• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.474-484
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• 2015

This study aims at providing exercisable basic data for the management of protection areas in China by investigating into their legal system such as current laws, regulations, other relevant laws and international treaties and the management system such as history, classification, organization, personnel, funds and main management work.. In People's Republic of China (1954), several laws have been enacted in succession, such as Environment Law (1989), Regulations of Natural Reserves (1994) and Land Management Methods of Natural Reserves (1995). The development process of China's natural reserves is divided into the following five phases. In the initial phase (1956-1965), about 20 natural reserves were established; in the lag phase (1966-1978), a part of the natural reserves was destroyed under the influence of the Great Cultural Revolution; in the development phase (1979-1998), a normative legal system began to appear after the reform and opening up; in the leap phase (1999-2006), the number of natural reserves increased dramatically; in the stable phase ( 2007-present), the protection and restoration of the ecological environment have been implemented, and the supervision and management have been strengthened. China has established natural reserves of national, provincial, municipal and county levels according to the relevant laws. According to the resource categories, natural reserves can be divided into natural ecosystem reserves, wildlife reserves and natural relic reserves. The Ministry of Forestry is in charge of 1,958 natural reserves which account for 74.2 % of the total natural reserves in China. In China, there are 1,384 natural reserves (52.4 %) for which management institutions have been set up. 1,702 natural reserves (64.47 %) are equipped with management staff, showing a higher ratio than the natural reserves which have set up management institutions. China has established natural reserves of national level, provincial level, municipal level and county level according to law. According to the resource categories, natural reserves can be divided into natural ecosystem reserves, wildlife reserves, and natural relic reserves. The Ministry of Forestry is in charge of 1,958 natural reserves which accounts for 74.2 % of the total natural reserves in China. In China, there are 1,384 natural reserves (52.4 %) which have set up management institutions. 1,702 natural reserves (64.47 %) are equipped with management staff with a higher ratio than the natural reserves which have set up management institutions.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.187-201
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• 2019

This study examined the physicochemical water quality and evaluated the ecological health in 14 sites of Geum River (upstream, mid-stream, and downstream) using the fish community distribution and guilds and eight multi-variable matrices of FAI (Fish Assessment Index) during June 2008-May 2009. The analysis of the water quality variables showed no significant variation in the upstream and mid-stream but a sharp variation due to the accumulation of organic matter from the point where the treated water of Gap and Miho streams flew. The analysis of physicochemical water properties showed that BOD, COD, TN, TP, Cond, and Chl-a tended to increase while DO decreased to cause eutrophication and algae development from the downstream where Miho and Gap stream merged. The analysis of fish community showed that the species richness index and species diversity index increased in the mid-stream area but decreased in the downstream area, indicating the stable ecosystem in the upper stream and the relatively unstable ecosystem in the downstream. The analysis of the species distribution showed that the dominant species were Zacco platypus that accounted for 20.9% of all fish species and Zacco koreanus that accounted for 13.1%. The analysis of the fish tolerance and feeding guild characteristics showed that the sensitive species, the insectivore species, and the aquatic species were dominant in the mid-stream point. On the other hand, contaminants from the sewage water treatment plant of Miho stream had a profound effect in the downstream to show the dominance of tolerant species, omnivorous species, and lentic species. Therefore, it is necessary to improve water quality by reducing the load of urban pollutants and to pay attention to the conservation and restoration of aquatic ecosystems.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.378-401
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• 2019

This study generated a list of plants in eight sections from the Baekdansa ticket office (874m) to Cheonjedan (1,560m) divided in the interval of 100m above sea level to examine the species diversity patterns and distribution changes of the vascular plants at different altitudes in Taebaeksan National Park. Four site surveys found a total of 385 taxa: 89 families, 240 genera, 345 species, 5 subspecies, 34 varieties, and 1 form. A result of analyzing the change of species diversity along elevational gradients showed that it decreased with increasing elevation and then increased from a certain section. A result of analyzing habitat affinity types showed that the proportion of forest species increased with increasing elevation. On the other hand, the ruderal species appeared at a high rate in the artificial interference section. A result of comparing the proportion of woody and herb plants showed that the woody plants gradually increased with elevation and rapidly decreased in the artificial interference section. On the other hand, the herb plants showed the opposite trend. A result of analyzing the change of distribution of species according to altitude with the DCA technique showed that the vascular plants were divided into three groups according to the elevation in order on the I axis with the boundaries at 900m and 1,300m above sea level. The arrangement of each stand from right to left along the altitude on the I axis with a significant correlation with warmth index (WI) confirmed that the temperature change along the altitude could affect the distribution of vascular plants, composition, and diversity. Therefore, the continuous monitoring is necessary to confirm ecological and environmental characteristics of vegetation, distribution ranges, changes of habitat. We expect that the results of this study will be used as the basic data for establishing the measurement measures related to the preservation of biodiversity and climate change.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.36 no.4 s.105
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• pp.447-454
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• 2003

