• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.237-249
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• 2023

This study was carried to establish a new landscape-oriented gardening model based on climate, vegetation, and forest landscape characteristics. In addition, innovative forest garden models were suggested through an integrated approach to the ecological characteristics of forest vegetation communities and existing garden planting types. For the study, the key landscape elements that make up the main forest vegetation community were identified. And the vertical layers and horizontal distribution patterns of the community structure were typified by diagnostic species and their growth forms & habits such as dominant species, character species, and differential species, and degree of dominance-sociability. Based on this, a standardized vegetation structure and formation was developed by stratifying the landscape into main features, minor features, and detailed features according to visual dominant elements. Also, the applicability of the forest garden model was examined by applying the concept of borrowing landscape to representative deciduous broadleaf forests in the temperate northern region of Korea. Additionally, an integrated forest garden models based on the conceptual definition and typology of forest gardens, and a strategic approach to forest vegetation were proposed

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.525-535
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• 2023

In thi study, we unveil the intricate interplay among picophytoplankton (0.2-2 ㎛) communities, warming surface water temperatures, and major inorganic nutrients within the southwestern East Sea from 2003-2022. The observed surface temperature rise, reflecting global climate trends, defies conventional seasonal patterns in temperate seas, with highest temperatures in summer and lowest in spring. Concurrently, concentrations of major dissolved inorganic nutrient display distinct seasonality, with peaks in winter and gradually declining thereafter during spring. The time course of chlorophyll-a concentrations, a proxy for phytoplankton biomass, reveals a typical bimodal pattern for temperate seas. Notably, contributions from picophytoplankton exhibited a steady annual increase of approximately 0.5% over the study period, although the total chlorophyll-a concentrations declined slightly. The strong correlations between picophytoplankton contributions and inorganic nutrient concentrations is noteworthy, highlighting their competitively advantageous responsiveness to the shifting nutrient regime. These findings reflect significant ecological implications for the scientific insights into the marine ecosystem responses to changing climate conditions.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.229-241
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• 2023

Microphysogobio rapidus is designated as endangered species class I by Ministry of Environment, and its distribution and population have been gradually declining, and it is now limited to the Nam River and some tributary streams of the Nakdong River Watershed. For the restoration of this highly endangered species, it is important to identify the causes of the decline and establish appropriate restoration plans. However, due to lack of basic data and ecological research, most steps are stagnant. Therefore, in this study, we identified the differences in the physical, biological, and sociological habitats between current and past distributed sites through field surveys and literature reviews. As a result of the field survey, there were differences in conductivity between the current and past distributed sites, and fish communities were also showed differences. The literature data also showed that the physico-chemical values of the past distributed sites were generally unfavorable, which generated negative consequences on biological factors. In particular, the effects of urbanization were found to be a major factor affecting the habitat of M. rapidus. Habitat stabilization is crucial for the recovery of this endangered species. However, in the past distributed sites, disturbances such as stream development and weir construction have altered streams physico-chemically and result in changes of M. rapidus. Therefore, a comprehensive plan that considers both stream connectivity and water quality is needed to manage and restore the habitat of M. rapidus.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.160-170
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• 2023

Life history of the endangered endemic species, Rhynchocypris semotilus, was investigated to obtain baseline data for its ecological characteristics in Songhyeoncheon, Hyeonnae-myeon, Goseong-gun, Gangwon-do, Korea from April to October, 2022. A total of 10 families and 18 species of fishes were collected from 4 survey stations, and R. semotilus was a subdominant species in the survey period (seven times). The main habitat of R. semotilus was the middle-upper stream of rock and boulder bottoms with aquatic plants and slow rapids and pools. The age groups for R. semotilus estimated by the frequency distribution of total length in spawning season (May) indicated the 4~12 mm is 0-year old, 32~49 mm is 1-year old, the 50~65 mm group is 2-years old, the 66~91 mm is 3-years old, and the 92~116 mm is more than 4-years old, and showed rapid growth from May to September. Total length range of female and male were the relatively similar, and sex ratio (♂/♀) was 0.78. The spawning period is from May to July (water temperature is 17 to 21℃), and gonad was developed more than three years old (more than TL 66 mm). In May, the gonadosomatic index (GSI) was 10.6±2.99% for females and 8.2±2.34% for males, fecundity was 6,830±1,943, and mature eggs size was 1.34±0.16 mm. Finally, life history characteristics of R. semotilus was discussed between the genus Rhynchocypris and Phoxinus species.

