• The Korean Journal of Soil Zoology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.59-64
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• 1997

A study was carried out to investigate the distribution of termites at the southern part of Korea between 1995 and 1996. During the survey, termite samples were collected from the randomly selected areas. Most of thern were collected from the decayed woods in dead trees (usually in pine trees), but some were also collected from woodern walls, floors in houses, or in matured bed logs at the mushroom cultivating areas. Damage by this termite species were also observed by Kim and Hwang (1996) who investigated the insect pests of mushroom in the southern part of Korea. To control the termites, it is urgent to identify them and to conduct ecological study of termites. Thus, we firstly identified termites which were collected from the sampling areas including houses and mushrooms cultivating fields. All termite samples were identified as Reticulitermes speratus. However, there were several morphological differences among them according to the collected areas, and the samples were reexamined, identified and divided into subspecies as R. speratus kyushuensis.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.37
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• pp.327-348
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• 2004

In this study, after analyzing several local climate characteristics of South Korea, I validated distribution, invasion, foraging, underground activities, attack season as ecological characteristics and also temperature, relative humidity, and tree species as preference characteristics of Korean termites (Reticulitermes speratus kyushuensis Morimoto). Especially, southern part of the Korean peninsula is a suitable area for inhabitation and motion of termites holding same ecological characteristic like R. speratus kyushuensis. Busan is a neighboring district at field distribution north limiting temperature of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki and Chuncheon is a passing area through the Korean Peninsula of field distribution north limiting temperature of Reticulitermes speratus Kolbe. The termite attack of wood devices was about 34.5% for 3 years in the forest of Jongmyo. Although the attack rate of termite increased each year, the detection rate decreased and the missing rate was high by degrees. I confirmed a foraging habits which is a part of termite colony was a role of continuous decomposition and another was a role of new food hunt as experimental results. The foraging termites were found under ground at Jongmyo in Seoul from April to November in the 2001 and the most active period was on July and August. The termite invasion rate of bait station increased in every monitoring. Through the increasing attack rate of bait station during 2nd monitoring (November, 2000) and 3rd monitoring(March, 2001), I confirmed that termites moved into the deep underground in winter, and were working continuously to forage. R. speratus kyushuensis inhabiting at the Korean Peninsula is a species which has food consumption rate with higher temperature. The termite revealed the greatest amount of food(filter paper) at $30^{\circ}C$(90% RH), but showed increasing death rate at over $32^{\circ}C$. Also, survival rate of this termite was 97% at 84% RH($30^{\circ}C$), but killed 100% at 52% RH($30^{\circ}C$) and 70% RH($30^{\circ}C$). For wood feeding, this was observed the preference in a pine tree(Pinus densiflora) above all others. Survival of termites was high(87%) at a pine tree, but low(13.5%) at a paulownia tree(Paulownia coreana). In this study, I presented the biological characteristic of termite(R. speratus kyushuensis Morimoto) and confirmed the deterioration degree of termite on wooden cultural heritage in Korea. Depending on climate and soil temperature, each area in the southern part of the Korea Peninsula, has some different active period and different distribution of R. speratus kyushensis. With these results, I expect that this report helps to prepare the integrated pest management(IPM) of the termite on wooden cultural heritage in Korea, and it may help to reduce the economical loss from termite damage in Korea.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.789-795
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• 2017

Termites (Isoptera) are classified into approximately 3,106 species. In Korea, only one species has been identified, which is Reticulitermes speratus kyushuensis Morimoto. The termite, a social insect, is known to play an important role in nutrient cycling of the ecosystem, although some species of termites are well-known pests attacking wooden structures or any plant materials. However, there is a lack of research about termites in Korea, including aspects such the taxonomy, physiology, and ecology of termites. This study was carried out to provide valuable basic data on the ecological role of termites in an ecosystem in Korea for the future studies. For the experiments, soil and termite samples were randomly collected from Mt. Hwajang located in Jikdong-ri, Eonyang-eup, Ulju-gun, Korea between October 5 and 30, 2015. Analysis results showed that there were no significant differences in soil chemical properties between the soil samples just after air-drying and one year elapsed without any treatment. The treated soil with termites showed significantly higher than the soil without termite treatment. Chemical properties of total nitrogen, organic matter, available phosphate, pH, Calcium(Ca), Potassium(K) and Magnesium(Mg) in soil treated with termites were $1.11{\pm}0.3gkg^{-1}$, $43.3{\pm}12.4gkg^{-1}$, $27.4{\pm}2.9mgkg^{-1}$, $4.56{\pm}0.2$, $0.82{\pm}0.2cmol_ckg^{-1}$, $3.18{\pm}1.4cmol_ckg^{-1}$, $1.73{\pm}1.1cmol_ckg^{-1}$, respectively. The values of soil property of without termite treatment were $0.56{\pm}0.1gkg^{-1}$, $30.5{\pm}3.1gkg^{-1}$, $24.0{\pm}4.7 mgkg^{-1}$, $4.09{\pm}0.1$, $0.71{\pm}0.2cmol_ckg^{-1}$, $2.88{\pm}1.5cmol_ckg^{-1}$, $1.30{\pm}0.7cmol_ckg^{-1}$, respectively. These results suggest that inhabitation of termites could improve soil chemical properties in an ecosystem.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.159-167
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• 2017

Historical wooden buildings in Korea are being damaged by Reticulitermes speratus kyushuensis Morimoto, a type of subterranean termite, and the scale of this damage is increasing gradually because of global warming. This study evaluated the ingestion toxicity of the phenylpyrazole insecticide fipronil to R. s. kyushuensis and its applicability as termite bait with the aim of controlling termite colonies more efficiently. An ingestion toxicity assessment was conducted and the $LT_{50}$ was determined to be 4.43 day at concentrations of 10 ppm, indicating a slow-acting effect; therefore, 10 ppm was selected as an appropriate dose. A field applicability assessment was conducted in which the number of foraging workers and the rate at which the termites fed decreased 2 weeks after baiting, and termite colony activity was no longer apparent after 4 weeks demonstrating the efficacy of fipronil at eliminating colonies. Taken together, these results, indicate that low-dose fipronil eliminated R. s. kyushuensis colonies faster than insect growth regulators; therefore, it is expected to be useful when trying to conserve historical wooden buildings.

