• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.135-146
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• 2015

This study was carried out to understand ecological characteristics of Korean goral such as home range, seasonal home range and habitat use and used for Korean goral restoration and conservation, through a pair of gorals in the north Gyeongbuk province of Korea. With data from GPS collars, we analyzed the behavioral characteristics of the endangered Korean gorals(n=2) in Uljin area from June 2013 to July 2014. As a result, their home range was $1.38{\pm}0.24km^2$ in MCP 95%, $0.81{\pm}0.09km^2$ in FK 95% and $0.15{\pm}0.16km^2$ in FK 50% (t=8.118, p>0.05). Seasonal home range for MCP 95% was $0.74{\pm}0.31km^2$ > (winter) > $0.71{\pm}0.27km^2$ (spring) > $0.61{\pm}0.06km^2$ (autumn) > $0.27{\pm}0.04km^2$ (summer) (F=2.135 p>0.05). It showed that home range in winter was the largest and that in summer was the smallest. Mean elevation of male for seasonal habitat use was $440.18{\pm}71.32m$ in summer and that of female was $727.25{\pm}99.98m$ in spring. The lowest altitude for male was $372.72{\pm}70.79$ and female was $664.60{\pm}139.71m$. It meant that there were seasonal change and thus annual and seasonal behavior characteristics for both sexes had different correlation according to elevation change. Although in this study the correlation with prey in habitat and the changes of habitat disturbance were not clearly investigated, We could understand goral home range and habitat use through research data.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.648-657
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• 2008

This research was conducted to investigate the breeding density and seasonal food items of the magpies in Jeju Island and the near-manned islets. The examination of nest distribution to determine breeding density was performed during breeding season from February 2006 to April 2008, and that of food items from May 2006 to February 2008. A total of 2,113 nests were found across Jeju Island, the average density was $1.33\;nest/km^2$, and the magpies were distributed up to 600 meters above the sea level. The nest density was the highest in the central areas of Jeju Island, with 688 nests at $3.61\;nest/km^2$, while that in the eastern areas was the lowest, with 214 nests at $0.66\;nest/km^2$. In terms of the number of nests depending on the height above the sea level, 1,172 nests, which was equivalent to the density of $1.85\;nest/km^2$, was observed below 100m and highest among the intervals of height, but 16 nests found at 500-600m were the lowest, corresponding to $0.20\;nest/km^2$. The number of nests found in the manned islets near Jeju Island was eight in Biyang-do with the density of $15.38\;nest/km^2$, nine in U-do with $1.49\;nest/km^2$, and one in Gapa-do with $1.15\;nest/km^2$, whereas none of nests were observed in Mara-do. The contents of stomach consisted of 17 types of prey sources including countless bones, eggshells, plants, and seed, most of which were the individuals of the order Coleoptera. In spring and summer, the foraging frequency for invertebrate animals such as insects was high, but less than 30% in winter. In contrast, the magpies preyed upon plants and seeds at the frequency of 10% and 30%, respectively, in spring, while the foraging frequencies for both of them were 100% in winter and higher than any of other seasons. Eggshells and bones of birds were also detected infrequently. If the density of the magpies, which may play role as the upper predator within the ecosystem, increases, it would be expected to affect directly the reduction of the number of the species and population of endemic animals such as small birds and reptiles, etc. Therefore, it is considered that long-term monitoring for the density of the magpies and precaution is prerequisite to minimize adverse effects on ecosystem.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.197-207
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• 2016

This study aims at providing basic data to objectively evaluate the areas suitable for reintroduction of the species of Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) in order to effectively preserve the Asiatic black bears in the Korean protection areas including national parks, and for the species restoration success. To this end, this study predicted the potential habitats in East Asia, Southeast Asia and India, where there are the records of Asiatic black bears' appearances using the Maxent model and environmental variables related with climate, topography, road and land use. In addition, this study evaluated the effects of the relevant climate and environmental variables. This study also analyzed inhabitation range area suitable for Asiatic black and geographic change according to future climate change. As for the judgment accuracy of the Maxent model widely utilized for habitat distribution research of wildlife for preservation, AUC value was calculated as 0.893 (sd=0.121). This was useful in predicting Asiatic black bears' potential habitat and evaluate the habitat change characteristics according to future climate change. Compare to the distribution map of Asiatic black bears evaluated by IUCN, Habitat suitability by the Maxent model were regionally diverse in extant areas and low in the extinct areas from IUCN map. This can be the result reflecting the regional difference in the environmental conditions where Asiatic black bears inhabit. As for the environment affecting the potential habitat distribution of Asiatic black bears, inhabitation rate was the highest, according to land coverage type, compared to climate, topography and artificial factors like distance from road. Especially, the area of deciduous broadleaf forest was predicted to be preferred, in comparison with other land coverage types. Annual mean precipitation and the precipitation during the driest period were projected to affect more than temperature's annual range, and the inhabitation possibility was higher, as distance was farther from road. The reason is that Asiatic black bears are conjectured to prefer more stable area without human's intervention, as well as prey resource. The inhabitation range was predicted to be expanded gradually to the southern part of India, China's southeast coast and adjacent inland area, and Vietnam, Laos and Malaysia in the eastern coastal areas of Southeast Asia. The following areas are forecast to be the core areas, where Asiatic black bears can inhabit in the Asian region: Jeonnam, Jeonbuk and Gangwon areas in South Korea, Kyushu, Chugoku, Shikoku, Chubu, Kanto and Tohoku's border area in Japan, and Jiangxi, Zhejiang and Fujian border area in China. This study is expected to be used as basic data for the preservation and efficient management of Asiatic black bear's habitat, artificially introduced individual bear's release area selection, and the management of collision zones with humans.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.57-64
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• 2009

