• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.358-365
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• 2019

We measured the body composition, including bone mineral density (BMD) and food resource availability using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of body condition of 4 anuran species(Hyla japonica, Glandirana rugosa, Pelophylax nigromaculatus, Lithobates catesbeianus) in South Korea. Additionally, the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios were employed to determine the food resource availability of anurans. We figured out the relationship between the body composition, including BMDs and food resource availability. The body composition and BMDs did not differ between male and female while there was difference among the species. Food resource availability and BMDs were the highest in L. catesbeianus, the lowest in H. japonica. BMDs tended to increase with higher food resource availability. Body composition and BMDs, which represent the body condition of an individual, can be used as an ecological indicator to assess the stability of the habitat of anurans.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.21-27
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• 2009

The goal of this paper is to determine the suitability evaluation indices of a riverside reservoir space planning by classifying major indicators and calculating AHP(Analytical Hierarchy Process) based weights of them. The major indicators were set up based on literature review and questionnaire survey to experts. Four indicator categories were developed: location, environment, resource availability and economical efficiency. And they were divided into 12 sub-categories for calculating AHP-based weights. First, as for the major indicator categories, the calculation shows that the weighted index of environment is the most important at 0.458, followed by location at 0.128, economical efficiency at 0.170 and resource availability at 0.154. This suggests that environment is getting more public attention and the reservoir is regarded as a facility that is connected to a river. Those weight values were considered in calculating final weights for each of 12 sub-categories. Among them water quality and ecological environment take top ranks at 0.190 and 0.186, respectively. The lower ranks include access 0.112, resource availability of site 0.082, tourism resource 0.078, users 0.076, available land 0.052, area of site 0.031, shape of site and deterioration level 0.030 and percentage of private land 0.030 - which represents general considerations in other space planning. The difference of the top rank (water quality, 0.190) and the last one (percentage of private land, 0.027) is 0.163. The above result shows that users regard environmental aspect and resource availability more important than easiness of construction.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.3-10
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• 2012

Recently, the increase of impervious area has been pointed out as a major cause of climate change and biotop area deterioration]. Therefore, quantitative indicators for environmental housing design and planning have been needed especially to control the impervious area. The Biotop Area Ratio(BAR) as the mostly applied environmental planning control instrument in Korea verifying the possibility of utilizing has been used effectively in various aspects. However, the fact that the space types are based on two dimension and ecological functions of spaces are simplified has shown the limitations of this planning instrument in the use as planning and evaluation indicator. In this study, classification criteria and the weighting of the space types in similar indicators Biotopflaechenfaktor (BFF, Berlin), Seattle Green Factor (SGF, Seattle), and Green Area Factor (GAF, Malmo) were analyzed. These indicators are similar in the sense that they apply weights to calculate the area and express a percentage of land area. The findings are as follows: The basic method that can estimate the vegetation volume is proposed to overcome the limitation of the BAR. It also was proven that the introduction of three-dimensional volume rate of biotops area was possible. Finally, the framework of space type classification criteria is proposed through linkages with relevant laws and regulations. With the improvement of the space types, the BAR is expected to be reasonable indicator in outdoor space evaluation in housing project.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.78-86
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• 2010

The classification of biotope type in major Korean cities was made based on the land use concept rather than the ecological concept of the land as the habitat of biological communities. Therefore, biotope type need to be reclassified according to ecological concerns and regional characteristics. This study attempts to clearly define various critical concepts regarding the classification of biotope type, such as classification hierarchy, classification criteria, classification factor, classification indicator, classification key, and classification standard. Furthermore, it also attempts to suggest the ways to improve the classification system of biotope type by sampling the cases of major Korean cities. The classification system of biotope type is required to have a coherent system that provides basic guidelines, standards and hierarchy with regard to biotic, abiotic and anthropotic factors, as well as classification indicators and classification keys.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.35-51
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• 2012

