• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.347-376
• /
• 2021

Investigating and evaluating regionally distributed plant resources provide fundamental information (inventory) to conserve plant diversity in target areas. Nevertheless, the examination of inventory to collect information in areas with little interest has been insufficient. In this study, the vicinity of Mt. Baegamsan(1,004m) was investigated for plant resources in the central and southern part of the Korean peninsula, which has received low interest. Nine surveys identified a total of 638 taxa consisting of 108 families, 339 genera, 572 species, 12 subspecies, 49 varieties, and 5 forms. One taxon was designated to be the endangered wild plant by the Ministry of Environment, and a total of 29 taxa were designated to be endemic species in Korea. Floristic target species identified by the surveys included 1 taxon for grade V, 13 taxa for grade IV, 36 taxa for grade III, 29s taxa for grade II, and 34 taxa for grade I. A total of 38 taxa were identified to be naturalized plants, and 3 of them were designated as invasive alien plants by the Ministry of Environment. There was a difference in plant distribution between western and eastern areas of Mt. Baegamsan. The endangered and valuable plants for conservation were mainly identified from Mt. Baegamsan peak area, the ridge, and the western area. Considering the plant distribution, the Mt. Baegamsan region, located on Nakdong-jungmaek, was estimated to be dispersal routes for plant expansion and retreat.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.237-246
• /
• 2022

Owing to their high bioproductivity and unique physical environment, estuarine wetlands are gaining importance in national biodiversity management and habitat conservation. With regard to conservation and management of estuarine wetlands, this study analyzed the ecological characteristics of Gahwacheon Estuarine Wetland, an open estuary with various habitat types. Data from vegetation and biotic surveys have shown that 12 plant communities of five physiognomic vegetation types, including lentic herbaceous vegetation, halophytic herbaceous vegetation, and chasmophytic herbaceous vegetation. Due to the discharge of Namgang Dam and the effect of the tide, vegetation are distributed along the narrow waterside area. In terms of biodiversity, a total of 715 species, including 12 endangered wildlife species, were identified. Species diversity was relatively high in sections I and III where various riverbed structures and microhabitats were distributed. Due to the effect of the brackish water area following the inflow of seawater, endangered wildlife of various functional groups were also found to be distributed, indicating the high conservation value of that area. The collection of ecological information of the Gahwacheon Estuarine Wetland can be used as a framework for establishing the basis for conservation and management of the estuarine ecosystem and support policy establishment.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.282-289
• /
• 2023

Background: As wildlife habitats are being destroyed and growth environments are changing, the survival of animals and plants is under threat. Epilobium hirsutum L., a species that inhabits wetlands, has held legally protected status since 2012. However, no specific measures are currently in place to protect its habitat, leading to a decline in remaining populations as a result of land use change and human activities. Results: The growth environment (including location, climate, land use, soil, and vegetation) of the five habitat sites (Samcheok, Taebaek1, Taebaek2, Cheongsong, Ulleung) of E. hirsutum L. was investigated and analyzed. These habitats were predominantly situated in flat areas with gentle south-facing slopes, at an average altitude of 452.7 m (8-726 m) above sea level in Gangwon-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do. The average annual temperature ranged 11.5℃ (9.2℃-12.9℃), whereas the average annual precipitation ranged 1,304.5 mm (1,062.7-1,590.7 mm). The surrounding land use status was mainly characterized by mountainous areas, and human interference, such as agricultural land and roads, was commonly found in proximity to these natural habitats. Soil physicochemical analysis revealed that the soil was predominantly sandy loam with a slightly high sand content. The average pH measured 7.64, indicating an alkaline environment, and electrical conductivity (EC) averaged 0.33 dS/m. Organic matter (OM) content averaged 66.44 g/kg, available phosphoric acid (P₂O₅) content averaged 115.73 mg/kg, and cation exchange capacity (CEC) averaged 23.43 cmolc/kg. The exchangeable cations ranged 0.09-0.43 cmol⁺/kg for potassium (K), 10.23-16.21 cmol⁺/kg for calcium (Ca), 0.67-4.94 cmol⁺/kg for magnesium (Mg), and 0.05-0.74 cmol⁺/kg for sodium (Na). The vegetation type was categorized as E. hirsutum community with high numbers of E. hirsutum L., Persicaria thunbergii (Siebold & Zucc.) H. Gross, Phragmites japonica Steud., Humulus japonicus (Siebold & Zucc.), and Bidens frondosa L.. An ecological flora analysis, including the proportion of lianas, naturalized plants, and annual herbaceous plants, revealed that the native habitat of E. hirsutum L. was ecologically unstable. Conclusions: Analysis of the habitat of E. hirsutum L., a class II endangered wildlife species, provided essential data for local conservation and restoration efforts.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.81-92
• /
• 1995

The flora of the Chuwangsan National Park was surveyed. The field works was done for three times from February to October, 1994. The total number of vascular plants in this area were surveyed as 433 taxa ; 94 families, 260 genera, 365 species, 60 varieties, 2 subspecies, 5 formas, and 1 cultivars. The twenty seven taxa which were artificially planted could be found at the temple and abandoned cultivated areas. The population of Jeffersonia dubia Benth, one of the rare and endangered plants in Korea, were surveyed and mapped for an ecological monitorings in the future. Since this population is restrictly located in the vicinity of the mountain trails, the protection measures should be urgently needed in the future.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.199-206
• /
• 2020

Satchari National Park is one of the most biodiverse forest in Bangladesh and home of many endangered flora and fauna. 206 tons of CO₂ per hectare is sequestrated in this national park every year which helps to mitigate climate issues. As people living near the area are dependent on this forest, degradation has become a regular phenomenon destroying the forest biodiversity by altering its forest cover. So, it is important to map land cover quickly and accurately for the sustainable management of Satchari National Park. The main objective of this study was to obtain information on land cover change using remote sensing data. Combination of unsupervised NDVI classification and supervised classification using maximum likelihood is followed in this study to find out land cover map. The analysis showed that the land cover is gradually converting from one land use type to another. Dense forest becoming degraded forest or bare land. Although it was slowed down by the establishment of 'National Park' on the study site, forecasting shows that it is not enough to mitigate forest degradation. Legal steps and proper management strategies should be taken to mitigate causes of degradation such as illegal felling.

