• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.60-67
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• 2024

Hitchhiker insect species from international vessels entering Korea in 2022 were monitored. A total of 947 samples of hitchhiker insects were collected using a simple collection method by hand. Among them, 856 individuals were classified as 374 species of 86 families in 10 orders through integrative analysis with DNA barcoding and morphological examination. The rest 91 individuals were identified only to the family level. As a result of examining the distribution of the 374 species (856 individuals), 38 species (71 individuals) were confirmed as not-distributed species in Korea, including six species (11 individuals) as 'regulated species' listed by the Korean Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency. Of 38 not-distributed species, 10 species were detected multiple times (at least twice). Accordingly, it is necessary to strengthen monitoring of the area around the port of entry along with continuous surveillance to prevent invasion of species detected multiple times. For monitoring alien hitchhiker insect species, this study provided detection information and biological data for alien species.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.364-371
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• 2021

Public awareness of alien species can vary by generation, period, or specific events associated with these species. An understanding of public awareness is important for the management of alien species because differences in public awareness can affect the establishment and implementation of management plans. We analyzed digital texts on social media platforms, news articles, and internet search volumes used in conservation culturomics to understand public interest and sentiment regarding alien freshwater species. The number of tweets, number of news articles, and relative search volume to 11 freshwater alien species were extracted to determine public interest. Additionally, the trend over time, seasonal variability, and repetition period of these data were confirmed. We also calculated the sentiment score and analyzed public sentiment in the collected data using sentiment analysis based on text mining techniques. The American bullfrog, nutria, bluegill, and largemouth bass drew relatively more public interest than other species. Some species showed repeated patterns in the number of Twitter posts, media coverage, and internet searches found according to the specified periods. The text mining analysis results showed negative sentiments from most people regarding alien freshwater species. Particularly, negative sentiments increased over the years after alien species were designated as ecologically disturbing species.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1-13
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• 2015

This study was conducted to develop an environmental index for assessing the vulnerability of areas with invasive alien plants. To that end, "Regional Vulnerability Numerical Index" (RVNI) was developed with a spatial statistical technique and applied to Seoul and Gyeonggi-do area first. The results are as follows. First, RVNI was high in stream areas. Second, RVNI was lowest in mountain areas. It indicates that stream areas are vulnerable to invasive alien plants. In terms of regions, Guri City is most vulnerable and Gapyeong-gun is the least vulnerable. To expand and manage the invasive alien plants, a control protocol should be developed by considering the physiology and ecology by invasive alien plant. Also, related policies should be pursued based on the results. Thus, the findings of this study can be used as baseline data for setting policies for invasive alien species management.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.145-159
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• 2020

Wetlands are vulnerable to biological invasion by alien species, because they function as sinks that accumulate excess water, sediments, nutrients, and other contaminants from the surrounding watersheds by disturbance. In this study, to understand the status and characteristics of the alien plants based on the type of wetlands, we classified 24 ecologically outstanding wetlands and analyzed the status of alien flora. A total of 130 alien plants were found in the wetlands, accounting for 11% of the total plant species. Among them, the Asteraceae species was the most diverse, with 40 species. Erigeron annuus and Oenothera ordorata had the highest frequency of occurrence. The species richness of alien plants in the riverine and lacustrine wetlands (average: 30 species) was higher than that in the mountainous palustrine wetlands (average: 10 species). The same results were found in the naturalization index, urbanization index, and ratio of annuals and biennials, which indicate the degree of artificial interference. In the cluster analysis, the riverine and lacustrine wetlands were combined, and only the mountainous palustrine wetlands were separated. The number of alien plants is remarkably low in the mountainous palustrine wetlands, and it is considered to be the influence of Erigeron strigosus, Symphytum officinale, and Bilderdykia convolvulus, not found in the other types of wetlands. In particular, invasive alien plants such as Aster pilosus, Ambrosia trifida, Sicyos angulatus, Ambrosia artemisiifolia var. elatior were found intensively in the riverine wetlands. Therefore, it is considered that a methodical management is urgently required considering the dispersal of alien plants in the riverine and lacustrine wetlands with high artificial interference.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.89-119
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• 2020

Species invasions have rapidly increased due to the substantial growth of global trade in the recent past. As the awareness of the negative effects on natural ecosystems derived from alien species has grown, many countries and lawmakers have enacted rules and policies on the conservation of indigenous plants. Unfortunately, in Korea, research on species invasion is seriously lacking despite the growing number of alien species. In the current study, we report alien plants that have intentionally and/or unintentionally been introduced in Korea and also presented a checklist of invasive plants found both in the literature and in field surveys. We reviewed all documented records of alien plants, i.e., scientific papers, illustrated books, and annual reports. We also categorized alien plants by origin, time of introduction, naturalization, and the rate of their spread. The results revealed that there are 619 alien plant taxa (96 families, 353 genera, 595 species, 6 subspecies, 11 varieties, 1 forma, and 6 hybrids) occurring in Korea. Among these, 30 taxa are archaeophytes (Arc.), 214 are potentially invasive plants (PIPs), and 375 are invasive alien plants (IAPs). In addition, IAP taxa consist of grades 5 (widespread, WS) to 1 (potential spread, PS) of alien plants according to the rate of spread in Korea. Our results suggested that the number of alien plants is likely to keep growing; thus, the distribution should be regularly monitored and the list of alien plants must be updated.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2005

