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

• Mycobiology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.168-171
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• 2018

In 2016, a severe leaf spot disease was found on Iris ensata Thumb. in Nanjing, China. The symptom was elliptical, fusiform, or irregularly necrotic lesion surrounded by a yellow halo, from which a small-spored Alternaria species was isolated. The fungus was identified as Alternaria iridiaustralis based on morphological characteristics. The pathogenicity tests revealed that the fungus was the causal pathogen of the disease. Phylogenic analyses using sequences of ITS, gpd, endoPG, and RPB2 genes confirmed the morphological identification. This study is the first report of A. iridiaustralis causing leaf spots on I. ensata in China.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.664-667
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• 1998

Leaf spot of Cymbidium hybrida caused by Fusarium sp. was observed at major cultivating areas including Seosan and Cheonan of Korea from 1996 to 1998. The major symptoms of the disease were small brown to black spots, 1∼2 mm I diameter, with yellow halo. Based on the mycological characteristics, Fusarium sp. isolated from the lesions was identified as Fusarium proliferatum. Macroconidia were slender, falcate to almost straight, usually 3 to 5 septate and thin walled. Microconidia were formed in chains from polyphialides, clavate or oval, usually 1-celled with flattened base. Chlamydospores were absent. The fungus showed pathogenicity to Cymbidium hybrida.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.57-60
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• 2022

Leaves of Chionanthus retusus were found to be damaged by leaf spot disease associated with a fungus in Iksan, Korea. Leaf spots were angular to irregular, vein-limited, scattered, 1-8 mm diameter, brownish-gray to dark brown when dry, with heavy fructification. The pathogen causes premature defoliation of C. retusus plant and was identified as Pseudocercospora chionanthi-retusi based on morphological and molecular-phylogenetic analyses. The phylogenetic tree was constructed using multi-locus DNA sequence data of partial actin (actA), partial translation elongation factor 1-alfa (tef1), partial DNA-directed RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (rpb2) genes, and internal transcribed spacer regions. Current study provides detail morphological description of P. chionanthi-retusi on C. retusus in Korea, with supports of phylogenetic analysis and pathogenicity test.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.249-253
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• 2016

Aster glehni Franchet et Schmidt is a compositae plant and has been known as a native specie in Ulleung Island, Korea. It is officially recognized as a regional specialty that grows only in this region. In 2014, brown and dark spots were observed on aster leaves in a forest research field, Jinju, Korea. A causal agent was isolated from the disease symptomatic leaves and identified as fungus Alternaria solani. Fungal morphological characteristics and molecular identification with internal transcribed spacer sequences were synchronized as A. solani. The isolated fungi reproduced the same disease symptoms when the fungus was artificially inoculated on healthy aster leaves. This is the first report that A. solani caused leaf blight disease in Aster glehni in Korea.

• Weed & Turfgrass Science
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.101-104
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• 2016

Curvularia leaf blight of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) putting green by caused Curvularia trifolii was observed in Hapcheon, Korea. In July to September 2014, curvularia leaf blight developed on leaf blades of creeping bentgrass as small water-soaked lesions that subsequently turned into dark-colored, necrotic spots. The spots were expanded and became gray, grayish-brown, or light brown, circular to oblong lesions with purple to dark brown borders that often were surrounded by a yellow halo. The necrotic lesions coalesced, became irregular in shape and caused tip or complete blighting of the leaves. Blighted leaf blades appeared grayish-white to tan. The fungus was identified by morphological characters and 16S rDNA sequencing as C. trifolii. Conidia of the pathogen were short, with predominantly 3-septa, straight or often curved, with end cells frequently paler than intermediate cells. Size of the 3-septate conidia in culture are $26{\sim}28{\times}11{\sim}12{\mu}m$. Pathogenicity of the fungus was proved by artificial inoculation on the host. This is the first report of C. trifolii causing leaf blight on creeping bentgrass in Korea.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2018

Bacterial diseases such as bacterial canker and bacterial leaf spot and fungal diseases such as gray mold, powdery mildew, side rot and leaf spots are major diseases damaging leaves of kiwifruit in Korea. In this review, we summarize symptoms and epidemiological characteristics of the major bacterial and fungal leaf diseases of kiwifruit and propose proper control methods of the diseases that can be practically utilized at the farmers' kiwifruit orchards in order to prevent the diseases on the basis of our research works and field experiences and important research products conducted during the last three decades in the world.

• Mycobiology
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.495-500
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• 2020

Leaf spot on lemon balm is frequently observed in Korea, causing considerable damage to crops. In 2014 and 2015, the occurrence of leaf spot was observed in several production greenhouses at Suwon, Gongju, and Namwon in Korea. Symptoms on lower leaves initially developed as small, distinct, discolored lesions, which enlarged progressively turning into dark brown, angular spots surrounded by purplish-brown margins. Based on the morphological characteristics and sequence analysis of actin (ACT), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF-1α), internal transcribed spacer (ITS), 28S nrDNA (LSU), and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2), the fungus associated with the lemon balm leaf spot was determined as Septoria melissae. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of lemon balm leaf spot caused by S. melissae in Asia as well as in Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.69-74
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• 2020

In September 2017, a heavy damage by premature defoliation with the zonate leaf spots was observed in several shrubs of Lespedeza cyrtobotrya growing at Mt. Obongsan in Chuncheon, Korea. Numerous cone-shaped, white sporophores of a fungus were observed on lesions of the abaxial leaf surface. A similar fungus was isolated in September 2019 from the leaves of L. cyrtobotrya growing at Mt. Taegisan in Hoengseong, Korea. The morphological characteristics of the sporophores were consistent with those of Grovesinia moricola. The species identification was confirmed by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal DNA from the two isolates (KACC48417 and KACC48934). The fungal pathogenicity was determined by an artificial inoculation in conditions of relative humidity and temperature of 100% and 15±2℃, respectively. This is the first report of association of G. moricola with L. cyrtobotrya in Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.329-335
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• 2020

From 2008 to 2017, Korean azalea (Rhododendron yedoense f. poukhanense) showing angular, necrotic leaf spots were found in Jeju and Hongcheon, Korea. The lesions occurred frequently, detracting from the beauty of the glossy green leaves of the plant and causing premature defoliation. Therefore, to identify the fungus associated with the lesions, morphological characterization and molecular phylogenetic analysis of actin (Act), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF), internal transcribed spacer (ITS), 28S nrDNA (LSU), and RNA polymerase II encoding the second largest subunit (RPB2) of the two representative isolates were performed. The phylogenetic tree inferred from the neighbor-joining method showed the isolates clustering in the Sphaerulina azaleae group. Therefore, the fungus associated with the angular leaf spots on the Korean azalea was identified as Sphaerulina azaleae.