviour (CI: $0.57{\pm}0.26\;s$) than males (AI: $1.45{\pm}1.09\;s$; AS: $0.45{\pm}0.29\;s$; CI: $1.42{\pm}0.67\;s$). The females expressed ingestion more in October ($132.31{\pm}27.47\;s$) than in August ($28.80{\pm}18.44\;s$) and September ($45.1{\pm}10.84\;s$), and the males performed Ano-genital sniffing (AS: $1.79{\pm}1.14\;s$) and self-directed behaviour (SD: $12.61{\pm}5.03\;s$) significantly more in October than in August (AS: 0 s; SD: $0.62{\pm}0.17\;s$) and September (AS: $0.02{\pm}0.01\;s$; SD: $0.17{\pm}0.15\;s$). Moreover, male musk deer increased the intension of ano-genital sniffing, agonistic behaviour and tail rubbing behaviour, which were related to sexual activities.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.625-641
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• 2013

This study is analyzed the environmental ecological status of Suncheon Bay and its applicable possibility to the selection criteria of UNESCO World Natural Heritage (hereafter Criteria). The study shows that the formation process of the tidal-flats in Suncheon bay could apply to the Criteria VIII, "to be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history." The landscape pattern of Suncheon Bay is deduced various patterns based on 5 biotope types: tidal-flat, rice-paddy, field area, coniferous natural forest, and broadleaf natural forest. Its landscape characteristic is a harmonized composition of various landscape including mountains, rivers, fields, and tidal-flats. It is judged that the unique landscape of Suncheon Bay falls under the criteria VII, "areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance." In addition, Suncheon Bay, the habitat of the Hooded Crane as internationally endangered species, comes under the criteria X, "the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of threatened species." The study shows, however, that any other designation for protected area including national park or biosphere reserve is a prerequisite for designation of World Nature Heritage. In particular, it could evaluate whether it is qualified of the Criteria after the integrated conservation and management to the Sucheon bay as well as the southwestern tidal-flat is preceded.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.81-91
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• 2021

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea did not have direct legislation on natural environmental conservation until the early 1970s when the regime was still in the early stage. The Law on Land was enacted in 1977 to provide the legal basis for protecting the natural environment, including land protection, protection zones, and forest formation and protection. The enactment of the Law on Environmental Protection in 1986 made progress on environmental conservation in the DPRK. The constitutional amendment in 1992 stipulated "the preservation and creation of the natural environment as the responsibility of the state." Based on the Framework Law on Environmental Protection, subordinate statutes in various fields were enacted after the1990s. While the committee designated and managed the protected zones in the early days, the Framework Law on Environmental Protection established the ground for the designation of legally protected areas, and the Law on Protection of Scenic Spots and Natural Monuments enacted in 1995, and the Law on Environmental Protection enacted in 2009 provided the details. Furthermore, the types of nature reserves include biosphere reserves, primeval forest reserves, animal reserves, plant reserves, and scenic reserves. The 2nd National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan established in 2007 based on the Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD) stated 326 protected zones in the DPRK. However, the 2018 United Nations list of Protected Areas shows only 31 registered zones, indicating the need to establish basic information on protected areas in DPRK. This study can provide basic information for a better understanding of the nature conservation system in the DPRK. Considering that environmental protection activities such as protection of endangered species and recovery of environmental pollution are subject to exceptions under the current sanctions against North Korea (UN Security Council, the United States), it will be possible to contribute to identifying possible inter-Korean cooperation projects in the field of the natural environment.