• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.157-163
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• 2022

We analyzed the hair microstructure of Korean small terrestrial mammals, such as Rodentia and Lagomorpha, to classify the characteristics of hair morphology. Micromys minutus showed a unicellular irregular type of medulla structures; on the other hand, the other mammals showed multicellular structures. Regarding the cuticular scale structures, the Rodentia species exhibited a narrow and broad diamond petal type, while the Lagomorpha species exhibited an elongated petal type. Interestingly, the hair cross-sections showed quite unique characteristics. We constructed hair identification keys to distinguish species with a single hair. The dichotomous key of Rodentia and Lagomorpha can be used for their behavioral ecology and dietary analysis of upper predators to serve as the basis for ecological research.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.14-20
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• 2015

We created species richness maps of mammals, birds and plants using "Nnational Ecosystem Survey" data and identified correlations between species richness maps of each taxa. We examine the distribution of species richness of each taxa and calculated conservation priority rank through plotting species-area curves using an additive benefit function in Zonation. The conclusions of this study are as follows. First, plant showed high species richness in Gangwon province and Baekdudaegan, and mammals showed high species richness at eastern slope of Baekdudaegan in Gangwon province unusually and the species richness of mammals distributed equally except Gyeonggi and Chungnam province. However, birds showed high species richness in the west costal because the area is the major route of winter migratory birds. Second, correlation of each taxa's distribution is not significant. Correlation between mammals and birds is positive but correlations between birds and others are negative. Because mammals inhabit in forest but birds mostly live in coastal wetlands and rivers. Therefore, bird's habitats are not shared with other habitats. Third, the probability of mammals occurrence is very low under 25% in species-area curve, others increase proportionally to area. Birds increase dramatically richness at 10% because bird's habitat is concentrated in coastal wetlands and rivers. Plants increased gently species richness due to large forest in Gangwon province. We can calculate the predicted number of species in curves and plan various conservation strategies using the marginal number of species. Finally, high priority ranks for conservation distributed mainly in Gangwon province and Baekdudaegan. When we compared with priority map and terrestrial national parks, the parks were evaluated as high priority ranks. However, the rank of parks away from Baekdudaegan was low. This study has the meaning of selecting conservation priority area using National Ecosystem Survey. In spite of the omission of survey data in national parks and Baekdudaegan, the results were good. Therefore, the priority rank method using species distribution models is useful to selecting protected areas and improving conservation plans. However, it is needed to select protected areas considering various evaluation factors, such as rarity, connectivity, representativeness, focal species and so on because there is a limit to select protected area only using species richness.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.257-261
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• 2003

Population of small mammals (Apodemus agrarius and Crocidura lasiura) was monitored to identify the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in Gumho river basin around Daegu city. The small mammals were captured during 28 of May~12 of June, 2002. The techniques of live-trapping and snap-trapping were applied to capture the animals. A total of 39 animals were captured among which 53.3% (16130) of population were reached to breeding. Heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd) were analyzed. According to the analysis of heavy metal elements, Zn was more accumulated in kidney (6.83 mg $kg^{-1}$) than in liver (3.66). However, the accumulation of Cu was higher in liver than in kidney. Even though this site was relatively away from major industrial zones, heavy metals were wide spread along the stream of Gumbo River. This is the first quantitative study of small mammal bioaccumulation of heavy metals in Korea so that further research should be followed in other industrial areas that heavy metals were widely dispersed.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.213-217
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• 2010

Sarcocystis sp. infection was investigated in 20 necropsied captive wild mammals and 20 birds in 2 petting zoos in Malaysia. The gross post-mortem lesions in mammals showed marbling of the liver with uniform congestion of the intestine, and for birds, there was atrophy of the sternal muscles with hemorrhage and edema of the lungs in 2 birds. Naked eye examination was used for detection of macroscopic sarcocysts, and muscle squash for microscopic type. Only microscopically visible cysts were detected in 8 animals and species identification was not possible. Histological examination of the sections of infected skeletal muscles showed more than 5 sarcocysts in each specimen. No leukocytic infiltration was seen in affected organs. The shape of the cysts was elongated or Circular, and the mean size reached $254{\times}24.5{\mu}m$ and the thickness of the wall up to $2.5{\mu}m$. Two stages were recognized in the cysts, the peripheral metrocytes and large numbers of crescent shaped merozoites. Out of 40 animals examined, 3 mammals and 5 birds were positive (20%). The infection rate was 15% and 25% in mammals and birds, respectively. Regarding the organs, the infection rate was 50% in the skeletal muscles followed by tongue and heart (37.5%), diaphragm (25%), and esophagus (12.5%). Further ultrastructural studies are required to identify the species of Sarcocystis that infect captive wild animals and their possible role in zoonosis.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.46-53
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to provide a database for the reduction of road-kills in the Odaesan National Park. To accomplish this task, investigations were conducted on the road-kills that occurred in the period from 2003 to 2007. The results of investigations are as follows: 427 road-kill cases were reported during the period, and the road-kill victims turned out to be mostly small mammals. Among mammals and reptiles the road-kill occurrence rate of squirrels and garters was higher than that of other species, and in the case of birds, the road-kill occurrence rate of yellow-throated bunting was the highest. The road-kill accidents of mammals and reptiles took place more frequently during the summer and autumn, while those of birds during the spring and summer. The increase of road-kill occurrence rate was found to be related to the activity and breeding period of wild animals, as well as to the increase of vehicles. The occurrence rate of road-kills was also found to be influenced by the type of land use on the roadside. Furthermore, the occurrence rate increased significantly when the roads passed through dry fields.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.111-122
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• 2014

