• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.31-49
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• 2012

Satae cheon, a tributary of the Suip cheon in Yanggu, Gangwon province, is an international river extended to North Korea. Most of drainage basin area of the river was the fierce battle field during the Korean War(1950-1953) and hard to access as it located between the MDL(Military Demarcation Line) and the CCZ(Civilian Control Zone: about 10km south from MDL). By the restriction of access to the sites, most of natural landscape have been well conserved except limited use for military activities. Even the landfoms in that area were not studied, except the government's heritage reports. Satae Cheon's channel follows the Imdang fault line(N-S) to Satae-ri and flow to west to the Dutayeon area. The river meanders along geological structure or weak line at the Dutayeon area. The meandering channel was shorten by the meander cut which linked the thalweg line of meander loop ant the meander neck. As a result of this cut, the river cliff formed by the Satae cheon became the part of newly formed channel bed and the S-forms are formed. After the channel route stabilized, channel incised the rock with large potholes and undulating walls were formed. The channel width changes from 1m to 10m with restriction of the undulating walls, so this part can be regarded as inner channel or inner gorge. From the point of planar forms it also can be slot-type canyon.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.100-118
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• 2015

This study established a land-cover classification method on objects using satellite images, and figured out distributional patterns of land cover according to categories through spatial statistics techniques. Object-based classification generated each land cover classification map by spectral information, texture information, and the combination of the two. Through assessment of accuracy, we selected optimum land cover classification map. Also, to figure out spatial distribution pattern of land cover according to categories, we analyzed hot spots and quantified them. Optimal weight for an object-based classification has been selected as the Scale 52, Shape 0.4, Color 0.6, Compactness 0.5, Smoothness 0.5. In case of using the combination of spectral information and texture information, the land cover classification map showed the best overall classification accuracy. Particularly in case of dry fields, protected cultivation, and bare lands, the accuracy has increased about 12 percent more than when we used only spectral information. Forest, paddy fields, transportation facilities, grasslands, dry fields, bare lands, buildings, water and protected cultivation in order of the higher area ratio of DMZ according to categories. Particularly, dry field sand transportation facilities in Yanggu occurred mainly in north areas of the civilian control line. dry fields in Cheorwon, forest and transportation facilities in Inje fulfilled actively in south areas of the civilian control line. In case of distributional patterns according to categories, hot spot of paddy fields, dry fields and protected cultivation, which is related to agriculture, was distributed intensively in plains of Yanggu and in basin areas of Cheorwon. Hot spot areas of bare lands, waters, buildings and roads have similar distribution patterns with hot spot areas related to agriculture, while hot spot areas of bare lands, water, buildings and roads have different distributional patterns with hot spot areas of forest and grasslands.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.272-287
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• 2019

The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was established in 1953 by the Korean War Armistice Agreement. It extends from the estuary of the Imjin River, in the west, to the coast of the East Sea. It is 4 km in width and 148 km in length. However, the ecosystems of the civilian control zone (CCZ) located between the southern border of the DMZ and the civilian control line (CCL) and the CCZ in the estuary of the Han River and the Yellow Sea are similar to those in the DMZ, and, therefore, the ecosystems of the DMZ and the CCZ are collectively known as the "ecosystems of the DMZ and its vicinities." The flora in the DMZ and its vicinities is composed of 1,864 species, which accounts for about 42% of all the vascular plant species on the Korean Peninsula and its affiliated islands. Conducting a detailed survey on the vegetation, flora, and fauna in the DMZ is almost impossible due to the presence of landmines and limitations on the time allowed to be spent in the DMZ. However, to assess the environmental impact of the Munsan-Gaesong railroad reconstruction project, it was possible to undertake a limited vegetation survey within the DMZ in 2001. The vegetation in Jangdan-myeon, in Paju City within the DMZ, was very simple. It was mostly secondary forests dominated by oaks such as Quercus mongolica, Q. acutissima, and Q. variabilis. The other half of the DMZ in Jangdan-myeon was occupied by grassland composed of tall grasses such as Miscanthus sinensis, M. sacchariflorus, and Phragmites japonica. Contrary to the expectation that the DMZ may be covered with pristine mature forests due to more than 60 years of no human interference, the vegetation in the DMZ was composed of simple secondary forests and grasslands formed on former rice paddies and agricultural fields. At present, the only legal protection system planned for the DMZ is the Natural Environment Conservation Act, which ensures that the DMZ would be managed as a nature reserve for only two years following Korean reunification. Therefore, firstly, the DMZ should be designated as a site of domestic legally protected areas such as nature reserve (natural monument), scenic site, national park, etc. In addition, we need to try to designate the DMZ as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve or as a World Heritage site, or as a Ramsar international wetland for international cooperation. For nomination as a world heritage site, we can emphasize the ecological and landscape value of the wetlands converted from the former rice paddies and the secondary forests maintained by frequent fires initiated by military activities. If the two Koreas unexpectedly reunite without any measures in place for the protection of nature in the DMZ, the conditions prior to the Korean War, such as rice paddies and villages, will return. In order to maintain the current condition of the ecosystems in the DMZ, we have to discuss and prepare for measures including the retention of mines and barbed-wire fences, the construction of roads and railroads in the form of tunnels or bridges, and the maintenance of the current fire regime in the DMZ.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.95-104
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• 2006

