• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.61-69
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• 2011

Integrated stream naturalness based on abiotic and biotic factors were developed. Abiotic factors considered in this study were types of land use in the riparian area, river bank and high water bed streamside, revetment, bed substrate and artificial construction of streamside. Biotic factors included types of vegetation, assemblages of fish, macroinvertebrate, bird and mammal(Otter) in streams. The presence/absence of legal species and biological assessment index were also weighted as important parameters in this study. Scoring criteria selected for each matrix was five rating system; 1=poor, 2=moderate, 3=fair, 4=good, 5=excellent. Numerical ratings for the matrix were then summed. This resulted in a minimum score of 13 if all matrix at a site were poor, and a maximum score of 65 if all matrix were excellent. Five grade system from poor(I) to excellent condition(V) was employed. To verify its validity in natural environment, the evaluation system was applied to the Gapchun stream which is a test bed selected. Our result showed that stream naturalness of each reach was clearly distinguished by biotic and abiotic characteristics. Determination of correlation coefficient between abiotic and biotic factors was also high ($R^2=0.96$, p<0.05). In conclusion, assessment for stream naturalness reflecting abiotic and biotic factors was useful method representing stream integrated.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.165-177
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• 2005

This study was carried out to offer the basic methodology of the system and model to objectively assess the natural ecosystem for environmentally friendly land conservation and present the alternative plan on establishing the environmental policy. The results of this study were as follows. We selected four assessment factors associated with biotic, abiotic, qualitative, and functional factors. Also, there were extracted fifty-six indicators including density, total nitrogen, hemeroby degree, and goods production. The assessment factor showed that biotic one was very important. The importance of indicators were analyzed that rare and endangered plant was important in biotic factor, in case of abiotic, qualitative, and functional factors, organic matter, landscape diversity, and conservation of ecosystem were greatly important. The results of factor analysis on the characteristics of indicators, classified biotic factor into six factors including a structural one, abiotic factor as a soil and physical one, qualitative factor as five ones including hierarchical one, and functional factor as public and conservational one. In the results of analysis on assessment model, R-square of biotic factor was 51.7%, those of abiotic, qualitative, and functional one were each 58.4%, 44.2%, and 39.3%, and statistical problem was no existence. In future, to develop the assessement model and methodology of sustainable natural ecosystem, we will have to achieve the integrated model and grouping by assessment factor.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.1119-1129
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• 2023

Seeds are colonized by diverse microorganisms that can improve the growth and stress resistance of host plants. Although understanding the mechanisms of plant endophyte-host plant interactions is increasing, much of this knowledge does not come from seed endophytes, particularly under environmental stress that the plant host grows to face, including biotic (e.g., pathogens, herbivores and insects) and abiotic factors (e.g., drought, heavy metals and salt). In this article, we first provided a framework for the assembly and function of seed endophytes and discussed the sources and assembly process of seed endophytes. Following that, we reviewed the impact of environmental factors on the assembly of seed endophytes. Lastly, we explored recent advances in the growth promotion and stress resistance enhancement of plants, functioning by seed endophytes under various biotic and abiotic stressors.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.49-58
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• 2017

Biotic ligand model (BLM) and species sensitivity distribution (SSD) were used to determine the site-specific Cu threshold concentration (5% hazardous concentration; HC5) in soil pore water. Model parameters for Cu-BLM were collected for six plants, one collembola, and two earthworms from published literatures. Half maximal effective concentration ($EC_{50}\{Cu^{2+}\}$), expressed as $Cu^{2+}$ activity, was calculated based on activities of major cations and the collected Cu-BLM parameters. The $EC_{50}\{Cu^{2+}\}$ varied from 2 nM to $251{\mu}M$ according to the variation in environmental factors of soil pore water (pH, major cation/anion concentrations) and the type of species. Hazardous activity for 5% (HA5) and HC5 calculated from SSD varied from 0.076 to $0.4{\mu}g/L$ and 0.4 to $83.4{\mu}g/L$, respectively. HA5 and HC5 significantly decreased with the increase in pH in the region with pH less than 7 due to the decrease in competition with $H^+$ and $Cu^{2+}$. In the region with pH more than 7, HC5 increased with the increase in pH due to the formation of complexes of Cu with inorganic ligands. In the presence of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), Cu and DOC form a complex, which decreases $Cu^{2+}$ activity in soil pore water, resulting in up to 292-fold increase in HC5 from 0.48 to $140{\mu}g/L$.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.23-30
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• 2011

