• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.206-216
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• 2021

Deutzia paniculata Nakai, a rare and endemic plant, has limited distribution throughout the North and South Gyeongsang provinces of South Korea. The D. paniculata community grows mostly on the stony slopes of forests, valley edges, and rock layers at 250-960 m in altitude, where deciduous trees are dominant and high humidity is maintained. Correlation analysis of vegetation and environmental factors found that the Walter's dogwood-mulberry community was correlated with soil acidity (pH). Whilst the queritron community had correlations with distance from the valley, rock rate and slope. The natural habitat of the Palgongsan Mountain in Daegu is known to have high genetic diversity, had eight D. paniculata individuals recorded from 2014 to 2018, and 12 individuals recorded in 2020 (new individuals due to a newly created space within the herbaceous layer caused by grass mowing works), it is therefore unlikely that the community would perish unless there was an artificial disturbance. To conserve the natural habitats of D. paniculata, oppression by Sasa borealis, damage, increase in crown density of the upper layer, overexploitation, and absence of seedlings should be carefully investigated. In addition, response measures should also be established and the impact on seed fullness and the reproductive characteristics of D. paniculata recorded. To restore declined genetic diversity, individuals from high genetic diversity regions, such as Palgongsan Mountain, should be artificially transplanted.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.144-154
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• 2021

Objectives: This study was intended to identify hazard contribution by region, media, and chemical by calculating a hazard-based index using pollutant release and transfer register (PRTR) data. Methods: PRTR data for the period 2011 to 2016 was analyzed to examine the regional trends in toxic releases in terms of quantity and to create a corresponding hazard-based index. For the hazard-based index, the Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators (RSEI) Model was used. Results: The results of the trend analysis show that total releases decreased slightly, but health hazard levels increased consistently. According to the outcome of regional contribution analysis of the hazard-based index, Chungcheongnam-do, Jeollabuk-do and Gyeonggi-do Provinces showed a high ratio in the index for air and water release pollutants, while Gyeongsangbuk-do and Gyeongsangnam-do Provinces showed a high ratio in the index of soil release and waste transfer pollutants. Also, as a result of the analysis of the top ranked substances in the hazard-based index, it was found that chromium, cobalt and its compounds, and ethylene oxide contributed greatly to air release substances, while chromium, benzene, and lead and its compounds contributed greatly to water release substances. Conclusion: These results showed considerable disparities between total release and health hazard levels, especially in the analysis of contribution by regions and by chemical substance. Therefore, the hazard-based index should be used both to support a more comprehensive and robust approach to screening of chemicals for environmental health policy and for management.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1169-1178
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• 2018

Two man-made carbon emissions, fossil fuel emissions and land use emissions, have been perturbing naturally occurring global carbon cycle. These emitted carbons will eventually be deposited into the atmosphere, the terrestrial biosphere, the soil, and the ocean. In this study, Simple Global Carbon Model (SGCM) was used to simulate global carbon cycle and to estimate global carbon budget. For the model input, fossil fuel emissions and land use emissions were taken from the literature. Unlike fossil fuel use, land use emissions were highly uncertain. Therefore land use emission inputs were adjusted within an uncertainty range suggested in the literature. Simulated atmospheric $CO_2$ concentrations were well fitted to observations with a standard error of 0.06 ppm. Moreover, simulated carbon budgets in the ocean and terrestrial biosphere were shown to be reasonable compared to the literature values, which have considerable uncertainties. Simulation results show that with increasing fossil fuel emissions, the ratios of carbon partitioning to the atmosphere and the terrestrial biosphere have increased from 42% and 24% in the year 1958 to 50% and 30% in the year 2016 respectively, while that to the ocean has decreased from 34% in the year 1958 to 20% in the year 2016. This finding indicates that if the current emission trend continues, the atmospheric carbon partitioning ratio might be continuously increasing and thereby the atmospheric $CO_2$ concentrations might be increasing much faster. Among the total emissions of 399 gigatons of carbon (GtC) from fossil fuel use and land use during the simulation period (between 1960 and 2016), 189 GtC were reallocated to the atmosphere (47%), 107 GtC to the terrestrial biosphere (27%), and 103GtC to the ocean (26%). The net terrestrial biospheric carbon accumulation (terrestrial biospheric allocations minus land use emissions) showed positive 46 GtC. In other words, the terrestrial biosphere has been accumulating carbon, although land use emission has been depleting carbon in the terrestrial biosphere.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.617-623
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• 2019

Numerous water disasters have recently occurred all over the world, including South Korea, due to global climate change in recent years. As water-related disasters occur extensively and their sites are difficult for people to access, it is necessary to monitor them using satellites. The Ministry of Environment and K-water plan to launch the next-generation medium satellite No. 5 (water resource/water disaster satellite) equipped with C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) in 2025. C-band SAR has the advantage of being able to observe water resources twice a day at a high resolution both day and night, regardless of weather conditions. Currently, RADARSAT-2 and Sentinel-1 equipped with C-band SAR achieve the purpose of their launch and are used in various environmental fields such as forest structure detection and coastline change monitoring, as well as for unique purposes including the detection of flooding, drought and soil moisture change, utilizing the advantages of SAR. As such, this study aimed to analyze the characteristics of the next-generation medium satellite No. 5 and its application in environmental fields. Our findings showed that it can be used to improve the degree of precision of existing environmental spatial information such as the classification accuracy of land cover map in environmental field works. It also enables us to observe forests and water resources in North Korea that are difficult to access geographically. It is ultimately expected that this will enable the monitoring of the whole Korean Peninsula in various environmental fields, and help in relevant responses and policy supports.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2020.06a
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• pp.315-315
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• 2020