The DMZ is a 248km long thin green line which has various landscapes of fields, hills and mountains. This study focused on western part of DMZ and vicinity which consist of abandoned rice paddy, wetlands and fields. The main purpose of this study is to detect the vegetation vitality from the western part of MDL to DMZ vicinity and identify and quantify ecological buffer(ecotone) width adopting logistic function derived from 'Vegetation Index-distance curve' using an Landsat ETM+ image acquired on June of 2002. Green leaf vegetation was quantified to identify the ecotone buffer in western DMZ and vicinity(civilian control area: CCA) using Transformed Vegetation Index(TVI) which is one of common measurement among various indices. Vegetation measurement from Military Demarcation Line(MDL) to vicinity area was investigated at 500m intervals to 10kms of southern and northern part of western DMZ and vicinity. The Logistic function models the sigmoid curve of growth with three stages of growth of initial competition and maturity. In the TVI-distance logistic curve, the maturity is high vegetation vitality, the competition is vitality changing, and the initial is low vitality. In the TVI-distance curve, maturity area of high TVI value is core area for ecological conservation, and the competition area between inflection points can be an ecotone(ecological buffer). In case of southern part, maximum TVI value is 221.92 and minimum is 207.16, and maximum TVI of northen part is 215.32 and minimum is 188.35. That means forest devastation of north Korean part of DMZ and vicinity is severer than that of south Korea. The width of core area for ecological conservation is 2,311m, and ecotone in the southern part is 5,339m, so minimum width from MDL for ecological conservation can be computed as 7,651m. In case of Northern part, the width of core area is 1,841m, and ecotone buffer is 5,014m, so ecological conservation width can be estimated as 6,855m. In case of northen part, width of estimated core area is less than that of DMZ width, which means ecological disturbance is very severe in northern part of western DMZ.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.105 no.1
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• pp.19-41
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• 2016

This study examined the flora and community classification in the Forest Genetic Resources Reserves (FGRR) at Mt. Daeseng and Juparyeong to understand the degree of disturbance and the state of forest stand development within the Civilian Control Line (CCL) and to provide baseline data for preservation and management. Of the vascular plants dispersed throughout the study site, there were 98 families, 311 genera, 507 species, 6 subspecies, 65 varieties, and 10 forms, for a total of 588 taxa. Of these, 92 families, 290 genera, 459 species, 6 subspecies, 58 varieties, and 9 forms, for a total of 532 taxa of native plants, were determined to be dispersed around the FGRR at Mt. Daeseng, and 94 families, 259 genera, 364 species, 6 subspecies, 50 varieties, and 8 forms, for a total of 428 taxa of native plants, were confirmed to be dispersed around the FGRR at Juparyeong. There were 21 taxa of endemic Korean plants growing in the FGRR at Mt. Daeseng, with 14 taxa growing in the FGRR at Juparyeong. In terms of rare plants, 26 taxa were confirmed in the FGRR at Mt. Daeseng, and 10 taxa were confirmed in the FGRR at Juparyeong. A Cluster analysis was performed using vegetation data taken from 58 sample plots in each FGRR. The results showed a total of three representative community classifications from Mt. Daeseng: mixed mesophytic forest, Quercus mongolica-Acer pseudosieboldianum, and Quercus mongolica-Fraxinus rhynchophylla communities. Four representative community classifications were observed from Juparyeong: Quercus mongolica-broad leaved forest, Fraxinus rhynchophylla-broad leaved forest, Quercus mongolica, and Quercus communities. On the whole, the species diversity of the communities in Mt. Daeseng FGRR was greater than for the communities in Juparyeong FGRR. At Mt. Daeseng, the mixed mesophytic forest had the highest species diversity index at 1.590, while at Juparyeong, the Fraxinus rhynchophylla-broad leaved forest had the highest species diversity index at 1.319. These study results should serve as useful baseline data for future preservation and management of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) and the surrounding area.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.151-158
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• 2011

