• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.16-29
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• 2016

The total area of paddy field was estimated to be 55 % of the cultivated lands in South Korea, which is approximately 1 million hectares. Organisms inhabiting paddy fields if they are sensitive to environmental changes can be environmental indicator of paddy fields. Biological indicators such as phenology and distributional range are evaluated as intuitive and quantitative method to analyze the impact of climate change. This study aims to estimate flight time change of Hydrophilidae species' based on the RCP 8.5 climate change scenario. Unmanned monitoring systems were installed in Haenam, Buan, Dangjin and Cheorwon relative to the latitudinal gradient. In the three regions excepting Cheorwon, it was able to measure the abundance of flying Hydrochara affinis and Sternolophus rufipes. Degree-day for the flight time was determined based either on field measurement values and estimates of 2020s, 2050s and 2080s from KMA climate change scenario data. As a result, it is found that date of both species of initial flight becomes 15 days earlier, that of peak flight becomes 22 days earlier and that of final flight does 27 days earlier in 2080s compared to 2020s. The climate change impact on flight time is greater in coastal area, rural area and valley than inland area, urban area and plan. H. affinis and S. rufipes can be used as climate change indicator species.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.632-640
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• 2017

In order to understand the seasonal and geographical characteristics of environmental factors and distribution of Escherichia coli by salinity gradient due to precipitation, we investigated abiotic and biotic factors during four seasons from February 2013 to November 2015. The study area was divided into three different zones based on salinity gradient and geo-oceanographic characteristics. During the study period, water temperature, salinity, Chlorophyll a, and secchi-depth varied in the range of $8.5-26.1^{\circ}C$, 13.5-34.4 psu, $0.4-74.0{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$, and 0.5-10.0 m, respectively. Salinity was low at Zone I, which was influenced by water flux from Tae-hwa River, especially in 2014. Salinity was gradually increased (one-way ANOVA; p < 0.05) toward Zone III located offshore of the bay. The highest colony form of E. coli was detected at Zone I. E. coli maintained a relatively low level at Zone III during all seasons. E. coli was correlated with transparency (r = -0.36; p < 0.05) and salinity (r = -0.53; p < 0.01), implying that those parameters might play important roles in the proliferation of E. coli. These results indicated that E. coli were strongly affected by frequent rain (< 50 mm) around inner stations in Ulsan Bay of Korea.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.182-191
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• 2023

This study was carried out to identify the distribution and growth characteristics and evaluate the conservation status of the Michelia compressa Maxim., a rare and endangered wild plant II, in the habitats in Korea. A total of 314 individuals were found in the natural habitats of Heuksan Island and Jeju Island and were divided into four populations. About 45.9% (144 individuals) were distributed in the range of 401m~500m above sea level. The average height of trees was 2.7(±4.8)m, the diameter at breast height was 12.6(±13.9)cm, and the number of branches was 1.0(±0.5) on average. 54.3% of the sapling individuals of M. compressa were distributed within a radius of 30 m from the mother tree, 25.8% were distributed between 31 m through 40 m, and most (90.1%) were distributed within a radius of 60 m. The fact that sapling individuals of M. compressa are not identified even around some mature individuals and appear only in extremely limited areas is estimated to be closely related to the growth conditions as well as the environment of the natural habitats. The dispersal of M. compressa is presumed to be related to the birds and natural seedlings because water puddles, a resting place for birds beyond the range of natural seedlings, characterize its habitats. The IUCN Red List evaluation criteria at the regional and national level of M. compressa corresponds to the Critically Endangered category, and the domestic population under the category of "CR B2ab(v); C2a(i); D."

