• Ocean and Polar Research
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• 제42권1호
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• pp.21-31
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• 2020

Shorebirds migrating along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF) have been drastically decreasing due to continuous area loss and quality degradation of intertidal mudflats in the Yellow Sea. Evaluating the current habitat quality by means of habitat carrying capacity estimation could be effective in predicting the magnitude of impacts caused by habitat loss and provide better understanding to improve management strategies. In this study, we estimated the total biomass of Macrophthalmus japonicus, a main prey item of curlews in the Korea peninsular as habitat carrying capacity of the southern intertidal mudflat of Ganghwa Island, one of the key stopover sites for curlews in the EAAF. The result of the estimation took into account spatial differences of prey biomass and the available foraging time by tide patterns. Accordingly, it was found that curlew populations account for 30.26% of the habitat carrying capacity. When we calculated the mean biomass of the area and extrapolated it to the whole area to calculate the total biomass, it was found that the curlews have consumed 10.92% of the total biomass. The results show that the habitat carrying capacity of the southern intertidal mudflat of Ganghwa Island has decreased by 7.8% compared to a study conducted twenty years ago employing the same method. This study shows that there can be considerable differences in the results of habitat carrying capacity estimation between different methods, indicating that various environmental factors that affect the estimation results of habitat carrying capacity must be considered to achieve a more precise analysis and assessment.

• 한국조경학회지
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• 제32권4호
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• pp.28-38
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• 2004

Korean goral (Nemorhaedus caudatus raddeanus) is one of the endangered species in Korea, and the rugged terrain of the Soraksan National Park (373㎢) is a critical habitat for the species. But the goral population is threatened by habitat fragmentation caused by roads and hiking trails. The objective of this study was to develop a potential habitat suitability model for Korean goral in the park, and the model was based on the concepts of fuzzy set theory and multi-criteria evaluation. The process of the suitability modeling could be divided into three steps. First, data for the modeling was collected by using field work and a literature survey. Collected data included 204 points of GPS data obtained through a goral trace survey and through the number of daily visitors to each hiking trail during the peak season of the park. Second, fuzzy set theory was employed for building a GIS data base related to environmental factors affecting the suitability of the goral habitat. Finally, a multiple-criteria evaluation was performed as the final step towards a goral habitat suitability model. The results of the study were as follows. First, characteristics of suitable habitats were the proximity to rock cliffs, scattered pine (Pinus densiflora) patches, ridges, the elevation of 700∼800m, and the aspect of south and southeast. Second, the habitat suitability model had a high classification accuracy of 93.9％ for the analysis site, and 95.7％ for the validation site at a cut off value of 0.5. Finally, 11.7％ of habitatwith more than 0.5 of habitat suitability index was affected by roads and hiking trails in the park.

• 한국환경복원기술학회지
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.1-11
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• 2020

This study aimed to develop the HSI (Habitat Suitability Index) model of Cypripedium guttatum. and to verify this model by applying to the candidate sites for replacement habitat. The development of HSI and SI (Suitability Index) model was conducted based on the existing literature, field surveys, and expert opinions for information on ecological habitat characteristics. Seven variables were selected as habitat variables including mean maximum temperature in Jul.-Aug., lighting, slope, altitude, effective soil depth, soil texture, and artificial overexploitation (i.e. protected areas). HSI model was developed for C. guttaum based on these variables. This HSI model showed high applicability to selection and evaluation of replacement habitats for C. guttaum. Our findings could provide the basic information on habitat assessment to prevent the extinction of endangered C. guttatum. However, since there is a limitation that the survey data were insufficient, further field surveys should be conducted on several habitat types to improve the accuracy of the HSI model.

