• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.249-253
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• 2008

We conducted field and laboratory observations of the life histories and fungal hosts of the darkling beetle, Platydema nigroaeneum Motschulsky. P. nigroaeneum, a fungivorous tenebrionid beetle, was a widespread inhabitant of fungi on deciduous trees (Quercus, Salix, Alnus and Carpinus etc.) in Korea. Development from egg to adulthood took $4\sim11$ months in nature and about 66 days in the laboratory at $25.5{\sim}26.1^{\circ}C$ and $63.5\sim64.5%$ relative humidity. Both larvae and adults overwintered in their host fungi or beneath the bark of the host tree near the host fungi. Sporophores of Coriolus $Qu{\acute{e}}let$, Bjerkandera Karst., Daedaleopsis Schroet. and Merulius were common feeding and breeding sites in Korea.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.264-275
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• 2018

The experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of various dietary conditions on external morphometric traits, and sectioned morphometric traits in the cultured cyprinid loach, (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) for 28 days. For the fed group there was an increase in body weight, standard length, and morphometric dimensions of the head and body cavity regions compared with the starved and initial groups. Sectioned morphometric trait analysis revealed that relative to the starved group, the fed group had greater body circumference, cross-sectional area, and total height (P<0.05). Our results provide data on external and sectioned morphometric changes under starvation conditions, and can be used as a guide to assist in the regulation and scheduling of feeding, and as indices of the nutritional status of cyprinid loach.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.285-292
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• 2021

We investigated habitat use and home range of a rescued and released white-naped crane using GPS tracking technology in Cheorwon, South Korea, from October 2016 to March 2017. Four types of roosting sites were identified: frozen reservoirs, paddy fields, rivers, and wetlands. Upon arrival, the white-naped crane preferred wetlands in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). In late wintering season, it showed a tendency to change main roosting sites in the following order: rice paddies, rivers, and frozen reservoirs. Among 14 sleeping places, Civilian Control Zone (CCZ) with various type of available habitats was more preferred than the DMZ. Places outside of CCZ were rarely used due to anthropogenic disturbances during the night. The tracked white-naped crane widely chose daytime feeding sites while moving around all over rice paddies in the CCZ. Mean diurnal movement distance was 10.5 km with a maximum of 24.8 km. Its home range measured with Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP) and Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) was 172.30 km² with MCP, 159.60 km² with KDE 95%, 132.48 km² with KDE 90%, and 42.45 km² with KDE 50%. All estimated values of home ranges were higher in the early and later winter than those in the middle period.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.115-121
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• 2022

The Yezo sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis) is a subspecies of sika deer originated from Hokkaido, Japan. This paper is a study on the ecological impact caused by large mammals invading the ecosystem. Two pairs of deer were donated to the Agency for Defense Development in Taean in the late 1980s, and the population expanded to over 280 in 2018. The thermal imaging camera showed that the population ranged from 8 to 53 herds, divided into approximately 10 groups. It was confirmed that some of the herds had escaped the management area and invaded the nearby natural ecosystem, causing damage to cultivated land and natural vegetation. Herds of over 50 individuals have been studied in large grassland areas near drinking water sources such as streams and ponds. In places with excessive deer concentration, 1) feeding damage to herbs, shrubs and sub-trees, 2) tree withering due to antler-rubbing, and their habit of migrating along forest edges 3) excessive soil loss on slopes, 4) destruction of herbaceous layers due to compaction, and finally 5) damage to infrastructure were also investigated. As such, it is expected that the results of this study on the ecological and economic damage of Yezo sika deer can be used to predict the impact of other exotic sika deer in South Korea with similar behavioral characteristics and to establish a management plan.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2020

Background: Fish body size is a major determinant of freshwater trophic interactions, yet only a few studies have explored the relationship between the fish body size and trophic interactions in river upstream. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the body size and trophic position (TP) of Coreoperca kawamebari (Temminck & Schlegel, 1843) in an upstream of the Geum River. Results: A stable isotope analysis (based on δ¹⁵N) was used to determine the TP based on the body size of C. kawamebari. The regression analysis (n = 33, f = 63.840, r² = 0.68) clearly showed the relationship between the body length and TP of C. kawamebari. The TP of C. kawamebari was clearly divided by body size into the following classes: individuals of size < 10 cm that feed on insects and individuals of size > 10 cm feed on juvenile fish. This selective feeding is an evolutionarily selective tendency to maximize energy intake per unit time. Furthermore, the diet shift of C. kawamebari was led by different spatial distributions. The littoral zone was occupied by individuals of size < 10 cm, and those of size > 10 cm were mainly in the central zone. The littoral zone can be assumed to be enriched with food items such as ephemeropterans and dipterans. Conclusion: The TP of C. kawamebari, as a carnivorous predator, will have a strong influence on biotic interactions in the upstream area of the Geum River, which can lead to food web implication.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.375-383
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• 2009

