• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.616-632
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• 2021

We performed taxonomic reviews and habitat circumstances survey for 41 un-introduced environmentally harmful plants (as designated by the Ministry of Environment, Korea in 2016). And we investigated plant specimens from several herbaria and performed a field survey in the southeastern region of the United States. Based on the result, we presented the most comprehensive results of weed risk evaluation and taxonomic description up to now as well as classification keys for 11 species to apply the regulation management of putative invasive alien species - Senecio madagascariensis Poir., Sphagneticola trilobata (L.) Pruski, Ageratina riparia (Regel) R.M. King & H. Rob. (Asteraceae), Andropogon gayanus Kunth (Poaceae), Echinocystis lobata (Michx.) Torr. & A. Gray (Cucurbitaceae), Salvinia minima Baker (Salviniaceae), Vincetoxicum rossicum (Kleopow) Barbar. (Asclepiadaceae), Asparagus asparagoides (L.) Druce (Asparagaceae), Alternanthera pungens Kunth (Amaranthaceae), Salpichroa origanifolia (Lam.) Thell., and Lycium ferocissimum Miers (Solanaceae).

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.223-248
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• 2021

We conducted a taxonomic study and agricultural environmental risk assessments of 41 putative invasive alien plants designated by the Ministry of Environment in 2016. In order to achieve the goal, we carried out the field survey four times including the United States, Australia, and Mexico, and investigated specimens, literature, and other information including seed morphology, classification key, and habitat conditions. In this study, we reported the taxonomic characters, ecological risk, and weed risk assessment of 41 putative invasive alien plants, and suggested significant information about 11 species to contribute to establish solutions of regulation management for putative invasive alien plants - Spirodela punctata (G.Mey.) C.H.Thomps. (Araceae), Sagittaria graminea Michx. (Alismataceae), Elodea nuttallii (Planch.) H.St. John, Hydrocharis morsus-ranae L., Stratiotes aloides L. (Hydrocharitaceae), Eichhornia azurea (Swartz) Kunth, Monochoria hastata (L.) Solms (Pontederiaceae), Aegilops tauschii Coss. (Poaceae), Myriophyllum heterophyllum Michx. (Haloragaceae), Bunias orientalis L. (Brassicaceae), and Heracleum sosnowskyi Manden. (Apiaceae).

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.200-219
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• 2020

We performed taxonomic reviews and habitat circumstances survey for 41 un-introduced environmentally harmful plants (as designated by the Ministry of Environment, Korea in 2016). For this purpose, we investigated plant specimens from several herbaria and performed a field survey in the southeastern region of the United States. Base on the result, we presented the most comprehensive results of weed risk evaluation and taxonomic description up to now as well as classification keys for 11 species to apply the regulation management of putative invasive alien species - Centaurea maculosa Lam., Centaurea diffusa Lam., Mikania micrantha Kunth. (Asteraceae), Cenchrus echinatus L., Neyraudia reynaudiana (Kunth) Keng ex Hitchcock, Brachiaria mutica (Forsskål) Stapf, Vulpia bromoides (L.) Gray, Lolium persicum Boissier & Hohennacker, Setaria palmifolia (J. Konig) Stapf (Poaceae), Prosopis glandulosa Torr. (Fabaceae), Fallopia baldschuanica (Regel) Hobub. (Polygonaceae).

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.10-17
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• 2021

Invasive alien species management is pivotal for biodiversity conservation. Commelina caroliniana Walter, from the family Commelinaceae, is an alien plant native to the Himalayas and India, but it has been widely introduced around the world, including in the United States, Brazil, Philippines, and Japan. In Korea, the first population was found growing adjacent to agricultural land and farm roads on Jejudo Island, and field observations confirmed the presence of at least nine populations there. It is similar morphologically to C. diffusa Burm. f. but can be distinguished by involucral bracts that are ciliate at the base, hairs on the peduncle and obsolete upper cincinnus, brown spots on its 4-lobed antherode, and seed surfaces that are smooth to slightly alveolate. It was determined to have an invasiveness low score of 8 according to the Korean 'Invasive Alien Plant Risk Assessment', suggesting that it may spread to natural habitats. Although the current distribution of C. caroliniana is restricted to Jeju-si, it has spread dramatically in many other areas of the world. At present, it has had a limited impact on the local environment, but local and regulatory authorities should pay close attention to this plant and take measures to prevent its expansion in the future.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.752-757
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• 2019

