• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2017.06a
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• pp.346-346
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• 2017

In Northern Laos, maize is cultivated in continuous cropping without fertilizer, fallowing nor any other soil conservation practice. It is expected that this inadequate management in maize cultivation will degrade soil and decrease yield. However, there is limited information about the change of soil condition and yield under continuous maize cultivation. We tried to evaluate the change of soil condition and yield under continuous maize cultivation in Northern Laos. Our study was conducted in farmer's flat and slope fields in Sainyabuli province where maize cultivation had been introduced earlier than the other provinces of Northern Laos. Our study was conducted in 21 fields in 2014, and in 19 fields in 2015. We analyzed grain yield and soil characteristic (total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (Av-P), exchangeable cation, pH, soil texture) at 3 places in each field. The 3 places were set at different elevation level (lower position, middle position, upper position) in slope fields. Further, the period of continuous maize cultivation and crop management practice were investigated. Then, by evaluating the relation between the period of continuous maize cultivation and yield and the soil characteristics, the effect of maize cultivation was estimated. Crop management practices were similar among the investigated fields. Maize was cultivated in rain season. Grain seed and cob were harvested on September or October, but shoot was left on the fields. No crop was cultivated during dry season. Fertilization and fallowing has never been conducted under continuous maize cultivation. On the other hand, the period of maize cultivation was different among the fields, and ranged from 2 years to 30 years. In the slope fields, as the period of continuous maize cultivation was longer, the contents of TC and TN were lower at all 3 positions, Av-P content was lower at the upper position, exchangeable potassium (Ex-K) content was lower at the middle and the upper positions. The other soil characteristics weren't related with the period of maize cultivation in the slope fields. In contrast, soil characteristics weren't related with the period of maize cultivation in the flat fields. Yield was lower as the period of maize cultivation was longer at the upper position of the slope fields. At middle position of slope fields, yield tended to be low with increase of the period of maize cultivation. In contrast, yield wasn't related with the period of continuous maize cultivation in flat fields. From the results about crop management, it was presumed that the period of maize cultivation was one of the main factors causing the difference of yield and soil characteristics among the fields. Therefore, from the result of yield and soil condition, it was considered that the continuous maize cultivation decreased soil productivity in the slope fields with decline of TC, TN, Av-P, Ex-K and yield at upper position of slope fields, and decline of TC and TN in the other positions in Sainyabuli province.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.219-228
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• 2019

The forest of the Huaphanh Province (HP) has continued to decrease at 0.6% (10,560 ha) per year from 1992 to 2010. In the past few decades, the government of Laos and the Huaphanh Provincial Authority have been trying to address the root causes of deforestation. This study attempts to examine the factors effecting the decrease of the forest cover in the HP by analyzing the influence of the local socio-economic development and implementation of forest management policies on changes in the forest cover. The social data of the province focused on population growth and distribution between urban and rural areas including the number of poor people and the economic growth of three sectors, namely agriculture and forestry, industry, and service, while the implementation of the state forest management policy focused on the state forest management plan, tree plantation, forest land use planning and allocation to households, and shifting cultivation including annual upland rice and maize cultivation. In addition, government reports on socio-economic and rural development including poverty eradication of other provinces, where an increase in the forest cover was observed, were also collected and analyzed using qualitative and comparative analysis. The results from this study indicate that the decrease in forest cover in the Huaphanh Province appears to depend on a very slow economic growth and reduction in rural poverty of the province. The increase in the rural population in the province led to an increase in farm households and are as for shifting cultivation. As a result, forests were cleared leading to a decrease in the forest cover.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 1995

Using remotely sensed data(MOS-1) and other spatial data such as aerial photos and topographic maps, 10 kind of thematic layers were prepared with Arc/Info system for watershed management of Nam Khane River, northern part of Laos. The characteristics of landuse distribution of some criteria which like village, sub-basin, elevation and slope were clarified by overlaying each layer. Therefore, statistic data including shifting cultivation area were produced from database layer. Through the manipulation of some data of each layer, suitable area for permanent paddy cropping converted from the fallow and shifting cultivation area was extracted.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.73-86
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• 2000

Using monthly AVHRR-NDVI composite images, global vector data and statistical information, land cover change patterns in Asia during the major growing season (June, July and August) were analyzed for each country. Specifically, explanations on NDVI changes were developed at a regional scale emphasizing human impacts on ground vegetation. The annual mean change in each country showed NDVI-gain trends in high latitude areas and some parts of eastern China and northern/western India. On the contrary, NDVI-loss trends were distinctive in Japan, Korea, some parts of southeastern China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and some parts in southwestern/eastern India. These patterns largely coincided with socio-economic information reflected by human behavior. The NDVI change trends showed significant correlation with forest area changes. Also, a multiple regression model showed that the NDVI change patterns were significantly dependent on the changes in forest area and total population.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.93-101
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• 1995

