• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.305-310
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• 2015

In 2014, the city of Seoul revised the ordinance regarding water-cycle restoration in the Seoul Metropolitan areas by incorporating the 'Low Impact Development (LID)' policy. The new ordinance plan will utilize 630 mm or almost 45 to 50% of annual rainfall until 2050 by means of providing a rainwater management system consisting of infiltration, retention and vegetation. The LID is believed to be the key to achieving the target requirements, specifically in development projects. This research was performed to evaluate the stormwater runoff and pollutant reduction performance of three different LID facilities (water circulation facilities) including an infiltration inlet, bioretention swale, and permeable pavement constructed in Seoul City. Results show that among the water circulation facilities, the permeable pavement achieved the highest runoff reduction as it was able to entirely capture and infiltrate the runoff to the ground. However, in order to attain a long-term performance it is necessary to manage the accumulated sediment and trapped pollutants in the landscape areas through other water circulation techniques such as through soil erosion control. In terms of pollutant reduction capability, the infiltration inlet performed well since it was applied in highly polluted areas. The bioretention facility integrating the physico-chemical and biological mechanisms of soil, microorganisms and plants were able to also achieve a high runoff and pollutant reduction. The water circulation facilities provided not only benefits for water circulation but also various other benefits such as pollutant reduction, ecological restoration, and aesthetic functions.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.160-170
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• 2020

Railroads and roads are typical linear projects, and their networks are expanding nationwide. To minimize the impact of their development on the environment, ecological disconnection due to the parallel lines of railroads and roads is to be avoided as much as possible. In this study, to examine the environmental impact of railroad and road development, the characteristics of railroads and roads and the differences between them were examined through a comparative analysis of key evaluation items. Based on the result, the road development, unlike the railroad project, suggests items for establishing an efficient land use plan and soil protection as the key evaluation items. There are no specific evaluation items and criteria that can be used to examine the environmental impact of railroad lines located adjacent to roads. In this study, eight evaluation items were suggested by reviewing the relevant literature. In particular, in the strategic environmental impact assessment stage, which examines the adequacy and location feasibility of the plan, the minimum separation distance criteria were proposed to examine in advance the environmental impact of railroads located adjacent to the existing roads. The distances were examined for the previously operated routes, and a distance of less than 200 m was suggested to minimize the environmental impact. The results were compared with those in other studies and analyzed. The results of this study can be used as a basis for examining alternative routes that can minimize the environmental impact of adjacent railroads and roads.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.189-198
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• 2020

Wetlands, which provide various ecological services, have been regarded as an important nature-based solution for, for example, sustainable water quality improvement and buffering of impacts from climate change. Although the importance of conserving wetlands to reduce the impacts of various perturbations (e.g., changes of land use, climate, and hydrology) has been acknowledged, the possibility of applying these efforts as a nature-based solution in a macro-scale (e.g., landscape) has been insufficient. In this study, we examine the possibility of ecological network analysis that provides an engineering solution as a nature-based solution. Specifically, we analyzed how land use change affects the structural and functional characteristics (connectivity, network efficiency, and clustering coefficient) of the ecological networks by using the ecological networks generated by multiple dispersal models of the hypothetical inhabiting species in wetlandscape. Changes in ecological network characteristics were analyzed through simultaneously removing wetlands, with two initial conditions for surface area, in the zones where land use change occurs. We set a total number of four zones of land use change with different wetland densities. All analyses showed that mean degree and network efficiency were significantly reduced when wetlands in the zones with high wetland density were removed, and this phenomenon was intensified especially when zones contained hubs (nodes with high degree). On the other hand, we observed the clustering coefficient to increase. We suggest our approach for assessing the impacts of land use change on ecological networks, and with additional analysis on betweenness centrality, we expect it can provide a nature-based engineering solution for creating alternative wetlands.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.185-190
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• 2015

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission from agricultural lands is recognized as one of important factors of global warming. The objective of this short communication was to evaluate the applicability of different soil GHG emission prediction models on agricultural systems in Korea. Four models, namely, DNDC, DAYCENT, EXPERT-N and COUP, were selected and the basic structure (e.g., components and sub-model), input variables, and output variables were compared. In particular, the availability and compilation of essential input variables were assessed. Major input variables needed for operating these predictive models were found to be available through database systems established by national organizations such as the Korea Meteorological Administration, the Korean Soil Information System, and the Rural Development Administration. However, in order to apply these models in Korea, it was necessary to calibrate and validate each of the models for the domestic landscape settings and climate conditions. In addition, field data of long-term monitoring of GHG emission from agricultural lands are limited and therefore should be measured.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.194-205
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• 2022