• Mycobiology
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.521-526
• /
• 2019

During the 2014 survey of the mushroom flora of Gwangneung forest in South Korea, we collected two specimens of boletoid mushroom growing on a felled tree of Pinus koraiensis. These specimens were characterized by a light brown to reddish-brown pileus with appressed tomentum, pore surface bluing instantly when bruised, golden-yellow mycelium at the base of stipe, and lignicolous habitat. Both specimens were identified as Buchwaldoboletus lignicola, a rare basidiomycete, based on morphological characteristics and sequences of internal transcribed spacer (ITS; fungal barcode). Here, we describe these specimens and provide the first report of this genus in South Korea.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.24-29
• /
• 1997

The actual vegetation map, community composition and vegetation structure of an isolated Evodia daniellii community due to the urbanization were investigated. At the habitat of Evodia daniellii, east cliff of Mt. Sudo, I made 30 plots of 100m$^{2}$ and adjusted 15 times the aspect of vegetation in whole growing season. On the base of these data, synoptic vegetation table was constructed. The constellation diagram by the calculation of ${\chi}$$^{2}$-value based on the vegetation data shown three vegetation groups pf Albizzia julibrissin with 10 species, Zanthoxylum shinifolium with 12 species and Ulmus parvifolia with 6 species. Through the DBH measurement of 5 major tress, we found that Ailanthus altissima, Paulownia tomentosa and Zelkova serrata are dominant in present, but it will be change by Evodia daniellii.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.55-59
• /
• 2024

The remarkable economic growth achieved in the modern era has revitalized various industries, including pet trade. More than 2,000 species of non-native species have been introduced to South Korea and approximately 7.7 tonnes of alien turtles are imported annually. Turtles belonging to the family Kinosternidae. They are mostly small and popular pets, although they are designated as Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) species. In the present study, we present the first two species of musk turtles found in the wild in South Korea. On April 5, 2023 and July 8, 2023, an eastern musk turtle (Sternotherus odoratus) and a razorbacked musk turtle (Sternotherus carinatus) were captured in Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do and Jung-gu, Daejeon, respectively. The carapace length was 88.6 mm for S. odoratus and 105.68 mm for S. carinatus. They were identified based on their morphological characteristics and mtDNA cytochrome b gene. These turtles were found in waterfront areas with over 1.4 million annual visitors. Both sites were found to have threatened amphibians and reptiles. There is an urgent need to continue monitoring and conducting risk assessments for the protection of endemic species in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
• /
• v.45 no.1
• /
• pp.72-95
• /
• 2015

In order to illustrate the flora of vascular plants distributed in the area of Mt. Hambaek-san and its neighboring mountains, the authors collected vascular plants intensively on Mt. Hambaek-san (1,573 m), Mt. Geumdae-bong (1,418 m) and Mt. Daedeok-san (1,307 m) from April of 2012 to August of 2014. All of them consisted of 90 families, 310 genera, 532 species, 4 subspecies, 73 varieties and 13 forms, with a total of 622 taxa. The total number of vascular plants in the investigated area was 808 taxa (17.55% of all vascular plants in Korea) with the addition of voucher specimens from previous investigations. Among the collected plants, endemic ones were 21 taxa, rare and endangered ones 26 taxa, naturalized ones 30 taxa, useful ones 464 taxa, and floristically specific ones of Korean floristic zones 62 taxa except for species of the first and second grade. Among the floristic zones of the Korean Peninsula, this investigated area showed the typical vegetation of a temperate middle province into which more northern elements than southern elements flowed.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.13-25
• /
• 2009

This study was carried out to investigate the flora of Ssanggok valley, Chilsung-myeon, Geosan-gun and Chungcheongbuk-do, and the survey of period was from March, 2006 to June, 2007. The results of surveying the flora were recorded as 401 taxa; 88 families, 242 genera, 342 species, 52 varieties and 7 forma. The korean endemic plants were 8 taxa; Cephalotaxus harringtonia, Salix purpurea var. japonica, Asarum maculatum, Clematis trichotoma, Zanthoxylum schinifolium var. inermis, Lonicera subsessilis, Weigela subsessilis and Saussurea seoulensis. The endangered plant designate by the ministry of environment was Berchemia berchemiaefolia. The rare plants designated by Korea forest service were 7 taxa; Crypsinus hastatus, Asarum maculatum, Paeonia japonica, Berchemia berchemiaefolia, Viola albida, Rhododendron micranthum and Lilium distichum. In future, we will discuss a concrete conservation plan and propagation method about rare plants for conservation. The plant resources were 220 taxa of ornamental plant, 239 taxa of edible plant, 281 taxa of medicinal plant and 206 taxa of others. The naturalized plants were 13 taxa; Dactylis glmerata, Rumex crispus, Chenopodium glaucum, Robinia pseudo-acacia, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens, Oenothera lamarckiana, Aster subulatus, Erechtites hieracifolia, Erigeron annuus, Erigeron canadensis, Helianthus tuberosus and Taraxacum officinale. The naturalized index and Urbanized index were about 3.24% and 4.53%.