• Journal of Wetlands Research
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.285-297
• /
• 2024

This study, conducted in Geolpo-dong and Gamjeong-dong near Gimpo-Hangang New Town, examines an area adjacent to the Han River estuary, a major wintering ground for migratory birds. Over 59 surveys from October 2015 to March 2022 in four representative rice fields (sites A-D) recorded 44,942 individuals from 32 genera and 72 species. Site D, a large area near the Han River, exhibited high species diversity. Despite lower diversity in areas under development (sites A, B, C), ongoing species influx and utilization persist. The study focuses on Anser fabalis, a species predominantly utilizing rice fields, and identified their distribution characteristics. The analysis revealed 162 instances of population influx, with over a 30-fold increase observed across 39 surveys conducted over a 30-month period (October to March, '15~'22). The area, a key wintering site for migratory birds of Janghang Wetland, about 5 km from feeding sites, is heavily utilized by migratory geese, indicating the region's high value considering migration distance and anticipated continuous bird influx despite urban expansion. Therefore, future developments should preserve ecological corridors and connected stepping stone habitats to not only preserve existing habitats but to secure alternative feeding sites, ensuring smooth movements and mitigating habitat loss.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.391-407
• /
• 2012

The loss of connectivity and fragmentation of forest landscapes are seriously hindering dispersal of many forest-dwelling species, which may be critical for their viability and conservation by decreasing habitat area and increasing distance among habitats. For understanding their environmental impacts, numerous spatial models exist to measure landscape connectivity. However, general relationships between functional connectivity and landscape structure are lacking, there is a need to develop landscape metrics that more accurately measure landscape connectivity in whole landscape and individual patches. We reviewed functional and structural definition of landscape connectivity, explained their mathematical connotations, and applied representative 13 indices in 3 districts of Seoul having fragmented forest patches with tits, the threshold distance was applied 500m by considering the dispersal of tits. Results of correlation and principal component analysis showed that connectivity indices could be divided by measurement methods whether they contain the area attribute with distance or not. Betweenness centrality(BC), a representative index measuring distance and distribution among patches, appreciated highly stepping stone forest patches, and difference of probability of connectivity(dPC), an index measuring including area information, estimated integrated connectivity of patches. Therefore, for evaluating landscape connectivity, it is need to consider not only general information of a region and species' characteristics but also various measuring methods of landscape connectivity.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.150-161
• /
• 2005

Soraksan National Park and Odaesan National Park, that are 20.7 km apart, should play an important role as habitats and corridors for wildlife because they are located in the center of Baekdudaegan. However, landscape features such as small area, fragmentation, and geographic isolation seem to impede the proper ecological functions of these two national parks. Using GIS technique, we examined the pattern of fragmentation in these two national parks and adjacent regions (Sokcho-si, Goseong-gun, Inje-gun, Yangyang-gun, and Hongcheon-gun) encompassing a total of $4573.5km^2$ in area. We then selected the patches suitable for an endangered carnivorous species, leopard cat, based on habitat conditions, and identified the network and stepping stone among patches to enable leopard cats to migrate. Diverse roads and artificial facilities in the study area generated a total of 24,701 patches: 39 patches among these were selected as potential habitats upon considering the habitat condition such as vegetation types and minimum area for leopard cat. Three patches nearby Gyebangsan and Bangtaesan were identified as a potential network center to relieve the effects of fragmentation and isolation of the two national parks. Our results also showed that patches containing Jombongsan and Bangtaesan would act as a source patch from there leopard cats can disperse to both national parks. It is an urgent task to identify the pattern of fragmentation and the connectivity between patches in national parks and adjacent areas for wildlife conservation because almost all national parks confront land- scape problems similar to the two national parks examined in this study.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.89-101
• /
• 2016

This study examined spatial disposition of wildlife highway mortality using road-kill GIS database and Naver panoramic 360 degree views to find out which habitat and road variables most influenced road-kill numbers for each mammal species and how the landscape and road elements are connected on highway. Road-kills on Yeongdong(YD) and Jungbu highway(JB) generally tended to be higher in natural barren, grassland and cropland due to its value of preferred habitats of nocturnal and multihabitat species like water deer(Hydropotes inermis argyropus), raccoon(Nyctereutes procyonoides) and hare(Lepus coreanus). Land cover in YD showed no difference between species (p=0.165) while JB did by species (p=0.001). This may be explained by disparate landscape between mountain and urban or the fact that YD in long term operation might have enabled consistent crossing pattern compared to JB experiencing continuous extension works which may in turn have deviated the road crossing. Although road-kill prevention effect of local topography alone was appreciable, compared to less significant or ineffective fence and guardrail, gentle slope declining in a direction to the road turned out to offset the preventive effect of juxtaposed fence. Furthermore, green patches on road near intersection were deemed a visual stepping stone facilitating wildlife attempted crossing and local roads juxtaposed with a highway were especially left defenceless to road-kill without road barriers.