• 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.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.115-136
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• 2017

Online communities have become substantial aspects of people's daily lives. However, only a few communities succeed and attract the majority of users, whereas the vast majority struggle for survival. When various communities coexist, important factors should be identified and examined to maintain attraction and achieve success. The concept of coexistence as been extensively explored in organizational ecology literature. However, given the similarities and differences between online communities and traditional organizations, the direct application of organizational theories to online contexts should be cautiously explored. In this study, we follow the roadmap proposed by Davis et al. (2007) in conducting agent-based modeling and simulation study to develop a novel theory based on the previous literature. In the case of two coexisting communities, we find that community size and participation costs can significantly affect the development of a community. A large community can attract a high number of active members who frequently log in. By contrast, low participation costs can encourage the reading and posting behaviors of members. We also observe the important influence of the distribution of interests on the topic trends of communities. A community composed of a population that focuses on only one topic can quickly converge on the topic regardless of whether the initial topic is broad or focused. This simulation model provides theoretical implications to literature and practical guidance to operators of online communities.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.200-210
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• 2023

Background: Cambaroides similis is an endangered candidate species living in the stream of South Korea. Freshwater crayfish is known to decline rapidly not only domestically, but also internationally. Its decline is projected to be further exacerbated due to climate change. Understanding physical characteristics of the habitat is crucial for the conservation of an organism. However, comprehensive data regarding the distribution and physical habitat characteristics of C. similis are currently unavailable in South Korea. Thus, the objective of this study was to ascertain preferred ranges for water depth, current velocity, and streambed substrate of C. similis using Weibull model. Results: In this study, C. similis was found at 59 sites across 12 regions in South Korea. Its optimal water depth preferences ranged from 11.9 cm to 30.1 cm. Its current velocity preferences ranged from 9.8 cm s^-1 to 29.1 cm s^-1. Its substrate preferences ranged from -5.1 𝜱_m to -2.5 𝜱_m. Median values of central tendency were determined as follows: water depth of 21.4 cm, current velocity of 21.2 cm s^-1, and substrate of -4.1 𝜱_m. Mean values of central tendency were determined as follows: water depth of 21.8 cm, current velocity of 22.0 cm s^-1, and substrate of -4.4 𝜱_m. Mode values of central tendency were determined as follows: water depth of 21.7 cm, current velocity of 20.1 cm s^-1, and substrate of -3.7 𝜱_m. Conclusions: Based on habitat suitability analysis, physical microhabitat characteristics of C. similis within a stream were identified as Run section with coarse particle substrate, low water depth, and slow current velocity. Due to high sensitivity of these habitats to environmental changes, prioritized selection and assessment of threats should be carried out as a primary step.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.51-65
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• 2023

