• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.89-104
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• 2004

In the aftermath of nation-wide controversy over "conservation vs. development" of the costal wetland in the Saemangeum, Korea could legislate the laws of wetland conservation and costal management in 1998. Since then, the public interest in the costal mudflats and its conservation has increased greatly, but the controversy on the economic value of mutflat wetland and the futher (un)necessity of reclamation) is not yet settled. In the cases of Korea dealt, economic valuation of wetland was performed mainly in the milieu of reclamation(development) vs conservation conflict, or from interest of recreational use. Korean studies used to estimate economic value of development case and conservation case respectively and then tried to compare these two value, as is sometimes done also in other countries. But the scrutiny of the results of these studies leads us to conclude that the revealed wide discrepancy among estimated values, above all other methodological problems, denies any practical applicability to the actual policy use. Benefit transfer as a convenient alternative method of valuation can not be usable either in our cases, because there is too few reliable estimated economic values of mudflat wetlands.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.10-27
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• 2017

Recently, the importance of recognizing the natural environment and the need for its conservation are increasing due to rapid urbanization. Suncheon Bay, designated as Scenic Site No. 41 and one of the World's Five Greatest Coastal Wetlands, is the only tideland among the tidal flats in Korea, which has salt marsh reserves. It has high conservation value from the ecological aspect. In addition to the Suncheon Bay National Garden, it provides various benefits not only to visitors but to local residents as well in terms of economics, environmental issues, and history and cultural aspects. Two million tourists visit the site annually, which has constantly highlighted the limits of ecological capacity. The valuation of the Suncheon Bay wetland is more important for the sustainability of the Suncheon Bay wetland than for its value as a tourism resource for the activation of the local economy. This study used the Logit model, which is commonly used among probabilistic choice models, to evaluate the economic value of Suncheon Bay wetland with the contingent valuation method(CVM). Applying the conservation value of the Suncheon Bay wetland to the benefit of KRW 8,200 for 1 person and 1 day, the benefit from exploration is KRW 2,050, the management and conservation value is KRW 3,034, and the heritage value is KRW 3,116. The results of this study are that benefit from the annual exploration of Suncheon Bay wetland was KRW 44.3 in billion, the management and conservation value was KRW 6.55 in billion, and the heritage value was KRW 6.73 in billion. When converted to the number of paying visitors per year, the conservation value is about KRW 177.1 billion. This study was conducted to evaluate the use and conservation aspects of the economic value of Suncheon Bay wetland. Based on the latent value of the Suncheon Bay wetland, it provides basic data about the efficient management and policy establishment of Suncheon Bay wetland. The study is significant in that the ecological sustainability of the Suncheon bay wetland and the value of non-marketable were evaluated based on the recognition of 'benefit through exploration', 'management and conservation value' and 'value of heritage'. It can be used as policy decision data on the integrated collection of the admission fee of the Suncheon Bay wetland and Suncheon Bay National Garden.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.51-63
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• 2017

Rice Fields have provided large areas of open water for centuries in regions with a variety of rice-growing cultures, and, in addition to producing rice also provide other animal and/or plant food sources and medicinal plants, thus acting as wetland systems and helping to sustain livelihoods and human well-being in these regions. Also rice fields in many parts of the world support important wetland biodiversity, such as reptiles, amphibians, fish, crustacean, insects and mollusca, and play a significant ole in water-bird flyways and the conservation of water-bird populations. The purpose of this study is to find a way conservation of rice fields in connection with paddies's laws, for example, amend the Conservation of Wetlands Law or legislate for the conservation of paddies.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.251-259
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• 2014

Recently, wetland and paddy wetland are being highlighted as the international environmental issues. However, research system which can assess paddy wetland is lacking. Thus, the purpose of this study is to assess the value of paddy wetland by applying RAM to paddy wetland. In addition, we would like to use this study as the data to establish assessment method for paddy wetland. 16 sites were selected as research targets based on altitude and soil. As the results of wetland assessment, 16 research target sites had total score of 212~227 and the average of 2.17~2.50. It was similar to those of Lacustrine Wetlands, Palustrine Wetland and Riverine Wetland which were sites in previous studies. The value could be recognized as the wetland. However, there was no difference in assessment results based on altitude and soil. It was found that all conservation values were the same. The factor the most closely affecting conservation value was the area. However, there was limitation to apply existing wetland assessment system to paddy wetland. In order to assess paddy wetland, factors such as rice farming methods, topography, vegetation, growth environment and biodiversity should be added. It was thought to supplement wetland assessment system through various further studies.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.10-20
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• 2024