Aluminum coagulant was applied to two eutrophic lakes (Lake Sukchon, in Seoul, and a pond on the campus of Kangwon National University), to precipitate suspended particles and phosphate from the water column. Aluminum sulfate (alum) was used for seven treatments and polyaluminum chloride (PAC) was used for one treatment. The effect of treatment varied depending on the dose of alumium coagulant. Particles and phosphate were completely precipitated from the water column with a dose of 10.0 mgAl/l. Partial removal was observed at doses of 3.3 and 1.8 mgAl/l, but not at 0.45 mgAl/l. Therefore, coagulant should be applied at a dose over the threshold in order to remove particles effectively, which seems to be between 1.8 and 10.0 mgAl/l. The length of treatment effect was determined by new inputs of nutrients and particles from external sources. Renewal of pond water by stream water caused recovery of algal growth in Lake Sukchon, and rainfall runoff and ground water pumping caused a return of turbid water in the campus pond. During treatment there was no sign of decreasing pH, or harmful effects on fish or mussels. Aluminum coagulant may be an economically feasible alternative for water quality improvement when the external control of pollutant sources is difficult. However, repeated application is required when there is a renewal of lake water or new input of nutrients.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.39-48
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• 2020

The slender shinner (Pseudopungtungia tenuicorpa), a tiny freshwater fish of about 8 to 10 cm belonging to Cyprinidae, is an endangered species found only in the Han and Imjin Rivers on the Korean Peninsula. During the breeding season, this species spawns in nests of Coreoperca herzi, a predator of this species, or small crevices on rocks. This unique reproductive ecology can make this species more vulnerable to anthropogenic perturbance that can further limit the places to spawn. Here, mtDNA and microsatellite loci were analyzed to identify the genetic diversity and structure of slender shinners and further to provide the basic data necessary for the conservation planning of this species. A total of 28 polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed using Illumina paired-end sequencing, and 67 slender shinners collected from three localities in the Han River were genotyped using these loci. This species showed a remarkably high level of genetic diversity with mean expected heterozygosity of 0.914 and mean allele number per locus of 27.9, and no signature of drastic demographic decline was detected. As a result of our microsatellite analysis, the genetic structure between the two stems of the Han River, North Han and South Han, was prominent. Such a genetic structure was also evident in the sequence analysis of 14 haplotypes obtained from mtDNA control region. Although slender shinners are only found in very limited areas around the world, the genetic structure indicates that there is a block of gene flow among the populations, which should be reviewed in the future if management and restoration of this species is needed.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.223-236
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• 2003

The vegetation in this study area was divided into 10 plant communities: Pinus thunbergii, P. densiflora, Quercus acutissima, Q. mongolica, Q. serratea, Q. variabilis, Q. aliena, Q. dentata, Carpinus coreana, Betula davurica and 3 afforestations; Pinus rigida, Robinia pseudo-acacia, Castanea crenata. The dominant species in each stratum as determined by R-NCD appeared to be Q. acutissima, P. densiflora, Platycarya strobilacea, Sorbus alnifolia and Q. aliena in the tree-2 layer, Rhododendron mucronulatum, P. strobilacea, Q. serrata, Q. aliena and Q. acutissima in the shrub layer, and Carex lanceolata, C. humilis, R. mucronulatum, Mischanthus sinensis var. purpurascens and Oplismenus undulatifolius in the herb layer. The distribution of diameter at breast height(DBH) showed the highest percentage (56%) in the range of 2∼10㎝ in the study area and it was investigated as being in the restoration phase after disturbance. The average of the age of trees was under 40-years-od. The pH of soil collected at each site appeared to be within the range between 4.53 and 5.10(the average of 4.73) in each community, organic matters appeared higher than the value in Q. mongolica, P. rigida, C. crenata communities compared to P. thunbergii, P. densiflora communities. And soil organic matters and total nitrogen were highly correlated with their contents.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.223-235
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• 2011