기후변화로 인하여 전 세계적으로 이상기후가 진행되고 있다. 우리나라의 경우 홍수와 가뭄 등의 이상 강수가 빈번히 발생하고 있으며, 이로 인한 비점오염물질의 유출과 집적이 발생하고 있다. SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool)과 HSPF (Hydrological Simulation Program)등의 다양한 모델이 비점오염의 유출을 모의하기 위하여 활용되고 있으나, 농장 단위에서 유역 단위까지 다양한 대상지역에 대한 장기 모의와 BMP적용에 따른 효율평가가 어려운 실정이다. Texas A&M Agrilife Research에서 개발한 APEX(Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender model) 모형의 경우, 농장 단위에서 유역 단위의 대상지역에 대하여 최대 100년까지 일단위 모의가 가능한 특징이 있다. 하지만 APEX 모형은 개발된지 상당한 시간이 지났으며, 데스크탑 기반의 모형이므로 다양한 플랫폼에서의 활용이 어려운 한계점이 있다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 1. 기존 데스크탑 기반의 APEX 모형을 웹에서 구동할 수 있도록 웹 기반 시스템을 구축하였으며, 2. 양분유출에 대한 모의 평가가 가능하도록 결과를 시스템화하는 모듈을 추가하였다. 또한, 3. 웹 기반 APEX 모형의 활용도를 위하여 최적관리기법을 적용할 수 있는 모듈을 개발 및 추가하였다. 본 연구의 결과는 향후 농업비점오염원 지역의 양분유출을 확인·예측하고 관리하기 위한 기초자료로 활용될 것으로 기대하며, 최적관리기법을 활용한 저감 정책을 수립하기 위한 평가도구로 활용될 수 있을 것이다. 또한, 기존 데스크탑 기반의 모형을 웹 기반으로 이전하였으므로, APEX 모형 혹은 다른 데스크탑 기반 모형들의 웹 이전을 통한 사용자 편의성 증대를 위한 기초자료로 활용될 수 있을 것이다. 아울러 본 연구의 결과는 APEX 모형의 작물 매개변수가 국내 환경에 최적화 되어있지 않으므로 정확한 BMP 저감효과 모의에는 한계가 있으므로, 이에 대한 추가적인 연구가 필요할 것으로 판단된다.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.221-234
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• 2023

This study was conducted to develop a habitat assessment system for the endangered wildlife II Kirengeshoma koreana Nakai through in-depth interviews with experts based on field surveys and environmental characteristics through spatial data analysis and literature research. Evaluation factors were selected based on the survey results of 31 variables for 23 K. koreana habitats. Afterwards, the importance and evaluation range for each assessment factor were selected. The selection of survey variables, assessment factors, importance of each factor and assessment range was conducted through in-depth interviews with experts at each stage. As a result, the assessment factors and importance were 16% for precipitation of the wettest month, 10% for vegetation zone, 12% for vegetation type, 10% for crown canopy vitality, 14% for tree layer coverage, 13% for drainage grade, 12% for soil depth, and 13% for distance to stream including dry stream. This study provides basic ecological information and a habitat assessment system for K. koreana habitats. Therefore, it can be used as primary data for preparing an endangered wildlife conservation policy, preparing a habitat improvement plan, and selecting an alternative habitat.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.283-292
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• 2013

A series of monitoring studies were carried out to evaluate the residue level of pesticides in different native soils from 1999 to 2006. The nation-wide collection of soil samples from paddy, greenhouse, upland and orchard, were analyzed by GLC (ECD or NPD) and GC/MS. The results obtained are summarized as follows; out of 14 pesticides detected from paddy soils in 1999, the highest residue level was 0.25 mg $kg^{-1}$, and the frequency was 21.7% as butachlor, 20.0% as isoprothiolane, and 16.7% as iprobenfos. In 2003, 7 pesticides were detected and their frequencies were 0~36.0%; the frequency was 36.0% as isoprothiolane and 33.3% as oxadiazon. In the year 2000, 57 pesticides in the greenhouse soil samples were detected with the highest frequency of 65.3%. Of the pesticides detected, endosulfan and procymidone showed the frequency of 65.3 and 50.0%, respectively. In 2004, 19 pesticides were detected from greenhouse soils, and their frequencies and residue levels were decreased. Endosulfan and procymidone showed high detection frequencies and concentrations of 21.3 and 9.3% and 0.76 and 0.31 mg $kg^{-1}$, respectively. In 2001, a total of 25 pesticides were detected through monitoring in 170 upland soils and the highest residue level was 2.24 mg $kg^{-1}$. The detection frequencies showed the range of 0~53.5%. Especially, endosulfan showed the highest frequency of 53.5%. Residue levels and frequencies of pesticide in the year 2005 were almost the same compared with that of the year 2001. As a result of monitoring in 150 orchard soils in 2002, 26 pesticides were detected and the highest residue level was 1.43 mg $kg^{-1}$. Of them, the frequency of endosulfan showed the highest as 45.3%. In 2006, 20 pesticides were detected in orchard soils. The frequency of total endosulfan was the highest as 5.3% but was lower than that of the year 2002.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.157-184
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• 2010

