• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.395-401
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• 2023

In this study, 12 environmental factors were used to evaluate the potential habitat of Pteromys volans living around some development areas. The analyzed value ranged from 0 to 20.1, and the area with a score of 10 or less was analyzed to have a low possibility of inhabiting Pteromys volans. To verify the analyzed results, a field survey was conducted on areas with 10 or more scores, and traces of habitat of Pteromys volans were confirmed in areas with 16 or more scores. All the areas with an evaluation score of 16 or higher showed high crown density and age class. However, despite the high crown density and age class, the evaluation score in some areas was low owing to the influence of other environmental factors. Therefore, in evaluating Pteromys volans habitats, it is necessary to apply various and complex criteria suitable for field conditions rather than applying uniform and fragmentary environmental factors only.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.163-169
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• 2021

Background: Understanding the habitat characteristics of the endangered Siberian flying squirrel Pteromys volans is the first step in conserving and managing the forests it requires for nesting, gliding, and feeding. Therefore, in the present study, we characterized the habitats of P. volans using GIS analysis of 411 forest sites in South Korea where fecal droppings were found. Results: Fecal signs of P. volans were found in various regions in South Korea, including the Baekdudaegan Mountains. GIS analysis with six environmental layers (vegetation type, wood-age class, diameter at breast height [DBH], crown density, elevation, and distance from stream) revealed that fecal signs of P. volans were more frequently found in broad-leaved deciduous forests (42%) located 200-399 m above sea level (43.1%) and 0-199 m from the nearest stream (53%), with 5th class wood-age (35.3%), middle size class DBH (51.1%), and high crown density (71%). Conclusions: The present study provides information on the biotic and abiotic characteristics of P. volans habitats. In South Korea, the fecal droppings of P. volans were found predominantly old deciduous broadleaf forests. Further studies are needed to reveal whether the more frequent occurrence of P. volans dropping in broadleaf forests may be due to a particular preference of this species for the forests or to a simple reflection of the area of the broadleaf forests occupying a much larger area than other forest types in Korea.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.169-172
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• 2008

Sequences of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome b gene (1,140 bp) and control region (803 bp) of Siberian flying squirrels from Korea (Pteromys volans aluco) and Mt. Changbai of northeast China (P. v. arsenjevi) were obtained to reexamine the taxonomic status of the Korean subspecies. In the cytochrome b gene, six haplotypes of P. v. aluco formed a clade with six haplotypes of P. v. arsenjevi, and in control region, seven haplotypes of P. v. aluco formed a clade with six haplotypes of P. v. arsenjevi. Furthermore, six haplotypes of cytochrome b gene of P. v. aluco from this study formed a clade with four haplotypes of P. v. arsenjevi in far-east Russia obtained from GenBank. We also investigated the research papers previously published that reported the length of tail vertebrae of P. volans, and found that the length was not sufficiently large as to be a key character of P. v. aluco. This result is not consistent with morphological description for its haplotype. Therefore, we conclude that P. v. aluco from Korea might possibly be a synonym of P. v. arsenjevi from northeast China and nearby Russia.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.108 no.1
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• pp.133-137
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• 2019

This study was conducted to clarify the morphological characteristics of Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans). We investigated 6 morphological characteristics from April, 2014 to March 2016 at Mt. Baekwoon, Wonju, Gangwon province. We found that Siberian flying squirrel showed female-biased sexual dimorphism. This result would be related to reproductive strategy of the species which female nurse offspring alone. As results of comparison of morphological characteristics from Korea, Finland and Japan, both body weight and head-body length appeared heavier and longer from high-latitude to low-latitude. This result suggest that morphological difference between different latitudes would be related with climate and habitat environment. The more researches would be needed with other morphological characteristics of Siberian flying squirrel.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.184-187
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• 2018

Characteristics of fecal sites of the Siberian flying squirrel Pteromys volans was analyzed based on 132 sites of total 19 places. The fecal sites were more frequently found in winter (43.9%), and then followed by autumn (27.3%), spring (23.5%), and summer (5.3%). With the exception of summer, the fecal sites were more frequently found at the root collar than on the forked tree (p<0.01). Among 132 fecal sites, 88 sites (66.7%) were found on the rood collars and the other 44 sites (33.3%) were posited in the forked trees. Brown or red clay pellets were found at 44 fecal sites (33.4%) and 43 fecal sites (32.6%), and then black and yellow pellets were at 22 fecal sites (16.7%) and 19 fecal sites (14.3%), respectively. Green pellets were rarely found only at 4 sites (3.0%). Feces tend to have bright colors (brown, red clay and yellow) in winter and black in summer. Fecal sites with yellow pellets were much less found in all of the three seasons with the exception of winter, but highly increased in 25.4% in winter. The fecal sites with brown (33.4%) and red clay pellets (32.6%) were most frequently found through the four seasons.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.569-579
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• 2013

