• Proceedings of KOSOMES biannual meeting
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• 2017.04a
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• pp.83-83
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• 2017

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.52-61
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• 2019

Over the past few decades, microalgae-based biotechnology conjugated with innovative CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genetic engineering has been attracted much attention for the cost-effective and eco-friendly value-added compounds production. However, the discharge of reproducible living modified organism (LMO) into environmental condition potentially causes serious problem in aquatic environment, and thus it is essential to assess potential environmental risk for human health. Accordingly, in this study, we monitored discharged genetically modified microalgae (GMM) near the research complex which is located in Daejeon, South Korea. After testing samples obtained from 6 points of near streams, several green-colored microalgal colonies were detected under hygromicin-containing agar plate. By identification of selection marker genes, the GMM was not detected from all the samples. For the lab-scale environmental risk assessment of GMM, acute toxicity test using rotifer Brachionus calcyflorus was performed by feeding GMM. After feeding, there was no significant difference in mortality between WT and transformant Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. According to further analysis of horizontal transfer of green fluorescence protein (GFP)-coding gene after 24 h of incubation in synthetic freshwater, we concluded that the GFP-expressed gene not transferred into predator. However, further risk assessments and construction of standard methods including prolonged toxicity test are required for the accurate ecological risk assessment.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.164-174
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• 2021

Information on biodiversity plays an important role in conservation planning for ecosystem. As existing biodiversity indices are calculated and predicted only based on the number of individuals and species, it is difficult to explain aspects of genetic and ecological diversity. Phylogenetic diversity can indirectly evaluate ecological diversity as well as genetic diversity overlooked by existing biodiversity assessments. In this study, typical metrics of biodiversity (e.g., species diversity, species richness, etc.) and phylogenetic diversity were evaluated together using a long-term monitoring data of winter birds in Jungrang, Cheonggye and Anyang stream where are designated as Seoul migratory bird reserves. Then discussed the meaning of each assessmentresult. In Jungrang and Anyang stream, the number of individuals generally decreased overtime, whereas in Cheonggye stream, there was no significant change. In addition, species abundance increased over time slightly in Cheonggye stream, while there was no significant change in Jungrang and Anyang stream. Species diversity temporally increased in Jungrang and Cheonggye stream, excluding Anyang stream, but phylogenetic diversity showed a tendency to increase only in Cheonggye stream. These changes in the biodiversity assessment indices are thought to be due to anthropogenic disturbances such as construction that occurred within each site, and it was shown that species diversity and phylogenetic diversity do not always lead to the same assessment results. Therefore, this study suggests that biodiversity assessment needs to be considered from various contexts such as genetic and ecological perspectives.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.663-673
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• 2011

In the face of accelerating biodiversity loss and its significance in our coexistence with nature, biodiversity is becoming more crucial in sustainable development perspective. To estimate biodiversity in the future which provides valuable information for decision making system especially in the national level, a quantitative approach must be studied forehand as a baseline of the present status. In this study, we developed a large-scale map of Plant Species Richness (PSR, typical indicator of biodiversity) for Young-dong and Pyung-chang provinces. Due to the accessibility of appropriate data and advance of modelling techniques, reduction of variables without deteriorating the predictive power is considered by applying Genetic algorithm. In addition, a number of Correctly Classified Instances (CCI) with 10-fold cross validation which indicates the predictive power, was carried out for evaluation. This study, as a fundamental baseline, will be beneficial in future land work as well as ecosystem restoration business or other relevant decision making agenda.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.77-87
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• 2020

National parks and other protected areas often do not adequately protect national biodiversity because they were originally created for socio-economic and/or aesthetic values. The Korean government has committed to expanding the extent of protected areas to fulfill its commitments to the Aichi Biodiversity Convention. To do so, it is necessary to quantify the current levels of biodiversity representation within existing protected areas and to identify additional conservation needs for vulnerable species and ecological systems. In this study, we assess the proportion of species ranges found in South Korea's protected areas, for the species documented in the 3^rd National Ecosystem Survey. We modeled the range distribution of 3,645 species in the following taxonomic groups; plants (1,545 species), mammals (35), birds (132), herptiles (35), and insects (1,898) using the MaxEnt species distribution model and calculated how much of each species' range is within protected areas. On average, 17.4% of plant species' ranges are represented in protected areas, while for mammals and insects an average 12.0% is currently conserved. Conservation representation for herptiles averages 9.3%, while it is 8.6% for birds. Although large proportions of species that have restricted distributions should be represented in protected areas, 17 plant species, two insects (Parnassius bremeri and Lasioglossum occidens), and one bird species (Phylloscopus inornatus) with ranges smaller than 1,000 ㎢ have less than 10% of their ranges within protected areas. Establishing specific conservation goals such as the protection of endangered species or vulnerable taxonomic groups will increase the efficiency of the biodiversity conservation strategies. In addition, lowland coastal areas are critical for biodiversity conservation because the protected areas in South Korea are mainly composed of high mountainous areas.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.390-397
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• 2022

Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) is the biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council. CAFF conducts Monitoring, Assessment, Policy, and expert group activities to preserve Arctic biodiversity and ensure the sustainability of biological resources and communicates the results to governments and indigenous peoples. The main tasks of CAFF consist of monitoring (Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program), assessment (Arctic Biodiversity Assessment) and strategic projects(Arctic Migratory Bird Initiative, AMBI). Korea has been directly participating in the AMBI since 2015 after acquiring observer status of the Arctic Council in 2013. The AMBI aims to preserve habitats on migration routes used by breeding birds in the Arctic and prevent illegal hunting. Thus, observer countries on migratory routes are directly participating in the project. When selecting priorities for participation in Arctic cooperation projects by 2030, Korea should consider continuing participation in AMBI and participating in the "CAFF Youth Program" in connection with the Arctic Academy program operated by Korea's public institutes.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.64-73
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• 2024

As the seriousness of habitat destruction caused by development projects emerges, the importance of environmental impact assessment (EIA) is increasing to preserve biodiversity. In previous studies, research is being conducted to quantitatively evaluate the biodiversity impact of development factors and surrounding environmental factors on the landscape scale, but research on the factors affecting the reduction of biodiversity based on development projects is insufficient. This study examined whether independent variables (size of development project, type of the development, DEM, ecosystem and nature map, distance from the green land, distance from the protected area), which have been proven to effect biodiversity through the previous researches, have a significant effect on the change of richness index (RI) through multi-class logistic regression analysis, T-test, and analysis of the development type. As a result, only the size of development project and the first richness index in EIA showed p-value less than 0.05. And it was confirmed that the reduction in biodiversity was significantly changed in the following construction types: installation of sports facilities, energy development, and development of industrial location and industrial complex. Since the results of this study confirmed that the impact of the variables may be inconsistent depending on the analysis scale, additional study of necessary indicators at the development project is needed to analyze biodiversity changes in EIA accurately.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.17-28
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• 2024

In order to achieve the management goals (30by30) mandated by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, this study established the site-level assessment criteria for OECMs, tailored to domestic circumstances using the Delphi analysis. Subsequently, a site-level assessment was conducted on the National Gariwangsan Natural Recreation Forest. As a result of the study, the initial step involved presenting criteria for the site-level assessment of OECMs, with 'consent for the assessment and recognition of OECM by competent and management authority' proposed as a prerequisite. Subsequently, seven evaluation criteria were established, including 'other than a legally protected area', 'spatially separated area with defined boundaries', 'effective in-situ conservation of biodiversity', 'sustainable management based on the competent and management authority', 'long-term sustainability of conservation outcomes', and 'provision of ecosystem services'. The results of applying site-level assessment criteria to the National Gariwangsan Natural Recreation Forest indicate that six criteria were met, while one criterion (sustainable management based on the competent and management authority) requires further improvement. Specifically, the key competent and management authorities for the National Gariwangsan Natural Recreation Forest are the Korea Forest Service and the National Natural Recreation Forest Management Office, with competent and management organizations established. However, the management focus is primarily on providing forest recreation services centered on users and facilities, making it difficult to confirm the long-term biodiversity conservation plans and implementation by the competent and management authorities. Therefore, it is deemed necessary to improve the long-term biodiversity conservation plans and implementation for the recognition of the National Gariwangsan Natural Recreation Forest as an OECM.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.99-114
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• 2021

We examined a current status of damage in biodiversity and its causing factors in Hasidong Anin coastal dune, Gangneung-si, Gangwon province which is designated as ecological and landscape conservation area. In this study, we found that ecosystem and biodiversity have been primarily damaged by anthropogenic factors such as the construction of surrounding area, military facilities illegally dumped garbage and the expansion of windbreak forest. These factors occur to damage the landscape, ecosystem and biodiversity etc. There is a significant lack of basic data needed for preservation and restoration due to the lack of prior research and value assessment. In order to establish solutions for preservation and restoration, it is critical to collect fundamental data and implement value assessments. Therefore, further studies such as ecosystem services assessment, increasing biodiversity, spatial analysis and monitoring of various items related to coastal dunes are needed.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.53-63
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• 2024

Biodiversity holds significant importance within the framework of environmental impact assessment, being utilized in site selection for development, understanding the surrounding environment, and assessing the impact on species due to disturbances. The field of environmental impact assessment has seen substantial research exploring new technologies and models to evaluate and predict biodiversity more accurately. While current assessments rely on data from fieldwork and literature surveys to gauge species richness indices, limitations in spatial and temporal coverage underscore the need for high-resolution biodiversity assessments through species richness mapping. In this study, leveraging data from the 4th National Ecosystem Survey and environmental variables, we developed a species distribution model using Random Forest. This model yielded mapping results of 24 mammalian species' distribution, utilizing the species richness index to generate a 100-meter resolution map of species richness. The research findings exhibited a notably high predictive accuracy, with the species distribution model demonstrating an average AUC value of 0.82. In addition, the comparison with National Ecosystem Survey data reveals that the species richness distribution in the high-resolution species richness mapping results conforms to a normal distribution. Hence, it stands as highly reliable foundational data for environmental impact assessment. Such research and analytical outcomes could serve as pivotal new reference materials for future urban development projects, offering insights for biodiversity assessment and habitat preservation endeavors.