• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.158-171
• /
• 2010

The flora of Deokjeok Island was investigated 35 times from September 2007 to September 2008. Based on voucher specimens, the study indicated that this area consisted of 535 taxa in total; 108 families, 320 genera, 480 species, 2 subspecies, 45 varieties and 8 forms were present. Compositae and Graminae were the first and second most common families surveyed in the region, respectively. Among the more remarkable examples found were four taxa of Korean endemic plants, six taxa of rare and endangered plants designated by National Arboretum, and 55 taxa of specific plants that have been designated by the Ministry of Environment. Furthermore, 50 taxa of naturalized plants were observed and they occupied 17.9% of the total in the surveyed area. Although some parts of the investigated region were disturbed by human impact, the ecological status was comparatively well preserved. However, the area where the remarkable plants were discovered should be more systematically protected. Since the proportion of naturalized plants in the human habitation area was considerably high and the spreading of these plants seems consistent, it is expected that the ecosystem of this area may become critically unstable in near future.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.28-34
• /
• 2011

This study was carried out to estimate monthly mean of daily maximum and minimum temperature across North Korea at a 30 m grid spacing for a climatological normal year (1971-2000) and the 4 decadal averages (1971-1980, 1981-1990, 1991-2000, and 2001-2010). A geospatial climate interpolation method, which has been successfully used to produce the so-called 'High-Definition Digital Climate Maps' (HD-DCM), was used in conjunction with the 27 North Korean and 17 South Korean synoptic data. Correction modules including local effects of cold air drainage, thermal belt, ocean, solar irradiance and urban heat island were applied to adjust the synoptic temperature data in addition to the lapse rate correction. According to the final temperature estimates for a normal year, North Korean winter is expected colder than South Korean winter by $7^{\circ}C$ in average, while the spatial mean summer temperature is lower by $3^{\circ}C$ than that for South Korea. Warming trend in North Korea for the recent 40 years (1971-2010) was most remarkable in spring and fall, showing a 7.4% increase in the land area with 15 or higher daily maximum temperature for April.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.771-785
• /
• 2014

As marine desertification and chlorosis in Korean coast have been intensified over time, Korean government is promoting marine afforestation projects. However, marine afforestation location is mainly decided by administrative convenience. Also, there is limited literature on location suitability about the marine afforestation. This study aims to assess location suitability of marine afforestation considering 3 significant criteria: ecological, submarine topographical, and human-social environment. Jeju, the study area of this study, first observed chlorosis in Korean coast at the small fishery town in Seogwipo. Jeju is currently suffering from chlorosis all around the island. Habitat Evaluation Procedure (HEP), 3D kriging, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is applied as analysis methods. Especially, 3D kriging is utilized for modeling 3D ocean space reflecting ocean environment appropriately. The result shows that Jocheon coast has better location suitability than Seogwipo Pyoseon coast. Jocheon coast has the maximum 61% suitability as the habitat of Ecklonia cava Kjellman, and is highly evaluated in other criteria. The results of this study are expected to find optimal marine afforestation location, and to contribute to the restoration of the Jeju coastal ecosystem and the revitalization of Jeju fishing village societies.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.123-129
• /
• 2011

A study on the occurrence and movement of marine debris is required for protecting the marine environment and ecosystem from marine pollution. The aim of this study is to show annual production and movement characteristics through analysis for the flow path, composition and the sources of marine debris. This study analyzed the distribution and characteristics of marine debris collected in the region of $100\;m{\times}20\;m$($=2,000\;m^2$) at the Daekwang Beach in the Yellow Sea. During the collection period from 2008 to 2010, the total weight of the marine debris was 1,445 kg in this site. The most marine debris was plastic amounting to 46.5% of the whole collection; the rest were styrofoam(20%) and wooden material(12.6%). The amount of marine debris mused from foreign country observed 155.5 kg, more than 90% of them was plastic came from China such as buoys. Additionally, this study analyzed seasonal change if marine environment to understand occurrence amount change if marine debris. 2009 and 2010 was high occurrence ratio in season that the north wind is very strong and the occurrence rate appeared highest by 40% in the summer(July) of 2008 that appeared westbound tidal current. Overall, marine Debris mused from foreign country was high occurrence ratio in January, May and then November has a lot of quantity secondly. While, occurrence ratio was the highest by 46% summer(July) in 2008, but in 2009 and 2010 showed the lowest rate to 4%.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.216-233
• /
• 2003

