• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.846-852
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• 2011

This study researched the spawning sites of Kaloula borealis in a large number of wetlands in Jeju Island between May and August from 2007 to 2010. Based on the surveys, we discovered the locations of their habitats by investigating their calls from a rainy night to the next day and where their spawning sites were by ascertaining the existence of their eggs and tadpoles. According to the results, 83 wetlands were used as spawning sites across Jeju Island. A large number of wetlands were found to be permanent wetlands for Kaloula borealis. In addition, 81.9% of the wetlands in Jeju Island were found to be at an altitude of 150m or lower, and they spawned in shallow water not more than 50cm in depth. By region, 54 wetlands were in Jeju-island 29 wetlands were in Seogwipo-si. One of the reasons that Seogwipo-si has less wetlands than Jeju-si is that there are more orchards in Seogwipo-si than Jeju-si; accordingly, wetlands in Seogwipo-si were found to be more destroyed by farming. In the case of Seongsan-eup, a reedy marsh stretches out widely so that spawning sites were well preserved compared to other regions. This research will provide useful data for sustaining the population of Kaloula borealis by protecting their spawning sites from development, by offering habitats, and restoring spawning sites, which have become severely damaged and destroyed.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.684-693
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• 2016

Daemyung retarding basin located near the confluence floodplain of the Nakdong and Kumho River is a large spawning site for the endangered Kaloula borealis, and needs for protecting the habitat of the endangered species are increasing. However, scientific studies are rarely conducted on the population characteristics and ecological knowledge on the species in the basin. This paper aims to estimate the population size and spatial distribution of the species that inhabited at the Daemyung retarding basin, using the capture-recapture method. Also, pitfall traps were installed in each habitat types classified with micro-topographic features, slope aspects, and vegetation communities to identify the spatial distribution characteristics of the Kaloula borealis of each habitat in the retarding basin. Field survey on the species was conducted from May 2013 to October 2014, showing that the species emerged in May, became more active during July and August and started to hibernate at the end of October. Using capture-recapture method, the first survey was carried out from July to August, 2014. Ninety-eight toads were captured, marked, and released back into the site. In the second survey, 68 toads including 5 marked toads of the previous survey were captured. Based on these two-sample surveys, around 535-2,131 individual toads are estimated to inhabit the Daemyung retarding basin. Fifty-seven pitfall traps were installed in four habitat types: mounded and vegetated flatland, lowland swamps, and slope areas of both the southern and western parts of the basin in order to delineate spatial abundance of the endangered Kaloula borealis during the rainy season when the species is actively spawning. Pitfall traps at the spatially explicit array indicated that the species gradually move to the slope areas near the Daemyung stream, showing high occurrence density of the Kaloula borealis compared to the lowland swamps after the spawning season. The emergence of Kaloula borealis in the lowland swamps appeared to be comparatively higher during the spawning season. However, after the spawning season the toads species rapidly moved into the neighboring land of relatively high elevation such as the slope area towards the Dalsung protected wetlands and Daemyung River. These results are closely related to the migration patterns that toads tend to return to the sheltering sites and/or hibernating grounds after the spawning season. Also, the Kaloula borealis moved to the nearest high-level vegetated areas as the lowland swamps of their spawning grounds deteriorated with the expansion of permanent ponds due to the rise in the groundwater level.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.76-87
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of and to derive future maintenance-management measures of the constructed alternative habitat for the Kaloula borealis at the University of Seoul, examining the period between 2015-2017. The research was constructed in 2014 and in a $191m^2$ area. The performance evaluation was divided into maintaining the habitat of the target species, maintaining the population and reproduction rates of the target species, maintaining the habitat of the wild species, the resilience of natural ecosystems, and the harmony with the surrounding environment. In terms of maintaining the habitat of the target species, soil collected from the existing habitat of the Kaloula borealis and was the depth was increased to 30cm in the alternative habitat. An artificial water supply was required every year during the supporting the spawning and hatching of other amphibians along with the Kaloula borealis. The sources of water of the alternative habitat were both rain and tap water, as it cannot be maintained naturally. Additionally, the Kaloula borealis thrived because it inhabited the research site and the average temperature was $26.2^{\circ}C$ from April-June, which is when the Kaloula borealis spawns. In terms of maintaining the population and reproduction rates of the Kaloula borealis, they were evaluated to have stable rates of reproduction. In terms of maintaining the habitat of the wild species, studies on vegetation and the structure of the characteristics of prey or predators will be needed. Also, alien species, such as Humulus japonicus and Bidens frondosa needed to be removed to maintain the wetland ecosystem of the wild species. In the assessment of the resilience of the natural ecosystems, the mud was monitored, noting the changes in the depth of water, with steps taken to reduce the leakage of water. The mud collected from the Haneul Pond wetland, which is located around the research site was piled up. Also, partial mowing management and the inducement of a natural vegetation colony was required for vegetation management. It was also necessary to create porous spaces, such as old trees and tree branches to create a habitat with hiding places and feeding and spawning places for small organisms. In terms of the harmony with the surrounding environment, the following threat factors needed to be managed: amphibian roadkill by vehicles and pedestrians and artificial draining due to nearby user access. Based on the monitoring results, alternative habitat management measures presented the promoting various waterside structures, in which amphibians can spawn and hide in, managing the water environment consistently, managing the vegetation, focused on the habitat of the wild species, and managing the surrounding environment for the habitat. The creation of an alternative habitat should be managed through monitoring, reflecting the characteristics of the changes in the site. Also continuing efforts are also needed to improve the habitat of the target species.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.281-286
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• 2014

