• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.198-204
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• 2018

Background: The effective use of habitats is essential for the successful adaptation of a species to the local environment. Although habitats exhibit a hierarchical structure, including macro-, meso-, and microhabitats, the relationships among habitats of differing hierarchy have not been well studied. In this study, we studied the quantitative measures of microhabitat use of Gekko japonicus from three field populations in Japan: one at Tsushima Island, one at Nishi Park, Fukuoka, and one at Ohori Park, Fukuoka. We investigated whether land cover type, a higher hierarchical habitat component, was associated with quantitative microhabitat use, a lower hierarchical component, in these populations. Results: The substrate temperature where we located geckos (SubT) and the distance from the ground to the gecko (Height) were significantly different among the three populations. In particular, SubT on Tsushima Island was lower than it was in the other two populations. Irradiance at gecko location and Height were significantly different among the land cover types. In particular, Height in evergreen needleleaf forest was significantly lower than that in deciduous broadleaf forest. Furthermore, significant interactions between population and land cover type were observed for the SubT and Height variables. Conclusions: The quantitative measures of microhabitat use of G. japonicus varied with population and land cover type, which exhibited significant interaction effects on microhabitat use variables. These results suggest that higher hierarchical habitat components can affect the quantitative measures of lower hierarchical microhabitat use in nocturnal geckos.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.6
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• pp.1411-1422
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• 2021

Lactobacillus acidophilus is a gram-positive, microaerophilic, and acidophilic bacterial species. L. acidophilus strains in the gastrointestinal tracts of humans and other animals have been profiled, but strains found in the canine gut have not been studied yet. Our study helps in understanding the genetic features of the L. acidophilus C5 strain found in the canine gut, determining its adaptive features evolved to survive in the canine gut environment, and in elucidating its probiotic functions. To examine the canine L. acidophilus C5 genome, we isolated the C5 strain from a Korean dog and sequenced it using PacBio SMRT sequencing technology. A comparative genomic approach was used to assess genetic relationships between C5 and six other strains and study the distinguishing features related to different hosts. We found that most genes in the C5 strain were related to carbohydrate transport and metabolism. The pan-genome of seven L. acidophilus strains contained 2,254 gene families, and the core genome contained 1,726 gene families. The phylogenetic tree of the core genes in the canine L. acidophilus C5 strain was very close to that of two strains (DSM20079 and NCFM) from humans. We identified 30 evolutionarily accelerated genes in the L. acidophilus C5 strain in the ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous substitutions (dN/dS) analysis. Five of these thirty genes were associated with carbohydrate transport and metabolism. This study provides insights into genetic features and adaptations of the L. acidophilus C5 strain to survive the canine intestinal environment. It also suggests that the evolution of the L. acidophilus genome is closely related to the host's evolutionary adaptation process.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.76-84
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• 2022

Background: Climate and livestock grazing are key agents in determining current Mongolian steppe vegetation communities. Together with plant coverage or biomass, palatability of steppe community is regarded as a useful indicator of grassland degradation, in particular, at grazing hotspots in arid and semi-arid grasslands. This study analyzed relationships between livestock grazing pressure and steppe vegetation palatability at three summer pastures with different aridity (dry, xeric, and mesic) and livestock numbers (1,100, 1,800, and 4,100 sheep units, respectively). At each site, it was surveyed coverage, biomass, and species composition of different palatability groups (i.e., palatable [P], impalatable [IP], and trampling-tolerant [TT]) along a 1-km transect from grazing hotspots (i.e., well) in every July from 2015 to 2018. Results: In results, total vegetation coverage increased with wetness, 7 times greater at mesic site than dry one in averages (33.1% vs. 4.5%); biomass was 3 times higher (47.1 g m^-2 vs. 15.7 g m^-2). Though P was the dominant palatability group, the importance of IP in total coverage increased with aridity from mesic (0.6%) to dry (40.2%) sites. Whereas, TT increased with livestock numbers across sites. Locally, IP was observed more frequently near the wells and its spatial range of occurrence becomes farther along the transects with aridity across sites from mesic (< 100 m) to dry (< 700 m from the well). Conclusions: Our results showed that the importance of IP and its spatial distribution are different at both local and regional scales, indicating that the palatability parameters are sensitive to discern balance between selective-grazing demand and climate-driven foraging supply in Mongolian rangelands.

