• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.12
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• pp.1839-1849
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• 2022

Objective: The study aims to uncover the genetic diversity and unique genetic structure of the Min pig conserved population, divide the nucleus conservation population, and construct the molecular pedigree. Methods: We used KPS Porcine Breeding Chip v1 50K for SNP detection of 94 samples (31♂, 63♀) in the Min pig conserved population from Lanxi breeding Farm. Results: The polymorphic marker ratio (PN), the observed heterozygosity (Ho), and the expected heterozygosity (He) were 0.663, 0.335, and 0.330, respectively. The pedigree-based inbreeding coefficients (F_PED) was significantly different from those estimated from runs of homozygosity (F_ROH) and single nucleotide polymorphism (F_SNP) based on genome. The Pearson correlation coefficient between F_ROH and F_SNP was significant (p<0.05). The effective population content (Ne) showed a continuously decreasing trend. The rate of decline was the slowest from 200 to 50 generations ago (r = 0.95), then accelerated slightly from 50 to 5 generations ago (1.40

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.301-306
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• 2012

Determination of the minimum population size is an important component for the ex situ conservation of an endangered species. Here, we present the identification of collection strategies that most efficiently captured the genetic diversity of Brasenia schreberi J.F. Gmelin (water-shield) in natural populations from the mainland (MGC) and Jeju Island (JNS) of South Korea, using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. A total of 313 and 383 polymorphic bands were detected in the MGC and JNS populations, respectively. All of the 140 sampled ramets were distinguishable by the presence of distinct AFLP phenotypes. According to the simulation of the individual sampling by maximization sampling, 25 and 28 individuals captured all of the genetic diversity in the MGC population (mainland of South Korea) and the JNS population (Jeju Island), respectively. The level of genetic diversity of the core collections was similar to the entire collection, indicating that the core collections very well represent the diversity of the entire collection. We therefore suggest a management unit of B. schreberi based on the genetic information for assessing the minimum population size for its ex situ conservation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.17-23
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• 2003

Restoration ecology is undergoing rapid growth as academic field over the last 15 years. The specification of goals for restoration projects is frequently described as the most important component of a project. The endeavor for universal development of goals for ecological restoration continues to generate many discussion and controversy. I discuss the importance of restoration goals and diverse roots of restoration ecology, and show how the complex lineages within restoration ecology. I review the three major theme that currently are used to develop the restoration goals : restoration of species, restoration of whole ecosystem or landscapes, and the restoration of ecosystem services. Restoration ecology, landscape ecology and conservation biology share goals to conserve biodiversity, but differ in focus of approach. I review the differences among three fields. Conservation biology has been more zoological, more descriptive, and theoretical, and more emphasized the population and genetic research. However, restoration ecology has been more plant ecological, more experimental, and emphasized the community and plant succession. Landscape ecology has emphasized the interaction of ecosystem and dispersal among populations. I suggest the integration of restoration ecology, landscape ecology and conservation biology. For example, conservation biology will contribute to the preservation of original habitats by population study, restoration ecology will contribute to regenerate damaged ecosystem and ex situ preservation, and landscape ecology will contribute to restoration of population and landscape.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.400-410
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• 2015

Juniperus chinensis (Cupressaceae) is a valuable woody plant resource, but this rare plant is only distributed in restricted regions in Korea. In this study, we surveyed the geographic distribution regions, variation of sex ratio and the dynamics of natural populations of J. chinensis. in order to establish conservation strategies for the sustainable conservation of this important resource tree. The 17 natural populations of J. chinensis are restrictively distributed in the shore cliffs of (1) Ulleungdo island, (2) Gyeongju-si to Gangneung-si of the eastern coast, the riverside cliff along (3) Donggang-river of Jungsun-gun and Pyeongchang-gun and (4) branch of Nakdonggang-river in Uiseong-gun. The populations in Ulleungdo island showed continuous population distribution of over 200 individuals, but populations in other regions had discontinuous population distribution of under 200. The population of J. chinensis surveyed in Korea was estimated in ca. 3,200 individuals. The sex ratio (male/female) among populations of J. chinensis was diverse with variation from 0.46~1.67 range, but showed no significance. The sex ratio of the total individuals by species level was 0.74, and the percentage of female tree was significantly higher than the male. The results of dynamics analysis within population among regions showed that seedlings and saplings of J. chinensis in three regions surveyed were continuously regenerating. The distribution of DBH class showed a stable population structure of inverse J shape graph, but fragmentation and decrease in populations because of invading broad-leaved shrubs and trees from the surroundings were concerned. Further studies, and in situ and ex situ conservation strategies for the sustainable conservation on natural populations of this rare resources woody plant, J. chinensis in Korea are recommended.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.111-119
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• 2018

