• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.226-236
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• 2023

As climate change intensifies, the importance of studying plant phenology has increased, leading to a surge in research employing automated video recording devices like Phenocams. In this study, using the Phenocams operated by the National Institute of Ecology, we examined the trends in plant phenological changes across diverse ecosystem types in South Korea and analyzed their correlations with climate factors. The patterns of plant phenological changes varied by region and tree species. Pinus thunbergii and Pinus densiflora typically show an overall increase in their growth period, positively correlating with temperatures and precipitation during winter. However, uniquely, for Abies koreana on Hallasan Mt., a higher amount of precipitation in August leads to an earlier end of season (eos), and the correlation analysis with the recent phenomenon of dying A. Koreana seems necessary. beyond the analysis, solutions for handling missing data issues during the data collection process were proposed. Furthermore, to expand future research scope and encompass diverse ecosystem types, a suggestion to combine Phenocam research with satellite observations was presented.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.943-953
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• 2023

This study analyzed the ecological characteristics of the wetland protection area at tthe Nakdong River through vegetation and biota surveys, which showed that brackish water meets fresh water, a unique ecological environment has been created, biodiversity is high, and diverse habitats are distributed. Eleven plant communities, including four woody communities and seven grass communities, are distributed along the coast, and a total of 514 species, including 11 endangered wildlife species, were identified in terms of species diversity. Among them, the species diversity of the Eulsuk-do area was found to be relatively higher than that of other Barreir Islands areas. The presence of a population of Sterna albifrons on Sinja-do and a population of Eremias argus on Jinwo-do, an area outside the boundaries of the wetland protection area, confirmed the conservation value of the wetlands and the need to expand the boundaries of the wetland protection area. It is judged that this information can be used as basic information for a systematic conservation and management plan for the wetland protection area at the Nakdong River Estuary and as basic data to support the establishment of a policy.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.440-448
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• 2023

This study measured soil respiration in pine forests dominated by Pinus densiflora in Mt. Jeombong, Mt. Namsan, Mt. Jirisan in Republic of Korea from 2009 to 2010. The seasonal variations, along with temperature and soil moisture content, were measured to understand the characteristics at each site. Soil respiration was highest in summer and autumn, closely influenced by the increase in soil temperature. Throughout the measurement period, soil respiration ranged from 205.6 to 312.2 mg CO₂ m^-2 h^-1, with Mt. Namsan showing the highest values and Mt. Jirisan the lowest. A strong correlation was observed between soil respiration and soil temperature, with Q₁₀ values ranging from 2.5 to 3.0. Precipitation significantly affected soil moisture content, and although it appeared to influence soil respiration, no significant correlation was found.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.83-93
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• 2023

This study was conducted to clarify the environmental variables that affect the appearance of Mauremys reevesii and to understand the relationship between M. reevesii and the variables. Habitat environmental survey was implemented by selecting 17 environmental variables considering ecological characteristics of M. reevesii in the main reservoir in Gurye-gun, the Republic of Korea. And the habitat data on the presence and absence of M.reevesii were analyzed statistically. The habitat suitability model of M. reevesii was described in following equation : logit (p) = -3.68 + (0.17 × leaf litter depth) + (1.55 × vegetation coverage of overstory on land) + (0.71 × coverage of midstory on land) + (0.96 × vegetation coverage of understory on water). This information gained is valuable for better understanding the distribution and how to conserve and promote populations of M. reevesii occurring in the Republic of Korea.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.450-463
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• 2023

The objective of this study is to derive the core habitat of the Kirengeshoma koreana Nakai utilizing Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) and Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) models. Expert-based models have been criticized for their subjective criteria, while statistical models face difficulties in on-site validation and integration of expert opinions. To address these limitations, both models were employed, and their outcomes were overlaid to derive the core habitat. Five variables were identified through a comprehensive literature review and spatial analysis based on appearance coordinates. The environmental variables encompass vegetation zone, forest type, crown density, annual precipitation, and effective soil depth. Through surveys involving six experts, importance rankings and SI (Suitability Index) scores were established for each variable, subsequently facilitating the creation of an HSI map. Using the same variables, the MaxEnt model was also executed, resulting in a corresponding map, which was merged to construct the definitive core habitat map. Out of 16 observed locations of K. koreana, 15 were situated within the identified core habitat. Furthermore, an area historically known to host K. koreana but not verified in the present, Mt. Yeongchwi, was found to lack a core habitat. These findings suggest that the developed models exhibit a high degree of accuracy and effectively reflect the current ecological landscape.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.133-133
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• 2021

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.330-338
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• 2023

To investigate the impact of forestry projects on the carbon stocks of forests, we estimated the carbon stock change of above-ground and soil before and after forestry projects using forest type maps, forestry project information, and soil information. First, we selected six map sheet with large areas and declining age class based on forest type map information. Then, we collected data such as forest type maps, growth coefficients, soil organic matter content, and soil bulk density of the estimated areas to calculate forest carbon storage. As a result, forest carbon stocks decreased by about 34.1~70.0% after forestry projects at all sites. In addition, compared to reference studies, domestic forest soils store less carbon than the above-ground, so it is judged that domestic forest soils have great potential to store more carbon and strategies to increase carbon storage are needed. It was estimated that the amount of carbon stored before forestry projects is about 1.5 times more than after forestry projects. The study estimated that it takes about 27 years for forests to recover to their pre-thinning carbon stocks following forestry projects. Since it takes a long time for forests to recover to their original carbon stocks once their carbon stocks are reduced by physical damage, it is necessary to plan to preserve them as much as possible, especially for highly conservative forests, so that they can maintain their carbon storage function.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.247-258
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• 2022

