• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.177-188
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• 2019

The objective of this study was to analyze the distribution patterns of two exotic disturbing fish species (largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides and bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus), their physical habitat features, and chemical water qualities from 13 sites of Dongjin River. The relationships between the fish distributions and water chemistry and physical habitat characteristics (i.e., bottom substrate) were evaluated by comparing dominant vs. absent regions of largemouth bass and bluegill. The relative abundance of the two species decreased sharply with decreased in the water quality in terms of BOD, PO₄-P and pH, but not with NO₃-N and conductivity. The bluegill showed no difference in habitat preference between the two regions with regard to the bottom structure, while the largemouth bass had significant differences in the bottom structures of silt, coarse gravels and boulders. The dominant species were Zacco platypus (14.6%), Lepomis macrochirus (14.0%), and Micropterus salmoides (9.8%) in the order of relative abundance, indicating that exotic species (24% in total) dominated the fish community, perhaps ensuing large ecological disturbances on the ecosystem. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that the distribution of the two exotic species may be largely influenced by water quality of organic matter and nutrient pollutions.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.33 no.5 s.112
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• pp.57-68
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• 2005

This study surveyed planting areas along streets in Gangwon-do to find out how to improve the planting and use of street trees and herbaceous plants. There were 301,491 trees of 41 species on the streets of Gangwon-do in 2004. The predominant species of street trees were Ginkgo biloba ($40\%$), Prunus spp. (Prunus yedoensis and Prunus sargentii) ($25\%$), Platanus occidentalis ($5\%$), followed by Betula platyphylla var. japonica, Zelkova serrata, Prunus armeniaca var. ansu, Acer palmatum, and Pinus thunbergii. Eighty-four herbaceous plant species were found in the Youngseo district (the southern area of Gangwon-do); the ratio of native species to exotic was 51:33. The predominant species were Cosmos bipinnatus, Petunia hybrida, Tagetes spp., Aster koraiensis, and Fagopyrum esculentum. Eighty-nine herbaceous plant species were found in the Youngdong district (the eastern area of Gangwon-do); the ratio of native species to exotic was 55:33. The predominant herbaceous plants were Aster koraiensis, Tagetes spp., Petunia hybrida, Rudbeckia bicolor, Cosmos bipinnatus, Salvia splendens, Brassica oleraceae var. acephala, Aquilegia buergeriana var. oxysepala, Coreopsis drummondii, Viola tricolor, and Dianthus superbus var. longicalycinus. Appropriate pruning adds to the aesthetic value of trees and prolongs their useful life; it also maintains good health and thereby reduces the need to control insects and diseases. Street trees had not been properly pruned due to the presence of power lines and a shortage of pruning information. The pruning was controlled by Korea Electric Power Company, which has no pruning information. Pruning must be maintained by a professional landscape company in order to maintain good shape, such as that which is done for bonsai. In order to improve the planting, use and maintenance of landscape plants in Gangwon-do, the following recommendations are made: street tree species should be diversified, suitable street trees should be selected for each space, native species should generally be used, trees should be appropriately pruned and properly fertilized, pests and diseases should be controlled, plantings should be done in multiple layers, spatial arrangements should be improved, larger trees should be planted, and drainage and underground electric wires should be considered when planting.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.202-211
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• 2019

Oceanic islands are biologically important for their unique assemblages of species and high levels of endemism and are sensitive to environmental change because of their isolation and small species source pools. Habitat destruction caused by human landscape development is generally accepted as the main cause of extinction on islands, with exotic species invasion a secondary cause of extinction, especially on tropical islands. However, secondary impacts of human development (e.g., general degradation through resource use and exotic species introduction) are understudied on temperate islands. To determine secondary impacts of human development on the understory vegetation community, 90 field sites on Ulleung Island, South Korea, were sampled during the summer of 2016. Understory vegetation was chosen as it is a proxy for ecosystem health. Diversity and percent cover of introduced, native, and endemic species were tested against proximity to developed areas and trail usage using a model selection approach. Diversity was also tested against percent cover of three naturalized species commonly found in survey plots. The main finding was that distance to development, distance to town, and trail usage have limited negative impacts on the understory vegetation community within best-supported models predicting native and introduced cover and diversity. However, endemic species cover was significantly lower on high usage trails. While there are no apparent locally invasive plant species on the island at the time of this study, percent cover of Robinia pseudoacacia, a naturalized tree species, negatively correlated with plot diversity. These findings indicate that forests on Ulleung Island are not experiencing a noticeable invasion of understory vegetation, and conservation efforts can be best spent preventing future invasions.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.60-73
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• 2024