Background: Juniperus chinensis L. populations are distributed locally on several areas including coastal cliffs which are difficult to access in the central eastern Korea. Wild populations inhabit relatively barren environments such as rocky areas and cliffs, which are very sensitive to even minor environmental disturbances including artificial interventions and natural disturbances, and thus demonstrate great fluctuations in the population size and density. This study aims to analyze the genetic diversity, differentiation, and genetic structure of each population in order to provide useful data required to establish a substantial conservation strategy of J. chinensis. Results: The genetic diversity of J. chinensis at the population level (P = 78.7%, h = 0.282, S.I. = 0.420) was somewhat higher compared with those measured in the same genus, Juniperus. The genetic differentiation degree among nine populations established naturally in central eastern Korea was 11.50% and that among sub-populations within the same area was 5.52%. On the other hand, genetic variation of individuals within the populations was 82.93%. But frequency of the main allele was different among loci. In particular, fixation of allele frequency and occurrence of rare allele in the highly isolated population suggest a likelihood that genetic drift would occur in populations of this plant. As the result of analysis on the genetic structure of nine populations, nearby populations and isolated populations tended to form separate clusters from each other as the hypothetical number of clusters (K) increase. Conclusions: This result implies that if the population size of J. chinensis is reduced due to environmental change and artificial and/or natural disturbances in the future, it could affect negatively on the genetic diversity of the plant species. In order to maintain and conserve genetic diversity of J. chinensis, ecological network, which can help genetic exchange among the local populations, should be prepared, and conservation strategies in situ as well as ex situ are also required with continuous monitoring.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.230-236
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• 2012

The Korean hare, Lepus coreanus, is an important mammal in ecosystem food chains, and is distributed across the entire Korean peninsula and northeastern China. Polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed using the biotinenrichment technique for use in population genetics studies. Five trinucleotide and four dinucleotide microsatellite loci were selected and tested on 22 Korean hare specimens collected from Gangwon Province and Gyeongsangbuk Province in South Korea. The number of alleles across the two sampling regions ranged from three to nine with a mean of 6.1. Mean observed and expected heterozygosities and polymorphic information content were 0.540, 0.627 and 0.579, respectively. Only one locus, Lc06, showed departure from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium after applying the Bonferroni correction. Four microsatellites, Lc01, Lc03, Lc12, and Lc19, satisfied the criteria to serve as a core set of markers recommended for population genetics studies. These new microsatellite markers will be widely applicable to future genetic studies for management and conservation of the Korean hare and related species, including assessment of the genetic diversity and population structure of L. coreanus.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.354-362
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• 2018

Population genetic assessment is essential for the conservation and management of endangered and rare plants. Neofinetia falcata is endangered epiphyte orchid and protected by law in Korea. In Korea, this species is only found on islands in the South Sea of Korea (including Jeju-do) and the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula. We developed nine microsatellite makers to assess the genetic diversity and population genetic structure of three populations of N. falcata. The genetic diversity at the species level was low, which can be attributed to inbreeding or fragmentation into small, isolated populations. A recent bottleneck was detected in one population, likely due to overcollection. N. falcata exhibited moderated levels of differentiation among populations, with the three populations were divided into two clusters based on genetic structure. The genetic diversity and structure of N. falcata are affected by restricted gene flow by pollen or seeds due to isolation and geographic distance. Strategies for in situ and ex situ conservation of this species are been proposed based on the results of our study.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.320-331
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• 2019