This study delineates the phenomena related with global environmental changes such as global warming, ozone depletion, and El Ni${\tilde{n}}$o/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) noted in the Antarctic. Retreat of ice cliffs, glaciers, and calving of ice shelves indicate the effects of recently aggravated global warming. The ice cliff located at Marian Cove, King George Island, South Shetland Islands off the Antarctic Peninsula has been observed to be retreating faster in the last 7 years than in the previous 38 years since 1956. There are some indications of temperature and precipitation changes associated with ENSO around King Sejong Station. The regression analyses indicate significant trends such as a decrease in the total amount of ozone and an increase in ultraviolet radiation which was seen by a satellite (TOMS-EUV) in September and October which correspond to ozone-hole season over King Sejong Station. Increase of UV radiation due to the ozone depletion in the Antarctic has changed the growth rate of marine organisms. It may also result in changes to the productivity, biomass, and species composition of marine organisms which can affect the whole marine ecosystem. The recent ice-core drilling over Lake Vostok has been reviewed with emphasis on the four cycles of glacial stages over the past 420,000 years. It is time to show more interest in mainland Antarctica through investigations of the coring and vast ice sheet, terrestrial geology, and upper atmospheric sciences in order to understand the past environmental changes and to predict possible changes to the environment in the future.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.119-128
• /
• 2007

Grain-size trend analysis is the methodology to obtain the net sediment transport pattern from the spatial trends of grain size parameters. It has the potentials to be an effective tool to address the morphological changes of the deltaic barrier islands in the Nakdoog River once we make sure net transport patterns inferred from grain size trend analysis represent the morphological evolution patterns. This research aims to investigate the applicability of the net transport patterns obtained by 'transport vector', proposed by Gao and Collins(1992), to understanding the morphological changes of the Nakdong River deltaic barrier islands. The results indicate that the net transport directions are overall in concordance with the morphological evolution patterns; however, the level of concordance is low in the island with fast growing rate. The reasons may be match or mismatch of temporal scales involved between processes represented by net transport patterns and morphological change analyzed or the rate of morphological change. Consequently, the application of grain size trend analysis in analyzing the morphological changes of deltaic barrier islands requires the careful consideration of temporal scales involved.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.235-246
• /
• 2002

The fish farming using net cages has been developed in many semi-closed bays in the southern coast of Korea for the last two decades. The intensive cage cultures of fishes generate considerable amounts of organic waste in the form of uneaten food and faeces. In order to evaluate the effect of fish farming activities we collected the benthic macrofauna near the fish farm area located in Wolho Islet of Gamak Bay and in Haklim Island of Tongyeong in November 1998. Benthic macrofaunal assemblages showed dramatic changes in species number, species diversity, and faunal abundance in the region of the fish farm. These changes were clearly observed even at a distance of up to 30 m from the fish farming cage area. Within 5 m from the cage, there was a zone with low species diversity and highest density, dominated by opportunistic polychaete worm, Capitella capitata. By a distance of 15-30 m, this zone presents highest species number and higher density. Our results clearly demonstrated that fish farm area was highly enriched with organic materials, and implied that the fish farm industry and adjacent benthic ecosystem in semi-closed bay will be seriously damaged by self produced organic wastes in the near future.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.160-169
• /
• 2019

The migration status of waterbirds inhabiting the 10 coastal wetlands in the south and west coasts (Jangbongdo, Muuido, Daecheoncheon estuary, Seocheon tidal flat, Yubudo, Gomso bay, Hauido, Jeungdo, Doam bay, Gangjin bay) was examined from May 2008 to March 2013. For the most dominant taxonomical group, shorebirds accounted for 37.5% of the number of species and 67.1% of the total population, followed in the order of dabbling ducks, herons, and seagulls. The dominate species were Calidris alpina, Larus crassirostris, Limosa lapponica, Charadrius alexandrinus, and Calidris tenuirostris. Shorebirds were observed most at Seocheon Tidal Flats and Yubudo Island, and dabbling ducks were found most in Doam Bay. Diving ducks were observed most at Gangjin Bay and seagulls were seen most frequently at Seocheon Tidal Flats. The ten coastal wetlands of the western and southern coasts were divided into three groups according to the similarity index of waterbirds (Ro). Group 1 was the area where dabbling ducks and diving ducks were dominant, group 2 was the area where shorebirds were dominant, and group 3 was the area where seagulls were dominant. It was evident that there were differences in species composition depending on the regional environments.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.354-366
• /
• 2022