• 대한원격탐사학회지
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• 제20권5호
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• pp.329-335
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• 2004

Biotop map can be utilized for nature conservation and assessment of environmental impact for human activities in urban area. High resolution satellite images such as IKONOS and KOMPSAT1-EOC were interpreted to classify land use, hydrology, impermeable pavement ratio and vegetation for biotop mapping. Wildlife habitat map and detailed vegetation map obtained from former study results were used as ground truth data. Vegetation was investigated directly for the area where the detailed vegetation map is not available. All these maps were combined and the boundaries were delineated to produce the biotop map. Within the boundary, the characteristics of each polygon were identified, and named. This study investigates the possibility of biotop mapping using high resolution satellite remote sensing data together with field data with the goal of contributing to nature conservation in urban area.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• 제47권4호
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• pp.211-218
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• 2023

Background: Traditional wildlife monitoring has often relied on invasive techniques posing risks to species and demanding substantial resources. To address this, camera traps emerged as non-invasive alternatives, albeit primarily tailored for larger mammals, posing limitations for small mammal research. Thus, the Mostela, an innovative tool designed to overcome these challenges, was introduced to monitor small mammals in South Korea. Results: The Mostela was deployed at two study sites in South Korea, yielding compelling evidence of its efficiency in capturing small mammal species. By analyzing the collected data, we calculated the relative abundance of each species and elucidated their activity patterns. Conclusions: In summary, the Mostela system demonstrates substantial potential for advancing small mammal monitoring, offering valuable insights into diversity, community dynamics, activity patterns, and habitat preferences. Its application extends to the detection of endangered and rare species, further contributing to wildlife conservation efforts in South Korea. Consequently, the Mostela system stands as a valuable addition to the toolkit of conservationists and researchers, fostering ethical and non-invasive research practices while advancing our understanding of small mammal populations and ecosystems.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• 제46권4호
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• pp.324-333
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• 2022

Background: The Korean scarlet dwarf, Nannophya koreana Bae (Odonata: Libellulidae), is anendangered dragonfly with an increasing risk of extinction owing to rapid climate changes and human activities. To prevent extinction, the N. koreana population and their habitat should be protected. Therefore, suitable habitat evaluation is important to build the N. koreana restoration project. The habitat suitability index model (HSI) has been widely used for habitat evaluation in diverse organisms. Results: To build a suitable HSI model for N. koreana, 16 factors were examined by seven experienced researchers. A field survey for N. koreana observed sites and spatial analysis were conducted to improve the model. Five factors were finally selected by this procedure (crown density, open water surface, water depth, pioneer plant cover, and type of water source). Finally, the N. koreana HSI model was generated with the five adjusted factors based on interview, field survey, and spatial analysis. This model was validated by a current N. koreana habitat in 2021. With this model, 46 sites in Uljin-gun, Korea, were surveyed for N. koreana habitats; five sites were identified as core habitats and seven as potential core habitats. Conclusions: This model will serve as a strong foundation for the N. koreana restoration project and as a reference for future studies on N. koreana and other endangered insect populations. Further analysis and long-term data will improve the efficacy of this model and restore endangered wildlife.

• 한국수정란이식학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국수정란이식학회 2002년도 국제심포지엄
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• pp.56-62
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• 2002

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) considers the western/lowland bongo Tragelaphus eurycerus eurycerus to be a threatened species, and the eastern/mountain bongo Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci an endangered species［1］. Although extinction is considered by many biologists to be a natural process during evolution, the exponential growth of the human population has drastically and prematurely reduced the numbers and genetic diversity of many species［2］. Species have evolved to adapt to a specific habitat or environment that meet their survival needs. Alteration or destruction of their habitat results in a species becoming incapable of adapting and hence becoming threatened with extinction. A widespread scientific and public consensus has emerged suggesting that governments should assign high priority to the maintenance of biological diversity via habitat preservation and management far species conservation［3］. Unfortunately, the loss of biological diversity far surpasses the available conservation resources and species are lost forever on a daily basis［4］. Notwithstanding the focus on habitat preservation and wildlife management, conservation biologists have also become increasingly interested in using the technologies of reproductive and developmental biology to help manage or rescue endangered species［5］.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.48-53
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• 2012

The tiger population that once inhabited the Korean peninsula was initially considered a unique subspecies (Panthera tigris coreensis), distinct from the Amur tiger of the Russian Far East (P. t. altaica). However, in the following decades, the population of P. t. coreensis was classified as P. t. altaica and hence forth the two populations have been considered the same subspecies. From an ecological point of view, the classification of the Korean tiger population as P. t. altaica is a plausible conclusion. Historically, there were no major dispersal barriers between the Korean peninsula and the habitat of Amur tigers in Far Eastern Russia and northeastern China that might prevent gene flow, especially for a large carnivore with long-distance dispersal abilities. However, there has yet to be a genetic study to confirm the subspecific status of the Korean tiger. Bone samples from four tigers originally caught in the Korean peninsula were collected from two museums in Japan and the United States. Eight mitochondrial gene fragments were sequenced and compared to previously published tiger subspecies' mtDNA sequences to assess the phylogenetic relationship of the Korean tiger. Three individuals shared an identical haplotype with the Amur tigers. One specimen grouped with Malayan tigers, perhaps due to misidentification or mislabeling of the sample. Our results support the conclusion that the Korean tiger should be classified as P. t. altaica, which has important implications for the conservation and reintroduction of Korean tigers.