This study was carried out in 2010 to investigate the utilization and nutritive value of native grasses, such as Phragmites communis and Miscanthus sinensis which might reduce the cost of feeding domestic cattle. The regions within the Civilian Control Line in Paju and Sihwa region in Ansan were surveyed. In Paju, the yearly silage production was 900 MT harvested from 90 ha (10 MT/ha). About 30~50% of these were sold out at the marketing price of 52,000~55,000 Won per roll (130~137.5 Won/kg). Regrown Miscanthus sinensis of 70 cm in length contained 9.6% of crude protein (CP), 82.4 of relative feed value (RFV), and 67.7% of in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD). Regrown Phragmites communis of 70 cm in length contained 13.8% of CP, 84.3 of RFV, and 67.9% of IVDMD. As harvesting was delayed, the quality was decreased dramatically. In Ansan region, Phragmites communis plantation covers 100 ha. The silage production was 550 MT from the area of 50 ha (11 MT/ha) in 2009. And the marketing price was 50,000 Won per roll. But in 2010 only a small amount of grasses could have been baled due to frequent and much rainfall from spring to summer season. However, the good forage quality was observed from regrown Phragmites communis of 80 cm in length, 12.9% CP, 99.8 RFV and 66.6% IVDMD, while that of late matured grasses was very low, 2.2% CP, 52.9 RFV and 36.4% IVDMD, greatly lower than forage quality of rice straw. The quality of grasses at bloom stage of 150 cm in length was similar to that of rice straw, showing 4.5% CP, 59.9 RFV and 42.2% IVDMD. In conclusion, the overall quality of most native grasses in this survey were very poor. Therefore, we recommend that Phragmites communis and Miscanthus sinensis should be harvested during June or July to obtain better forage quality which is richer in forage values than rice straw. Production of high quality forage crops was also desirable for self sufficiency of forage.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.11-46
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• 2022

This study was carried out to examine vascular plants and invasive alien plants in Gyodong Island, located at the northwestern Civilian Control Line (CCL) of Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, and to use them as basic data for systematic management of identified plants and establishing biodiversity conservation measures. The survey was conducted 13 times from April 2019 to August 2021. The vascularflora in Gyodong Island was identified as 109 families, 378 genera, 641 species, 15 subspecies, 49 variants, 8 forma, a total of 713 taxa. This was found to be about 15.36% of the total 4,641 taxa of vascular plants in Korea. The northern linage plants on the Korean Peninsula appearing in the Gyodong Island area were identified in 83 classification groups, including Red-based leaf edge (Carex erythrobasis H.Lev. & Vaniot). Korea endemic plants were identified as 16 taxa such as Seoul wild-ginger [Asarum heterotropoides var. seoulense (Nakai) Kitag.], and a total of 20 taxa of rare plants designated by IUCN were observed, including the endangered grade Beardless iris (Iris ruthenica Ker Gawl.). Floristic target species were classified with a total of 99 taxa. For V grade, Beardless iris 1 taxon was found. and also IV grade and III grade were identified in 8 taxa and 20 taxa respectively. The invasive alien plants identified as 75 taxa, such as Verbesina alternifolia (L.) Britton ex Kearney. The naturalization rate was 10.51%, and the urbanization index was calculated as 23.29%. Since large-scale construction has been currently underway on Hwagae Mt. in Gyodong Island as the target of survey area, the influx of invasive plants will be expected to promote. Therefore, it is urgent to establish in-situ protection and conservation measures for notable plants such as Beardless iris and Water smartweed [Persicaria amphibia (L.) S.F.Gray].