• ALGAE
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.253-264
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• 2023

The Ceramiales is the most diverse and species-rich group (2,669 spp.) of red algae, and it is widely distributed from tropical to polar oceans. Mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) and other genes have contributed to our knowledge regarding the classification and phylogeny of this diverse red algal group; however, the mitogenome architecture remains understudied. Here, we compared 42 mitogenomes, including 19 newly generated in this study, to expand our knowledge. The number of genes in mitogenome varied from 43 to 68 due to gene duplication. The mitogenome architecture was also variable, categorized into four types (A-D): type A = ancestral type with a basic composition; type B = those with inverse transpositions; type C = those with inverted duplications; and type D = those with both inversion and duplication. The palindromic and inverted repeats were consistently found in flanking regions of the rearrangement, especially near the cob and nad6 genes. The three rearranged mitogenome architectures (types B, C, D) are the first report of these in red algae. Phylogenetic analyses of 23 protein-coding genes supported the current familial classification of the Ceramiales, implying that the diversity of mitogenome architecture preceded the phylogenetic relationships. Our study suggests that palindromic and inverted repeats may drive mitogenome architectural variation.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.169-181
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• 1990

The development of eggs and larvae, and minute scale-like tubercles on the skin surface of larval Acantlaorhodeus gracilis from Korea were observed. They spawned from late March through the middle of June. A fish spawned at least 5 times and the number of eggs averaged 304 per oviposition. Unfertilized eggs are nearly ovoid-shaped(mean$\pm$SD=$2.09{\pm}0.04\;mm$ in length with range of 2.05 to 2.13 mm and mean$\pm$SD=$1.26{\pm}0.02\;mm$ in breadth with range of 1.24 to 1.30 mm measured for the 50 eggs) and opaque yellow color. The tip of egg membrane at the animal pole side swelled and formed a few hilly projections. The shape of the eggs was just like a loquat. Most of embryos began to hatch out in thirty-eight hours after insemination at $22{\pm}1^{\circ}C$ in water temperature. As regards the morphological characters of the eggs and larval development, Acan. gracilis was similar to Acan. asmussi, Acheilognathus rhombeus, A. longipinnis and Pseudoperilampus typus. The larvae of this species is unique particularly in the following two characters, i.e., 1) scale-like tubercles ellipsoided in a diagonal cross section on the whole body and 2) incessant wiggly movement pattern as that of fly maggot, with the larvae of the above mentioned species. These characters seem to reflect the phylogenetic relationships among acheilognathine fishes. On the other hand, this species and Acan. asmussi are spring-summer spawning bitterlings. And also these species never retard the larval growth in such larval stage as the duration from Stage B to Stage D.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.27-38
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• 2011

The distributions of phytoplankton assemblages and environmental factors in Jinhae Bay and their relationships were investigated to estimate the potential limiting nutrient for phytoplankton growth and community structure. In situ algal bioassay experiments were also conducted to assess the species-specific characteristics in phytoplankton responses under different nutrient conditions (control, N(+) and P(+) treatment). During the study periods, bacillariophyceae and cryptophyceae occupied more than 90% of total phytoplankton assemblages. Phytoplankton standing crops in the inner part of Masan Bay were higher than that of Jinhae Bay. The DIN:DIP ratio, pH and transparency showed the significant positive correlation with phytoplankton biomass. According to cluster and multidimensiolnal scaling (MDS) analysis based on phytoplankton community data from each station, the bay was divided into three groups. The first group included stations from the south-western part of Jinhae bay where cryptophyta species were dominated. The second group was distinguished from inner stations in Masan Bay. These stations showed low transpancy and high DIN:DIP ratio. The other cluster included the stations from the eastern part and central part of Jinhae Bay, which was characterized by the high DSi:DIP ratio and dominant of diatom species. Phosphorous (P) was limited in Masan Bay due to significantly increases in the phytoplankton abundances. Based on stoichiometric limitation and algal bio-assay in Jinhae Bay, nitrogen (N) was a major limiting factor for phytoplankton production. However, silicate (Si) was not considered as limiting factor, since Si/DIN and Si/P ratio and absolute concentration of nutrient did not create any potential stoichiometric limitation in the bay. This implies that high Si availability in winter season contributes favorably to the maintenances of diatom species.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.31-45
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• 2020

The biological indices based on the community structure with species richness and/or abundance are commonly used to assess aquatic ecosystem health. Meanwhile, recently functional traits-based approach is considered in ecosystem health assessment to reflect ecosystem functioning. In this study, we developed a database of biological traits for 136 taxa consisting of major stream insects (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera, Coleoptera, and Odonata) collected at Korean streams on the nationwide scale. In addition, we obtained environmental variables in five categories (geography, climate, land use, hydrology and physicochemistry) measured at each sampling site. We evaluated the relationships between community indices based on taxonomic diversity and functional diversity estimated from biological traits. We classified sampling sites based on similarities of their environmental variables and evaluated relations between clusters of sampling sites and diversity indices and biological traits. Our results showed that functional diversity was highly correlated with Shannon diversity index and species richness. The six clusters of sampling sites defined by a hierarchical cluster analysis reflected differences of their environmental variables. Samples in cluster 1 were mostly from high altitude areas, whereas samples in cluster 6 were from lowland areas. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) displayed similar patterns with cluster analysis and presented variation of taxonomic diversity and functional diversity. Based on NMDS and community-weighted mean trait value matrix, species in clusters 1-3 displayed the resistance strategy in the life history strategy to the environmental variables whereas species in clusters 4-6 presented the resilience strategy. These results suggest that functional diversity can complement the biological monitoring assessment based on taxonomic diversity and can be used as biological monitoring assessment tool reflecting changes of ecosystem functioning responding to environmental changes.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.280-292
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• 2017

