• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.230-245
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• 2024

Amphibians, sensitive to external environmental changes, serve as bioindicator species for assessing alterations or disturbances in local ecosystems. It is known that one-third of amphibian species within the order Anura are at risk of extinction due to anthropogenic threats such as habitat destruction and fragmentation caused by urbanization. To develop effective protection and conservation strategies for anuran amphibians, species surveys that account for population characteristics are essential. This study aimed to investigate the potential for citizen participation in ecological monitoring using the mating calls of anura species. We also proposed suitable quality control measures to mitigate errors and biases, ensuring the extraction of reliable species occurrence data. The Citizen Science project was carried out nationwide from April 1 to August 31, 2022, targeting 12 species of anura amphibians in Korea. Citizens voluntarily participated in voice signal monitoring, where they listened to anura species' mating calls and recorded them using a mobile application. Additionally, we established a quality control process to extract reliable species occurrence data, categorizing errors and biases from citizen-collected data into three levels: omission, commission, and incorrect identification. A total of 6,808 observations were collected during the citizen participation in anura species vocalization monitoring. Through the quality control process, errors and biases were identified in 1,944 (28.55%) of the 6,808 data. The most common type of error was omission, accounting for 922 cases (47.43%), followed by incorrect identification with 540 cases (27.78%), and commission with 482 cases (24.79%). During the Citizen Science project, we successfully recorded the mating calls of 10 out of the 12 anuran amphibian species in Korea, excluding the Asian toads (Bufo gargarizans Cantor), Korean brown frog (Rana coreana). Difficulties in collecting mating calls were primarily attributed to challenges in observing due to population decline or discrepancies between the breeding season of non-emergent individuals and the timing of the citizen science project. This study represents the first investigation of distribution status and species emergence data collection through mating calls of anura species in Korea based on citizen participation. It can serve as a foundation for designing future bioacoustic monitoring that incorporates citizen science and quality control measures for citizen science data.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1-19
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• 2017

This study set out to identify problems with amphibian habitation by the wetland types and improve their habitation environment in urban forest wetlands, thus creating a habitat for amphibians. Study site include forest swamps in Jatjul Park as well as Yeoji neighborhood Park in Guro-gu, and in Choansan neighborhood Park in Dobong-gu. The forest swamp in Jatjul Park gets its water from Mt. Maebong and it is a former escalated farmland-turned wetland. The swamp area is $2,500m^2$, a forest zone and a landscape planting site are 83.27% and 6.70% each. Target species Seoul pond frogs are inseparable from rice fields because they live in a short radius of and lay eggs in or near paddy fields, and Rana nigromaculata have similarities with Rana plancyi chosenica in choosing their habitats. There was need for paths that would lead to other paths so amphibians would spread to other parts of the forest and for measures to secure open water. Modifying a variety of routes for water, human and animals along with building a buffer to keep the core habitation zones were required. The forest swamp in Yeonji neighborhood Park used to be a water reservoir on the foot of Mt. Gunji. The swamp area is $1,980m^2$, a forest zone and farmland account for 80.61% and 4.88% each. Non-point pollutants from upstream along run into the subject forest marsh, bare ground on the around swamp and steep stone embankments obstructed amphibians. Target species was Bufo gargarizans that live in forests and edges of hills and spawn in deep water. The forest swamp in Choansan neighborhood Park gets its water from Mt. Choan and it is close to its water source that it is a mountain stream forest wetland. The basin and the swamp are $35,240m^2$ and $250m^2$ in size respectively. A forest zone accounts for 90.20%, high stone embankments laid in refurbishing the valley obstruct amphibians and there is water shortage in times of droughts. Target species were Rana coreana, Rana dybowskii and Hynobius leechii that live in mountain valleys, streams and wetlands and lay eggs in forest marshes and rocks in valleys. Looking into the three swamps of amphibian habitation, I came to conclusions that those wetlands were suitable for their amphibians but man-made facilities blocked their corridors leading to other corridors and even killed off target species in some parts of those swamps by destroying those parts. Amphibians live in water, on ground and underground at different stages of life. Hence, we should take this fact into consideration when planning their habitats and design core habitation zones, buffers zone and use zones accordingly. Buffer zones ought to be between core habitation zones and surrounding trees. Aiming at protecting core habitation zones, buffers should be in harmony with habitation zones. Use zones should be minimized in size and not in direct contact with core habitation zones.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.113-120
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• 2016

We examined whether an artificial levee constructed on prime amphibian habitat influences fragmentation. Four different sites on both sides of a levee in the Civilian Control Zone(CCZ) were probed. Sites 1 and 2 are rice paddies on one side of the levee, and Site 3 is the stream that locates in the same side. All the three sites have water conditions of seasonal variance. On the other side, Site 4 consists of rice paddies with a stable condition of water supply, irrigated through a canal. The research sites were frequented and the frog populations were closely monitored. The investigation identified five species. Pelophylax nigromaculatus was the most frequent (n=295), followed by Hyla japonica (n=220) and Glandirana rugosa (n=124). Three Bufo gargarizans and eight Rana coreana were also found. The amphibians, however, were found to relocate themselves according to water condition to rice paddies or stream only within one side of the levee. Despite having ample sources of water and foods, Site 4 lacked large populations of frogs, even when droughts came. Both the species dominance index and the richness index indicated a more favorable living condition of the one side of the levee (Sites 1 and 2) over the other.