• ALGAE
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.13-24
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• 2021

The present-day genetic structure of macroalgal species reflects both geographical history and oceanic circulation patterns as well as anthropogenic introduction across native ranges. To precisely understand the genetic diversity and how the factors shape the current population structure of Gloiopeltis furcata sensu lato, we determined the mitochondrial 5' end of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI-5P) sequences for 677 individuals sampled from 67 sites spanning almost the entire distribution range in Korea and Japan. Results from the phylogenetic analysis and haplotype distribution revealed eleven distinct lineages within G. furcata s.l. along the Korea-Japan coastal areas and displayed divergent phylogeographic patterns among lineages. Despite the closely related lineages distributed in same habitats as high rocky intertidal zone, they display different phylogeographic patterns among lineages. The populations from the south of Korea-Japan harbored the highest genetic diversity and unique endemism in comparison with other populations in the distribution range. This could be the evidence of southern refugia for G. furcata s.l. in the Northwest (NW) Pacific and the recent migration from native to introduced region. The reason is that an exceptional distribution pattern was found high genetic diversity in Hakodate of Japan where is the northern location in the NW Pacific. Our results imply the contemporary influence on the distribution due to current circulation pattern and anthropogenic effects. These phylogeographic findings provide the important insight into cryptic species diversity and the detailed distribution pattern of Gloiopeltis in the NW Pacific.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.337-347
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• 2016

Based on genetic studies and palaeoecological surveys, the main Korean mountain range, the so-called "Baekdudaegan" (BDDG), has been recently suggested to be a major glacial refugium at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) for the boreal and temperate flora of northeastern Asia. On the basis of its shared role as a glacial refugium, and on a series of striking similarities in floristic richness and orographic features, the BDDG would constitute a sort of "eastern counterpart" of the Southern Appalachians. Given its floristic, biogeographic, and cultural value, the BDDG merits high priority for conservation.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.431-443
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• 2012

Wind holes or air holes, from which cool air blows out during the summer, but mild air comes out during the winter, have provided the phytogeographically important refugia for cryophilous or cold-loving boreal flora during the Holocene period. At present, wind holes are serving as a faraway disjunctive habitat for Pleistocene relict glacial floristic elements, and present an invaluable information to reconstruct the natural history. Present work aims to collate the nationwide distribution and relevant DB on the potential wind holes of Korea based upon media and literature sources, along with geographical informations, such as place name, topographic map, environmental geographical information, flora, monitoring data of Korea National Arboretum, and field survey data. Geographical information on sixty nine wind hole sites have compiled and analyzed on the basis of flora and presence of fossilized periglacial landforms, such as talus, block field, and block stream, and sixteen sites have thereafter carefully selected and scrutinized through field surveys. To maintain a sustainability of wind hole ecosystem, including their original landform, micro-meteorological phenomena and plant community therein as a refugia or habitat for relict plant species of Pleistocene glacial period, appropriate restrictions and preservation measures are required.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 1991

The distribution of cryophilous arctic-alpine and alpine plants in Korea is reviewed in connection with palaeoenvironment, along with a discussion to their origins, patterns of migration, and their refugia. At present, the estimated number of Korean arctic-alpine and alpine species is 419, and this includes 75 arctic-alpine species, 239 alpine species and 105 Korean endemic alpine species. The disjunctive distribution of cryophilous arctic-alpine and alpine plants is likely to be due to first, the downslope and southward expansion of those species towards the Korean peninsula as a primary refugia from the arctic region as the Pleistocene glacial phases approached, and then their subsequent isolation upslope in mountain areas toward a secondary refugia as the interglacial and post-glacial climatic ameliorations followed; secondly, the expansion of forest tree communities on lowland and montane areas subsequent to the end of the Pleistocene has had the effect of dividing formerly high mountains as a result of the increased competition; and thirdly, the general disapperance or restriction of available habitats for arctic-alpine and alpine species because of post-glacial climatic amelioration. The existence of 139 alpine species exclusively in the north of Korea may be due to the following reasons; first, frequent exchanges of alpine floras with other neighbouring East Asian regions would have been facilitated; secondly, there are numerous high mountains available for the alpine plants to survive and prosper during the post-glacial period; thirdly, the existence of easy accesses between mountains within the north, which has enabled alpine floras to migrate when necessary; and finally, the availability of diverse environments and habitats for the alpine flora of the north. However, the continued survival of those species in Korea at the world's or East Asia's southernmost limits of their distribution for many species is in danger if global warming associated with the greenhouse effect takes place.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.357-370
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• 2002