• 한국환경복원기술학회지
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.69-80
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• 2021

The new town in Korea, developed as a large-scale housing plan, has created urban ecological corridors to provide habitat and movement routes to wildlife and to promote natural ecological flow. This study aimed to investigate the use of wildlife in 10 ecological corridors in Gwanggyo New Town through camera trap technology and confirm effectiveness by identifying environmental factors affecting the use of wildlife's urban ecological corridors. Our researchers installed 20 unmanned sensor cameras at each the entrance and exit of the ecological corridors, and monitored urban wildlife for 10 weeks. According to the monioring results, the main species in Gwanggyo New Town were identified not only raccons, cats, water deer, korean hare and avain but also magpies, dove, eurasian tree sparrow, ring-necked pheasant, and eurasian jay. The number of uses ecological corridors of urban residents was 801(13.49%), as high as that of urban wildlife (1,140, 19.20%), which was judged to have disturbed the use of ecological corridors by wildlife. However, most dominant species of urban wildlife are nocturnal so that, it was judged that they share home range with urban residents at a time interval. In addition, according to the correlation analysis results between the mammal using rate of the urban ecological corridors and environmental factors(ecological corridor-specific length, ecological corridor-specific width, cover degree, shielding degree, connected green area, separation of movement routes, and presence of streetlights), environmental factors were not statistically significant. However, the more the area of green space connected to ecological corridors, the more increasing the mammal using rate of ecological corridor(r=0.71, p<0.05). Therefore, the area of green space connected to the ecological corridors that is associated with rate of wildlife using corridors should be considered as a priority when developing an urban ecological corridors. In the future, this study will extend the observation period of the ecological corridors and continuously accumulate data by adding the number of observation cameras. Furthermore, it is expected that the results of this study can be used as basic data for the standards for urban ecological corridors installation.

• 한국환경생태학회지
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.150-161
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• 2005

설악산국립공원과 오대산국립공원은 20.7km 떨어져 있으나 백두대간의 중심에 위치하기 때 문에 야생동식물의 서식지와 이통통로로서 매우 중요하다 그러나 협소한 크기, 조각화, 지 리적 격리와 같은 경관적 특성에 의해 이 두 국립공원은 적절한 생태적 기능을 다하지 못하고 있다. 본 연구에서는 GIS 기법을 이용하여 두 국립공원과 인근 속초시, 고성군, 인제군, 양양군, 홍천군 일대 총 면적 $4573.6 km^2$인 지역을 대상으로 조각화 현상을 파악하였다. 또한 육식동물이며 보호종으로 지정된 삵의 서식지조건에 부합하는 경관조각을 파악하고 삵의 이동이 가능한 경관조각들의 연결망과 연결지점을 설정하였다. 다양한 도로와 인위적 시설로 인해 조사지역은 총 24,701개의 경관조각으로 단절되어 있었다. 식생과 최소 서식지면적, 조각간 거리와 같은 서식지 조건을 고려하였을 때 이 중 39개 경관조각이 삵의 잠재서식지로 선택되었다. 나아가 계방산과 방태산 일대의 3개 조각이 국립공원의 조각화와 고립화를 완화시킬 수 있는 연결망의 중심으로 확인되었다. 본 연구는 또한 점봉산과 방태산 일대의 조각이 삵이 두 국립공원으로 분산할 수 있는, 공급지로서 작용할 수 있음을 보여 주었다. 거의 모든 국립공원이 조사된 두 국립공원과 유사한 경관적 문제를 가지고 있기 때문에 야생 생물을 보전하기 위해서는 국립 공원과 인근 지역에서의 조각화 현상과 경관조각의 연결성을 평가하는 과제가 매우 시급하다고 사료된다.