To analyze the distribution of plant communities growing in river wetlands and the relationship between biotic and abiotic environmental factors, plant communities and environmental factors were investigated in river wetlands in the Boseong River. The Boseong River Wetland, the research site, consists of Hwapyeong Wetland, Bangujeong Wetland, and Seokgok Wetland. From June to September 2022, a plant community survey was conducted from the perspective of physiognomical vegetation, and the coverage of the emerging species followed the Braun-Blanquet scale. Plant species and the coverage of each species were recorded in the quadrant for plant community survey, and the cover of the quadrant, the total number of species, and the number of exotic species were measured as biological factors. As abiotic factors, altitude, orientation, inclination, soil texture, litter layer depth, dominant species diameter at breast height, and topography were recorded. In a total of 50 square plots, the most common Salix koreensis and Phragmites japonicus communities were found, and the community with the highest Shannon species diversity index was Phragmites japonicus-Echinochloa caudata community. As a result of ordination analysis by DCCA, the most significant clusters were separated according to topographic factors such as leeve, leeve slope, upper floodplain, lower floodplain, upper waterside, middle waterside, lower waterside, river island and opem water. As rare plants that need to be preserved in river wetlands, Hydrocharis dubia and Penthorum chinense were found in lower waterside, and it was found that the management of the river in the reservoir is necessary in line with the topographical distribution of ecosystem-disrupting plants, such as Paspalum distichum var. indutum.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.45 no.4
• /
• pp.277-286
• /
• 2021

Background: As trade increases, the influx of various alien species and their spread to new regions are prevalent and no longer a special problem. Anthropogenic activities and climate changes have made the distribution of alien species out of their native range common. As a result, alien species can be easily found anywhere, and they have nothing but only a few differences in intensity. The prevalent distribution of alien species adversely affects the ecosystem, and a strategic management plan must be established to control them effectively. To this end, hot spots and cold spots were analyzed according to the degree of distribution of invasive alien plants, and major environmental factors related to hot spots were found. We analyzed the 10,287 distribution points of 126 species of alien plants collected through the national survey of alien species by the hierarchical model of species communities (HMSC) framework. Results: The explanatory and fourfold cross-validation predictive power of the model were 0.91 and 0.75 as AUC values, respectively. The hot spots of invasive plants were found in the Seoul metropolitan area, Daegu metropolitan city, Chungcheongbuk-do Province, southwest shore, and Jeju island. Generally, the hot spots were found where the higher maximum temperature of summer, precipitation of winter, and road density are observed, but temperature seasonality, annual temperature range, precipitation of the summer, and distance to river and sea were negatively related to the hot spots. According to the model, the functional traits accounted for 55% of the variance explained by the environmental factors. The species with higher specific leaf areas were more found where temperature seasonality was low. Taller species preferred the bigger annual temperature range. The heavier seed mass was only preferred when the max temperature of summer exceeded 29 ℃. Conclusions: In this study, hot spots were places where 2.1 times more alien plants were distributed on average than non-hot spots (33.5 vs 15.7 species). The hot spots of invasive plants were expected to appear in less stressful climate conditions, such as low fluctuation of temperature and precipitation. Also, the disturbance by anthropogenic factors or water flow had positive influences on the hot spots. These results were consistent with the previous reports about the ruderal or competitive strategies of invasive plants instead of the stress-tolerant strategy. The functional traits are closely related to the ecological strategies of plants by shaping the response of species to various environmental filters, and our result confirmed this. Therefore, in order to effectively control alien plants, it is judged that the occurrence of disturbed sites in which alien plants can grow in large quantities is minimized, and the river management of waterfronts is required.