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.305-320
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• 2005

Recently 64 species in Korea have been ranked as rare and endangered taxa by the Ministry of Environment using two categories, I and II. The original threat categories produced by the Ministry of Environment were developed to provide a standard for specifying animals and plants in danger of extinction and has been influential sources of information used in species conservation in Korea. However, the criteria by Ministry of Environment were applied to the whole taxa only by regional boundaries, especially in South Korea, rather than international context, and it also lacked an explicit framework that was necessary to ensure repeatability among taxa because of the absence of quantitative criteria to measure the likelihood of extinction. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) has developed quantitative criteria for assessing the conservation status of species. The threatened species categories, the 2000 IUCN Red List, proposed by SSC (Species Survival Commission) of IUCN have become widely recognized internationally. Details of threatened Korean plants, identified by applying the IUCN threat categories and definitions, were listed and analyzed. The number of species identified as threatened was only 34 out of 64 taxa (48.4%), while the rest of taxa were rejected from the original lists. Many of the species (51.6%, 33 taxa) excluded from the original list proposed by Ministry of Environment do not qualify as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable because these taxa were widely distributed either in Japan or in China/far eastern Russia and there is no evidence of substantial decline in these countries. An evaluation of taxa in Korea has been carried out only based on subjective views and qualitative data, rather than quantitative scientific data, such as rates of decline, distribution range size, population size, and risk of extinction. Therefore, the national lists undermine the credibility of threatened species lists and invite misuse, which have been raised by other cases, qualitative estimate of risk, political influence, uneven taxonomic or geographical coverage. The increasing emphasis on international responsibilities means that global scale is becoming more significant. The current listings by Environment of Ministry of Korea should be challenged, and the government should seek to facilitate the resolution of disagreements. Especially the list should be flexible enough to handle uncertainty and also incorporates detailed, quantitative data. It is suggested that the highest priorities for the Red List should be given to endemic species in Korea first. After setting up the list of endemic species to Korea, quantitative data on population size and structure, distributional range, rated of decline, and habitat fragmentation should be collected as one of long term projects for the Red list categories. Transparency and accountability are the most important key factors. Also, species assessors are named and data sources referenced are required for the future objective evaluations on Korean plant taxa.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.109 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2020

In order to evaluate the vertical distribution and distributional pattern of vascular plants in the Samga district of Sobaeksan National Park, vascular plants were surveyed along a hiking trail from the Samga Tour Support Center to the top of a mountain. The elevation range was divided into 11 sections with 100 m intervals from 400 m to 1439 m above sea level.A total of 375 taxa were listed, comprising 92 families, 235 genera, 332 species, 3 subspecies, 37 varieties, and 3 forms. The pattern of species richness along the elevational gradient showed a reverse hump-shaped trend. The species distribution pattern was positively correlated with the soil exchangeable cations Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺, soil pH, available phosphate, and the warmth index. Furthermore, slope, soil moisture content, and soil exchangeable cations were significantly correlated with species distribution. DCA grouped herb species into two groups. Stands of each section were sequentially arranged from 400 m to 1500 m along an altitudinal gradient. Soil moisture content, soil pH, soil K²⁺ and Na²⁺, available phosphate, and slope were significantly correlated with stand distribution. This study provides important data that could be useful for conservation and the sustainable use of biodiversity in the study area. In order to understand the ecological and environmental characteristics and distribution of plant species, it will be necessary to continuously develop relative studies with continuous monitoring.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.123-139
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• 2010

The properties of fracture system in Precambrian Jangbong schist and Mesozoic granites from Seokmo-do, Ganghwa-gun were investigated and analyzed. Most of the fractures measured at outcrops are nearly vertical or steeply dipping. Orientations of fracture sets in terms of frequency order are as follows: Set $1:N2^{\circ}E/77^{\circ}SE$, Set $2:N17^{\circ}E/84^{\circ}NW$, Set $3:N26^{\circ}E/64^{\circ}SE$, Set $4:N86^{\circ}W/82^{\circ}SW$, Set $5:N80^{\circ}W/77^{\circ}NE$, Set $6:N60^{\circ}W/85^{\circ}SW$, Set $7:N73^{\circ}E/87^{\circ}NW$, Set $8:N82^{\circ}W/53^{\circ}NE$, Set $9:N23^{\circ}W/86^{\circ}SW$, Set 10: $N39^{\circ}W/61^{\circ}NE$. Especially, the rose diagram of fracture strikes(N:240) indicates that there are two dorminant directions of N-S~NNE and WNW. These distribution pattern of fractures from Seokmo-do correponds with those of major lineaments from South Korea suggested in previous study. Meanwhile, the scaling properties on the length distribution of fracture populations have been investigated. First, fracture sets from Precambrian Jangbong schist and Mesozoic granites(north and south rock body) has been classified into five groups(group I~V) based on strike and frequency. Then, the distribution chart generalized the individual length-cumulative frequency diagram for above five groups were made. From the related chart, five subpopulations(group I~V) that closely follow a power-law length distribution show a wide range in exponents(-0.79~-1.53). These relative differences in exponent among five groups emphasizes the importance of orientation effect. From the related chart, the diagram of group III occupies an upper region among five groups. Finally, the distribution chart showing the chracteristics of the length frequency distribution for each rock body were made. From the related chart, the diagram of each rock body shows an order of porphyritic biotite granite < hornblende granodiorite < medium-grained biotite granite(south rock body) < medium-grained biotite granite(north rock body) < Precambrian Jangbong schist. From the related chart, the diagram of more older rock body in the formation age tends to occupy an upper region. Especially, the diagram of Precambrian Jangbong schist occupies an upper region compared with the diagrams of Mesozoic granites. These distributional chracteristics suggests that coexistence of new fracture initiation and growing of existing fractures corresponding with stress field acted since the formation of rock body.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.35-46
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• 2009

