• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.196-203
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• 2019

Habitat loss by industrialization, urbanization, and poaching reduced the population of Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetabus ussuricus) population in South Korea in the late 20^th Century. In the early 2000s, the Korean Government had begun a restoration project of Asiatic black bear. In 2017, a bear was found in Mt. Sudosan, Gimcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do, approximately 80 km from Mt. Jirisan where the bear was first released. Genetic analysis confirmed that this bear was one of the Jirisan bear population, estimating that this bear escaped from its habitat. After trapping this bear in Mt. Sudosan, it was rereleased again in Mt. Jirisan, but this bear moved again to Mt. Sudosan. After 2^nd trapping and releasing, this bear came back to Mt. Sudosan. In Mt. Sudosan, this bear covered a greater distance and moved more as compared to other Asiatic black bear in Mt. Jirisan. Today, this bear has its home range within Mt. Sudosan area after the third release, estimating that this bear is stable and active in this area. Our findings are the first case showing the interesting pattern of repetitive disperse activities and habitat expansion of Asiatic black bear. The results of this case are valuable information that can be used for wildlife conservation and restoration of endangered wildlife.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.197-207
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• 2016

This study aims at providing basic data to objectively evaluate the areas suitable for reintroduction of the species of Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) in order to effectively preserve the Asiatic black bears in the Korean protection areas including national parks, and for the species restoration success. To this end, this study predicted the potential habitats in East Asia, Southeast Asia and India, where there are the records of Asiatic black bears' appearances using the Maxent model and environmental variables related with climate, topography, road and land use. In addition, this study evaluated the effects of the relevant climate and environmental variables. This study also analyzed inhabitation range area suitable for Asiatic black and geographic change according to future climate change. As for the judgment accuracy of the Maxent model widely utilized for habitat distribution research of wildlife for preservation, AUC value was calculated as 0.893 (sd=0.121). This was useful in predicting Asiatic black bears' potential habitat and evaluate the habitat change characteristics according to future climate change. Compare to the distribution map of Asiatic black bears evaluated by IUCN, Habitat suitability by the Maxent model were regionally diverse in extant areas and low in the extinct areas from IUCN map. This can be the result reflecting the regional difference in the environmental conditions where Asiatic black bears inhabit. As for the environment affecting the potential habitat distribution of Asiatic black bears, inhabitation rate was the highest, according to land coverage type, compared to climate, topography and artificial factors like distance from road. Especially, the area of deciduous broadleaf forest was predicted to be preferred, in comparison with other land coverage types. Annual mean precipitation and the precipitation during the driest period were projected to affect more than temperature's annual range, and the inhabitation possibility was higher, as distance was farther from road. The reason is that Asiatic black bears are conjectured to prefer more stable area without human's intervention, as well as prey resource. The inhabitation range was predicted to be expanded gradually to the southern part of India, China's southeast coast and adjacent inland area, and Vietnam, Laos and Malaysia in the eastern coastal areas of Southeast Asia. The following areas are forecast to be the core areas, where Asiatic black bears can inhabit in the Asian region: Jeonnam, Jeonbuk and Gangwon areas in South Korea, Kyushu, Chugoku, Shikoku, Chubu, Kanto and Tohoku's border area in Japan, and Jiangxi, Zhejiang and Fujian border area in China. This study is expected to be used as basic data for the preservation and efficient management of Asiatic black bear's habitat, artificially introduced individual bear's release area selection, and the management of collision zones with humans.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.102-113
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• 2016

This study analyzes the geographic information system (GIS) and machine learning models to understand the relationship between the appearance of hibernation sites and habitats in order to systematically manage the habitat of Asiatic Black Bear(Ursus thibetanus ussuricus) inhabiting Jirisan National Park, South Korea. The most important environmental factors influencing the hibernation sites was found to be the inclination(41.4%), followed by altitude(20.4%), distance from the trail(10.9%), and age group(7.7%) in the order of their contribution. A comparison between the hibernation habitat and the normal habitat of Asiatic Black Bear indicated that the average altitude of the hibernation sites was 63m, whereas the average altitude of the normal habitat was approximately 400m. The average inclination was found to be $7^{\circ}$, and a preference for the steeper inclination of $12-43^{\circ}$ was also observed. The average distance of the hibernation site from the road was approximately 300m; the range of separation distance was found to be 1,300-2,400m. This was thought to be the result of a safer selection of winter hibernation site by preventing human contact and outside invasion. This study analyzes the habitat environmental factors for the selection of hibernation sites that prevent severe cold and other threats during the hibernation period in order to provide fundamental data for hibernation ecology and habitat management of Asiatic Black Bear.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.395-404
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• 2005