The trapping leaves of Drosera capture insects by secreting sticky mucilage from numerous glandular trichomes (GTs) that are developed on the leaf epidermis. The present study examines and compares the structural features of those trichomes in Drosera binata and D. pygmy with the use of light and electron microscopy. The study focuses primarily on the development and differentiation pattern of the GTs during growth. Upon examination, the upper and lower epidermis were readily distinguishable by the features of GTs in developing leaves. In particular, the GTs were dense in the upper epidermis and along the leaf margin. In D. binata, the capitate GTs with elongated stalk and sessile peltate GTs were found most commonly, whereas only capitate GTs with varying degrees of the stalk length were observed in D. pygmy. Up to ca. $2.2{\sim}3.4\;mm$ long capitate GTs were seen in the leaf margins of D. binata and ca. $3.7{\sim}4.2\;mm$ long GTs having racket-like head with adaxial hemispheric structures, otherwise known as tentacles, were noted in the leaf margin of D. pygmy. The peltate GTs were found to be distributed in the lower epidermis of D. binata. In both species, head cells were dense with cytoplasm containing high numbers of Golgi bodies, ER, mitochondria and small vesicles. Secretory materials accumulated within numerous small vacuoles, then fused together to form a single large vacuole, which serves as a secretory cavity. Flection movement of the marginal GTs and leaf blade GTs, and increased mucilage secretion from the head cells upon contact with prey during the capturing process are considered to be major factors in their active insectivorous mechanism. The findings of this study will be useful in comparisons to similar findings in other species that form adhesive trapping leaves, such as Drosophyllum or Pinguicula., further contributing a better understanding of the function and structure of the trapping leaves of carnivorous plants.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.125-132
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• 2007

We estimated the distribution of predator-prey interaction strengths for 12 species of herbivores (including amphipods, isopods, gastropods, and sea urchins) and made a regression model that may be applicable to other species. Laboratory experiments were used to determine per capita grazing rate (PCGR; g seaweeds/individual/day). Relationship between the biomass of individual grazers and fourth-root transformed PCGR was fitted to power curve ($y=0.2310x^{0.3290}$, r=0.8864). This finding supported that the grazing efficiency was not even as individual grazers increase in size (biomass). Therefore, the biomass-normalized PCGR was estimated and revealed that smaller size herbivores were more effective grazers. Grazing impact considering density of each taxon was calculated. The sea hare Aplysia kurodai had greatest grazing impact on the seaweed bed and the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus nudus and S. intermedius were ranked in descending order of the impact. The amount of seaweed grazed by the amphipod Elasmopus sp. (>4,000 $ind./m^2$) and Jassa falcata (>2,000 $ind./m^2$) were 3.435 and $1.697mg/m^2/day$ respectively. The combined grazing amount of herbivores was $5,045mg/m^2/day$ in the seaweed bed. Although sea hare and sea urchin had strong impacts on seaweeds, the effects of dense, smaller species could not be seen as negligible. Surprisingly, the calculated grazing potential of sea urchins with a mean density of 3 $ind./m^2$ exceeded the mean production of seaweed cultured in domestic coastal waters in Korea (ca., 5 ton/ha). Small crustaceans were also expected to consume up to 16% of the seaweed production if their densities were rising under weak predation conditions. Considering that the population density of herbivores are strongly controlled by fish, human interference like overfishing may have strong negative effects on persistence of seaweeds communities.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.66-69
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• 2000