In order to investigate spatial and temporal distributional characteristics of major water qualities in the Saemangeum area during the Saemangeum dike construction, salinity, COD, dissolved nutrients(DIN, Silicate) and heavy metals were analyzed from the surface water collected in April, May, August and November 2002. The overall value of Salinity, COD, DIN, and silicate in surface waters were in the range of $13.08{\sim}31.96\;psu$, $0.12{\sim}3.43\;mg/L$, $0.001{\sim}2.638\;mg/L$, and $0.010{\sim}3.181\;mg/L$, respectively. The COD and DIN in each survey showed the highest concentration at the mouth of Mangyeong river estuary(St. 1) where freshwater flow into the Saemangeum area. The concentrations of nutrients were high in the inner part of the Saemangeum dike with low-salinity, and low nutrients in the outer part of the dike with high-salinity, which strongly indicated that concentrations were adjusted by physical mixing. The ranges of dissolved metals and acid-soluble Hg in surface seawater were $0.006{\sim}0.115{\mu}g/L$ for Co, $0.26{\sim}0.114{\mu}g/L$ for Ni, $0.14{\sim}0.93{\mu}g/L$ for Cu, $0.04{\sim}0.53{\mu}g/L$ for Zn, $0.010{\sim}0.043{\mu}g/L$ for Cd, $0.010{\sim}0.795{\mu}g/L$ for Pb, and $0.25{\sim}4.16{\mu}g/L$ for Hg. The highest concentrations of some metals except for Cd were found at the estuary(Sts. 1 or 3). In most cases, a decreasing order of metal concentrations towards open sea(low-salinity$\rightarrow$high-salinity) was observed and showed positive relationship with DIN and silicate caused by land base pollutants input. On the other hand, due to Cd desorption from suspended solids in saline water, dissolved Cd concentrations were high in high-salinity area and low in low-salinity. In November, Co, Zn, Cu and Pb were relatively high in the northern area of the outer-side of Saemangeum, which was only influenced by the Geum river discharge. The concentrations of most dissolved metals of this study were lower than those of the past data in this area, but higher than those in Lena river estuary under the pristine environment.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1978.09a
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• pp.149-157
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• 1978