The conservation and restoration of wetlands are essential tasks for the sustainable development of human society and the environment, providing vital benefits such as biodiversity maintenance, natural disaster mitigation, and climate change alleviation. This study aims to analyze the strategic interactions and interests among various stakeholders using game theory and to provide significant grounds for policy decisions related to wetland restoration and development. In this study, hypothetical scenarios were set up for three types of cities: large, medium, and small. Stakeholders such as governments, development companies, environmental groups, and local residents were identified. Strategic options for each stakeholder were developed, and a payoff matrix was established through discussions among wetland ecology experts. Subsequently, non-cooperative game theory was applied to analyze Nash equilibria and Pareto efficiency. In large cities, strategies of 'Wetland Conservation' and 'Eco-Friendly Development' were found beneficial for all stakeholders. In medium cities, various strategies were identified, while in small cities, 'Eco-Friendly Development' emerged as the optimal solution for all parties involved. The Pareto efficiency analysis revealed how the optimal solutions for wetland management could vary across different city types. The study highlighted the importance of wetland conservation, eco-friendly development, and wetland restoration projects for each city type. Accordingly, policymakers should establish regulations and incentives that harmonize environmental protection and urban development and consider programs that promote community participation. Understanding the roles and strategies of stakeholders and the advantages and disadvantages of each strategy is crucial for making more effective policy decisions.

• Mycobiology
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.351-363
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• 2020

Here, we investigated fungal microbiota in the understory root layer of representative well-conserved geographically segregated natural wetlands in the Korean Peninsula. We obtained 574,143 quality fungal sequences in total from soil samples in three wetlands, which were classified into 563 operational taxonomic units (OTU), 5 phyla, 84 genera. Soil texture, total nitrogen, organic carbon, pH, and electrical conductivity of soil were variable between geographical sites. We found significant differences in fungal phyla distribution and ratio, as well as genera variation and richness between the wetlands. Diversity was greater in the Jangdo islands wetland than in the other sites (Chao richness/Shannon/Simpson's for wetland of the Jangdo islands: 283/6.45/0.97 > wetland of the Mt. Gariwang primeval forest: 169/1.17/0.22 > wetland of the Hanbando geology: 145/4.85/0.91), and this variance corresponded to the confirmed number of fungal genera or OTUs (wetlands of Jangdo islands: 42/283> of Mt. Gariwang primeval forest: 32/169> of the Hanbando geology: 25/145). To assess the uniqueness of the understory root layer fungus taxa, we analyzed fungal genera distribution. We found that the percentage of fungal genera common to two or three wetland sites was relatively low at 32.3%, while fungal genera unique to each wetland site was 67.7% of the total number of identified fungal species. The Jangdo island wetland had higher fungal diversity than did the other sites and showed the highest level of uniqueness among fungal genera (Is. Jangdo wetland: 34.5% > wetland of Mt. Gariwang primeval forest: 28.6% > wetland of the Hanbando geology: 16.7%).

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.264-274
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• 2020

This study aims to clarify the diversity and distribution characteristics of plant communities in four small mountain wetlands located in the high altitude area of Cheonchuk Mountain within the Wangpicheon Basin Ecological Landscape Conservation Area in Seomyeon, Uljin-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do. A total of 26 vegetation data were collected according to the Z.-M. school's phytosociological vegetation survey method considering the homogeneity of habitat type and species composition. Four physiognomic vegetation types composed of 9 syntaxa was confirmed through vegetation classification according to dominant correlation and vegetation type classification considering species composition. The Iris ensata var. spontanea-Molinia arundinacea community is a dominant plant community representing the research area. After human use, vegetation is developing through natural transition in a homogeneous location left unattended, but the distribution of other plant communities was rarely observed due to the narrow wetland area. The microtopography and hydrological environment of each wetland were identified as key factors affecting the diversity and distribution of vegetation.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.42-52
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• 2021