The common harpacticoida copepod species Tigriopus japnnicus was often obseued in the mass culture of marine rotifer tanks of sea farming stations. In this study, we investigated the co-existing effect of T. iaponicus to the rotifer Brachionus rotundiformis population growth. The culture conditions as temperature, salinity, culture volume, photo period, culture period and observation interval were 25{\circ}C, 22ppt, 40ml, 12L:12D, 16 deys$ and every two days during the experimental period, respectively. Nannochloropsis oculata was used as the food for the two testing organisms. After counting the growth of rotifer and copepod, they were transferred to new culture tank with N. oculata at the density of $7{times}10^5\;cells/ml$. The population growth of B. rotundiformis was suppressed by T. japonicus when these two organisms were mix-cultured comparing to single culture of B. rotundiformis. But population growth of T, japomcus was not affected by the presence of B. rotundiformis. The interspecific relationships of prey-predation and food competition were not observed in the combination culture of rotifer B. rotundiformis and copepod T japonicus.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.294-303
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• 2013

BACKGROUND: It is well known that rice-fields can provide excellent foraging places for birds including seasonal migrants, wintering, and breeding and hence the high biodiversity of rice-fields may be expected. However, how environmental change including climate-changes on life-history and population dynamics in birds on rice-fields has not been fully understood. In order to investigate how climate-change affects population migratory patterns and migration timing, I modeled a population dynamics of birds in rice-fields over a whole year. METHODS AND RESULTS: I applied the Lotka-Volterra equation to model the population dynamics of birds that have been foraging/visiting rice-fields in Korea. The simple model involves the number of interspecific individuals and temperature, and the model parameters are periodic in time as the biological activities related to the migration, wintering and reproduction are seasonal. As results, firstly there was a positive relationship between the variation of seasonal population sizes and temperature change. Secondly, the reduced lengths of season were negatively related to the population size. Overall, the effects of the difference of lengths of season on seasonal population dynamics were higher than the effects of seasonal temperature change. CONCLUSION(S): Climate change can alter population dynamics of birds in rice-fields and hence the variation may affect the fitness, such as reproduction, survival and migration. The unstable balances of population dynamics in birds using paddy rice field as affected by climate change can reduce the population growth and species diversity in rice fields. The results suggest that the agricultural production is partly affected by the unstable balance of population in birds using rice-fields.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.184-191
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• 2018

During the breeding season, some Eurasian Oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus osculans) in Yubu Island foraged in the open mudflat area nearby the breeding ground, instead of the tide water line area, main feeding site throughout the year. We found significant differences in foraging behavior and prey species diversity between the two different feeding site types. Even though the birds took more steps for most probably searching preys, their feeding success was much lower in the open mudflat area than the tide water line area. The multiple peck and boring methods were more frequently adopted to catch polychaetes on the open mudflat area, whereas the single peck method was dominant and gastropods and bivalves were main preys in the tide water line area. This study suggests that the bird shows flexible foraging strategy of shifting feeding site, foraging behavior and preys for better reproductive success.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.318-324
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• 2010

The aim of this study is to examine feeding habits of the Korean water deer(Hydropotes inermis argyropus) from its rumen contents using a PCR-DGGE method. For this study, rumen contents were collected from water deer causalities by natural death or road-kill in two different sites(Cheorwon, Gangwon province and the Eastern part of Jeonnam province). DNA was extracted from rumen contents of a total of 44 individuals. Two primers, rbcLZ1aF(GC) and rbcL19bR, were used for PCR amplifications of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase large subunit (rbcL) gene. Among 44 samples, twenty-nine samples were successfully amplified by PCRs. The 29 PCR products of partial rbcL gene were applied for PCR-DGGE. Totally, six families of plants were detected from the diet analyses. Five families of plants were found in Cheorwon, Gangwon province, but only three families of plants were found in the Eastern part of Jeonnam province. The PCR-DGGE method will provide us with a potential tool to study feeding habits of ungulates including water deer, even though our results failed to identify the prey plants at the level of species.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.33 no.4 s.92
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• pp.319-327
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• 2000

The feeding behavior of 1-year-old silver carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Val.) on phytoplankton species in a shallow hypertrophic lake was studied from 22 May to 18 September, 1997. Over the experimental period, the filter-pore sizes of the fish, the total biomass of the phytoplankton and the water temperature in each enclosure changed little with time. The fish biomass in each enclosure increased with time, while their percentage of weight gain correlated negatively to the stocking density, due perhaps to competition for prey. An analysis of gut contents of silver carp showed a strong similarity between the algal communities in the foregut and the water, and was significant for the fish enclosure with a low density (p<0.05). The presence of silver carp rarely suppressed the abundance of phytoplankton such as Oscillatoria, Anabaena and Melosira even at high ingestion levels. There were weak relationships between the IU values of each phytoplankton and the selectivity of fish on them (r = 0.001, p>0.5). There was no doubt that the silver carp fed unselectively when cyanobacteria populations were high, even though the selectivity index for diatoms was slightly higher than those for cyanobacteria, green algae and cryptomonads. Improvements in methodologies are needed to clearly understand and generalize the feeding behavior of silver carp.