• 보존과학연구
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• s.31
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• pp.121-130
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• 2010

Wooden structures in Korea are usually damaged by some insects such as termites, wasps, cigarette beetles, powder-post beetles. Especially, the termites inhabiting in Korea are the subterranean termites, Reticulitermes speratus kyushuensis Morimoto, that make colonies in underground, therefore it is difficult to predict and control substantial infestations in advance. Accordingly, to enable inspectors to locate the termite infestations before the extensive damage occurs, the pest management industry has begun using several elaborate tools and making the various effect to inspect areas hard to access through a visual inspection. Recently detector dogs were adopted as one of those tools. Detector dogs are useful for locating subterranean termites because they use their acute olfaction rather than vision. We also have used detector dogs to locate termites and investigated 270 buildings from 31 sites since 2007. According to the results, while 144 buildings (53.4%) were in good condition with no damage by termites, 80 buildings (29.6%) were found out to be damaged by termites through visual inspection and detector dog. So it is expected to control termites according to the conservation status if detector dogs are well trained to discriminate live termites from fecal pellets by termites.

• 보존과학연구
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• s.33
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• pp.99-108
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• 2012

The white-rot fungus (Trametes versicolor) and brown-rot fungus (Tyromyces palustris), which cause damage to a variety of wooden cultural properties and buildings, such as drying of the wood tissue, decay and cracks, sponge, and discoloration, give rise to serious structural and aesthetic problems. Moreover, pest termites (Reticulitermes speratus kyushuensis Morimoto) can cause damages like hollowing the outdoor beams or pillars of wooden buildings and finally causing such buildings to collapse due to the termites' destruction of the inside of the beams or pillars, leaving only a thin layer on their surfaces. This study was conducted to determine the impact of the wood-decay fungus, a representative damage-causing microorganism, and of insects and termites on the termite ecology. The damage ratio was calculated as the weight of the timber, and the overall total mass was reduced from two kinds of rot fungi. The white-rot fungi reduced the total wood mass, but the brown-rot fungi were observed to have had an increasing tendency to do so. The wood mass was measured after drying to determine the destruction capacity of termites. As a result, the wood mass consumed by the brown-rot fungi was shown to be greater.

• 보존과학연구
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• s.32
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• pp.123-136
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• 2011

There are more than 2,800 different species of termites in the world, but just there is one species (Reticulitermes speratus kyushuensis Morimoto) in Korea. Once wooden structures are damaged by termites, we are applying chemical control methods such as fumigation, treatment of insecticidal and antiseptic chemicals, soil termiticide treatment, and termite colony elimination system to pest control. But in Korea, the termite infestation is gradually increasing, so it is essential to study on the present situation of termite control in US or Japan. Accordingly, in this part we have studied focusing on the case of US. In the US, there are three groups of termites : Subterranean, Drywood, Dampwood termites, and they caused more severe infestation compared with Korea. When a structure has become infested with termites, it is important that appropriate action must be taken: the chemical pest control (soil treatment, termite baiting, termite colony elimination), the modification and maintenance of buildings and the regular inspection for follow-up. And with consideration for different characteristics of termites, the process of pest control is made according to each species of termites. Most of the subterranean termite control is done by applying either termiticide to the soil or termite monitoring and baiting system around the structure. On the other hand, drywood termite control methods can be categorized as either the treatment for the whole structure or the treatment for localized area. Applications to the whole structure are done by fumigants or heat and the localized treatments are carried out with chemicals as well as heat, freezing, microwave and electricity.

• 보존과학연구
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• s.22
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• pp.41-52
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• 2001

The wooden building is mainly damaged by the termite which have an effect of the structure by making emptied inner part of wood. One class, Japanese termite, inhabits throughout Korea and is often detected. So the deterioration by termite attacking the wooden building needs to be controlled. Termites are over 2,800 species in the world, usually they inhabit in the tropical or subtropical region and don’t over winter in dormant condition. So their activity and distribution are chiefly restricted by temperature and humidity. The termite inhabiting in Korea is Reticulitermes speratus kyushuensis Morimoto, which known to have an optimal temperature range at $12~30^{\circ}C$ and minimum temperature at $6^{\circ}C$ for activation. These temperatures correspond to the mean temperature($5.6^{\circ}C$~$25.8^{\circ}C$) from March to November and the activity time of termitein Seoul. In addition, as a result of environmental pollution by industrial development, the climate of Korea is getting warm. The increase of mean temperature in Korea has been $1.1^{\circ}C$ for the past seventy five years, so it is expected that the damage of wooden building by termite will increase gradually. Therefore, in order to protect wooden building from damages by termite, it needs not only development of new pest control methods, but also studies on the control of environmental factors having an effect on the activity and growth of termite. For the conservation of the large cultural properties such as the wooden building in the open air, it would be effective to use the methods of fumigation, insecticidal and antiseptic chemical treatment of wood materials, soil termiticideinjection treatment, and termite colony elimination system.