Juncus effusus is mostly found in freshwater wetlands and is widely used for landscaping and creating artificial wetlands due to its high ecological value. J. effusus tends to dominate during the early stage (3-10 years) of the second succession in abandoned paddy fields. This study focused on the environmental characteristics of J. effusus to create habitat for an endangered species, Nannopya pygmaea, which lives in wetlands dominated by J. effusus. Considering the distribution of J. effusus and N. pygmaea, 63 quadrats at eight wetlands were investigated between May and June 2006 during the critically dry period. Fifty-three species from 28 families co-occurred with J. effusus, and Persicaria thunbergii was the most abundant (63.5%). The optimal ranges of distribution (ORD) for the water variables were water depth, -2 to 10 cm; dissolved oxygen, 0.99-3.55 mg/kg, conductivity (CON), 23.40-115.40 ${\mu}s/cm$, total dissolved solid, 12.53-57.60 mg/L; pH, 5.00-6.87; $K^+$, 0.11-1.46 mg/L; $Ca^{2+}$, 1.53-5.85 mg/L; $Na^+$, 3.16-7.47 mg/L; $Mg^{2+}$, 0.11-1.96 mg/L; $NO_3$-N, < 0.001-0.072 mg/L; $NH_4$-N, 0.005-0.097 mg/L; and $PO_4$-P, 0.006-0.047 mg/L. ORDs for the soil variables were water content, 1.05-2.96%; loss-on ignition method (LOI), 5.07-7.81%; CON, 23.70-59.70 ${\mu}s/cm$; pH, 4.40-5.16; extracted (e) $K^+$, 4.34-15.73 cmol/kg; $eCa^{2+}$, 31.56-191.56 cmol/kg; $eNa^+$, < 0.01-2.61 cmol/kg; eMg, 0.04-19.82 cmol/kg; $eNO_3$-N, 0.514-1.175 mg/kg; $eNH_4$-N, 0.033-0.974 mg/kg, $ePO_4$-P, 0.491-11.552 mg/kg; total nitrogen, 0.016-0.200%; and total carbon, 1.06-2.37%. The appearance of rush during early succession indicated relatively lower levels of these physicochemical parameters, and that ORDs should be maintained for the J. effusus community.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.103-109
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• 2007

To investigate the effects of artificial vegetation island (AVI) on fish distribution, we compared fish fauna from artificial vegetation island (AVI) area, which installed in 2000, natural vegetation area (NVA) and vegetation-free area (VFA) at Kyungan Stream area of Lake Paldang from Jul. to Nov., 2005. Results showed that 11 families 23 genera 24 fish species were distributed in the AVI and NVA. Squalidus japonicus coreanus, a small-size fish which generally lives at the downstream, dominated absolutely in the individual numbers. However, only 6 families 11 genera 12 species of fishes caught at the VFA, and dominant fishes were Hemibarbus labeo and Erythroculter erythropterus, a medium to large-size migratory fishes which live in mid-depth of water column. The dominance index was high at the AVI (0.778) and NVA (0.868), whereas the diversity index and evenness index were high at the VFA. Fish distribution at AVI was similar to that of the NVA in numbers of species, indicating that the AVI could playa role as spawning and inhabitation zone to a variety of fishes. We believe that AVI may be used for a restoration of the damaged and disturbed littoral ecosystem.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.322-328
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• 2012

To estimate the population size of Miho spine roach (Cobitis choii), one of national monument species in Korea, multiple mark-recapture experiments (Jolly-Seber model) by VIE tagging were conducted in the upper region of the Backgok Stream located in the Kum-River system, Korea. Fish sampling was conducted at four different times from October 5 to October 26, 2011. A total of 335 sampling points were sampled, where the species was determined in 217. The population size was estimated to be 6,143 in this study. Compared to a previous report conducted by the Korean Ministry of Environment (2009), the population size of this species has decreased by 41%. The reasons for population decline are thought to be due to loss of microhabitat, sedimentation, water pollution. Consequently, a habitat restoration program is required to protect the microhabitat and recover the population size in this area.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.229-248
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• 2019

This study was carried out to investigate the flora of Mt. Jaamsan on the Gyeongsang supergroup, Korea. From the results of eight field surveys from March to October 2017, we have identified 530 total taxa, representing 483 species, eight subspecies, 35 varieties, two forms, and two hybrids, which were placed in 325 genera and 110 families. The plant formation of Mt. Jaamsan is the deciduous broad-leaved and conifer mixed forests, which are the common ones in the middle part of the Korean Peninsula. Most of the mountain is covered with young secondary forest, which is mainly composed of Quercus spp., and Pinus. Out of these 530 taxa, 12 are endemic to Korea, 17 taxa are listed on the Korean Red List of threatened species, 65 are floristic target species, and 55 are invasive alien species. The percentage of naturalized index(NI) and urbanization index (UI) were 10.4% and 17.2%, respectively. Mt. Jaamsan has a high plant diversity, including endemic and rare species, which consist of geomorphological landscapes. We considered that the composition and distribution of species are affected by the different environmental factors according to the sedimentary rocks, drying ridges, valleys, and streams. Together with the rocks and soils were the substrate type that play a major role in providing the unique habitats for sun plants in the area.