A project has recently begun to reintroduce endangered Asiatic black bears to the Jirisan National Park. However, information on home range that is necessary to maintain the Minimum Viable Population (MVP) of those bears does not exist. Based on point data of two bears that were released for trial in Jirisan in 2001, we identified the movement pattern of bears and estimated their home ranges with two different methods Finally, the possibility of conserving the MVP of bears was evaluated by comparing the location and size of the home range with habitats which have been found to be suitable for bears. The frequency of bears' appearance reduced drastically as road densities of both paved roads and legal trails increased. The midpoint of home ranges of the two bears was 376.85 $km^2$ and 50.76 $km^2$ based on 100% MCP (Minimum Convex Polygon) and 95% AK (Adaptive Kernel Home Range Method), respectively, with an overlapped area of 126.0 $km^2$ and 3.99 $km^2$ each. The core areas of their home ranges are located not in the no-entry zone, where major trails were open to the public - despite being designated as no -entry zone - but in areas where most trails were closed to the public. A discrepancy between core areas of home ranges and potentially suitable habitats suggests the effects of vehicles and tracking people through roads within the park. Thus, for the success of in situ conservation of endangered bears, well-planned management of habitats is needed to protect bears and to ensure the home ranges to support the MVP.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.41-47
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• 2011

This study was carried out to provide basic information for assessment conditions as habitat to conserve and restore asiatic black bear released in Jirisan National Park. The field investigation at Piagol, Bitjeom, Jangdanggol, Baemsagol, Chilseon valley, and Hanshin valley which checked for habitat of released asiatic black bear were conducted from 2008 to 2010. There were no obvious differences in home range size of asiatic black bear by study year. The seasonal home ranges were analyzed $25.64km^2$ for males and $17.57km^2$ for female in spring, $73.02km^2$ for males and $27.45km^2$ for females in summer, $41.58km^2$ for males and $13.26km^2$ for females in fall, and $6.11km^2$ for males and $2.89km^2$ for females in winter based on 95% Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP) method, respectively. In average elevation by gender of asiatic black bear, the male was higher than the female. respectively. Average elevation by season were $894{\pm}33m$ in spring, $852{\pm}20m$ in summer, $985{\pm}67m$ in fall, and $996{\pm}26m$ in winter, respectively.

• 공원문화
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• s.84
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• pp.18-21
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• 2009

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.149-151
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• 2014

A 170 kg, 9-year-old, female Asian black bear was presented for sterilization. Physical examination revealed no evidence of any abnormal clinical sign. Laparoscopic salpingectomy was performed for sterilization. A $25^{\circ}$ laparoscope was inserted in the first port, 1-cm caudal to the umbilical scar, to view the abdominal cavity. Two more ports were made 15 cm caudo-lateral to the first port bilaterally. An atraumatic grasper and a vessel-sealing device were inserted in the bilateral ports. The vessel-sealing device was used to seal and cut the fallopian tube and mesosalpinx. There was no sign of hemorrhage on the severed ends of the fallopian tube and mesosalpinx. At 4 weeks, no physical, behavioral, or other assessable impairment was found. This is the first case report in an Asian black bear to describe laparoscopic salpingectomy for sterilization.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.427-434
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• 2008

The studies of seven individuals of Asiatic black bears were carried out with radio telemetry from October 2004 to December 2006 in Jirisan National Park. They were attached radio-transmitter and calculated by the 95%MCP and fixed kernel method(95%, 50%). As a result, Mean annual home ranges for female and male asiatic black bears were 71.66$km^2$ and 90.20$km^2$. The seasonal home ranges were calculated 19.81$km^2$ for females and 33.47$km^2$ for males in spring, 30.48$km^2$ for females and 20.26$km^2$ for males in summer, 22.63$km^2$ for females and 23.23$km^2$ for males in autumn and 0.22$km^2$ for females and 0.78$km^2$ for males in winter(F=4.193, P<0.05). The degree of home range overlapped 38%, 12.5% among females, 22.4% among males. Mean elevation of seven bears was 744$\pm$236m in spring, 682$\pm$253m in summer, 937$\pm$218m in fall and 975$\pm$137m in winter(F=8.526, P<0.001). It is assumed that home range sizes and location were closely correlated to environmental characteristics of the habitats and the seasonal variation of home-range was related to distribution of food sources.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.865-873
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• 2016

Since 2004, Asiatic Black Bear of the Jirisan National Park is subjected to the restoration project through the re-introduction by the Maritime Province of Siberia in Russia, North Korea, Northeastern part of China and Seoul Grand Park. The purpose of this study is to analyze diets with scat to identify Asiatic Black Bear's feeding habit and eating resources environment in the Jirisan National Park. 78 scats of Asiatic Black Bears were observed during the field studies of radio telemetry-marked bears and by chance in the Jrisan National Park, from 2005 to 2013. The relative frequency of occurrence demonstrated that the plants comprised the highest with 77%, followed by insects with 12.8%, mammals with 5.6%, birds with 0.5%, arthropoda with 0.5%, and others with 3.6%. Also, 52 scats among the collected scats that were measured for the ratio of food were subjected to dry weight, and plants were the highest with 91.2%, followed by mammals with 3.6%, insects with 1.0% and others with 4.2% in the order mentioned. Asiatic Black Bear's feed research demonstrated that the Asiatic Black Bear at Jirisan is omnivorous and that the vegetable food is the main feed instead of animal feed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture Conference
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• 2009.03a
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• pp.111-113
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• 2009