• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.235-247
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• 2022

A marine protected area (MPA) is a spatially designated section of the ocean where the biodiversity is high. Munseom MPA has a unique underwater landscape including soft coral, subtropical fish, and benthos, attracting many scuba divers. This paper intends to evaluate the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for the scuba diving management policy in the Munseom MPA. As a stated preference valuation method, a choice experiment was applied to assess divers' preferences with economic values for the policy. The attributes used in the study included zoning (temporal closure), conservation education, daily permit, soft coral area, and diving fee. We collected 333 questionnaires through online and field surveys and used 296 after excluding incomplete responses for the final data analysis. Study results show that a six-month closure, a decrease in soft coral habitat, and the diving fee were statistically significant. A positive coefficient with regard to the six-month closure variable indicates that divers preferred the policy, and the marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) was estimated to be KRW 8,637 per person per dive. The aggregate WTP of KRW 233 million was obtained by multiplying the MWTP by the number of visiting divers per year. When comparing the levels of recreation specialization, more skilled divers preferred the management option. The results of this study will help predict the priority of management measures and the levels of acceptability among divers when diving management is implemented in Korea in the future. This study suggests that marine environmental policies need to consider divers as one of the important stakeholders for marine conservation.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.249-260
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• 2022

This mini review examines the habitat connectivity and effectiveness of Korean Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (YSLME) region. We first reemphasize that the Korean region of the YSLME is a single ecosystem (ecoregion) given the biophysical distribution patterns. The MPAs within the YSLME contribute about 50% to the total MPAs in Korea, accounting for about 10% of the territorial sea waters of Korea and 20% of the waters of YSLME on the Korean side. By area, national parks account for nearly 45% of the MPAs, followed by the wetland protected areas at 25%, with other types of MPA comprising the remaining 30%. Large MPA (> 100 km²) is the dominant type of MPA, accounting for 90% of the total area. We find that MPAs in the region are connected physically and perhaps also genetically. However, the level of protection was found to be low, and a no-take zone is rarely implemented. In addition, interrupted freshwater discharge caused by river-mouth dams poses a major hindrance to the physical connectivity of the MPAs. Restoration of the river-mouth dams and strengthened regulation on MPAs, with further expansion of MPAs in line with the current development of post-2020 global biodiversity frameworks, should be priorities for better management of marine resources. The newly revised law incorporating the concept of "Marine Ecosystem Axis Management" would reinforce the processes, and their effectiveness together with overall management of MPAs in Korea should be evaluated by designing appropriate measurement tools.

• The Journal of Fisheries Business Administration
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.41-61
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• 2011

Marine protected Areas(MPAs) are specially designated zones of the sea that are designed to secure operation of ecosystem function and to restore marine ecosystem to the original state by excluding all detrimental human activities. MPAs have been proposed in many countries as means of realizing sustainable fisheries and recently MPAs are newly receiving attention as precautionary measure for global warming and climate change. The purpose of this paper is to examine the possibility of MPAs as fisheries management tools through a wide range of literature analysis and to suggest necessity of fisheries purpose of MPAs in Korea. Establishment of marine protected area can accompany various economic benefits such as restoration of marine environment, preservation of habitats, promotion of marine tourism and so on. Especially, a lot of case studies suggested that MPAs may bring out benefits to the fishing industry as a result of enhanced stocks. Fisheries benefits of MPAs on targeted species include increased abundance, increased mean individual size and age, increased reproductive output, enhanced recruitment inside and outside refuge, maintenance of genetic diversity of stocks, and enhanced fishery yields in adjacent fishing grounds, so called spill-over. MPAs for ecosystem conservation and protection of coastal wetland have been applied appropriately and effectively, however, the Korean MPAs system is still detective due to absence of fisheries purpose MPAs. Finally, suggestions for Korean MPAs can be summarized as following four recommendations; to establish number of small-scale MPAs rather than few large MPAs, to designate island and its surrounding areas as reserve, to consider MPA design with stock enhancement program, and to undertake co-management with Eochon-Gye, the traditional coastal community in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.601-609
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• 2020