Background: The available information on terrestrial pest gastropods and their impact on the environment worldwide is scarce and outdated. The present study aimed to address this gap by conducting the first comprehensive survey of pest gastropods in the Nuwara Eliya District, an important vegetable growing area in the highlands of Sri Lanka. Eighty agricultural lands were surveyed over two years by establishing ten 1 m2 sampling plots per crop type in each agricultural land. Geo-coordinates, air temperature, elevation, relative humidity, daily rainfall, soil pH, species richness and abundance were recorded for rainy and non-rainy periods. The relationship between species composition and environmental variables was analyzed using multi-regression models and distribution maps. Results: Out of the 14 species recorded in agricultural lands, nine were identified as exotic pest species. Species abundance (t = 4.69, p < 0.05) and diversity was higher in the rainy period and the dominant species during this period were Bradybaena similaris (t = 2.69, p < 0.05) and Deroceras reticulatum (t = 2. 46, p < 0.05). Eggs and estivating adults were found in soil and under decaying organic matter during the non-rainy period. The exotic species showed broader preferences for the measured environmental factors and showed a wider range in distribution compared to the native species. Variation in pest gastropod composition was significantly accounted for by elevation, relative humidity, soil pH and daily rainfall. Additionally, the species richness and abundance varied across locations due to the combined effects of elevation, crop type and stage, and field type. Conclusions: The study emphasizes the importance of understanding the biology and ecology of gastropod pests to develop effective management strategies. By considering the influence of environmental factors and implementing appropriate soil management techniques, such as targeting specific habitats and crop stages, it is possible to mitigate pest populations and minimize their impact on agricultural lands. Overall, this research contributes valuable insights into the dynamics and interactions of terrestrial gastropods in agricultural ecosystems, supporting sustainable pest management practices.

• Journal of the korean veterinary medical association
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• v.45 no.11
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• pp.1040-1051
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• 2009

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.71-85
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• 2018

A recent topic of interest within ecology is ecosystem services that are importantly connected with biodiversity. Biodiversity is a fundamental component of ecological studies and has been the subject of many studies worldwide. However, studies on the diversity and distribution of freshwater fish were not undertaken in earnest until 2000, and the number of internationally available studies is therefore still limited. In this study, we used data from "The Survey and Evaluation of Aquatic Ecosystem Health (hereafter SEAEH)" within the framework of which whole water systems on the Korean peninsula are annually monitored to investigate and determine the current status of the diversity and distribution of freshwater fish, as well as to elucidate major factors impacting freshwater fish. A total of 130 species from 28 families were identified at around 953 sites in the SEAEH investigation of 2014. The species Zacco platypus (relative abundance: 28.2%) and Z. koreanus (19.3%) were identified as the most abundant species on the Korean peninsula, and besides these 20 endangered species, 51 endemic species and 4 exotic species were also collected. Highest (96 species) and lowest (72 species) diversity were identified in the Han River Watershed and the Yeongsan/Seomjin River Watershed, respectively. The mean endemic rate was 32.7%, which is higher than the previous rate determined in 1995. The exotic species Micropterus salmoides, Lepomis macrochirus and Carassius cuvieri were found in the whole river system except north Yeongdong, whereas Oreochromis niloticus occurred only at three sites due to the cold water temperatures in winter. Totally, 28 species were found to be translocated to different water systems not connected with known original habitats, most translocations occurring in the Nakdong River and the Yeongdong region. Among the translocated species, Opsariichthys uncirostris amurensis, and Erythroculter erythropterus were dominantly distributed in the mid- to lower reaches of Nakdong River where they may be harmful to the native fish assemblages due to their strong predation. The construction of weirs in connection with the "4 River Project" generated changes in fish assemblages before, during and after the project, resulting in altered habitat condition. Especially, a decrease in the number of endemic species and an increase in the abundance of lentic species were seen. Human-induced global warming will allow exotic species requiring high water temperatures to adapt to the environmental conditions of the Korean peninsula, which may enhance the diversity of native fishes and create changes in distribution. For the establishment of realistic and efficient management and protection strategies for Korean freshwater fish, SEAEH, which produces fundamental and quantitative data for Korean streams, is an important and necessary tool.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.157-164
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• 2010