Hampyeong Bay has a narrow seawater channel and a complex topographical structure. The sand content of the tidal flat soil is increasing due to asymmetrical sedimentation. Through the investigation of the vegetation distribution and the use of the line-transect method, sand flats were observed to gradually change the vegetation distribution of salt marshes. Comparing the vegetation area between 2016 and 2022, the obligate halophyte Suaeda maritima decreased by 74% and Zoysia sinica increased by 75%. Z. sinica seems to support the robustness of the dune environment by trapping sediments such as sand in the colony, because the underground rhizomes and stems are highly developed. To establish an effective conservation management plan for tidal flats, an integrated study should be conducted to assess the impact of changes in tidal flat soil and the interaction of vegetation communities in Hampyeong Bay.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2019.04a
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• pp.25-25
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• 2019

1953년 7월 27일 정전협정 이후 한반도를 가로지르는 DMZ (Demilitarized zone: 비무장지대)가 설정되었다. DMZ에 출입은 군사정전위원회의 허가가 있어야 가능하기에 군사시설 및 군작전지역을 포함하여 DMZ 및 민간인통제선 이북은 민간인 접근의 제한으로, 단절된 공간으로 변모하였다. DMZ는 우리나라의 대표적인 동고서저의 지형 및 다양한 생태환경을 두루 갖추고 있어 중요한 생태적 요충지로 평가받고 있다. 산림지역은 민간인통제지역까지 합치면 40여개의 산지가 분포하고 있으며, 하천은 크게 15개의 크고 작은 하천이 위치하고 있다. 남방한계선 수계를 따라 일부지역들은 하천 배후습지, 묵논습지 등 습원형태로도 많이 발견되고 있다. 이런 습원지역들은 대부분 미확인 지뢰지대로 접근이 제한적인 만큼 지난 세월의 흔적들을 고스란히 담고 있다. 1965년 한국자연보존연구회는 30여명의 국내학자를 동원하여 서울에서 가까운 DMZ 인접지역에 대한 예비적인 학술조사를 실시하였으며, 이를 계기로 1966년 10월부터 1968년 9월까지 2년간에 걸쳐 한국자연보존위원회 34명의 국내학자와 미국 스미소니언연구소(Smithsonian Institution) H. K. Buechner 박사를 대표로 5명의 국외학자가 공동으로 종합적인 학술조사를 수행하였다. 이는 DMZ 연구의 시작을 알렸으며, 이후 남북관계나 시대여건에 맞추어 간헐적으로 다양한 조사 및 연구들이 이어져오고 있다. 2015년부터 2018년까지 DMZ 철책주변 현장조사를 통해 확인된 식물현황은 964분류군이다. 군시설로 인해 식물서식환경이 제한적인 상황이지만 척박한 환경에 적응하고 있는 식물은 다양하다. DMZ와 맞닿아 있는 7개 지역에 대한 식물현황은 철원 638분류군, 연천 631분류군, 양구 525분류군 순으로 나타났다. 대부분 중동부 지역에 높은 식물종수가 나타났으며, 서부와 동부의 식물들이 고르게 나타나는 결과로 보인다. 큰잎쓴풀, 봉래꼬리풀 등 희귀식물도 있는 반면, 잠재적으로 생태계에 영향을 줄 수 있는 침입외래식물도 다수 포함되어 있어서, 지속적인 모니터링 및 관리가 필요하다. 그 중에서도 양구지역에 새롭게 발견된 Macleaya cordata (Willd.) R.Br.(양귀비과)는 독성이 포함된 식물이며, 인제에서 2014년에 발견된 미역취아재비는 DMZ일원에 제한적으로 분포하는 종이였으나 현재 연천에서 발견되는 등 확산에 대한 관리방안이 필요하다.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.380-389
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• 2020

Research on diagnosing and predicting the response of ecosystems caused by environmental changes such as artificial disturbance and climate change is emerging as the most important issue of biodiversity and ecosystem researches. This study aims to clean, standardize, and provide the results of National Ecosystem Survey which should be considered fundamentally in diagnosing and predicting ecosystem changes in the form of dataset. To refine and clean the dataset we developed a simple verification program based on the fifth National Ecosystem Survey Guideline and applied that program to the data from the second (1997~2005), third (2006~2013) and fourth (2014~2018) National Ecosystem Survey. Data quality control processes were implemented including (1) standardization of terminology, (2) similar data table integration, (3) unnecessary attribute and error elimination, (4) unification of different input items, (5) data arrangement in codes, and (6) code mapping for input items. These approaches and methods are the first attempt propose an option for ecological data standardization in Korea. The standardized dataset of National Ecosystem Survey in Korea will be easily accessible, reusable for both researchers and public. In addition, we expect it will contribute to the establishment of diverse environmental policies concerning environmental assessments, habitat conservation, prediction of endangered species distribution and ecological risks due to climate change. The dataset through this study is open freely online via EcoBank (nie-ecobank.kr) which is the first ecological information portal system in Korea developed by National Institute of Ecology.