Risk based pollution level of Pb and Cd in metal contaminated soils depending on physicochemical properties of soil in a target site was assessed using biotic ligand model. Heavy metal activity in soil solution defined as exposure activity (EA) was assumed to be toxic to Vibrio fischeri and soil organisms. Predicted effective activity (PEA) determined by biotic ligand model was compared to EA value to calculate risk quotient. Field contaminated soils (n = 10) were collected from a formes area and their risk based pollution levels were assessed in the present study using the calculated risk quotient. Concentrations of Pb determined by aqua regia were 295, 258, and 268 mg/kg in B, H and J points and concentrations of Cd were 4.73 and 6.36 mg/kg in G and I points, respectively. These points exceeded the current soil conservation standards. However, risk based pollution levels of the ten points were not able to be calculated because concentrations of Pb and Cd in soil solution were smaller than detection limits or one (i.e., non toxic). It was because heavy metal activity in soil solution was dominant toxicological form to organisms, not a total heavy metal concentration in soil. In addition, heavy metal toxicity was decreased by competition effect of major cations and formation of complex with dissolved organic carbon in soil solution. Therefore, it is essential to consider site-specific factors affecting bioavailability and toxicity for estimating reliable risk of Pb and Cd.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.10
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• pp.290-301
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• 2017

Background: Forest edges create distinctive ecological space as adjacent constituents, which distinguish between different ecosystems or land use types. These edges are made by anthropogenic or natural disturbance and affects both abiotic and biotic factors gradually. This study was carried out to assess edge effects on disturbed landscape at the pine-dominated clear-cut area in a genetic resources reserve in Uljin-gun, eastern Korea. This study aims to estimate the distance of edge influence by analyzing changes of abiotic and biotic factors along the distance from forest edge. Further, we recommend forest management strategy for sustaining healthy forest landscapes by reducing effects of deforestation. Results: Distance of edge effect based on the abiotic factors varied from 8.2 to 33.0 m. The distances were the longest in $Mg^{2+}$ content and total nitrogen, $K^+$, $Ca^{2+}$ contents, canopy openness, light intensity, air humidity, $Na^+$ content, and soil temperature followed. The result based on biotic factors varied from 6.8 to 29.5 m, coverage of tree species in the herb layer showed the longest distance and coverage of shrub plant in the herb layer, evenness, species diversity, total coverage of herb layer, and species richness followed. As the result of calculation of edge effect by synthesizing 26 factors measured in this study, the effect was shown from 11.0 m of the forest interior to 22.4 m of the open space. In the result of stand ordination, Rhododendron mucronulatum, R. schlippenbachii, and Fraxinus sieboldiana dominated arrangement of forest interior sites and Quercus mongolica, Vitis amurensis, and Rubus crataegifolius dominated spatial distribution of the open area plots. Conclusions: Forest interior habitat lies within the influence of both abiotic and biotic edge effects. Therefore, we need a forest management strategy to sustain the stability of the plant and further animal communities that depend on its stable conditions. For protecting forest interior, we recommend selective logging as a harvesting method for minimizing edge effects by anthropogenic disturbance. In fact, it was known that selective logging contributes to control light availability and wind regime, which are key factors affecting microclimate. In addition, ecological restoration applying protective planting for the remaining forest in the clear-cut area could contribute to prevent continuous disturbance in forest interior.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.189-196
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• 2019

Plants are consumed by a myriad of organisms that compete for resources. Direct interactions among multiple plant-feeding organisms in a single host can range for each species from positive to negative. Wood-boring beetle faces a number of biotic and abiotic constraints that interfere with the good prospects from the tree. Biotic factors, including arthropod pests and diseases, and abiotic factors, such as drought and water-logging, are the major constraints affecting the species. The present study aimed to provide basic data for analyzing forest health, identify the kinds of wood-boring beetles in the central part of Korea. Our second goal was to analyze the species composition and diversity of regional communities and to examine. A total of 10,461 individual wood-boring beetles belonging to 8 families and 50 species attracted to trap trees in the pine forests were recorded during the study period on study sites. The results of the analysis of collected species showed that the community structure on all study sites was similar. Seasonal occurrences of dominant wood-boring beetles (5 species) from each study site showed the highest number of all species, except for Siphalinus gigas in May, followed by a gradual decline, and the largest number of Siphalinus gigas appeared in June. The similarity index of species composition was relatively high, ranging from 0.75 to 0.90 for each study site.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.172-178
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• 2010