We evaluated the restoration effect by introducing willows as a means of controlling invasions of giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida L.) on a riparian site. Our preliminary survey demonstrated that a problematic exotic species, giant ragweed and the representative riparian species, Salix koreensis are in competitive exclusive relationship. We planted willows at 1 m intervals on the bank of the Dongmun stream at Munsan, Paju, in Central Western Korea as an experimental restoration practice. We installed two 50 m $\times$ 5 m sized restored and non-restored for this experimental study. The non-restored plots were located on river banks, which were covered with concrete blocks and left in itself without any treatment. The height of willow was measured after each of three consecutive growing seasons and compared with the height of the giant ragweed. Although the height of Salix gracilistyla did not achieve the height of the giant ragweed, the height of S. koreensis surpassed that of giant ragweed in the third year after introduction. The results were also reflected in the relative light intensity on the herb layer of willow stand, and thereby the relative light intensities of stands, which were dominated by S. koreensis or restored by introducing S. koreensis, 1.99 $\pm$ 0.33 (%, mean $\pm$ SD) and 1.92 $\pm$ 0.50 (%, mean $\pm$ SD), respectively were lower than those in the stands treated by S. gracilistyla, 3.01 $\pm$ 0.43 (%, mean $\pm$ SD). The giant ragweed stands receive full sunlight as there are no any vegetation layers higher than the herb layer formed by the giant ragweed. As the result of Detrended Correspondence analysis ordination based on naturally established vegetation, the stands dominated by willows and giant ragweed showed different species composition between both stands. The species composition of the restoratively treated sites resembled the reference sites more than the non-treated sites. The species diversity (H') of the sites restored by introducing S. koreensis and S. gracilistyla was higher than the non-restored site dominated by A. trifida. On the basis of our results, the restoration of riparian vegetation equipped with integrated features could contribute not only to the control of exotic plants including giant ragweed but also to ensure the diversity and stability of riverine ecosystems.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.353-357
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• 2000

The soil pH favored by several native plants in Korea ranges 5.33∼7.20, while a more acidic range of pH 3.95∼6.10 is acceptable to exotic plants. Ethanol extracts of native and exotic plants in Korea were investigated for antimicrobial activity against Bacillus sphiaericus 2362, Bacillus thuringiensis var. subtilis and Bacillus thuringiensis var. cereus and Actinomycetes. Higher antimicrobial activity was observed from the extract of exotic plants than those of native plants. The ethanol extract of Ambrosia artemisiifolia var. elatior was observed to have the highest antimicrobial activity against 4 species of soil microbes. Especially, antimicrobial activity of Ambrosia artemisiifolia var. elatior showed the largest clear zone of 48mm in Actinomycetes. Larger clear zone was formed in the order of caffeic acid, benzoic acid and ρ -coumaric acid among the nine chemical compounds. Accordingly, the antimicrobial activity of Ambrosia artemisiifolia var elatior against Actinomycetes was found to be due to the synergetic effect of chemical compounds.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.193-200
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• 2023

Influx of exotic fishes is the problem of fish management. The reason why interest on river environment was increased. Recently, River project was conducted to consider environmental function on the ecosystem and Eco-Diversity. Therefore, farmlands structure along the river was removed such as vinyl greenhouse. Daejeo ecological park was built in 4 River project. Daejeo ecological park have significance habitat for migratory birds and eco-diversity. In spite of nature river improvement, ecological system in river will be break down by exotic fishes. This study was conducted to investigate analyze the fish faun and prevailing species occupancy in Daejeo ecological park. This data will be used to make the management plan of exotic fishes in ecological park around Daejeo ecological park.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.184-192
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• 2023

Influx of exotic fishes is the reason of destruction of the ecosystem and Eco-Diversity Recently, River project was conducted to consider environmental function. Therefore, farmlands structure along the river was removed such as vinyl greenhouse. In order to supply water eco-diversity, ecological park was built. In spite of nature river improvement, the ecological system in river will be break down by exotic fishes. This study was conducted to investigate analyze the fish faun and prevailing species occupancy in Nakdong river. This data will be used to make the management plan of exotic fishes in ecological park around Nakdong river.