This study aims to draw suggestions for establishing the Post-2020 national policy direction and goals related to protected areas in Korea by analyzing the trends of major discussion issues on protected areas in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and reviewing the achievement progress of the Aichi target-11. Regarding the CBD decisions on protected areas, two decisions (Decisions II/7 and II/8) were adopted in 1995, and then the Program of Work on Protected Areas (PoWPA), which presented an ideal blueprint for protected areas, was adopted at the 7th Conference of the Parties (COP) in 2004. At the 10th COP in 2010, the "Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Target" (Decision X/2) was adopted along with the Decision X/31, which presented ten key issues related to protected areas. The global outcomes of the Aichi Target-11 include 15% of the earth's land area and 7.4% of the ocean being designated as protected areas. In Korea, 16.63% of the land and 2.12% of the ocean have been designated as protected areas. However, the outcomes of the effective and equitable management, protection of areas important to biodiversity and ecosystem services, and identifying "Other effective area-based conservation measures" (OECMs) and linking them with protected areas have been found to be significantly short of global goals. The first draft of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (Post-2020 GBF) prepared in January 2020 presented multi-step objectives. They included protecting at least 60% of particularly important sites for biodiversity through protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, at least 30% of the entire land and sea areas, and at least 10% of them under strict protection by 2030. The Updated Zero drafted in August 2020 concisely set out one quantitative goal of at least 30% of the globe by 2030, adding qualitative goals that these areas should be protected and conserved through "well connected and effective system of protected areas and OECMs at least 30 % of the planet with the focus on areas particularly important for biodiversity." Based on the draft Post-2020 GBF's targets related to protected areas and Korea's national targets reflecting the current state of Korea and established national plans, we suggest the national targets "to protect and conserve at least 30% of the land area and 10% of the marine area and to strengthen the means of qualitative achievement by establishing sub-targets through an effective system of protected areas and OECMs by 2030.".

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.191-200
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• 2014

This study aims to analyze the current status of government-designated cultural heritage that are protected as sacred natural sites, focused on natural monuments and scenic sites, and provide basic research for these cultural heritage to be included in the protected area category. First, among natural cultural heritage that are designated and protected by Cultural heritage Protection Law, there are 40 scenic sites and 126 natural monuments that have been selected as sacred nature sites. Second, the study showed that sacred nature sites are sacred places that have been long associated with happiness and misfortune of the villagers, including Dangsan Forest, Seunghwanglim(Forest), and, as physical environment and combination of cultural value, rules, and attitude and belief system toward the land that protect the people. The unique folk beliefs of the region provide strong protection of the place. Third, although the natural monuments of old and large trees are not included in the protected area as they are recognized sparsely, but can be designated as world protected area as protected areas are set around sacred nature sites. Fourth, in order to be included in IUCN category, sacred natural sites of scenic sites will need to be managed by specific categories of each area according to the interior status of the designated areas and maintain the sustainability of the natural heritage by protecting both physical and spiritual elements.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.43-58
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• 2017

This study aims to provide basic understanding for evaluating the quantitative and qualitative progress of national protected areas, through the theoretical review of Aichi Biodiversity Target 11 in order to comply with recommendations of international community and to conserve biodiversity. As a result of the study, Aichi Biodiversity Target 11 sets out the specific contents that the Parties should achieve for protected areas by identifying them as temporal and spatial goals. The temporal goal, the time schedule for achieving the goal, is 2020, and the spatial goal is divided into quantitative expansion goals and qualitative improvement goals. The quantitative expansion goals present the target coverage of protected areas separately terrestrial and marine. The qualitative improvement goals include the target areas for conservation and five conservation considerations. The conservation targets focus on the important areas with regard to biodiversity and ecosystem services. The five conservation considerations mean effective management, equitable management, ecological representativeness, connectivity, and integration into the landscape and seascape for protected areas. Finally, it suggests that two tracks of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures(OECMs) should be used as conservation measures to build an integrated system. The results of this study can be applied to quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods for protected areas and it can contribute to achieve quantitative expansion goals and qualitative improvement goals for them.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 2009

Forests render both a home and a livelihood for people living in and around them. To reconcile the need of local communities with conservation, the Nishorgo Support Project (NSP or Nishorgo) is supporting co-management in five protected areas of Bangladesh, including Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary. The main focus of this study is to assess the effectiveness of alternate income generating activities (AIGAs) which is provided by the Nishorgo Support Project. It is a tool for reducing dependence on forest resources by people living in and around Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary and also play effective role in forest conservation. This study compares the socioeconomic condition (income, living style etc.) and forest dependency before and after implementation of co-management activities in Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary. A total of 11 villages (sampling intensity was 31%) namely Kalibari, Mongoliabari, Chokidarbari, Chonbari, kalenga, Krishnochura, Hatimara, Himalia, Rashidpur, Goramchori and Horinmara were studied. We surveyed 272 households in these villages (Incase of households survey, sampling intensity was 100%). Data analysis shows that the major income generating livelihood activities were agro farming (30%), followed by fuelwood collection (22.50%), nursery raising (12.5%), cattle rearing (10%), fisheries (7.50%) and others. Study also reveals that after being implementation of the co-management activities the average income levels of the studied villages have rises on 578 Tk/households (1US$ = 70 Taka, Taka means Bangladeshi currency). Further more, many of the illegal loggers became forest protector, which make their life more secured. It was also found that peoples of the study villages are now actively engaging in forest management activities and it is the only hope for conservation and restoration of forest resources not only in Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary but also in other protected area's of our country.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.109-126
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• 2015