Hail is not a frequently occurring weather event, and there are even fewer reports of hail damages to forest stands. Since the 2000s, an increase in hail incidence has been documented in Europe and the United States. In Korea, severe hails occurred in Jeollanam-do province on May 31 and in Gyeongsangbuk-do province on June 1, 2017. Hail size was ranged from 0.5 to 5.0 cm in diameter in Jeollanam-do, and from 1.5 to 3.0 cm in Gyeongsangbuk-do. This study was aimed to analyze the hail damages to forests by species and topography based on damage-categorized maps created by using drones and aerial photographs, and to analyze relationships of the damages with meteorological factors. The total damaged forest area was 1,163.1ha in Jeollanam-do, and 2,942.3ha in Gyeongsangbuk-do. Among the 'severe' damaged area 326.7ha, 91% was distributed in Jeollanam-do, and concentrated in the city of Hwasun which covers 57.2% of the total 'severe' damaged area. The most heavily damaged species was Korean red pine(Pinus densiflora S. & Z.) followed by P. rigida. Most broad-leaved trees species including oaks were recovered without any dead trees found. Liliodendron tulipifera was the most severely damaged in terms of the rate of 'severe' degree individuals which are needed to be checked whether they will die or be recovered. Cause of the death of pines was considered as the combination of physical damage caused by the hail and long-lasting drought with high air temperature that occurred before and after the hail event. No pathogens and insects were found which might have affected to tree deaths. We suggested a dieback mechanism of the pine trees damaged by hail and drought.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.24 no.2 s.63
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• pp.65-70
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• 1985

The locational preference of the brown planthopper (BPH) Nilaparvata lugens ($St{\aa}l$) and the whitebacked plant hopper (WBPH) Sogatella furcifera(Horvath) was studied on rice cultivars IR22 and IR36 as an integral part of subsequent research on insect-fungal pathogen relationships. The BPH was observed to stay consistently on the basal portion while the WBPH showed a general preference for the upper portion regardless of varieties, rice growth stages and insect population density levels. The habitat preference of both species (BPH and WBPH) was found not to be affected by the presence of the other species when both species are present on the same host plant Five rice cultivars with different reactions to BPH biotype 2 were used in the study on BPH-Rhizoctonia solani relationship: IR22 and TN1 (susceptible); Triveni and ASD7 (moderately resistant); and IR42 (resistant). Test plants were inoculated with R. solani (Kuhn) $3{\sim}4$days after insect infestation. Sheath blight disease severity/incidence was significantly higher in the treatment where BPH+R. solani were together than in the treatment with only the pathogen. Symptom expression of the disease in the BPH-pathogen combination was faster and mycelial growth was more profuse inducing the formation of more infection structures. Regardless of varietal reaction to BPH biotype 2, the degree of hopperburn was significantly higher in the combination of the two pests as compared with that of BPH alone. There could be a synergistic relationship between the insect pest and the pathogen indicated by a positive interaction between the two species.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.112 no.1
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• pp.71-82
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• 2023

Forest biomass is used as a representative indicator of forest size, maturity, and productivity. Therefore, quantitative evaluation is important for management and harvest as well as the evaluation of ecosystem functions and services including CO₂ absorption. The allometric equation is a widely used method for estimating the value of each component through the relative growth rate of plants. Recently, studies indicated that the relative growth of trees is changing because of the increased CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere and the resulting climate change, raising the need to review the previously developed relative growth models and coefficients. In this study, the height-diameter at breast height (DBH) relationships of four major tree species in Korea [(Pinus densiflora (PD), Larix kaempferi (LK), Quercus variabilis (QV), and Quercus mongolica (QM)] were analyzed using the 5th-7th National Forest Inventory (NFI) data. Furthermore, these results were compared with the present yield table from the National Institute for Forest Science. This analysis revealed that the expected height for the same DBH increased as the NFI progressed. For example, in model analysis, the expected heights for PD, LK, QV, and QM for DBH of 25 cm were 12.48, 19.17, 14.47, and 13.19 m, respectively, in the 5th NFI data. In the 7th NFI data, these values were estimated as 13.61 (+9.1%), 21.58 (+12.7%), 15.76 (+8.9%), and 13.93 m (+5.6%), respectively. These results indicate that the major tree species in South Korean forests currently are more vigorous in height growth than in diameter growth when compared to the height-DBH development trends by tree species identified through past survey data.