The vascular plants in Bukhansan Dulegil, Jingwan-dong Wetland and Bukhan-dong Cheolgeoji were listed 432 taxa (8.9% of all 4,881 taxa of vascular plants); 95 families, 274 genera, 345 species, 2 subspecies, 69 varieties and 16 forms. Divided into woody plants were 145 taxa (33.6%) and herbaceous plants were 287 taxa (66.4%). The Bukhansan Dulegil were listed (Myeongsang-gil 159 taxa, Huingureum-gil 227 taxa, Wooyiryeong-gil 216 taxa, Banghakdong-gil 139 taxa, Boru-gil 199 taxa), Jingwan-dong Wetland were listed 147 taxa and Bukhan-dong Cheolgeoji were listed 129 taxa. Based on the list of rare plants by Korea Forest Service and Korea National Arboretum were Viola albida Palibin (Violaceae), Iris minutiaurea Makino (Iridaceae) and Korea National Arboretum were endemic plants, Philadelphus schrenkii Rupr. var. schrenkii (Saxifragaceae), Weigela subsessilis L.H. Bailey (Caprifoliaceae). Based on the list of floristic regional indicator plants by Korean Ministry of Environment were total 22 taxa; Wisteria floribunda DC. for. floribunda in class IV, 3 taxa (Betula davurica Pall., Mukdenia rossii Koidz., Glechoma grandis Kuprian., etc.) in class III, 5 taxa (Acer triflorum Kom., Viola orientalis W. Becker, Heloniopsis koreana Fuse & Al., etc.) in class II and 13 taxa (Camptosorus sibiricus Rupr., Clematis patens C. Morren & Decne., Cirsium pendulum Fisch. ex DC., etc.) in class I. Based on the list of naturalized plants, 16 families, 35 genera, 37 species, 3 varieties, 1 form, total 41 taxa (Rumex crispus L., Abutilon theophrasti Medicus, Panicum dichotomiflorum Michx. etc.), naturalization rate was 9.5% of all 432 taxa of vascular plants and urbanization index was 13.3% of all 309 taxa of naturalized plants. Ecosystem disturbing wild plants were 5 taxa; Rumex acetocella L., Ambrosia artemisiifolia L., Ambrosia trifida L. var. trifida, Eupatorium rugosum Houtt., Aster pilosus Willd.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.137-144
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• 2010

There is a host of habitat assessment systems available to evaluate and grade tidal flat ecosystems in Korea. Nevertheless, we recognize the need to develop a better ecological scheme to improve reliability and accuracy given the importance of using an empirical approach in assigning grades to indicators and the limitation of current systems which evaluate tidal flats on a regional basis. A preferable system would be one that enables habitat mapping within a tidal flat, provides a diagnosis of ecological stress/health, has a high level of ecological relevance, communicability, and statistical robustness, and enables evaluation of diverse habitats within a tidal flat. The following points should be considered in framing such a system. Indicators should discriminate habitat quality into five to seven grades accomodating diverse characteristics and conservation value of a habitat, and the grading should be made from frequency distribution of indicators based on nationwide data.We suggest the following tasks in crafting such a system: i) The decision on selection of indicators should be made based on accuracy of assessment and practical application; ii) effects of physical habitat conditions on variability of indicators should be reflected; and, iii) further works on stress/health indicators should be addressed for adopting a multiple-indicator approach which reduces misdiagnosis.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.229-235
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• 2010

Efforts to evaluate water pollution using indicator microorganisms have been underway for decades, and driven by research on water purity control applications, water quality criteria are growing more and more strict. Furthermore, recent reports indicate that high concentrations of antibiotics are not absorbed, and are present in excrement from animals and humans dosed with unnecessarily high levels of antibiotics. This has emerged as very important issue from the standpoint of being an ecological and health hazard. In this study, water pollution was analyzed through physicochemical and microbiological means, and antibiotic resistance in indicator microorganisms was assessed. In physicochemical analysis, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)$_5$ and chemical oxygen demand (COD)$_{Mn}$ evaluation showed that pollution by organisms was highest at the G1 location with a high human population, and the DP location which has many livestock-containing households. The indicator organism levels at the G1 location were: Total Coliforms (1205 colony forming units (CFU)/100 ml), Fecal Coliforms (270 CFU/100 ml), Escherichia coli (253 CFU/100 ml) and Fecal Streptococci (210 CFU/100 ml), while for the DP location levels were: Total Coliforms (1480 CFU/100 ml), Fecal Coliforms (438 CFU/100 ml), E. coli (560 CFU/100 ml), and Fecal Streptococci (348 CFU/100 ml). Levels of fecal indicator microorganisms such as Fecal Coliforms, E. coli and Fecal Streptococci were high at all locations in the fall (the period after the rainy season), and the yearly distribution was similar between these organisms. If the number of livestock-containing households was high, almost all strains of E. coli (as distinct from the other indicator organisms) showed resistance to antibiotics, with the degree of resistance varying between areas. E. coli strains from the OY area in particular, which has a high population density, showed strong resistance to AM10 and Va30. While strong antibiotic resistance was observed overall at the DP and OY locations, no resistance was observed at the EB location.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.169-178
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• 2021