To identify the characteristics of the dropping habits and to provide improved methods for sign survey of Siberian flying squirrels Pteromys volans, an investigation was carried out in Jirisan National Park from April 2012 to May 2013. The latrines of study area were checked once a month and the characteristics of dropping behavior were camera trapped. The feces of Siberian flying squirrel were found on the point which tree forked, mostly from November to May. The squirrel actively presents in forked tree mainly on the September to April. The Siberian flying squirrel is found to be a typical nocturnal animal as it actively move between 6p.m. to 7a.m.. The study found that squirrel does feeding and dropping in the winter time on forked tree. On the point which tree forked could be a good place for the squirrel to hide from their predator when there is no leaf on the tree. Conducting the sign survey is advisable from November to May, as well as with the careful approach to the animals. As Siberian flying squirrel is an endangered species, adjusting the survey period is mandatory, especially when doing environmental impact assessment and a research on its dwelling areas.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.427-434
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• 2024

This study took six individuals (three females and three males) from October 2017 to October 2018 to analyze the home range of Pteromys volans. A 3.5-g GPS tag was used to track the ranges, and a nest box was used to capture them. The home range was analyzed using MCP and KDE with the home range tool ArcGIS 10.3 (ESRI). As a result, it was found that the mean home ranges were MCP 100% 6.63±7.96 ha, MCP 95% 5.47±6.44 ha, and KDE 50% 4.43±5.87 ha. It was also found that the males (11.16±9.69 ha, MCP 100%) had wider home ranges than the females (2.11±1.76 ha, MCP 100%). In addition, during the non-winter season, males had a wider home range, including the home ranges of several females, and other overlapping home ranges were observed. In the winter season, the home ranges (0.15±0.47 ha, MCP 100%) became much smaller than in the non-winter season (9.88±6.90 ha, MCP 100%), and no overlap of the home ranges was observed.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.180-183
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• 2018

Fecal sites of the Siberian flying squirrel Pteromys volans were found in the 16 tree species, and 11 species (46.4%) of them were used as fecal sites in winter and only 3 tree species (5.6%) were used for their fecal dropping in summer. In winter and spring, 11 and 10 tree species were used as fecal sites, respectively, indicating that various species of trees are used in those seasons for food sources or resting sites of the flying squirrels. Of total 16 species, the flying squirrels' fecal sites were most frequently found in Quercus mongolica (46.4%) and then followed by Prunus sargentii (25.6%). In winter, Prunus sargentii was preferred more than Quercus mongolica, although trees of Prunus sargentii are less distributed compared with those of various trees of the genus Quercus. In summer and autumn, high productivity of trees makes the flying squirrels use only one or two species they prefer. In winter and spring, however, they should extend their food source to various tree species because of low productivity and less food sources.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.215-222
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• 2007

DMZ (De-Militalized Zone) in South Korea is world heritage area by passage control of human-being for more than 50 years since 1953. Wild flora and fauna in these area have been protected from any development and/or habitat destruction. However, consideration on ecosystem and nature in the area is becoming higher, and demand for development is raising also. We have reviewed any publications, which are surveyed about ecosystem and interview local residents about wildlife inherit there. Totally 51 species have been reported inhabited DMZ belonging to 17 Families, 6 Orders, so far. National monuments in DMZ are following; Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus), Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), Musk deer (Moschus moschiferus), KOREAN goral (Nemorhaedus caudatus), flying squirrel (Pteromys volans) and spotted seal (Phoca vitalima). These results would be an essential data to establish management strategy and manuals for conserving native ecosystem, native flora and fauna in DMZ, and also using for registering world heritage area under UNESCO.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.235-243
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• 2018

Loss of favorable habitats for species due to temperature increase is one of the main concerns of climate change on the ecosystem, and endangered species might be much more sensitive to such unfavorable changes. This study aimed to analyze the impact of future climate change on endangered wild animals in South Korea by investigating thermal sensitivity and vulnerability to temperature increase. We determined thermal sensitivity by testing normality in species distribution according to temperature. Then, we defined the vulnerability when the future temperature range of South Korea completely deviate from the current temperature range of species distribution. We identified 13 species with higher thermal sensitivity. Based on IPCC future scenarios RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, the number of species vulnerable to future warming doubled from 3 under RCP4.5 to 7 under the RCP8.5 scenario. The species anticipated to be at risk under RCP 8.5 are flying squirrel (Pteromys volans aluco), ural owl (Pteromys volans aluco), black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius), tawny owl (Strix aluco), watercock (Gallicrex cinerea), schrenck?s bittern (Ixobrychus eurhythmus), and fairy pitta (Pitta nympha). The other 10 species showing very narrow temperature ranges even without normal distributions and out of the future temperature range may also need to be treated as vulnerable species, considering the inevitable observation scarcity of such endangered species.