The Jeongmaeks are Korea's unique forest space recognition system that diverged from the Baekdudaegan. The Jeongmaeks are easily exposed to pressure because it is adjacent to the living area. Among them, Nakdong-Jeongmaek has high biodiversity, but damage is accelerating. According to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 2022, the target is to expand the area of terrestrial and marine protected areas to 30% of national territory by 2030. As of September 2023, the area of terrestrial protected areas in South Korea is only 16.97% of the country's territory. This is due in part to the high proportion of private forests in the region, which makes it difficult to establish protected areas. Therefore, there is a need to establish Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measure (OECMs), which pursue complex and effective conservation that considers multiple values, as an alternative to protected areas. This study aims to identify areas suitable for OECM and to provide opinions on the establishment of appropriate management plans for each value using SOM and InVEST Habitat Quality model. This study evaluated the habitat quality of 206 villages located within 1km of the Nakdong-Jeongmaek and compared the characteristics of villages classified by SOM. As a result, the habitat quality was 0.867 for Tourism village (ClusterIV), 0.838 for Conservation village (ClusterVI), 0.835 for Mixed village (ClusterI), 0.796 for Production (ClusterV), 0.731 for Rural village (ClusterIII) and 0.625 for Urban village (ClusterII). When the distribution was identified through statistical analysis, the Kruskal-Wallis test showed that the distributions were not identical, with a p-value of 1.53e-08. Dunn's test showed a difference between Tourism, Conservation and Rural, Urban village. However, Mixed village was overestimated due to the lack of villages and the small area included in the study area. Moreover, Conservation village was somewhat under-evaluated in the analysis due to the use of a single weight for protected areas. It is necessary to perform additional reinforcement of the value evaluation of Jeongmaeks by conducting Forest Resource Survey and the National Natural Environment Survey. Therefore, we believe that sufficient validity for the establishment of OECMs in the Nakdong-Jeongmaek can be provided by addressing these limitations and conducting additional research.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.324-337
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• 2024

Aquatic macrophytes are important factors in determining species diversity and abundance of cladocerans, but the effects of cladocerans on plant species composition or structure have not been fully considered. In South Korea, wetlands and reservoirs that are prone to covering aquatic macrophytes are scattered across the country, so it is necessary to consider on aquatic macrophytes study, when aquatic animals including cladoceran were studied. in this study, the species and abundance of cladocerans community in six microhabitat types are investigated, and based on these results, habitat conservation and efficient management are suggested. The high species numbers and abundance of cladocerans communities were found in mixed plant communities consisting of free-floating, floating-leaved, and submerged plants. The inclusion of submerged plants in plant communities contributes significantly to the complexity of habitat structures, and may increase species and abundance of cladocenran communities. This can be compared to a plant community consisting only of free-floating and floating-leaved plants in the absence of submerged plants, thereby identifying the efficiency of submerged plants. In the mixed plant communities, species diversity was the highest due to the emergence of cladoceran species (Graptoleveris testudinaria, Ilyocryptus spinifer, and Leydigia acanthococcides) absent from other plant communities. The gradual increase in the biomass (g) of submerged plants in the mixed plant communities significantly increased the species numbers and abundance of cladoceran communities (p<0.05). This is strong evidence that the increase of submerged plants in mixed plant communities has a positive effect on efficiency as a habitat for cladocerans. Although submeged plants do not contribute significantly to their landscape/aesthetic value because they are submerged in water, they have the effect of increasing species diversity in terms of biology, so they should be considered important when creating/restoring wetlands.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.335-344
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• 2023

Community composition and abundance of aquatic invertebrates are important for ecological functions. Community characteristics of insects and gastropods were compared in five regions to investigate the effect of geological factors in surveys conducted between June and August to analyze seasonal changes in invertebrate communities. Underwater traps were used to obtain a constant collection effect. Insect communities were dominated by Hydrochara affinis, Rhantus suturalis and Sigara nigroventralis, and nMDS analysis demonstrated the separation of their communities by region. H. affinis and Sternolophus rufipes were not found in Haenam and Cheolwon, respectively. The results showed the effects of regional temperature on the distribution of aquatic insects. Pomacea canaliculata, Hippeutis cantori and Austropeplea ollula were dominant in the gastropod community. The seasonal variation in the abundance of P. canaliculata was the most pronounced, and its abundance in August was 38.2 times higher than in June. The abundances of several species including Hippeutis cantori were negatively correlated with that of P. canaliculata. These results suggest that P. canaliculata is a pivotal factor that drives seasonal changes in gastropod community.