• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.224-255
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• 2022

This study was carried out to examine the changes in vascular flora in the first and second surveys targeting 32 outstanding forest wetlands in Jeonnam area including Gwangju metropolitan city, and based on this, establish a future monitoring system and effectively manage the excellent forest wetlands. The survey investigated the area seasonally every 4-5 years from 2015 to 2021. The change of flora of 32 excellent forest wetlands in Jeollanam-do increased from 103 families, 311 genera, 496 species, 16 subspecies, 38 varieties, 6 varieties, 556 taxa, to 111 families, 362 genera, 599 species, 16 subspecies, 51 varieties, 8 varieties, 674 taxa. Remarkable plants such as Red list and plants endemic to the Korean Peninsula increased also. However, Nepeta cataria and the like are exterminated locally, so an in situ and ex situ conservation strategy must be established. In the case of plants categorized according to wetland preference, the distribution ratio of such wetland plants slightly decreased and the distribution ratio of such terrestrial plants lightly increased for absolute wetland plants. It is necessary to prepare countermeasures for the terrestrialization of forest wetlands and to develop research techniques that can distinguish boundaries. In addition, the forest wetland should be systematically managed and supervised by designating it as a Forest Genetic Resources Reserve that can effectively conserve it.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.762-770
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• 2016

This study intended to investigate environmental factors including soil and vegetation in order to understand the environmental and ecological characteristics of the Korean endemic species, Syringa fauriei. Syringa fauriei is mainly distributed along the valley and riverside of the Gangwondo and its population is located at an elevation of 121~520m. Consequent to a vegetation survey within natural populations, a total of 320 taxa were identified from 20 quadrates in 4 natural populations. The Syringa fauriei population was classified into Securinega suffruticosa dominant population, Acer pseudosieboldianum dominant population, Amorpha fruticosa dominant population and Sorbaria sorbifolia var. stellipila dominant population. According to the physical and chemical soil analysis, Syringa fauriei habitats contained 1.98~2.81% of organic matter and 0.13~0.20 mg/kg of total nitrogen. The concentrations of cation exchange capacities $K^+$, $Ca^{2+}$, and $Mg^{2+}$ were $0.10{\sim}0.33cmol^+/kg$, $3.44{\sim}20.53cmol^+/kg$, and $0.34{\sim}0.95cmol^+/kg$, respectively. Positive ion substitution capacity was $8.08{\sim}13.68cmol^+/kg$. The pH was 6.28~7.74. The importance value of Deutzia glabrata, Fraxinus rhynchophylla, Alangium platanifolium var. trilobum, Syringa fauriei, Juglans mandshurica, and Salix koreensis in the Syringa fauriei population were 86.99%, 43.97%, 23.01%,18.52, 18.40%, and 11.56%, respectively. Correlation analysis between the vegetation of Syringa fauriei populations and its environmental factors using DCCA revealed that the altitude above sea level and $Mg^{2+}$ were the most influential factors, while dominant populations of Securinega suffruticosa and Acer pseudosieboldianum were spread across areas with high percentages of pH, CEC, and $Mg^{2+}$. Acer pseudosieboldianum population was dispersed in areas with higher $K^+$ compared to Securinega suffruticosa population. The dominant population of Amorpha fruticosa was found to live in places with high altitudes above sea level and with high rates of available phosphate, $K^+$, and rock-exposure.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.107-124
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• 2015

The 'Imjin System' (or Rimjin System) was established in 1962 as a new stratigraphic unit separated from the Upper Paleozoic Pyeongan System based on the discovery of brachiopods and echinoderms of possible Devonian age. Subsequent discoveries of the Middle Devonian charophytes confirmed the Devonian age of the system. The Imjin System is distributed in the Imjingang Belt between the Pyongnam Basin and the Gyeonggi Massif, spans from the eastern areas including Cholwon-gun of the Gangwon Province, Gumchon-gun, Phanmun-gun, and Tosan-gun of the Hwanghaebuk Province, to the western areas of Gangryong-gun and Ongjin-gun of the Hwanghaenam Province, and includes the Yeoncheon Group (metamorphic complex) to the south. Unlike the lower Paleozoic strata in the Pyongnam Basin which solely produce marine invertebrate fossils, the Imjin System yields diverse non-marine plant and algal fossils. Brachiopods of the system are similar to those from the Devonian of the South China Block and include taxa endemic to the platform, implying a close paleogeographic affinity to the South China Block. The Imjin System is generally considered as of Middle to Late Devonian in age, although there have been suggestions that the system is of the Middle Devonian to Carboniferous in age. North Korean workers postulated that the Imjin System was deposited in the current geographic position, where the "Imjin Sea" (an extension of the South China Platform) was located during the Devonian. The Imjin System displays strong local variations in stratigraphy and its thickness. It has recently been reported that the strata are repeated and overturned by thrust faults in many exposures. The Yeoncheon Group a southward extension of the Imjin System, also experienced intense tight folding and contractional deformation. Northward decrease in metamorphic grade within the system suggests that the northern part of the Gyeonggi Massif and the Imjingang Belt are probably an extension of the Dabie-Sulu Belt between the South China and Sino-Korean blocks, and the Imjin System is an remnant of accretion resulted from the collision between the two blocks. In order to understand tectonic evolution and Paleozoic paleogeography of eastern Asia, further studies on stratigraphic, sedimentologic and tectonic evolution of the Imjin System involving scientists from the two Koreas are urgently needed.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.221-244
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• 2004

Prunus sargentii complex of subgenus Cerasus is an Eastem Asiatic plant group that exhibits a broad range of morphological variation and includes P. takesimensis, P. yedosensis, P. verecunda, and P. sargentii. In this study, a morphological analysis was undertaken to determine whether the observed morphological variation was primarily attributable to morphological discontinuities among the taxa. P. sargentii, which distributed eastem area in Korea, northern area in Japan and far east Russia had umbel like inflorescence and additionally was characterized by sticky bud and leaf twigs, compared with P. serrulata complex. Also, P. verecunda in Korea and Japan was characterized by umbel like inflorescence and presence of hair in leaf, petiole and pedicel, and was treated as a variety of P. sargentii. Evidence obtained from multivariate morphometric analyses indicated that the entity of P. takesimensis formed a cohesive group somewhat distinct from P. sargenti.. Especially, P. takesimensis was characterized by relatively small flowers (26-32mm in diameter) and many flowers [(2)3-5] per umbel inflorescence, compared with P. sargentii (34-48mm and 2(3) per inflorescence) and should be recognized as an independent and endeImic taxon in Korea. Additionally, P. yedosensis, which was known to have umbel inflorescence (short peduncle type) with pubescent style based on the type specimen, was comprised of corymb inflorescence (long peduncle type) as well. The morphological differentiation between these two types of P. yedosensis was not considered sufficient to warrant recognition of specific status because of the putative hybrid origin, no distinctive geographical distribution pattern, and existence of various peduncle length on Island Jeju-do of Korea.