Present work aims to investigate the species composition, physiognomy and distribution of arctic-alpine and alpine plants(AAP) of the Korean Peninsula. The dominance of AAP in the northern Korea may be due to the frequent exchanges of floras with circumpolar regions for the seek of the glacial refugia during the alternate Pleistocene glacial epochs. The post-glacial climatic amelioration pushed AAP back northwards and upwards, so they now shows disjunctive distribution on separate mountain tops. The diverse morphological adaptations of AAP to severe environmental conditions, viz. the dominance of perennial species, stunted tree growth, multiple protection of leaves, krummholz, and dwarf shrubs, are the result of long-term graduall development which have safeguarded the survival of AAP in a such a harsh cryo-climatic area. The appearance of the Korean endemic AAP reflects the long-term isolation of species in Korea, and the local environmental diversities which have both accentuated this isolation and aided the development of genetic diversity. Evergreen broad-leaved AAP at c. 1,500m to 1,800m and above are now endangered because of the competition from down-slope plants, and from the global warming.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.381-395
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• 2011

Present work aims to establish an integrated management system of environmental data base for nine typical wind holes or air holes in Korea. It basically deals with definition, geographical distribution, morphological pattern, physical characteristics and anthropogenic environments of wind hole to propose systematic preservation strategy of their periglacial landscape and flora, which are known to be sensitive to global warming. Wind hole, in which cool air blows out during the summer, but mild air comes out during the winter from a cave or hole, is frequently found on northwest- and north-facing slopes on the terminal point of steep talus, block field, and block stream, and can be categorized into three types, i.e., talus, cave and sink types. Environmental characteristics of nine wind holes are analyzed on the basis of their geology, landform, climate, soil, hydrology, vegetation, road, footpath, land-use, and management system, and relevant DB are prepared. Wind hole areas with unique landscape and ecological values need to be designated as a nature reserve, and zoning of core, buffer, and transitional zones are required for the multi-dimensional preservation of periglacial landscape and ecosystem. Phytogeographical values of glacial relict plants, including mountain cranberry(Vaccinium vitis-idaea) at its global southernmost limit at Bangnaeri wind hole, Hongchon County, Gangwon Province of Korea are discussed in detail as a floristic refugia in connection with climate change during the Pleistocene Epoch and potential in-situ and ex-situ preservation sites in the future.

• ALGAE
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.55-68
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• 2018

Foliose species of the Bangiaceae (Porphyra s. l.) are very important in Korean fisheries, and their taxonomy and ecophysiology have received much attention because of the potential for developing or improving aquaculture techniques. Although 20 species of foliose Bangiales have been listed from the Korean coast, some of them remain uncertain and need further comparative morphological studies with molecular comparison. In this study, we confirm the distribution of four Pyropia species from the east coast of Korea, Pyropia kinositae, P. moriensis, P. onoi, and P. retorta sp. nov., based on morphology and rbcL sequence data. Although P. onoi was listed in North Korea in old floral works, its occurrence on the east coast of South Korea is first revealed in this study based on molecular data. P. kinositae and P. moriensis, which were originally described from Hokkaido, Japan, are first reported on the east coast of Korea in this study. Pyropia retorta sp. nov. and P. yezonesis share a similar thallus color and narrow spermatangial patches in the upper portion of the frond, and they have a sympatric distribution. However, P. retorta can be distinguished by the curled or twisted thalli and by molecular data. The biogeographic pattern of the two native species, P. kinositae and P. retorta, suggests that the east coast of Korea may have been a place of refugia during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), and then recolonized to the northern part of Japan through the restored East Korean Warm Current after the LGM.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.324-333
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• 2019

