• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.207-218
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• 2024

Food webs have received global attention as next-generation biomonitoring tools; however, it remains challenging because revealing trophic links between species is costly and laborious. Although a link-extrapolation method utilizing published trophic link data can address this difficulty, it has limitations when applied to construct food webs in domestic streams due to the lack of information on endemic species in global literature. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a link extrapolation-based food web model adapted to Korean stream ecosystems. We considered taxonomic similarity of predation and dominance of generalists in aquatic ecosystems, designing taxonomically higher-level matching methods: family matching for all fish (Family), endemic fish (Family-E), endemic fish playing the role of consumers (Family-EC), and resources (Family-ER). By adding the commonly used genus matching method (Genus) to these four matching methods, a total of five matching methods were used to construct 103 domestic food webs. Predictive power of both individual links and food web indices were evaluated by comparing constructed food webs with corresponding empirical food webs. Results showed that, in both evaluations, proposed methods tended to perform better than Genus in a data-poor environment. In particular, Family-E and Family-EC were the most effective matching methods. Our model addressed domestic data scarcity problems when using a link-extrapolation method. It offers opportunities to understand stream ecosystem food webs and may provide novel insights into biomonitoring.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.25-45
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• 2008

This review was made to discuss the issues of ecological restoration and environmental impact assessment (EIA) related to the preservation of natural environment, the central theme expressed in the National Anthem of Korea. The authors notice that the key word or the central philosophy contained in the verses of the National Anthem of Korea is the preservation of national land and eternal identity for future generations, which is thought to be pursued through the attainment of ecological sustainability. A conceptual model for the sustainable management of natural ecosystems was suggested for the efficient utilization and the preservation of them, whose activities should be promoted by those of conservation and restoration instead of destructive development and negligence, respectively. Here, the preservation of natural environment can be directly pursued through the restoration of degraded ecosystems and landscapes and the utilization of natural environment can be directly pursued through the conservation of natural resources and wise management of natural ecosystems and landscapes. After reviewing the major characteristics and activities of the restoration of degraded ecosystems and landscapes, discussion was further extended to points for the promotion of the EIA activities. To point out some of them, it is needed for the public to better understand the nature of sustainable management of natural environment, for the society to put extensive energy and resources in the restoration of degraded ecosystems and landscapes, and for the government to install higher levels of ministries than that of the Ministry of Environment in dealing with the issues related to the 'preservation' of national land, people, culture and the security of the sustainability for future generations, where EIA and strategic environment assessment (SEA) can directly contribute to the sustainability of the country and future generations.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2019

Right after the 2007 Hebei Spirit Oil Spill phytoplankton ecosystems were investigated for 11 years based on the seasonal monitoring of the composition and abundance of phytoplankton species. Comparable time-series data from the 1989 Exxon Valdez or the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill sites were not available. It was suggested that the ecological healthiness of phytoplankton ecosystems at EVOS sites had recovered after 10 years following the oil spill based on chlorophyll concentrations even though these concentrations only represented phytoplankton communities in most cases. Chlorophyll concentrations can only reflect limited aspects of highly complex phytoplankton ecosystems. During the last 11 years following the 2017 HSOS, extreme variabilities were met in the seasonally averaged ratios of diatoms to phototrophic flagellates including dinoflagellates based on the microscopic cell countings. Summer phytoplankton communities exhibited some cyclic interannual changes in dominant groups every 2-4 years. During the early years (2008-2010) cryptophytes or raphidophytes (Chattonella spp.) dominated alternately each year, which was repeated again in 2014, 2015 and 2017. Two thecate dinoflagellates, Tripos fusus and Tripos furca, together accounted for 52.5% and 50.0% of all organisms in the summers of 2011 and 2012, respectively, which was repeated again in 2018. Summer occurrence and dominance by the phototrophic flagellates including HABs (Harmful Algal Blooms) species as well as their interannual variabilities in the oil spill sites could be utilized as markers for the stable and long-term management of healthy ecosystems. For this type of scientific ecosystem management monitoring of chlorophyll concentrations may sometimes be insufficient to gain a proper and comprehensive understanding of phytoplankton communities located in areas where oil spills have occurred and harmed the ecosystem.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.110-121
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• 2022

Leaf functional traits widely have been used to understand the environmental controls of resource utilization strategy of plants along the environmental gradients. By using key leaf functional traits, we quantified the relationships between leaf traits and local climate throughout the distributional range of Rhododendron caucasicum Pall. in eastern and western Georgian mountains (the South Caucasus). Our results revealed, that all traits showed high levels of intraspecific variability across study locations and confirmed a strong phenotypic differentiation of leaf functional variation along the east-west longitudinal gradient in response to the local climate; out of the explored climatic variables, the moisture factors related to precipitation and number of precipitation and dry days for winter and growth seasons were more strongly related to leaf trait variation than the elevation and air temperature. Among studied leaf traits, the leaf specific area (SLA) showed the highest level of variability indicating the different resource utilization strategies of eastern and western-central Rh. caucasicum individuals. High SLA leaves for western-central Caucasian individuals work in relatively resource-rich environments (more humid in terms of precipitation amount and the number of precipitation days in winter) and could be explained by preferential allocation to photosynthesis and growth, while eastern Caucasian samples work in resource-poor environments (less humid in terms of precipitation amount and the number of precipitation days in winter) and the retention of captured resources is a higher priority appearing in a low SLA leaves. However, more evidence from a broader study of the species throughout its distribution range by including additional environmental factors and molecular markers are needed for firmer conclusions of intraspecific variability of Rh. caucasicum.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.139-145
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• 2014

Denitrification permanently removes nitrate from aquatic ecosystems, so construction of denitrification walls to enhance denitrification activity is often suggested to reduce the nitrate levels from tributary ecosystems. However, little information is available to guide the choice of appropriate organic materials for increasing denitrification rates in the walls. This study investigated how differences in organic substrates originating from litter and organic materials affected denitrification and carbon mineralization rates in riparian sediments. Potential denitrification rates were highest in riparian sediments that contained large quantities of extractable organic carbon (Ext. Org C) and that had high anaerobic carbon mineralization rates, but they were negatively correlated with C:N ratios. Therefore, this research suggested that the both carbon quantity and quality should be considered when assessing the efficiency of organic substrates to remove nitrate from tributary ecosystems.