Nam Khane watershed, in the Northern Laos, consists of limestone plateau surrounded with steep slope(above 1000m), wide piedmont hill land(300-700m) and narrow alluvial plain. Opium on the plateau and up-land rice on the hill-side are cultivated for each, but its shifting agricultural activity, which degrades the forest and soil, has caused the serious environmental problems. MOS-1 satellite image and 40 points of soil samples are analyzed to identify the distribution of the shifting cultivation and to evaluate the environmental problems for Nam Khane watershed. The land use classification map is presented on the photo 2, and the value of each land use area by elevation level and soil property are showed on the table 2 and 3, respectively. Excessive agricultural activity of shifting cultivation in the Nam Khane watershed not only decreased the forest area, but also changed the primary forest of tree into secondary woodland of shrub. On the phase of soil property, it accelerated the soil and gully erosion, and acidification. To solve these environmental problems, the most important step is to settle the agriculture from shifting cultivation to permanent cropping.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.523-532
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• 2017

A field survey studying intestinal parasites in humans and microbial pathogen contamination at environment was performed in a Laotian rural village to identify potential risks for disease outbreaks. A parasitological investigation was conducted in Ban Lak Sip village, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR involving fecal samples from 305 inhabitants as well as water samples taken from 3 sites of the local stream. Water analysis indicated the presence of several enteric pathogens, i.e., Aeromonas spp., Vibrio spp., E. coli H7, E. coli O157: H7, verocytotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC), Shigella spp., and enteric adenovirus. The level of microbial pathogens contamination was associated with human activity, with greater levels of contamination found at the downstream site compared to the site at the village and upstream, respectively. Regarding intestinal parasites, the prevalence of helminth and protozoan infections were 68.9% and 27.2%, respectively. Eight helminth taxa were identified in fecal samples, i.e., 2 tapeworm species (Taenia sp. and Hymenolepis diminuta), 1 trematode (Opisthorchis sp.), and 5 nematodes (Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Strongyloides stercoralis, trichostrongylids, and hookworms). Six species of intestinal protists were identified, i.e., Blastocystis hominis, Cyclospora spp., Endolimax nana, Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar, Entamoeba coli, and Giardia lamblia. Questionnaires and interviews were also conducted to determine risk factors of infection. These analyses together with a prevailing infection level suggested that most of villagers were exposed to parasites in a similar degree due to limited socio-economic differences and sharing of similar practices. Limited access to effective public health facilities is also a significant contributing factor.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.296-318
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• 2015

The Bru-Van Kieu, one of ethnic minorities in Vietnam, have lived in the mountainous area along the border with Laos for centuries. Approximately by the end of the Second Indochina War, the Bru-Van Kieu were still a kinship-based and non-stratified societal group relying mainly on subsistence economy. Their traditional physical geography, nonetheless, has been transformed vigorously during the last few decades as a result of state-formation processes and changes in macro-economic policies. The paper aims to examine how ethnic minority adapt their livelihood to challenges instigated by macro political and economic processes. By examining livelihood adaptation of the Bru-Van Kieu, the study also identifies strategies that ethnic minorities use to negotiate with more powerful political and economic forces. The authors argue that the Bru-Van Kieu have deployed a strategy combining everyday resistance to maintain their limited social and cultural agencies and utilizing of these agencies in economic adaptation with other cross-ethnic non-state actors, enabling them to tap into new type of resources and opportunities.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.399-416
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• 2017

The 'Wat Phou and Associated Ancient Settlements within the Champasak Cultural Landscape' of Laos was designated as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in 2001. The uppermost structure of the Sanctuary in Wat Phou has been destroyed and being variably damaged, maintenance is required through scientific and systematic diagnosis. The Sanctuary of Wat Phou was constructed mainly using sandstones and bricks. There are physical damages including fracture, break out, exfoliation and interval as well as biological damages by lichen, mosses and weeds. According to the ultrasonic velocity measurement and property evaluation of the sandstones of the Sanctuary in Wat Phou, weathering index of the eastern side sandstones is 0.10 to 0.74 (mean 0.36), showing MW grade. Southern and northern side sandstones have relatively higher properties with average weathering indices of 0.30 and 0.32. The results of slope analysis of the Sanctuary, indicated that the 4th spot in the southern side has the largest slope of $5^{\circ}W$, seemingly due to the unstable ground around the Sanctuary. Based on the relative level measurement and past drawings, the Sanctuary is verified to have been located on ground with a certain slope rather than flatland. The ground of the southern side is inclined $1.51^{\circ}$ more than that of the northern side, which will affect the structural stability of the temple. The interval width of the selected southern spot is the largest with an average width of 159.5 mm, and the largest width is 328.3 mm at the top, since the width increases above rather than below, seemingly due to the unequal subsidence of the ground. Constant maintenance for conservation is required for the structural stability of the Sanctuary in Wat Phou, which was partly collapsed and has also suffered physical damage.