Background: Dioecious plant species having both male and female plants have been investigated regarding sex-related characteristics such as sex ratio, sex-differential resource requirements, and spatial segregation of the sexes. Habitat loss and fragmentation are major threats to the survival of plant populations, but dioecious species are particularly more prone to such habitat degradation than non-dioecious species because of their dimorphic sexual system. We examined the sex-related demographics of two Ilex cornuta populations being different regarding land use history. Methods: During 2016-2017, we examined I. cornuta trees with a basal diameter ${\geq}1.5cm$ in the Yongsu-ri population (YS population) and the Gotjawal Provincial Park population (GP population). Plant sex (male, female, or unsexed) was identified. The tree size (basal diameter and height of the main stem), clonal production (the ramet numbers per genet), and vitality for each clone were measured. The associations between population, sex, tree size, clonal production, and vitality were examined using ANOVAs and contingency table analyses. Finally, point pattern analyses using O-ring statistics were conducted to assess spatial patterns. Results: Upon excluding unsexed trees, the YS population with 74 trees was significantly male-biased (0.66), while the GP population with only 26 trees had a 1:1 sex ratio. In both populations, males and females did not differ in tree size. Although the mean number of ramets differed significantly between populations, females tended to produce more ramets than males. The proportion of weak trees was significantly higher in the YS than in the GP population. Neither population showed evidence of spatial segregation of the sexes. Conclusions: The two populations of dioecious I. cornuta are characterized by the small number of trees and relatively high frequencies of non-reproductive trees. Both indicate that these populations are quite susceptible to environmental and genetic stochasticity. On the other hand, the differences between populations in sex ratio, clonal production, and vitality suggest that conservation efforts for I. cornuta need to be population-specific. In order to help recover and enable this vulnerable species to persist, it is necessary to find ways to enhance their sexual reproduction and simultaneously reduce habitat disturbances due to anthropogenic activities.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.269-277
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• 2008

Siberian flying squirrel, an endangered species in South Korea, is distributed through major mountain regions of South Korea. The number of Siberian flying squirrel(Pteromys volans) in South Korea has decreased and their habitats are fragmented and isolated because of anthropogenic activities. So far no molecular genetic data has, however, been available for their conservation and management. To obtain better information concerning genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of the Siberian flying squirrel in South Korea, we examined 14 individuals from South Korea, 7 individuals from Russia, and 5 individuals from northeastern China along with previously published 29 haplotypes for 1,140 bp of the mtDNA cytochrome b gene. The 14 new individuals from South Korea had 7 haplotypes which were not observed in the regions of Russia and Hokkaido. The level of genetic diversity(0.616%) in the South Korean population was lower than that in eastern Russia(0.950%). The geographical distribution of mtDNA haplotypes and reduced median network confirmed that there are three major lineages of Siberian flying squirrel, occupying; Far Eastern, northern Eurasia, and the island of Hokkaido. The South Korean population only slightly distinct from the Eurasia, and eastern Russian population, and is part of the lineage Far Eastern. Based on these, we suggest that the South Korean population could be considered to belong to one partial ESU(Far Eastern) of three partial ESUs but a different management unit. However, the conservation priorities should be reconfirmed by nuclear genetic marker and ecological data.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.1368-1372
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• 2014

Several studies arduously reported that gayal (Bos frontalis) is an independent bovine species. The population size is shrinking across its distribution. In Bangladesh, it is the only wild relative of domestic cattle and also a less cared animal. Their body size is much bigger than Bangladeshi native cattle and has prominent beef type characters along with the ability to adjust in any adverse environmental conditions. Human interactions and manipulation of biodiversity is affecting the habitats of gayals in recent decades. Besides, the only artificial reproduction center for gayals, Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI), has few animals and could not carry out its long term conservation scheme due to a lack of an objective based scientific mission as well as financial support. This indicates that the current population is much more susceptible to stochastic events which might be natural catastrophes, environmental changes or mutations. Further reduction of the population size will sharply reduce genetic diversity. In our recent investigation with 80K indicine single nucleotide polymorphism chip, the $F_{IS}$ (within-population inbreeding) value was reported as $0.061{\pm}0.229$ and the observed ($0.153{\pm}0.139$) and expected ($0.148{\pm}0.143$) heterozygosities indicated a highly inbred and less diverse gayal population in Bangladesh. Prompt action is needed to tape the genetic information of this semi-domesticated bovine species with considerable sample size and try to investigate its potentials together with native zebu cattle for understanding the large phenotypic variations, improvement and conservation of this valuable creature.