The provided habitat of many services from natural capital is important. But because most ecosystem services tools qualitatively evaluated biodiversity or habitat quality, this study quantitatively analyzed those aspects using the species distribution model (MaxEnt). This study used location point data of the goat(Naemorhedus caudatus), marten(Martes flavigula), leopard cat(Prionailurus bengalensis), flying squirrel(Pteromys volans aluco) and otter(Lutra lutra) from the 3rd National Ecosystem Survey. Input data utilized DEM, landcover classification maps, Forest-types map and digital topographic maps. This study generated the MaxEnt model, randomly setting 70% of the presences as training data, with the remaining 30% used as test data, and ran five cross-validated replicates for each model. The threshold indicating maximum training sensitivity plus specificity was considered as a more robust approach, so this study used it to conduct the distribution into presence(1)-absence(0) predictions and totalled up a value of 5 times for uncertainty reduction. The test data's ROC curve of endangered mammals was as follows: growing down goat(0.896), otter(0.857), flying squirrel(0.738), marten(0.725), and leopard cat(0.629). This study was divided into two groups based on habitat: the first group consisted of the goat, marten, leopard cat and flying squirrel in the forest; and the second group consisted of the otter in the river. More than 60 percent of endangered mammals' distribution probability were 56.9% in the forest and 12.7% in the river. A future study is needed to conduct other species' distribution modeling exclusive of mammals and to develop a collection method of field survey data.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.464-470
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• 2014

One of the most important traits for both animal science and livestock production is the number of offspring for a species. This study was performed to identify differentially evolved genes and their distinct functions that influence the number of offspring at birth by comparative analysis of eight monotocous mammals and seven polytocous mammals in a number of scopes: specific amino acid substitution with site-wise adaptive evolution, gene expansion and specific orthologous group. The mutually exclusive amino acid substitution among the 16 mammalian species identified five candidate genes. These genes were both directly and indirectly related to ovulation. Furthermore, in monotocous mammals, the EPH gene family was found to have undergone expansion. Previously, the EPHA4 gene was found to positively affect litter size in pigs and supports the possibility of the EPH gene playing a role in determining the number of offspring per birth. The identified genes in this study offer a basis from which the differences between monotocous and polytocous species can be studied. Furthermore, these genes may harbor some clues to the underlying mechanism, which determines litter size and may prove useful for livestock breeding strategies.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.385-407
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• 2002

The planning of any experiment or trial involving the use of animal (material) requires the most detailed and careful consideration of the wide variety of species and strains that are now available. Unfortunately, although many research workers carefully define their requirements with respect to chemicals or complicated laboratory equipment, often they appear to be unaware of the specifications that should be similarly applied to laboratory animals and end up simply asking for a white mouse！ The aim of any user of laboratory animals should be to achieve maximum accuracy with the minimum number of animals, and it is, therefore, essential that careful consideration should be given to the choice of the animal(Bleby J, 1987). The first step when selecting an experimental animal is to specify the type needed, taking into account the following factors: 1. species, 2. breed or strain, and 3. quality, especially with respect to health and genetical status. The correct choice of species cannot be emphasized too strongly and failure to do so can sometimes have dire consequences, frequently very expensive in financial terms and sometimes extremely tragic in manifestations of human and animal suffering. In this paper, we reorganized a lot of collected articles described previously for common and scientific names of amphibians, domestic animals, birds, invertebrates, mammals, reptiles, and aquaculture as mentioned in the text.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.543-549
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• 2011

An underwater speaker was developed for use as an acoustic deterrent device that transmits acoustic energy through the water omnidirectionally over a broadband frequency range to eliminate marine mammal attacks and to prevent physical damage to the inshore and coastal fishing grounds of Korea. The underwater speaker was constructed of two vibration caps machined from 6061-T6 aluminum alloy and a stack of PZ 26 piezoelectric ceramic rings (Ferroperm Piezoceramics A/S) connected mechanically in series and electrically in parallel. The performance characteristics of the underwater speaker were measured and analyzed in an experimental water tank of $5\;m{\times}5\;m{\times}6\;m$. The peak transmitting voltage response (TVR) was measured at 11.16 kHz with 163.45 dB re $1\;{\mu}Pa$/V at 1m. The underwater speaker showed a near omnidirectional beam pattern at the peak TVR resonance frequency. The usable frequency range was 4-25 kHz with a lower TVR limit of approximately 140 dB. We conclude that this underwater speaker could be satisfactorily used as an acoustic deterrent device against marine mammals, particularly the bottlenose dolphin, to protect catches and fishing grounds as well as the mammals themselves, for example, by keeping them away from fishing gear and/or vessels.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.271-275
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• 1999

Pneumocystis carinii is the most important opportunistic pathogen of humans in the world. Pneumocystis carinii is experimentally detected in the lungs of rats, mice, rabbits, and monkeys, however, the organisms from different mammals are identical in microscopic morphology. The present study tried to find out more mammalian hosts of P. carinii and also to differentiate the organisms from different mammals by karyotyping. Rats, mice, hamsters, rabbits, cats, and dogs were successfully infected by P. carinii, but guinea pigs and pigs were not. Karyotype of P. carinii from rabbits showed similar size range of chromosomes with that of the prototype, but in different pattern. The patterns from cats and dogs were also different from that of rats. The present study confirms that cats and dogs are infected by P. carinii and at least total three karyotype strains of P. carinii are proven in Korea.