This study was conducted to investigate the individual size and age of Kaloula borealis, a pair in amplexus. In June 2013, the total 23 pairs of Kaloula borealis were captured in the wetland located in Seongsan-eup and Daejeong-eup, Jeju Island. Size and age of each individual have been examined and as a result of analyzing SVL (snout-vent length), weight, length of forelimb and hindlimb of the collected 23 pairs, the females were shown to have the heavier weight and the longer SVL and hindlimb compared to males. No significant difference in the length of forelimb has been found between the female and the male. The average age of the male of the pair in amplexus was shown to be $5.17{\pm}0.26$, whereas the female was shown to be $6.22{\pm}0.28$, which indicates the higher average age in female compared to the male. The age range of Kaloula borealis was distributed from at least 3 years to 10 years at the maximum. A positive correlation was shown between age of the male and SVL; however, no significant difference was found in female. This study result expected to be utilized as an important base data in establishing the preservation and restoration strategy of endangered species, Kaloula borealis.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.160-167
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• 2024

The amphibians serve as environmental indicator species warning of threats from pollution and development, and information regarding their body condition and surrounding habitat can be utilized as crucial indicators for assessing ecosystem health. The objective of this study was to investigate the differences in body condition and the climate environments according to the season and sex of Class II endangered Kaloula borealis. A total of 53 surveys were conducted from June to October 2018, targeting frogs inhabiting the Godeok-dong area of Gangdong-gu, Seoul. Using the weight and length of each individual, the body condition index (SMI, Scaled mass index) was calculated. Results showed a total capture of 396 individuals, consisting of 235 males and 161 females. Females exhibited longer SVL and greater weight compared to males, with higher body condition indices. Monthly body condition indices were lower for males in June, while no differences were observed between males and females from July to September. Among the climate environments where females and males appeared, environmental variables related to precipitation and humidity showed differences. These research findings are deemed crucial for providing fundamental information to ascertain suitable habitats for Kaloula borealis and selecting alternative habitats due to developmental impacts in the future.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1996.10a
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• pp.87.2-87
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• 1996

• Proceedings of The Korean Society of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology Conference
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.37-38
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• 2011

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.115-124
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• 2013

This study was conducted to make a biotop planning and construct 3 types of biotop by each site conditions. Three sites of different types in ecological and scenery conservation area of the Dong-gang river were selected by expert brain-storming process and constructed terrestrial biotops and aquatic biotops. Targets of 3 sites were set up such as constructing a habitat for Kaloula borealis and an ecological education place, building a terrestrial biotopes and monitoring the natural vegetation succession, and constructing a habitat for Luciola unmunsana Doi. The study results can be applied hereafter to ecological restoration projects, after construction of habitat, the priority should be prepare measures of monitoring and maintenance, hereafter continuous study on ecological restoration should be performed actively through construction of biotope and wild animals and plants habitat.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Environment and Ecology Conference
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• 2010.04a
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• pp.150-154
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• 2010

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.103-119
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• 2016

This study aims to assess habitat feature on the large-scale spawning ground of the Boreal Digging Frog Kaloula borealis in Daemyung retarding basin of Daegu, and to analyze the relationships between species abundance and meteorological factors for each habitat. Fifty-seven(57) pitfalls were installed to collect species abundance of 4 survey regions, and high-resolution satellite image, soil sampling equipment, digital topographic map, and GPS were used to develop habitat features such as terrain, soil, vegetation, human disturbance. The analysis shows that the frog is most abundant in sloped region with densely herbaceous cover in southern part of the retarding basin. In the breeding season, lowland regions, where Phragmites communis and P. japonica dominant wetlands and temporary ponds distributed, are heavily concentrated by the species for spawning and foraging. Located in between legally protected Dalsung wetands and lowland regions of the retarding basin, riverine natural levee is ecologically important area as core habitat for Kaloula borealis, and high number of individuals were detected both breeding and non-breeding seasons. Temperate- and pressure-related meteorological elements are selected as statistically significant variables in species abundance of non-breeding season in lowland and highland regions. However, in sloped regions, only a few variables are statistically significant during non-breeding season. Moreover, breeding activities in sloped regions are statistically significant with minimum temperature, grass minimum temperature, dew point temperature, and vapor pressure. Significant meteorological factors with habitat features are effectively applied to establish species conservation strategy of the retarding basin and to construct for avoiding massive road-kills on neighboring roads of the study sites, particularly post-breeding movements from spawning to burrowing areas.