• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.124-129
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• 2015

In order to get as ecological basic data for river restoration, vegetation investigation was conducted in natural river and analysed it synecological methods, such as ordination cluster. 29 plant communities units were identified and the major dominant plant communites were Quercus mongolica community, Pinus densiflora community, Populus davidiana community, Q. variabilis community and Prunus sargentii community. River vegetations were classified into ravine and gorge forest type and riverine softwood forest type. Ravine and gorge forest was dominanted by hardwood which located in steep slope and in high elevation, and riverine softwood forest by softwood, salix spp. Naturality was an important criterion for the selection of rivers, so many of the selected rivers are located in the upper stream and mid stream rather than the lower stream, where more human intervention is involved. Plant communities were consisted of hardwood forest(44 plots, 92%) and softwood forest(4 plot, 8%), respectively. PCA with total layer data showed 5 groups of communities: Q. mongolica community group, Prunus sargentii community group, Pinus densiflora community group, Prunus sargentii community - Pinus densiflora community group and the rest communities group. PCA with tree layer showed 3 groups: Q. mongolica community group, Prunus sargentii community group, and the rest community group. Cluster analysis also a showed a similar communities group to PCA ordination, but Magnolia sieboldii community and Prunus sargentii community were distinguished from the PCA result. From the result, it can be concluded that the plant communities of riparian be divided into hardwood and softwood forest by statistical techniques. It was appropriate to plant species such as Quercus mongolica, Pinus densiflora, Populus davidiana, Quercus variabilis and Prunus sargentii, at levee zone and high water level. And Sliax spp. were appropriate for planted plants at waterfront and low water level. The herb species to be planted on the floodplain were recommanded in the species composition co-occurred with the woody species.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.45-56
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• 2023

In stream ecosystem assessment, RIVPACS, which makes a simple but clear evaluation based on macroinvertebrate community, is widely used. In this study, a preliminary study was conducted to develop a RIVPACS-type model suitable for Korean streams nationwide. Reference streams were classified into two types(upstream and downstream), and a prediction model for macroinvertebrates was developed based on each family. A model for upstream was divided into 7 (train): 3 (test), and that for downstream was made using a leave-one-out method. Variables for the models were selected by non-metric multidimensional scaling, and seven variables were chosen, including elevation, slope, annual average temperature, stream width, forest ratio in land use, riffle ratio in hydrological characteristics, and boulder ratio in substrate composition. Stream order classified 3,224 sites as upstream and downstream, and community compositions of sites were predicted. The prediction was conducted for 30 macroinvertebrate families. Expected (E) and observed fauna (O) were compared using an ASPT biotic index, which is computed by dividing the BMWPK score into the number of families in a community. EQR values (i.e. O/E) for ASPT were used to assess stream condition. Lastly, we compared EQR to BMI, an index that is commonly used in the assessment. In the results, the average observed ASPT was 4.82 (±2.04 SD) and the expected one was 6.30 (±0.79 SD), and the expected ASPT was higher than the observed one. In the comparison between EQR and BMI index, EQR generally showed a higher value than the BMI index.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.375-387
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• 2024

This study investigated the ecological characteristics of Fraxinus chiisanensis Nakai, one of the endemic and rare plant species in Korea, based on its distribution status, characteristics of the growth environment, and species composition. A vegetation survey that analyzed the correlation between species distribution patterns and environmental variables, along with the traits of the emergent plant species, was performed according to the explanation of environmental growth conditions and phytosociological method for the location where F. chiisanensis is found. A total of 19 dominant locations and 9 non-dominant locations of F. chiisanensis were observed in 28 study sites in 12 regions, and a total of 155 taxa were observed. According to the vegetation climate of Korea, the growth environment of the study site where F. chiisanensis is located is characterized as cold and is primarily situated within the northern temperate deciduous broadleaf forest zone. The average elevation was 859m above sea level, with an average rock exposure of 60.4%, soil exposure of 24.7%, and an average slope of 18.7°. The taxa belonging to the top P-NCD(Percentage of Net Contribution Degree) among the emergent species were mostly designated as the taxa emerging in valley vegetation. The correlation analysis of environmental variables revealed that altitude had the strongest correlation, with rock exposure showing the second highest correlation. The ongoing dynamics of the F. chiisanensis forest are anticipated to persist due to the high P-NCD values exhibited by the F. chiisanensis within the shrub and herbaceous layers among the taxa associated with tree species. Most F. chiisanensis habitats are currently situated within protected regions such as national parks, provincial parks, and county parks, where there are relatively minimal human-induced disturbances. However, there is potential for damage in areas not designated as protected, such as forest tending operation sites or new hiking trails. Concerns about declining habitat quality have prompted suggestions for management strategies such as establishing Forest Genetic Resource Reserves in these locations. In addition, follow-up and further research should be conducted to identify possible sites for distribution and establish candidate conservation areas based on various environmental conditions of F. chiisanensis.