• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.117-123
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• 2013

This study investigated the impact of the fire disturbance and the pattern of recovery of soil dwelling oribatid mite communities with respect to the resilience from the fire disturbance. Oribatid mites are important decomposer animals of plant debris in soil with the feeding habits of saprophagy and mycophagy. Massive wild fire reduced soil oribatid mite abundance and diversity. The impact varied relative to the intensity of the disturbance. The proportion of the species common to the non-disturbed natural site increased as the time after the disturbance elapsed, which implying some degree of naturalness occurring in reorganization phase of the oribatid mite community. From the sites with different degree of fire impact, we found higher diversity in intermediately disturbed sites than in severely disturbed or non-disturbed site, supporting the intermediate disturbance hypothesis. Also this study showed that with differential degree of disturbance plots, resilience pattern after the disturbance can be explored even with shorter period research relative to the ecological succession of community.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.347-355
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• 2011

Effects of forest thinning on community level properties have not been understood yet in Korea. We investigated regeneration patterns and trajectories after a disturbance by applying a chronosequence approach. Light availability, litter and woody debris cover, and species composition were determined for twenty 50 m line-transect samples representing a disturbance duration gradient (within 11 years). Environmental factors such as light availability and coverage of woody debris and litter changed abruptly after thinning and then returned to the pre-disturbance state. Although species richness was gained at shrub and ground layer in a limited way in both forests, cover of various functional types revealed diversity in their responses. Notably, Alnus firma stands exhibited a larger increment of cover in woody plants. Ordination analysis revealed different regeneration trajectories between natural and planted stands. Based on ordination analysis, rehabilitated stands showed movement to alternative states compared with natural ones, reflecting lower resilience to perturbation (i.e., lower stability). Our results suggest that community resilience to artificial thinning depends on properties of the dominant species. But to get more explanatory ecological information, longer-term static observations are required.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.279-289
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• 2012

This study conducted a comparative analysis of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in the Fosu and Benya lagoons in Ghana, based on the anthropogenic effect on the two lagoons. Salinity, oxygen, temperature, conductivity, turbidity and pH were measured, invertebrate richness and species densities were determined. The AZTI Marine Biotic Index (AMBI) and multivariate statistics were used to determine the different responses of fauna to pollution. The fauna were categorized into five ecological groups based on the degree of tolerance of the different species to pollution: disturbance-sensitive species; disturbance-indifferent species, disturbance-tolerant species, second-order opportunistic species; and first-order opportunistic species. The Fosu Lagoon supported more pollution tolerant species, whereas the Benya Lagoon had more species that were sensitive to organic enrichment under relatively unpolluted conditions. Chironomus sp., which is adapted to virtually anoxic conditions, was the most abundant in the Fosu Lagoon whereas Nemertea sp. was the most abundant in the Benya Lagoon. The numerical and relative abundance (%) of all 7 taxa in the Fosu Lagoon was 1,359 and 92.35%, respectively. The numerical and relative abundance (%) of all 34 taxa in the Benya Lagoon was 2,459 and 87.52%, respectively. Expectedly, the level of dissolved oxygen in the less saline Fosu Lagoon was higher than that in the more saline Benya Lagoon. The reduced photoperiod and photosynthetic activities of aquatic plants might account for this trend. There is a need to implement comprehensive monitoring and management initiatives for sustaining the ecological health of coastal lagoons in Ghana in order to support the many people that depend upon these ecosystems for their livelihood.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.71-87
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• 2007

In order to improve and manage rationally for Youngdam creek in Haman-gun, the channel change, water quality and ecological adaptation etc. were evaluated by monitoring during three years. The distinct differences of channel characteristics appeared in the extents of bed excavation and the revetment methods because overall reconstruction was occurred intense disturbance of width expansion and levee construction etc. The scour and deposition were caused according to channel characteristics of ripple and pool, and the adaptation of vegetation was distinguished from each revetment methods clearly. Water quality was maintained first class on the basis of BOD as 0.5~1.5mg/${\ell}$. The vegetation appeared in 380 species close-to-nature river improvement before, but 64 species it after one year, 159 species it after two year and 158 species it after three year. The animal life appeared in 123 species of close-to-nature river improvement before, but 103 species it after one year, 116 species it after two year and 119 species it after three year.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.233-241
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• 1998

In order to test of intermediate disturbance hypothesis that an intermediate level of disturbance maximize biodiversity and to elucidate the effect of disturbance during the early old-field succession, the response of plant community along an experimental disturbance gradient was investigated in a five-year old-field. Response of plant community along an experimental disturbance gradient was connected with light condition because artificial disturbance gradient had been treat by clipping of plants and removing of litter. Artificial disturbance in five-year old-field plant community retarded rate of succession by increasing invasion and performance of the earlier successional species in the initial and middle stage of disturbance treatment. The species richness in the blocks of intermediate disturbance level showed the peak in early and mid-summer. This result did correspond with the prediction of intermediate disturbance hypothesis.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.228-235
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• 2015

Stream ecosystems are closely related to many human activities. Therefore, streams are affected by anthropogenic disturbances such as riverine development and gravel-mining as well as deterioration of water quality. The goal of this study was to elucidate the recolonization process of the macroinvertebrate community after a small-scale anthropogenic disturbance. Field studies were conducted at three sites in a natural stream. The number of recolonizing species tended to increase slightly over time, exceeding the total species number of the control. Ephemeroptera contributed the most to shaping the recolonizing pattern of the entire community. From the result of changes in dominant species, the early recolonizers of each site were the species that showed more frequent occurrence particulary at each sites. But the late recolonizers are Chironomidae at all the sites commonly. This result implies that the actual differences exist among the recolonizing trends of each benthic macroinvertebrate taxon. Collector-gatherers and scrapers comprised about 70% of the recolonizing species. These results indicate that the recolonizing process of an aquatic community after an artificial disturbance depends on the environmental conditions(particularly substratum composition or organic pollution) of the habitat.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.395-410
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• 1992