Sandbars formed by sediment transportation and sedimentation are some of the most important habitats for specific wildlife and they provide an aesthetic landscape in streams. The purpose of this study was to understand the successional process of the colonization and development of early vegetation over time on sandbars exposed by the opening of a gate at a downstream weir. We selected the following four study sites in the Geumgang River, South Korea: three weir-upstream sites with different gate-opening times and a control site that was not affected by weir operation. Changes in the structural characteristics and spatial distribution of the riparian vegetation on the sandbars exposed after opening the gate at the weir were surveyed according to the different exposure periods of the sandbars at the study sites. The newly formed sandbars accounted for more than 33% of the area of the existing floodplain in the three weir-upstream sites of the Geumgang River after opening the gate at the weir. Nine main plant communities were distributed on the exposed sandbars. These communities were classified as annual mesophytic, perennial hydrophytic, perennial hygrophytic, subtree, and tree vegetation based on their species traits. As the duration of exposure of the sandbar increased, the area of the bare sandbar and the annual herbaceous and perennial hydrophytic communities decreased, and the areas occupied by perennial hygrophytic, subtree, and tree communities increased. Changes in vegetation on the sandbar were classified into three types of succession according to the condition of the aquatic habitat before the gate-opening and the degree of physical disturbance caused by the water flow after the gate-opening. The types of succession were: 1) succession starting from hydrophytes in the lentic aquatic zone, 2) succession starting from annual herbaceous hygrophytes in the lotic aquatic zone, and 3) willow-dominated succession in the disturbed channel side. Our results suggested that the dynamics of successional changes in vegetation should be considered during weir operation to ecologically manage the habitats and landscape of the fluvial landforms, including sandbars in streams.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.36-58
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• 2022

In this study, the weather conditions corresponding to the increase in the environmental concentration of fine dust (PM₁₀) and ultrafine dust (PM_2.5) from 2001 to 2019 in Jeju and Seogwipo cities were analyzed. The increase in the levels of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 was observed in the order: spring > winter > autumn > summer. In both cities, PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 levels increased more frequently during the day in spring and summer and at night in autumn and winter, with PM_2.5 showing a greater increase in concentration than PM₁₀. The air temperature and wind speed corresponding with increased levels of PM₁₀ were higher than their respective seasonal averages in spring and winter, but lower in summer and autumn. Relative humidity was lower than the seasonal average during all seasons. The air temperature variation corresponding with increased levels of PM_2.5 showed the same seasonal trend as that observed for PM₁₀. The relative humidity was higher than the respective seasonal averages in spring and summer, and lower in winter. The wind speed was lower than the seasonal average in both the cities. When the PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 levels increased, the wind direction was from the north and the west during the day and varied according to the season at night. The rate of the increase in the PM₁₀ concentration was the highest in both cities at the wind speed of 1.6 - 3.4 ms^-1 during the day and night except during night in the summer. The highest concentration of PM_2.5 was observed with the wind speed range of 1.6 - 3.4 ms^-1 in Jeju, and 0.3 - 1.6 ms^-1 in Seogwipo. The results of this study applied to urban and landscape planning will aid in the formulation of strategies to reduce the adverse effects of fine particular matter.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.68 no.4
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• pp.422-430
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• 2023

The nutrient-rich and climate-resilient finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.) is a relatively new crop on the agricultural landscape. The present study explores the agronomic characteristics and antioxidant activities of grains and cookies produced from 'Finger1ho,' which was the first finger millet variety developed in South Korea. With heightened calcium content (314 mg/100 g) and polyphenol levels, 'Finger1ho' exhibited superior radical scavenging activities compared to other millets. The investigation assessed the impact of whole finger millet flour at varying concentrations (0, 10, 30, 50, and 100%) on cookie properties. Increasing the substitution of finger millet flour in the cookie formulation resulted in a notable rise in calcium content, ranging from 1.8 times at 10% to an impressive 10.8 times at 100%, surpassing the levels found in conventional wheat cookies. Conversely, the sodium (Na) levels in finger millet cookies demonstrated minimal variations, presenting a potentially favorable aspect in addressing the high Na intake prevalent in the South Korean diet. Notably, the antioxidant activity, assessed through ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging assays, exhibited a significant elevation compared to the control. This increase in antioxidant activity was directly proportional to the quantity of finger millet incorporated (p<0.001), indicating the potential health benefits associated with higher levels of finger millet in the cookie formulation. This study highlights finger millet's potential as a beneficial ingredient, enhancing both consumer acceptability and the functional attributes of cookies. Notably, cookies with 10% to 50% added finger millet exhibited significantly superior quality characteristics compared to controls, suggesting promising avenues for health-functional cookie development.