Neutral genetic diversity found in plant species usually leaves an indelible footprint of historical events. Korea's main mountain range (referred to as the Baekdudaegan [BDDG]), is known to have served as a glacial refugium primarily for the boreal and temperate flora of northeastern Asia. In addition, life-history traits (life forms, geographic range, and breeding systems) influence the within- and among-population genetic diversity of seed plant species. For example, selfing species harbor significantly less within-population genetic variation than that of predominantly outcrossers. A previous study of two Liparis species (L. makinoana and L. kumokiri) emphasizes the role of the abovementioned factors shaping the levels of genetic diversity. Liparis makinoana, mainly occurring on the BDDG and self-incompatible, harbors high levels of within-population genetic diversity (expected heterozygosity, H_eP = 0.319), whereas there is no allozyme variation (H_eP = 0.000) in L. kumokiri, which is self-compatible and mainly occurs in lowland hilly areas. To determine if this trend is also found in other congeners, we sampled five populations of L. krameri from the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and investigated the allozyme-based genetic diversity at 15 putative loci. The somewhat intermediate levels of within-population genetic variation (H_eP = 0.145) found in L. krameri are most likely due to its occurrence in mountainous areas that, despite being outside of the main ridge of the BDDG, still served as refugia, and a self-incompatible breeding system. Management strategies are suggested for L. krameri and L. makinoana based on the levels and distribution of genetic diversity and inbreeding.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.297-303
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• 2017

In central and southern Korea, the two small insectivorous, terrestrial herbs, Utricularia bifida and U. caerulea, often co-occur at wet locations (or in wetlands). The Korean Peninsula (with central China and northern Japan) constitutes the northern edge of their distribution, as their main range is subtropical and tropical Asia. The Korean populations of both species are very likely of post-glacial origin, given that warm-temperate vegetation was absent from the Korean Peninsula during the Last Glacial Maximum. Two hypotheses of the post-glacial colonization of the peninsula can be formulated; first, if current populations were founded by propagules coming from a single ancestral population (i.e., a single refugium), we would expect low levels of genetic diversity. Alternatively, if contemporary Korean populations originated from multiple sources (multiple refugia), we would expect high levels of genetic variation. To test which is more likely, we surveyed the degree of allozyme variation at 20 loci in ten populations for each of the two species from southern Korea. We found no allozyme variation within each species. However, their aquatic congener U. australis exhibited allozyme polymorphism across Japan (four polymorphic loci at three enzyme systems). We suggest that southern Korean populations of Utricularia bifida and U. caerulea were established by a single introduction event from a genetically depauperate ancestral population.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.61-89
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• 2006

Algific talus slopes are local cold micro-environmental habitats where cool air escapes through vents and fissures of talus layer, and ice forms in summer. To access the phytogeographical significance and to develop the conservation strategy on vegetation of the algific talus, plant species composition on seven algific talus in South Korea was investigated. As a results, phytogeographically significant northern elements such as Cystopteris fragilis (L.) Bernh., Diplazium sibiricum (Turcz. ex Kunze) Sa.Kurata, Polypodium virginianum L., Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. and Hackelia deflexa (Wahlenb.) Opiz were distributed in these algific talus slopes (below $N37^{\circ}43^{\prime}$). In addition, subalpine species such as Woodsia subcordata Turcz, Rosa suavis willd., Clematis fusca var. coreana ($H.L{\acute{e}}v.$ & Vaniot) Nakai, Calamagrostis langsdorfii (Link) Trin. and Carex vaginata var. petersii (C.A.Mey.) Akiyama were also distributed as typical relictual species of these algific talus (less than alt. 400m). The algific talus slopes in Korean peninsular can be regarded as the insular refugia that northern plant species advanced southward during the latest glacial age have been isolated and adapted in some local microhabitats. Because the algific talus slopes as paleorefugia are very important in terms of phytogeography as well as meteorology ans geology, developments of strategies for in situ and ex situ conservation on these small isolated and threatened populations associated with the algific talus urgently needed.