BACKGROUND: The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is promoting agri-environment conservation program to induce farmers to participate in agricultural environment improvement and conservation activities. However, assessment tools based on scientific evidence are needed to determine the effectiveness of the program objectively and quantitatively. Therefore, this study was performed to develop plant indicators in order to efficiently evaluate the effects of the agri-environment conservation program promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. METHODS AND RESULTS: The survey was conducted in five regions (Hampyeong, Boryeong, Mungyeong, Hongseong, and Sangju) participating in the agri-eonvironment conservation program. In each region, twenty paddy fields were investigated (ten paddy fields included in the program and ten paddy fields not included in the program). A total of 231 taxa vascular plants were identified in the paddy fields that were included in the agri-environment conservation program, and a total of 177 taxa were identified in the paddy fields that were not included. The average species number occurred on each field was 55.8 taxa in the fields included in the program, and 35.0 taxa in the fields not included in the program. The difference in occurring plants between two groups was found to be more higher in perennial plants than in annual plants. We selected the six groups as indicator plants through five criteria such as perennial plants and broadly occurring species, etc. to verify the effectiveness of the agri-environment conservation program: Taraxacum spp., Ixeris spp., Viola spp., Platago spp., Calystegia spp., and rare and endagered species. There was a high positive correlation between the score calculated using these indicator plants and the total number of plants species. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that it is possible to evaluate the agro-ecological environment by using indicator plants. The selected indicator plants can be effectively used to verify the effectiveness of projects such as agri-environmental conservation programs in the future.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 2013

The entire land of Southern Iran faces problems arising out of various types of land degradation of which vegetation degradation forms one of the major types. The present work introduces a model developed for assessing the current status of hazard of vegetation degradation using Geographic Information System (GIS). This kind of assessment differs from those assessments based on vulnerability or potential hazard assessments. The Sadra watershed which covers the upper reaches of Marharlu basin, Fars Province, has been chosen for a hazard assessment of this type of degradation. The different kinds of data for indicators of current status of vegetation degradation were gathered from collecting of field data and also records of the governmental offices of Iran. Taking into consideration three indicators of current status of vegetation degradation the model identifies areas with different hazard classes. By fixing the thresholds of severity classes of the three indicators including per cent of vegetation cover, biomass production and ratio of actual biomass to potential biomass production, a hazard map for each indicator was first prepared in GIS. The final hazard map of current status of vegetation degradation was prepared by intersecting three hazards in the GIS. Results show areas under severe hazard class have been found to be widespread (89 %) while areas under moderate and very severe hazard classes have been found less extensive in the Sadra watershed. The preparation of hazard maps based on the GIS analysis of these indicators will be helpful for prioritizing the areas to initiate remedial measures.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.73-83
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• 2016

This study modified and applied the ecological network(Indicator 2) from the City Biodiversity Index(CBI) to be tailored to Korea. It is calculated by utilizing a biotope map and a land cover map. The ecological network of Gyeryong-Si was 13,713,703(33.8%) with the biotope map and 17,686,966(37.9%) with the land cover map. The result of the biotope map was lower than the land cover map. The ecological network of Goyang-Si was 4,961,922(4.9%) with the biotope map and 4,383,207(3.7%) with the land cover map. The result of the land cover map was lower than the biotope map. As a main result of the research, an error was discovered in which, when calculating the ecological network, the types of the military unit facilities were distinguished into a special area on the biotope map and into an urbanization promotion area and a forest area on the land cover map. In the case of a middle-classified, land cover map, the land use in the surroundings of the forest area was not subdivided. An error in the development area expressed as a forest green was discovered. When selecting the natural elements, too, regarding the types of artificially-created rivers, artificial ponds, and artificial grasslands, etc. on a biotope map, the exclusions were necessary. Regarding the natural, bare ground on a land cover map, there was a need to calculate by including the natural elements. It was judged that, in the future, the ecological network in the unit of the entire nation can be analyzed roughly by utilizing a land cover map. It was judged that, in a city having a biotope map, the calculation of the ecological network utilizing a map of the present situation of the urban ecology will be a more accurate diagnosis of the present situation.