This study is for constructing detailed data to secure biological diversity and maintain a healthy ecosystem in Backsasil Valley Ecological and Scenery Conservation Area, and for preparing an ecological management plan fit for the protected area. The period for this study was from April 2010 to May 2013. Recently, the increase of visitors to Baeksasil Valley, as well as the plantation and dissemination of introduced vegetable species, become factors accelerating ecological disturbance. Major research contents included the reviews of the management system of the protected areas, the necessity of ecological management at the basin level, establishing the system of a management plan, research and analysis of environment ecology, analysis of threatening factors, goal-setting, management strategies, and a plan through SWOT analysis. Survey items were the natural environment, major components of ecosystem, and human-use. The goals of ecological management were basin zone management for amphibians, conservation and restoration of forest vegetation for conservation habitat of Dryocopus martius, conservation habitat of Zelkova serrta for nature landscape, and management of users for environment protection. The conservation management plan at a basin zone level contains the management of point and non-point pollution sources in the upstream, securing growing conditions for native plants, securing safe habitats for amphibians, and securing of habitats for major wild birds. Also, restoration of natural forests, management of native plants and introduced vegetable species, and restoration of degraded forest paths are suggested for the restoration plans.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.51-65
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• 2023

The Jeongmaeks are Korea's unique forest space recognition system that diverged from the Baekdudaegan. The Jeongmaeks are easily exposed to pressure because it is adjacent to the living area. Among them, Nakdong-Jeongmaek has high biodiversity, but damage is accelerating. According to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 2022, the target is to expand the area of terrestrial and marine protected areas to 30% of national territory by 2030. As of September 2023, the area of terrestrial protected areas in South Korea is only 16.97% of the country's territory. This is due in part to the high proportion of private forests in the region, which makes it difficult to establish protected areas. Therefore, there is a need to establish Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measure (OECMs), which pursue complex and effective conservation that considers multiple values, as an alternative to protected areas. This study aims to identify areas suitable for OECM and to provide opinions on the establishment of appropriate management plans for each value using SOM and InVEST Habitat Quality model. This study evaluated the habitat quality of 206 villages located within 1km of the Nakdong-Jeongmaek and compared the characteristics of villages classified by SOM. As a result, the habitat quality was 0.867 for Tourism village (ClusterIV), 0.838 for Conservation village (ClusterVI), 0.835 for Mixed village (ClusterI), 0.796 for Production (ClusterV), 0.731 for Rural village (ClusterIII) and 0.625 for Urban village (ClusterII). When the distribution was identified through statistical analysis, the Kruskal-Wallis test showed that the distributions were not identical, with a p-value of 1.53e-08. Dunn's test showed a difference between Tourism, Conservation and Rural, Urban village. However, Mixed village was overestimated due to the lack of villages and the small area included in the study area. Moreover, Conservation village was somewhat under-evaluated in the analysis due to the use of a single weight for protected areas. It is necessary to perform additional reinforcement of the value evaluation of Jeongmaeks by conducting Forest Resource Survey and the National Natural Environment Survey. Therefore, we believe that sufficient validity for the establishment of OECMs in the Nakdong-Jeongmaek can be provided by addressing these limitations and conducting additional research.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.329-341
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• 2023

We surveyed the vegetation of an ecological landscape preservation area (legally protected conservation areas or national parks) and the surrounding areas of Mt. Cheonggye, Republic of Korea, to explore the conservation implications for preservation areas and surrounding transition areas. We calculated diversity indices to identify the properties of the preservation and surrounding areas that are relevant to conservation efforts. We then compared the plant community composition between the areas using field and quadrat surveys in the preservation and surrounding areas. The cover of the dominant species in all tree and herb layers was markedly higher in the preservation area than in the peripheral zones. The species richness indices were significantly higher in the preservation area than in the peripheral zones. Ordination using detrended canonical correspondence analyses showed that the cover of the dominant tree species and rocks could explain the distribution of plant species in the Cartesian space of the ordination. Our results demonstrate that physiognomically designated protected areas match well with ecological data based on diversity indices and ordination analyses and that disturbances in the areas surrounding the ecological landscape of preservation areas can have considerable impacts on plant diversity indices. Hence, the preservation and management of surrounding areas are essential conservation elements for protecting the entire ecological landscape of preservation areas.