• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2017

This study has been carried out for the purpose of predicting the potential habitat sites of invasive alien plants in the DMZ and providing the basic data for decision-making in managing the future DMZ natural environment. From 2007 to 2015, this study collected the data for the advent of Ambrosia trifida var. trifida through fieldwork around the DMZ area, and simulated the potential distribution area of Ambrosia trifida var. trifida using Maxent model among the models of species distributions. As a result, it showed that the potential distribution area of the Ambrosia trifida var. trifida was concentrated in the western DMZ with relatively low altitude and scanty in the central east regions with relatively high elevation and forest cover rate. Because the invasive alien vegetation is a significant threatening factor in the agriculture and restoration of ecology and it costs a lot to restore the area already invaded by invasive alien vegetation, advance precautions are necessary to prevent biological invasions. It is expected that it is possible to predict the disturbed ecosystems through this study for the efficient land use within DMZ in the future and to apply this study in setting up the areas for the development and conservation within the DMZ.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.317-321
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• 2012

Plants are the promising reservoirs for natural products with their diverse secondary metabolites. Many invasive plants have been introduced in Korea, which adversely affect on the native ecosystem but holds difficulty removing them due to their proliferation. In this study, we evaluated disease control efficacy of methanol extracts from four invasive plant species against 7 representative crop pathogens. Methanol extract of Phytolacca americana effectively suppressed rice blast, tomato gray mold, and tomato late blight in a dose dependent manner. The methanol extract of Amorpha fruticosa also exhibited potent antifungal activity against pepper anthracnose in a concentration dependent way. These data suggest that the extracts of P. americana and A. fruticosa can be developed as plant disease protection agents against rice blast, tomato gray mold, tomato late blight, and pepper anthracnose. Furthermore, more extensive research will be required to identify and isolate active compounds from problematic invasive plant species to develop valuable agrochemicals.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.388-395
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• 2020

Exotic species have been imported for economic purposes, but more recently, an increasing number of animals are imported as pets. With the increasing popularity of two species of turtles, Mauremys sinensis and Pseudemys concinna, the number of pet turtle owners has gradually increased since 2014. The number of turtles increased by 180 in 2017 and 281 in 2019. However, these turtle species have been abandoned to nature, owing to their long lifespans and the changes in conditions of pet owners. The two turtle species have been designated as invasive alien species (AIS) in Korea considering their ecological risks, and the Biological Diversity Act prohibits their release. The owners of Mauremys sinensis and Pseudemys concinna are required to submit the "Application for Approval of Breeding and Grace for AIS" document. In this study, the breeding conditions for the two turtle species were investigated by analyzing the information in the submitted applications for six months (e.g., the suitability of breeding facilities, number of turtles, breeding period, type of pet adoption, and local district of pet owner). A total of 614 cases were analyzed. Because only 58% of breeders provided suitable breeding conditions, breeding information and responsible pet ownership training should be offered to prevent abandonment in natural ecosystems. In addition, continuous monitoring is necessary to prepare for potential problems caused by the lack of information in many applications and the one-off licensing policy.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.191-197
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• 2015

Invasive alien species are considered to be one of the main factors that cause biodiversity loss. Establishment of management strategies through continuous monitoring and risk assessment is a key element for invasive alien species management policy. In the present study, we introduce examples of ecological risk assessment tools developed in Japan, Germany-Austria and Belgium. Invasive alien species have been designated in Japan based on the assessment of risks to ecosystems, human health and primary industry. German-Austrian Black List Information System categorized alien species into Black List, White List and Grey List according to their risks to biodiversity. In the Harmonia Information System developed in Belgium, invasiveness, adverse impacts on native species and ecosystem functions and invasion stages were assessed and alien species were categorized into Black List, Watch List and Alert List. These international risk assessment tools may be helpful to improve our national risk assessment protocol for the prioritization of invasive alien species management.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.188-197
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• 2021

This study aimed to obtain fundamental data for demonstrating biodiversity of vegetation of East Asian alder (Alnus japonica) Forest Wetland of Heonilleung Royal Tombs. A total of 166 vascular plants (159 species, three subspecies, three varieties, and one cultivar) belonging to 132 genera and 59 families were found, accounting for 8.3% of 1,996 vascular plant species found in Seoul. Therophyte was the most common life-form of plants in Heonilleung Wetland. As for rare plant species, one Least Concern (LC) species was found. There were 15 floristic regional indicator species in the research area. Three of them belonged to floristic grades III and IV. This indicates that their habitats are discontinuous and isolated to some degree. Nineteen invasive alien plant species were found, most of which were introduced from North America after the year 1964 with a spread rate of V (widespread, WS).