Disturbance regime and tree regeneration were studied in kwangnung natural forest, an old-growth deciduous hardwood forest located in central korea. This forest is dominated by carpinus laxiflora, c.erosa, and quercus species. The area occupied by canopy gaps was 4.6% of the total forested area, and the mean size of canopy gaps was 92 $m^2$ with the maximum being 524 $m^2$. More than half of the gaps were less than four years old, and 3/4 of the gaps were created by death of only or two canopy trees, indicating the dominance of small-sized gaps in kwangnung forest. about half of the gap-makers were c. laxiflora, and another one third were quercus species. In contrast, the most frequent relacers were c. laxiflora while quercus species filled only 5% of the gaps, suggesting a future shift in tree species composition under the current disturbance regime. tree regeration was more conspicuous even in small gaps than non-gaps regardless of shade-tolerance of tree species, indicating the importance of gaps in tree regeneration.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.237-254
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• 2021

Background: Some of the introduced alien species introduced settle, multiply, and spread to become invasive alien species (IAS) that threaten biodiversity. To prevent this, Korea and other countries legally designate and manage alien species that pose a risk to the environment. Moreover, 2160 alien species have been introduced in South Korea, of which 1826 animals and 334 plants are designated. The inflow of IAS can have negative effects such as ecosystem disturbance, habitat destruction, economic damage, and health damage to humans. To prevent damage caused by the inflow of IAS in advance, species that could potentially pose a risk to the environment if introduced in South Korea were designated as alert alien species (AAS). Results: The designation criteria were in accordance with the "Act on the Conservation and Use of Biological Diversity" and the "Regulations on the Ecological Risk Assessment of AAS and IAS" by the National Institute of Ecology. The analysis result of risk and damage cases indicated that mammals affect predation, competition, human economic activity, virus infection, and parasite infection. Birds have been demonstrated to affect predation, competition, human economic activity, and health. It was indicated that plants intrude on the ecosystem by competing with native species with their high-population density and capacity to multiply and cause allergic inducement. Interestingly, 300 species, including 25 mammals, 7 birds, 84 fishes, 28 amphibians, 22 reptiles, 1 insect, 32 spiders, 1 mollusk, 1 arthropod, and 99 plants, are included in the list of AAS. Conclusions: AAS designation plays a role in preventing the reduction of biodiversity by IAS in South Korea and preserving native species. Moreover, it is determined to provide considerable economic benefits by preventing socio-economic losses and ecological damage.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.75-91
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• 1993

Structure and dynamics of Abies koreana community in Mt. Gaya were studied to provide the basic data for conservation of Abies koreana community, an endemic species in Korea. A. koreana community of this study site was composed of tree layer (4~7m), subtree layer (2~4m), shrub layer (1~2m), and herb layer (below 1m). The heights of tree and subtree layers were low. Floristic composition showed that this study site was subalpine and dry site. In frequency distribution diagram of diameter classes of major species consisting of A. koreana community, those of both A. koreana and other species showed reverse J-shaped types. From these results, it was estimated that A. koreana community of this site might be maintained continuously as a stable climax state like present state. In the spatal distribution diagram of major species, saplings of A. koreana were established under the canopy of A. koreana and Pinus koraiensis and under the dead tree of A. koreana. From these results, it was known that A. koreana saplings were recruited before the community was disturbed and regeneration was accomplished by advance regeneration pattern, in which these saplings established before occurrence of disturbance fill with open site originated from death of mature tree. Growth of annual rings was variable among individuals, it was estimated that such variation was originated in that growth of each individual relates to microclimatic conditions rather than macroclimatic ones. Ecological longevity of A. koreana in this study site estimated by disturbance types and age of dead trees was about 120 years.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.21 no.5_1
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• pp.435-448
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• 1998

The phytosociological investigation was carried out at 32 sites of the riparian vegetation in Musim-Chon stream passed through Choengju-City, Chungcheongbuk-Province by Braun-Blanquet's method from August to October, 1997. The flora of vascular plants in this survey was 202 species. The riparian vegetation was classified into 25 communities as follows. The submerged hydrophytes are Potomogeton malaianus var. latifolius community, Potomogeton crispus community, Myriophyllum verticillatum community-Hydrilla verticillata community and Ceratophyllum demersum community. The floating-leaved hydrophyte is Trapa japonica community. The emerged hydrophytes are Phragmites communis community, Perzicaria thunbergii community, Phragmites japonica community, Oenanthe javanica community, Zizania latifolia community and Persicaria hydropiper community. The herbaceous vegetation of floodplain are Artemisia montana community, Humulus japonicus community, Miscanthus sacchariflorus community, Erigeron anmus community, Impatiens balsamina community, Bidens frondosa community, Setaria viridis community, Ambrosia artemisiifolia var. elatior community and Eragrostis ferruginea community. The woody vegetation of floodplain are Robinia pseudo-acacia community, Stephanandra incisa community and Clematis apiifolia community. The species diversity was low in the upper and down stream, while the diversity was high in the mid stream situated at the center of Choengju-City because of frequent disturbance by citizens. These results suggested that distribution of communities and species diversity was closely related to the disturbance.