Global climate change is destroying the water circulation balance by changing rates of precipitation, recharge and discharge, and evapotranspiration. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2007) makes "changes in rainfall pattern due to climate system changes and consequent shortage of available water resource" a high priority as the weakest part among the effects of human environment caused by future climate changes. Groundwater, which occupies a considerable portion of the world's water resources, is related to climate change via surface water such as rivers, lakes, and marshes, and "direct" interactions, being indirectly affected through recharge. Therefore, in order to quantify the effects of climate change on groundwater resources, it is necessary to not only predict the main variables of climate change but to also accurately predict the underground rainfall recharge quantity. In this paper, the authors selected a relevant climate change scenario, In this context, the authors selected A1B from the Special Report on Emission Scenario (SRES) which is distributed at Korea Meteorological Administration. By using data on temperature, rainfall, soil, and land use, the groundwater recharge rate for the research area was estimated by period and embodied as geographic information system (GIS). In order to calculate the groundwater recharge quantity, Visual HELP3 was used as main model for groundwater recharge, and the physical properties of weather, temperature, and soil layers were used as main input data. General changes to water circulation due to climate change have already been predicted. In order to systematically solve problems associated with how the groundwater resource circulation system should be reflected in future policies pertaining to groundwater resources, it may be urgent to recalculate the groundwater recharge quantity and consequent quantity for using via prediction of climate change in Korea in the future and then reflection of the results. The space-time calculation of changes to the groundwater recharge quantity in the study area may serve as a foundation to present additional measures for the improved management of domestic groundwater resources.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.25-36
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• 2005

Several metalliferous and coal mines, including Myungjin, Seojin and Okdong located at the upper watershed of Okdong stream, were abandoned or closed since 1988 due to the mining industry promotion policy. Thus these disposed an enormous amount of mining wastes without a proper treatment facilities, resulting in water pollution in the downstream areas. Acid mine drainage (AMD) and waste water effluents from the closed coal mines were very strongly acidic showing pH ranges of 2.7 to 4.5 and had a high level of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) showing the ranges of 1,030 to 1,947 mg/L. Also heavy metal concentrations in these samples such as Fe, Cu, Cd and anion such as sulfate were very high. Concentrations of water soluble heavy metals in the Okdong streams were in the orders of Fe>Al>Mn>Zn>Cu>Pb>Cd, indicating Fe from the AMD and waste water effluents contributed greatly to the quality of water and soil in the lower watershed of Okdong stream. Copper concentrations in the effluents from the tile drainage of mine tailings dams were highest during the raining season. Water Pollution Index (WPI) of the surface water at the upper stream of Okdong river where AMD of the abandoned coal mines was flowed into main stream were in the ranges of 16.3 to 47.1. On the other hand, those at the mid stream where effluents from tailings dams and coal mines flowed into main stream were in the WPI ranges of 10.6 to 19.5. However, those at the lower stream were ranged from 10.6 to 14.9. These results indicated that mining wastes such as AMD and effluents from the closed mines were the major source to water pollution at the Okdong stream areas.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.65 no.1
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• pp.63-71
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to analyze the growth characteristics of perilla according to the materials of the seedbed for the development of seedling plug technology suitable for the mechanical transplantation of perilla. Perilla (Perilla frutescens var. japonica Hara) cultivars Deulsaem and Sodam were used in this experiment. The composition ratios of 170 products from 16 companies published in the 'Korean Association of Seedbed Media' homepage were compared according to usage and type, and 11 products that corresponded to the average were selected. The seedbed was classified according to the seedbed for paddy rice as light-weight, semi-weight, and weight, and based on the seedbed for horticulture, as light-weight and ultra-light. The seedlings were placed in 72-cell (semi-automatic), 128-cell (automatic) and 220-cell (automatic) plug trays. We selected 2 light-weight seedbeds of paddy rice and 2 light-weight seedbeds of horticultural products with the highest plant growth. We analyzed plant height and mat formation of the perilla roots. Results showed that the perilla height and mat formation were the best in light-weight seedbeds of paddy rice (product R1). Therefore, light-weight seedbeds of rice (product R1) were suitable for perilla plant transplantation. The estimated major components were vermiculite 41.0%, cocopeat 31.0%, peat moss 5.7%, and red-yellow soil 20.0%. The mechanical transplantation of perilla significantly boosts plant growth and reduces sowing and thinning efforts. However, continuous evaluation of newly introduced, commercial seedbeds is needed.