• World Technopolis Review
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.113-129
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• 2017

Universities are considered important actors and drivers of socio-economic development in the regional innovation eco-system. This article investigates the role Kenyan universities and research institutes play in the development of regional innovation eco-system in the context of triple and Quadruple helices. A model involving Government, Industry, Universities and Society (Public) linkages in the regional innovation eco-system and with Information and Communication Technology as an enabler is used as a framework for analysing the nature of linkages in Kenya. The article uses literature review and case study methods to examine how universities and research institutes can spur the development of the innovation eco-systems. The research question is: what is the role of Kenyan universities and research institutes in spurring innovation ecosystems? Six cases of Kenyan universities and research institutes are considered in the light of Government Policy on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) which is underpinned in Kenyan constitution 2010. The study contributes to the understanding of how deep collaboration among universities, government, research institutes, Science Cities, local, regional, national and international players spurs the creation of world-class innovation ecosystems which can contribute to regional development in developing countries like Kenya.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.251-258
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• 2012

Many aquatic ecosystems suffer from anthropogenic disturbances, including the introduction of damaging levels of toxic substances. The effects of disturbances include complex relations with various components involved in the systems, and can include physical, chemical, and hydrological disruption depending of the contaminant. Decision Support Systems (DSSs) are developed to help decision makers to deal with complex management crises, through the systematic structuring and evaluation of decisions, and through providing easy-to-use and integrated tools for information elaboration and display. We reviewed various DSSs developed for toxic substances in aquatic ecosystems, and suggested a conceptual framework which is best suited to the management of such issues within Korea. It may assist stakeholders with their decision making process, and in the achievement of a consensus on water management solutions.

• Journal of Information Technology Services
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.299-319
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• 2016

This study first introduces platform services and their business models. On the basis of the concepts of business ecosystem, we present a framework for distinguishing types of the platform service business models. Two key characteristics of business ecosystems-ecosystem configuration and value production process-are employed as fundamental dimensions for constructing typology. In particular, we also present the notion of value ecosystem, where not a single platform provider but a federation of platforms constitutes a virtual platform and completes a service system. The value ecosystem represents two distinct types of platform service business models : meta-platform ecosystem and platform coalition ecosystem. They show different governance structure in the platform federation and service flows across the ecosystem. We present detailed analyses of these two value ecosystems focusing on relevant cases of e-payment FinTech : Apple Pay as an example of meta-platform and Kakao Pay for platform coalition. Our conceptual typology contributes to platforms' proper strategy formulation and presents policy implications to, for example, platform neutrality.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Computer Information Conference
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• 2014.01a
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• pp.433-434
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• 2014

Big Data services is composed of Big Data user, Big Data service provider, and Big Data application provider. And it is possible to extend the service to interplay-reciprocal actions among three subjects such as providing, being provided, connecting, being connected, and so on. In this paper, we propose an ecosystems of Big Data and a framework of its service.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.44-52
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• 2020

Objective: Minerals are one of the important nutrients for supporting the growth of sheep grazing in the highland, northwest of China. The experiment was conducted to investigate the relationship of both macro and micro minerals in sheep grazing in the highlands of six districts located in the Qilian Mountain of China. Methods: Samples of herbage (n = 240) and soil (n = 240) were collected at random in a "W" shape across the area designated for harvesting from 24 farms, where the sheep commonly graze in October (winter) for mineral analyses. In addition, serum samples were taken via jugular vein from 20 sheep per farm from 24 farms (n = 480 samples in total) for serum minerals analyses. Mean values of macro and micro minerals were statistically compared among districts and the correlations among soil-plant-animal were statistically analyzed and correlations were regressed, as well. Results: The results revealed that there were variations for both macro and micro minerals among districts. Statistical analysis of the correlation coefficients between herbage and sheep were significantly different for most of the minerals but not for P, Cu, and Se. Many correlation regression coefficients were found significantly different among minerals of herbage, soil, and sheep serum especially those of K, Na, Fe, Mn, and Zn (between herbage and sheep serum), and Fe and Mn (between herbage and soil), Na, Fe, Mn, and Zn (between soil and sheep serum), respectively. The regression coefficient equations derived under this experiment for prediction of Ca (R² = 0.618), K (R² = 0.803), Mg (R² = 0.767), Na (R² = 0.670), Fe (R² = 0.865),Zn (R² = 0.950), Mn (R² = 0.936), and Se (R² = 0.630), resulted in significant R² values. Conclusion: It is inferred that the winter herbage minerals in all the districts were below the recommended levels for macro minerals which indicated there would be some mineral deficiencies in sheep grazing the herbage in these regions. Supplemental minerals may therefore play an important role in balancing the minerals available from the herbage in winter and would lead to increased productivity in sheep on the highland areas of China. These findings could be potentially applied to the other regions for improving the livestock productivity.