In order to secure basic data on biodiversity for wetland conservation and management used the data from Wetland Protected Area surveys conducted in South Korea (2015-2019) to analyze the distribution of fish from a total of 15 orders, 45 families, 134 species, and 12,972 individuals. The predominant species identified were Zacco platypus (Temminck and Schlegel) (19.47%) and Zacco koreanus (Kim, Oh and Hosoya) (8.16%). Of all emergent species, 52.9% (n=71 species) were freshwater species, 26.9% (n=36) were brackish species, 3.0% (n=4) were migratory species, 27% (n=36) were marine species, and 9.0% (n=12) were riffle benthic species. Overall, 5.2% (n=7 species) were endangered species, 3.0% (n=4) were exotic species, and 23.1% (n=31) were Korean endemic species. The eight identified Wetland Protected Areas (WPA) were classified based on their habitat characteristics and on the analysis of their emergent fish communities, as estuarine (n=2), coastal dune (n=1), marsh (n=2), stream (n=2), and stream-marsh (n=1) types. The environmental factors revealed to have the greatest influence on the species diversity of emergent fish were maintenance and repair, installation of reservoirs, and construction of artificial wetlands around them. The present study offers basic information on the diversity of fish species in different Wetland Protected Area types that can be used to inform conservation and management decisions for WPA.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.450-462
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• 2023

This study suggested methodology of Citizen Science as a tool of ecosystem conservation and management to achieve Wetland Protected Area (WPA) Conservation Plan and examined whose applicability in 3 WPAs (Jangrok of Gwangju metropolitan city, Madongho of Goseong in South Gyeongsang Province, and Incheongang estuary of Gochang in North Jeolla Province). It consists of a) figuring out main interests and stakeholder or beneficiaries of WPA and their information demand based on conservation, utilization, and management target in the WPA Conservation Plan, b) conducting research activities to gain outcome to address stakeholder's demand, and c) returning the research outcome to citizen scientists and making diffusion to the society. Based on the suggested method and process, citizen scientists conducted ecosystem monitoring (plants including Invasive Alien Plants, terrestrial insects, traces of mammals, discovering unknown wetland). As a result, citizen scientists contributed to collecting species information of 16 plans, 43 species of terrestrial insects, 5 mammals including Lutra lutra (Endangered Species I) and Prionailurus bengalensis (Endangered Species II). The authors constructed and provided distribution map of Invasive Alien Plants, which included information of location and density which citizen scientists registered, for Environment Agencies and local governments who manage 3 WPAs to aid data-based ecosystem policy, In further studies, not only accumulating research data and outcomes acquired from citizen science to suffice the policy demands but also deliberate reviewing policy applicability and social·economic ripple effect should be processed for the suggested Citizen Science in WPA to be settled down as a tool of ecosystem conservation and management.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.64-71
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• 2001

Treatment efficiency was examined of a pond-wetland system constructed for water quality conservation of Koheung Estuarine Lake over one year after its establishment in July 2000. The system is composed of primary and secondary ponds in series and six wetland cells in parallel. Cattails (Typha angustiflora) were planted in three wetland cells and common reeds (Phragmites australis) in three other cells. Water pumped from Sinyang Stream flowing into the Lake was funneled into primary pond whose effluent was discharged into secondary pond by gravity flow. Effluent from secondary pond was distributed into each wetland cell. SS, $BOD_5$, T-N, and T-P concentrations in influent to primary pond, and effluent from primary pond, secondary pond, and three wetland cells planted with cattails were analyzed for about one year from August 2000 to August 2001. The removal rates at primary pond for SS, $BOD_5$, T-N and T-P were 29%, 30%, 15%, and 36%, respectively. The abatement rates at secondary pond for SS, $BOD_5$, T-N and T-P were 38%, 40%, 30%, and 47%, respectively. The reduction rates measured at three cattail-planted wetland cells for SS, $BOD_5$, T-N and T-P were 54%, 57%, 60%, and 68%, respectively. Considering early stage of the pond-wetland system and inclusion of winter during the research period, its treatment efficiency was rather good. Cattails had not yet grown to dense stands due to initial establishment period, which resulted in slightly lower treatment efficiencies of wetland cells for these pollutants, compared with those of ponds.