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.1105-1115
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• 2018

The aim of this study was to collect crucial data for the improvement of water quality and ecosystem conservation by analyzing water samples, sediments, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish in the Seosan reservoir. The average values of water quality parameters from 2001 to 2016 were a chemical oxygen demand of 10 mg/L, total nitrogen of 1.22 mg/L, and total phosphorus of 0.074 mg/L. Cadmium was detected in the range of 0.531-0.748 mg/kg in the reservoir sediment. Fish belonging to 6 families and 9 species were identified in the reservoir. The dominant species were Carassius auratus and Micropterus salmoides. Benthic macroinvertebrates belonging to 22 families and 28 species were identified. The ecological score of the benthic macroinvertebrate community was 15 inside the reservoir (St. 2). Micropterus salmoides, an invasive alien species, was determined to be the subdominant fish species based on the number of captures, and the presence of the invasive species, Sicyos angulatus L. and Paspalum distichum L. was confirmed among the land flora.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.136-159
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• 2019

This study was carried out to investigate the flora of six islands belonging to the Gogunsan Archipelago (i.e., Sinsi-do, Seonyu-do, Munyeo-do, Yami-do, Bian-do, and Duri-do) in the Korean Peninsula. As results of five field surveys from March to October of 2016, we have identified 575 total taxa, representing 527 species, five subspecies, 42 varieties, and one hybrid, placed in 358 genera and 118 families. Of these 575 taxa, four are endemic to Korea, six taxa are listed on the Korean Red List of threatened species, 67 are floristic regional indicator plants, and 74 are invasive alien species. In this study, we compared species richness among the islands, and find that the larger the islands, the higher the species richness. In the case of habitat affinity types, forest species were most common, followed by farmland, seacoast, bare ground and wetland species. From similarity analyses based on the composition of vascular plants, each island did not exhibit either local specificity or unique diversity. On the contrary, the proportion of invasive alien and ruderal species may increase by human activities. Investigations and analyses of island flora such as this are important to assess the current status of the flora, predict future vegetation patterns and the spread of the alien species, and establish managment plans of plant diversity.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.752-757
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• 2019

The establishment of invasive alien species management is widely recognized as a pivotal issue in the preservation of biodiversity. Ranunculus sardous Crantz, a species native to Europe, has been widely introduced in many other areas of the world, including the coasts of the United States, Australia, China, India, and Japan. In Korea, the first population of this plant was found growing adjacent to a wetland in Hanon, Seogwipo-si, Jeju Province, on 22 May 2018. Field observations confirmed the presences of at least two populations of this species in Jeju Province, Korea. This species is similar to Ranunculus sceleratus L., but can be readily distinguished by its presence of the trichomes in the whole plant, longer petioles of radical leaves, ovate-shaped leaf segments, globose to subglobose-shaped fruits and flat achenes with narrowly winged and papillae. The Invasive Alien Plant Risk Assessment (IAPRA), a system for recognizing and categorizing alien plants in Korea forests, was used to assess the invasiveness status of the species. Based on this system, R. sardous received a low score of 6, suggesting its potential invasion to natural forests. Although the current distribution of R. sardous is restricted to Jeju Province and thus far has had limited impact on local environments, local and regulatory authorities should pay close attention to this plant and take measures to prevent its further expansion.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.18-21
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• 2014

We report a naturalized alien species, Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav. from Chodo Isl., Samsanmeon, Yeosushi, Jeollanam-do province. The native distribution range of the species is the southwestern US and the adjacent region of northern Mexico. The species is related to S. nigrum L., but the species can be distinguished from S. nigrum by the silver green stellate trichome on the surfaces of plants, the elongated leaf shape, and the size and color of the flowers and fruits. Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav. belongs to the Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum. The species is recorded on the invasive species list in the subtropical or temperate regions of many European, Mediterranean, African, South American, Asian, and Australian countries. Therefore, we also need a careful monitoring and prevention strategy for this new invasive species in Korea.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.269-276
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• 2021

During 15 months from 13. Jul. 2018 to 29. Oct. 2019, we monitored on the hitchhiker insect pests from a total of 306 foreign vessels entering into Korea. As the results, a total of 805 samples of the hitchhiker insects were collected using simply collecting method by hands and identified as 379 species of 78 families under 12 orders on the basis of integrative species identification. Among them, 42 species (67 individuals) of 21 families under seven orders were detected as not-distributed species in South Korea. Of the 42 not-distributed species, seven species were multiply detected in 2018 and 2019, and two species, Erthesina fullo (Pentatomidae, Hemiptera) and Tessaratoma papilosa (Tessaratomidae, Hemiptera) were discovered as regulated insect pest. Therefore, we reported on the 42 not-distributed species in South Korea with the data sheets for the establishment of a monitoring plan on the not-distributed species and the risk assessments on invasive or invasive likelihood species.