Ginseng is the English common name for the species in the genus Panax. This article gives a broad botanical review including the morphological characteristics, ecological amplitude, and the ethnobotanical aspect of the genus Panax. The species of Panax are adapted for life in rich loose soil of partially shaded forest floor with the deciduous trees such as linden, oak, maple, ash, alder, birch, beech, hickory, etc. forming the canopy. Like their associated trees, all ginsengs are deciduous. They require annual climatic changes, plenty of water in summer, and a period of dormancy in winter. The plant body of ginseng consists of an underground rhizome and an aerial shoot. The rhizome has a terminal bud, prominent leafscars and a fleshy root in some species. It is perennial. The aerial shoot is herbaceous and annual. It consists of a single slender stem with a whorl of digitately compound leaves and a terminal umbel bearing fleshy red fruits after flowering. The yearly cycle of death and renascence of the aerial shoot is a natural phenomenon in ginseng. The species of Panax occur in eastern North America and eastern Asia, including the eastern portion of the Himalayan region. Such a bicentric generic distributional pattern indicates a close floristic relationship of the eastern sides of two great continental masses in the northern hemisphere. It is well documented that genera with this type of disjunct distribution are of great antiquity. Many of them have fossil remains in Tertiary deposits. In this respect, the species of Panax may be regarded as living fossils. The distribution of the species, and the center of morphological diversification are explained with maps and other illustrations. Chemical constituents confirm the conclusion derived from morphological characters that eastern Asia is the center of species concentration of Panax. In eastern North America two species occur between longitude $70^{\circ}-97^{\circ}$ Wand latitude $34^{\circ}-47^{\circ}$ N. In eastern Asia the range of the genus extends from longitude $85^{\circ}$ E in Nepal to $140^{\circ}$ E in Japan, and from latitude $22^{\circ}$ N in the hills of Tonkin of North Vietnam to $48^{\circ}$ N in eastern Siberia. The species in eastern North America all have fleshy roots, and many of the species in eastern Asia have creeping stolons with enlarged nodes or stout horizontal rhizomes as storage organs in place of fleshy roots. People living in close harmony with nature in the homeland of various species of Panax have used the stout rhizomes or the fleshy roots of different wild forms of ginseng for medicine since time immemorial. Those who live in the center morphological diversity are specific both in the application of names for the identification of species in their communication and in the use of different roots as remedies to relieve pain, to cure diseases, or to correct physiological disorders. Now, natural resources of wild plants with medicinal virtue are extremely limited. In order to meet the market demand, three species have been intensively cultivated in limited areas. These species are American ginseng (P. quinquefolius) in northeastern United States, ginseng (P. ginseng) in northeastern Asia, particularly in Korea, and Sanchi (P. wangianus) in southwestern China, especially in Yunnan. At present hybridization and selection for better quality, higher yield, and more effective chemical contents have not received due attention in ginseng culture. Proper steps in this direction should be taken immediately, so that our generation may create a richer legacy to hand down to the future. Meanwhile, all wild plants of all species in all lands should be declared as endangered taxa, and they should be protected from further uprooting so that a. fuller gene pool may be conserved for the. genus Panax.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.422-439
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• 2019

The rear edge population is considered to have low genetic diversity and high risk of extinction according to a highly isolated distribution. However, the rear edge population is observed to have persisted for an extended period despite the low genetic diversity. As such, it is necessary to understand the ecological process involved in the persistence of the population. Viola mirabilis L. in Korea is considered the rear edge population from the perspective of the worldwide distribution. We surveyed the distribution range of V. mirabilis, which shows the isolated distribution in the central area of Korea, to find out the factors of its persistence. Next, we investigated and accessed the vegetational pattern of habitats, soil environment, phenology, self-compatibility, population structure, and extinction risk factors observed in the distribution area. V. mirabilis was distributed in the understory of the deciduous forest, planted forest of the deciduous conifer and deciduous broad-leaved trees, shrubland, and grassland in the limestone area. We also observed the re-establishment of seedlings in the population, and most of them showed a stable population structure. For chasmogamous flowers, the visit by pollinators has a significantly positive relationship with the production of fruits. However, we found that the production of the cleistogamous flowers was more numerous in all studied populations and that only the cleistogamous flowers were produced despite a more substantial plant size in some populations. The plant size was more related to the production of the cleistogamous flowers than that of the chasmogamous flowers. Accordingly, the cleistogamous flowers significantly contributed to seedling recruitment in the population. We found that the production of the chasmogamous flowers and the cleistogamous flowers did not have a correlation with the factors of the soil analysis except for phosphoric acid. V. mirabilis showed the self-incompatibility characteristics most likely due to the production capability of the cleistogamous flowers. Potential extinction risk factors observed in the distribution area was included the development of limestone mine, the expansion of agricultural fields, and the construction of houses. Although V. mirabilis showed an isolated distribution in the limestone area in the Korean peninsula, it showed a diverse distribution in a wide habitat environment ranging from the grassland to the understory of the trees with relatively low canopy closure rate. Moreover, we concluded that the persistence of the population was possible if we can maintain the current state of multiple populations and stable population structure.