The aims of this study were wintering individuals, usage of foraging sites, potential food availability, daily activity and disturbance factors of White-naped Cranes Grus vipio on the wintering site, Han-river estuary, Goyang and Gimpo city, Korea. We want to provide basic data to conserve the cranes. Maxium population was identified 162 individuals at the middle of February in the river side and mud flat of this study area. Spring migration for breeding was started at the first week of March and finished for two weeks later. White-naped Cranes were used four feeding sites in winter; agricultural area in Hongdopyong, Yihwa-dong, Pyong-dong and Songpo-dong. Expected carrying capacity (ECC) was 334 days (121~909 days). White-naped Cranes departed from roosting site to feeding site at every morning for foraging. If they were disturbed by some factors at feeding sites, they moved to mud flat in the Han river to forage and take a rest. Daily activity was consisted of six category; feeding, alert, locomotion, preening, comfort, social and other behaviors. Feeding was the highest portion among behaviors in the wintering area. Feeding, alert, locomotion and preening in daily activities significantly differed among feeding sites. We watched total 348 times of disturbances in the wintering sites. Artificial disturbances were vehicles, humans, bicycles and motorcycles. Natural disturbances were noises, animals and others. Disturbances in all wintering sites were highest in Yihwa-dong (134 times) and followed by Hongdopyong (109 times), Songpo-dong (64 times) and then Pyong-dong (44 times). And artificial disturbances (228 times) were more than natural disturbances (120 times). Especially, vehicle was one of the most checked factor in the wintering area.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.526-535
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• 2007

This study was conducted at the Civilian Controlled Zone(CCZ) in the Cherowon from February to March 2004 to investigate the reaction to the vehicles of Red-crowned Cranes(RCC) and White-naped Cranes(WNC) and trade-off of the vehicle interruption with food resources. The for-aging distance from the road of WNC was much closer than that of RCC. The large flocks of cranes' average feeding distance from the road was farther than small flocks of cranes in both species. Cranes showed the reaction, such as alert, walking, running and flying against the vehicle stop and were more sensitive as they were close to the road. The reacting time to the stopping vehicle were reduced as it was farther from the road. The distance of about 250m was a reaction threshold distance against the vehicle stop to both species. The reacting time in the same distance was not different in relation to the traffic volume, but large traffic volume tended to cause cranes to stay far away from the road and not to feed themselves near a traffic congested area. The reason cranes fed themselves on fallen rice grains in spite of the vehicular traffic interruption factor was that there was a high density of the fallen rice grains remaining at the area near a road.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.277-286
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• 2006

Population ecology of Cobitis tetralineata was examined at Churyeong Stream, Seomjin River, Korea. C. tetralineata inhabited on the sand bottoms with $10{\sim}20cm/see$ in current velocity, and $30{\sim}150cm$ in water depth. This species was active on the sand during the daylight hours from March to October, but they hibernated in the inside of the sand during the winter season. Sex ratio of female to male was 1:0.57, and female was $20{\sim}30mm$ (TL) larger than male. The age group of C. tetralineata (female) population showed that the $20{\sim}40mm$ group is 0+ years old, the $45{\sim}65mm$ group 1+ years old, the $65{\sim}90mm$ group 2+ years old, and the group longer than 90 mm over 3 years old. Males $13{\sim}14$ months old after hatching had lamina circularis at the base of its pectoral fin as a secondary sexual character. And in its spawning season, lateral color pattern of male was changed as a sexual dimorphism. The spawning season may be from late June to middle July, $22{\sim}26^{\circ}C$ water temperature. The average number of mature eggs in ovary was about $1,288{\pm}583(474{\sim}2,976)$, egg diameter was about $0.98{\pm}0.1mm$. C. tetralineata fed mainly on Chironomidae, Arcellidae, Branchioda and Algae. The feeding rate was the highest in April and September, but they did not fed in the winter.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.62-70
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• 2009

The study was conducted from Jan. 11 to Jan. 12 2008 on 17 areas which were the wintering area of Aegypius monachus and where the birds were observed. In the study, a total of 1,912 individuals were observed to winter in the areas, which was larger than any previous observation. The study found that 1,500 individuals wintered in the central region of Korea including Gyeonggido and Kangwondo, which accounted for 78.45%, and 412 individuals (21.55%) in the southern region such as Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, Jeannam and Jejudo (Island). Given the number of individuals wintering by region, Jangdan Peninsula (777 individuals), Cheorwon (488 individuals) and Sancheonggun(193 individuals) were mostly found. In comparison with the previous studies, 20-30% of the individuals have moved south since 2006. This movement might be attributed to the suspension of feeding campaigns, but the birds still crowded some specific areas.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.253-261
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• 2009

Habitat environment and feeding habitat of Iksookimia koreensis and Cobitis lutheri were investigated in the Mangyeong River, Jeollabuk-do, Korea from 2005 to 2006. They together inhabit the upper and middle stream, but they showed differences in their microhabitat. I. koreensis inhabited the stony zones of relatively rapid waters with a water depth of 30~60 cm, whereas C. lutheri lived in the sandy zones of relatively slow waters with a depth of 30~100 cm. The two species were active during daylight hours from March to October but hibernated in the winter season. During hibernation I. koreensis still lived in the gravel and stone and C. lutheri burrowed in the sand. I. koreensis ingested mainly chironomid and other aquatic insects, whereas C. lutheri fed mainly on Chironomidae, Copepoda and Branchiopoda. The feeding rate of both species was highest in April and September, but they did not feed in the winter.