This study was carried out to investigate abiotic and biotic environmental factors affecting homoharringtonine (HHT) contents of Cephalotaxus koreana, whereby, to provide basic information of high value-added industry production of HHT as a promising anti-cancer agent. For correlation between abiotic environmental factors (soil moisture, soil pH, habitat density and temperature) and HHT contents, the contents were highly correlated with soil moisture (0.77) and soil pH (-0.68). For multiple regression analysis of relationship between abiotic environmental factors (soil moisture and soil pH) and HHT contents, soil moisture appeared to be strongly affecting the contents relatively due to being significant at only its regression coefficient ($26.48^{***}$). For the effect of biotic environmental factors (damage index) affecting HHT contents, the contents was quadratic with equation of $H=278.23+1242D-398.87D^2$, also, damage index had strong effect on the contents. Finally, for the result of the most influencing an environmental factor on HHT contents, both damage index and soil moisture were suitable in second polynomial regression, also, damage index ($R^2=0.73^{***}$) was turned out to be more influencing factor than soil moisture ($R^2=0.67^{**}$) on HHT contents relatively. Therefore, we predict that HHT contents in the trees of Cephalotaxus koreana is produced as a chemical defense mechanism triggered by a stress-related damage of fungi or insects.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.1765-1773
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• 2013

The cathode reaction is one of the most seriously limiting factors in a microbial fuel cell (MFC). The critical dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration of a platinum-loaded graphite electrode was reported as 2.2 mg/l, about 10-fold higher than an aerobic bacterium. A series of MFCs were run with the cathode compartment inoculated with activated sludge (biotic) or not (abiotic) on platinum-loaded or bare graphite electrodes. At the beginning of the operation, the current values from MFCs with a biocathode and abiotic cathode were $2.3{\pm}0.1$ and $2.6{\pm}0.2mA$, respectively, at the air-saturated water supply in the cathode. The current from MFCs with an abiotic cathode did not change, but that of MFCs with a biotic cathode increased to 3.0 mA after 8 weeks. The coulomb efficiency was 59.6% in the MFCs with a biotic cathode, much higher than the value of 15.6% of the abiotic cathode. When the DO supply was reduced, the current from MFCs with an abiotic cathode decreased more sharply than in those with a biotic cathode. When the respiratory inhibitor azide was added to the catholyte, the current decreased in MFCs with a biotic cathode but did not change in MFCs with an abiotic cathode. The power density was higher in MFCs with a biotic cathode ($430W/m^3$ cathode compartment) than the abiotic cathode MFC ($257W/m^3$ cathode compartment). Electron microscopic observation revealed nanowire structures in biofilms that developed on both the anode and on the biocathode. These results show that an electron-consuming bacterial consortium can be used as a cathode catalyst to improve the cathode reaction.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.53-58
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• 2002

Adverse environmental conditions such as drought, high salt and cold/freezing are major factors that reduces crop productivity worldwide. According to a survey, 50-80% of the maximum potential yield is lost by these "environmental or abiotic stresses", which is approximately ten times higher than the loss by biotic stresses. Thus, improving stress-tolerance of crop plants is an important way to improve agricultural productivity, In order to develop such stress-tolerant crop plants, we set out to identify key stress signaling components that can be used to develop commercially viable crop varieties with enhanced stress tolerance. Our primary focus so far has been on the identification of transcription factors that regulate stress responsive gene expression, especially those involved in ABA-mediated stress response. Be sessile, plants have the unique capability to adapt themselves to the abiotic stresses. This adaptive capability is largely dependent on the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA), whose level increases under various stress conditions, triggering adaptive response. Central to the response is ABA-regulated gene expression, which ultimately leads to physiological changes at the whole plant level. Thus, once identified, it would be possible to enhance stress tolerance of crop plants by manipulating the expression of the factors that mediate ABA-dependent stress response. Here, we present our work on the isolation and functional characterization of the transcription factors.n factors.