Occurrence and distribution of crop diseases caused by invasive alien pathogens were surveyed in Korea from 2001 to 2003. Of 22 species of invasive alien pathogens surveyed, 18 species were found on their host plants but 4 species were not. Scientific names of the alien plant pathogens introduced into Korea in the past were reviewed. Revised scientific names of 10 species including anthracnose pathogens were amended in the list. Host ranges of invasive alien pathogens were investigated. Eight species of the invasive alien pathogens were found on new host plants as well as their host plants recorded in the past.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.173-181
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• 2017

Background: This study was undertaken to analyze the distribution and ecological characteristics of invasive alien plant species on Jeju Island, and to provide basic data for their management and control. Results: A field research was conducted at 436 locations on Jeju Island. The field research identified nine species of invasive alien species growing on Jeju Island. Based on the distribution pattern, Hypochaeris radicata L., Rumex acetosella, and Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. were found to be distributed horizontally throughout Jeju Island, with vertical growth in two or more vegetation zones, from warm temperate to the subalpine zone. Widely distributed species penetrate various habitats, such as grasslands, ranches, roadsides, farmlands, and empty lots, and have an immensely negative impact on the ecosystem, including declining biodiversity on Jeju Island. Paspalum distichum var. indutum Shinners, Paspalum distichum L., Solanum carolinense L., and Aster pilosus Willd. were distributed in some areas as a biased distribution species, whereas Lactuca scariola L. and Solidago altissima L. were found only in certain areas as centralized distribution species. Conclusions: The centralized distribution species and biased distribution species of the invasive plants in the ecosystem of Jeju Island should be physically eliminated, keeping in mind the short- and mid-term perspectives and monitoring, and by considering expansion of additional distribution areas. Due to limitations of physical/chemical elimination, time, and cost, widely distributed species require to be eliminated and managed, mainly to restore the integrity of the ecosystem, by planting native species to reestablish the habitat.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.104-114
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• 2023

In this study, the distribution, bait preference, hosts, symbionts, habitat status, and cytochrome c oxidase subunit-I sequences of the ant Linepithema humile were analyzed. This species habitat comprised approximately 1.5 km along stone crevices, flower gardens, roadsides, and container yards in the vicinity of Busan station, Korea. Feeding activity of this species was confirmed in 9 species of 7 families of plants. Which was approximately 14% of total flora (63 species of 37 families) in the studied area. Particularly, it was observed that Dendranthema indicum and Camellia japonica were the most frequently visited. Further, we verified that they interacted with four species of aphids. We identified 22 species of ants (17 genera, 4 subfamilies) inhabiting the Busan station area, including L. humile, Tetramorium tsushimae, Nylanderia flavipes and the alien species Paratrechina longicornis. In areas where L. humile was the dominant species, the habitat of local native ants was reduced by approximately 30%. Bait preference was ranked in the following order: jelly, water with glucose (25%), and yogurt, with the highest preference for baits containing sugar and protein. The 630-bp cytochrome c oxidase subunit-I sequences of the local L. humile populations were 99% identical to those of L. humile in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database, and the Argentine ants that invaded Korea had a sequence identical to that of other invasive populations from China, Japan, and New Zealand. As L. humile rapidly increases due to domestic adaptation, continuous monitoring and control strategy for eradication are needed to protect domestic biodiversity.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.191-197
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• 2015

Invasive alien species are considered to be one of the main factors that cause biodiversity loss. Establishment of management strategies through continuous monitoring and risk assessment is a key element for invasive alien species management policy. In the present study, we introduce examples of ecological risk assessment tools developed in Japan, Germany-Austria and Belgium. Invasive alien species have been designated in Japan based on the assessment of risks to ecosystems, human health and primary industry. German-Austrian Black List Information System categorized alien species into Black List, White List and Grey List according to their risks to biodiversity. In the Harmonia Information System developed in Belgium, invasiveness, adverse impacts on native species and ecosystem functions and invasion stages were assessed and alien species were categorized into Black List, Watch List and Alert List. These international risk assessment tools may be helpful to improve our national risk assessment protocol for the prioritization of invasive alien species management.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.509-513
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• 2018

Present study was performed to survey infection status of digenetic trematode metacercariae in 2 alien fish species, Micropterus salmoides (largemouth bass) and Lepomis macrochirus (bluegill), in 2 rivers draining Chungcheongbuk-do, Republic of Korea. A total of 107 largemouth bass and 244 bluegills were caught in Daecheong-ho (ho=lake) and Musim-cheon (a branch of Geum-gang), in Chungcheongbuk-do April-July 2015. Additionally, 68 native fish of 5 species, i.e., Zacco platypus, Hemibarbus longirostris, Carassius auratus, Pseudogobio esocinus and Puntungia herzi, were caught from the same water bodies. All of the fish collected were examined by artificial digestion method. The metacercariae of Centrocestus armatus, Clinostomum complanatum, Metagonimus sp. and Diplostomum spp. were detected from 4 out of 5 native fish species in Daecheong-ho. However, any metacercariae were not found from 87 M. salmoides and 177 L. macrochirus in Daecheong-ho. In Musim-cheon, metacercariae of Exorchis oviformis and Metacercaria hasegawai were detected from 78% Z. platypus and 34% L. macrochirus, but any metacercariae not found in M. salmoides. We report here that the 2 alien fish species were less infected with the metacercariae than the native ones. Surveys on the metacercariae in the alien fish species in geographically various rivers should be undertaken for better understanding on the role of alien fish species in the trematode infections in Republic of Korea.