The establishment of invasive alien species management is widely recognized as a pivotal issue in the preservation of biodiversity. Ranunculus sardous Crantz, a species native to Europe, has been widely introduced in many other areas of the world, including the coasts of the United States, Australia, China, India, and Japan. In Korea, the first population of this plant was found growing adjacent to a wetland in Hanon, Seogwipo-si, Jeju Province, on 22 May 2018. Field observations confirmed the presences of at least two populations of this species in Jeju Province, Korea. This species is similar to Ranunculus sceleratus L., but can be readily distinguished by its presence of the trichomes in the whole plant, longer petioles of radical leaves, ovate-shaped leaf segments, globose to subglobose-shaped fruits and flat achenes with narrowly winged and papillae. The Invasive Alien Plant Risk Assessment (IAPRA), a system for recognizing and categorizing alien plants in Korea forests, was used to assess the invasiveness status of the species. Based on this system, R. sardous received a low score of 6, suggesting its potential invasion to natural forests. Although the current distribution of R. sardous is restricted to Jeju Province and thus far has had limited impact on local environments, local and regulatory authorities should pay close attention to this plant and take measures to prevent its further expansion.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.74-82
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• 2020

Predictions of suitable habitat areas can provide important information pertaining to the risk assessment and management of alien plants at early stage of their establishment. Here, we predict the invasion potential of Muhlenbergia capillaris (pink muhly) in South Korea using five bioclimatic variables. We adopt four models (generalized linear model, generalized additive model, random forest (RF), and artificial neural network) for projection based on 630 presence and 600 pseudo-absence data points. The RF model yielded the highest performance. The presence probability of M. capillaris was highest within an annual temperature range of 12 to 24℃ and with precipitation from 800 to 1,300 mm. The occurrence of M. capillaris was positively associated with the precipitation of the driest quarter. The projection map showed that suitable areas for M. capillaris are mainly concentrated in the southern coastal regions of South Korea, where temperatures and precipitation are higher than in other regions, especially in the winter season. We can conclude that M. capillaris is not considered to be invasive based on a habitat suitability map. However, there is a possibility that rising temperatures and increasing precipitation levels in winter can accelerate the expansion of this plant on the Korean Peninsula.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.184-195
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• 2022

The invasive alien species Brassica tournefortii Gouan (Brassicaceae) is herein reported for the first time in Korea, from Gunsan-si, Gochang-gun, and Jeju-si. Brassica tournefortii can easily be distinguished from B. juncea and B. napus by its dense stiff hairs at the base of the stem and leaves, basally and distally branched stems, partially dehiscent fruits, and seeds that become mucilaginous in the presence of moisture. Although some taxonomists have classified this species as belonging to Coincya Rouy based on its fruit and seed characteristics, the existence of one vein on the fruit valves and our maximum likelihood analysis using internal transcribed spacer sequences placed it in Brassica. Distribution data, photographs, and a description of B. tournefortii are presented herein. Moreover, potential changes in the distribution of B. tournefortii were predicted under different climate scenarios, but our analysis showed that the probability of the spreading of this species is low. Nevertheless, continuous monitoring is necessary for an accurate assessment. The results of the present study can be used to conduct an invasion risk assessment and can assist with the effective management of this invasive alien species.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.543-558
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• 2019

This study was carried out to apply the taxonomic characters to identify and to provide the habitat circumstances for forty one un-introduced environmentally harmful plants in the Korea which have been designated by Ministry of Environment in 2016. We investigated the dried plant specimen from several herbaria and performed field habitat survey in western coast area of United States including California, Oregon and Washington. We suggest the first result for ecological risk discussion, weed risk assessment, taxonomic characters and classification keys for 8 species with the related species - Carduus acanthoides L. (Asteraceae), Carduus tenuiflorus W. Curtis (Asteraceae), Onopordum acanthium L. (Asteraceae), Chromolaena odorata (L.) R.M. King & H. Rob. (Asteraceae), Hydrocotyle ranunculoides L.f. (Apiaceae), Oenanthe pimpinelloides L. (Apiaceae), Ehrharta erecta Lam. (Poaceae), and Paspalum conjugatum P.J. Bergius (Poaceae).

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.672-679
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• 2018

This study was conducted to predict the potential distribution and risk of invasive alien plant, Amaranthus patulus, in an agricultural area of South Korea. We collected 254 presence localities of A. patulus using field survey and literature search and stimulated the potential distribution area of A. patulus using maximum entropy modeling (MaxEnt) with six climatic variables. Two different kinds of agricultural risk index, raster risk index and regional risk index, were estimated. The 'raster risk index' was calculated by multiplying the potential distribution by the field area in $1{\times}1km$ and 'regional risk index' was calculated by multiplying the potential distribution by field area proportion in the total field of South Korea. The predicted potential distribution of A. patulus was almost matched with actual presence data. The annual mean temperature had the highest contribution for distribution modeling of A. patulus. Area under curve (AUC) value of the model was 0.711. The highest regions were Gwangju for potential distribution, Jeju for 'raster risk index' and Gyeongbuk for 'regional risk index'. This different ranks among the index showed the importance about the development of various risk index for evaluating invasive plant risk.