• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• 제54권3호
• /
• pp.209-220
• /
• 2021

Pacific herring, Clupea pallasii, a keystone species with significant ecological and commercial importance, is declining globally throughout much of its range. While traditional fishing equipment methods remain limited, new sensitive and rapid detection methods should be developed to monitor fisheries resources. To monitor the presence and quantity of C. pallasii from environmental DNA (eDNA) extracted from seawater samples, a pair of primers and a TaqMan^® probe specific to this fish based on mitochondrial cytochrome b (COB) sequences were designed for the real-time PCR (qPCR) assay. The combination of our molecular markers showed high specificity in the qPCR assay, which affirmed the success of presenting a positive signal only in the C. pallasii specimens. The markers also showed a high sensitivity for detecting C. pallasii genomic DNA in the range of 1 pg~100 ng rxn^-1 and its DNA plasmid containing COB amplicon in the range of 1~100,000copies rxn^-1, which produced linear standard calibration curves (r²=0.99). We performed a qPCR assay for environmental water samples obtained from 29 sampling stations in the southeastern coastal regions of South Korea using molecular markers. The assay successfully detected the C. pallasii eDNA from 14 stations (48.2%), with the highest mean concentration in Jinhae Bay with a value of 76.09±18.39 pg L^-1 (246.20±58.58 copies L^-1). Our preliminary application of molecular monitoring of C. pallasii will provide essential information for efficient ecological control and management of this valuable fisheries resource.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
• /
• 제24권1호
• /
• pp.37-51
• /
• 2021

The purpose of this research is to develop the Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) for habitat environments of Aix galericulata (A. galericulata) and Dendrocopos major (D. major), which tend to inhabit urban environments. A. galericulata and D. major are the keystone species representing the ecosystem of wetlands and forests. Based on the analysis of their urban habitat environments, this study selects artificially adjustable levels of the environmental index in order to produce the HSI model, which can be used when either restoring or creating the urban habitats for these species. To develop the HSI, we conducted field surveys at Jungnangcheon Stream, Changgyeonggung, Jangneung, Bangbae Neighborhood Park, Gildong Ecological Park, and Seodalsan Mountain. These surveys were conducted between April and August 2020, and this period includes the breeding season of both A. galericulata and D. major. Based on our findings from the surveys, we conclude that there are six SI factors for A. galericulata. These include (1) the presence of alluvial islands, (2) waterfront vegetation cover rate, (3) type of aquatic plants for food, (4) size of forest patch, (5) type of trees in nearby forests, and (6) connectivity of waterfront and forest. We also conclude that there are five SI factors for D. major, which include (1) size of forest patch, (2) rate of broadleaf trees in forest patches, (3) type of nesting trees, (4) diameter at breast height (DBH) of nesting trees, and (5) density of dead trees. The result of this research can provide future studies with useful guidance when both (1) comparing the habitat suitability of the target species in different environments and (2) restoring or creating habitats for these species.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• 제37권6호
• /
• pp.662-672
• /
• 2021

Plant growth-promoting bacteria improve plant growth under abiotic stress conditions. However, their effects on microbial succession in the rhizosphere are poorly understood. In this study, the inoculants of Bacillus mesonae strain H20-5 were administered to tomato plants grown in soils with different salinity levels (EC of 2, 4, and 6 dS/m). The bacterial communities in the bulk and rhizosphere soils were examined 14 days after H20-5 treatment using Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Although the abundance of H20-5 rapidly decreased in the bulk and rhizosphere soils, a shift in the bacterial community was observed following H20-5 treatment. The variation in bacterial communities due to H20-5 treatment was higher in the rhizosphere than in the bulk soils. Additionally, the bacterial species richness and diversity were greater in the H20-5 treated rhizosphere than in the control. The composition and structure of the bacterial communities varied with soil salinity levels, and those in the H20-5 treated rhizosphere soil were clustered. The members of Actinobacteria genera, including Kineosporia, Virgisporangium, Actinoplanes, Gaiella, Blastococcus, and Solirubrobacter, were enriched in the H20-5 treated rhizosphere soils. The microbial co-occurrence network of the bacterial community in the H20-5 treated rhizosphere soils had more modules and keystone taxa compared to the control. These findings revealed that the strain H20-5 induced systemic tolerance in tomato plants and influenced the diversity, composition, structure, and network of bacterial communities. The bacterial community in the H20-5 treated rhizosphere soils also appeared to be relatively stable to soil salinity changes.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• 제25권5호
• /
• pp.298-310
• /
• 2022

Although giant and large fish species are highly important as a keystone species in the marine ecosystem, there have been no or few studies on their spatio-temporal variations around the Korean peninsula. For this, we analyzed daily reports made by observers at 57 fishery landing sites in Korea over 6 years, from 2011 to 2016. In total, 153 fish species were re-identified based on photos and descriptions recorded by Korean observers, of which five species were classified as a giant fish over 5 m in maximum total length (MTL) and 17 species as a large fish from 3 m to 5 m MTL according to the data presented by Froese & Pauly (2021). Among the giant and large fish species, Mola mola was the most abundant species, with 75 individuals landed as by-catch. The second most abundant species was Isurus oxyrinchus (31), followed by Mobula mobular (23), Lamna ditropis (17), Masturus lanceolatus (16), Sphyrna zygaena (14), and Prionace glauca (12). As a result of cluster analysis based on the number of individuals of giant and large fish species by year and sea, six years were separated into two clusters (2011-2013 vs. 2014-2016), with high contribution of M. mola, I. oxyrinchus, and M. lanceolatus; and three seas were separated into two clusters (eastern + southern seas vs. western sea), with high contribution of M. lanceolatus, L. ditropis, and I. oxyrinchus. The largest number of M. mola accounted for 64% of the total in 2014 and 2016, and 71% in summer (June-August). It is assumed to have a correlation between seawater temperature fluctuation and the occurrence of giant and large fish species. Our study highlights importance of longterm monitoring of giant and large fish species, and can help to understand the life cycle such as natal or nursery migration of giant and large fish species around the Korean peninsula.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• 제56권3호
• /
• pp.309-314
• /
• 2023

Shark populations are constantly decreasing owing to environmental destruction and overfishing; thus, sharks are now at risk of extinction, with 30.5% of species classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. Sharks are apex predators and keystone species in balancing the marine food chain; their extinction would create an imbalance in the entire marine ecosystem. Assisted reproductive technology is a last resort for protecting animals facing extinction. Here, as a proactive effort toward building a hormone-induced artificial insemination protocol for endangered wild sharks, we identified the possibility of germ cell maturation by administration of GnRH, a commercially produced synthetic salmon gonadotropin-releasing hormone, and calculated its optimum dosage and injection timing. The experiment was conducted on one shark species, Chiloscyllium plagiosum. Injections were administered in 24 h intervals to C. plagiosum females, and 0.2 mL/kg+0.2 mL/kg were the optimal doses. These doses effectively induced maturation and, and ovulation, and oocyte release. Our results confirm that GnRH is a suitable tool for shark hormone-induced artificial insemination and indicate that this method may facilitate the conservation of endangered shark species.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• 제25권6호
• /
• pp.828-835
• /
• 2011

This study was conducted to understand the characteristics of bird community, migration, nesting guild, ordination analysis of observed frequency of birds at Jeju Experimental Forests (JEFs) from November 2006 to September 2007 with surveys of two areas by line transect methods and point-count methods at five areas for three consecutive days in each month. Among observed 58 species could be classified into the 24 residents, 9 summer visitors, 9 winter visitors and 16 passage migrants according to migration habit. In species composition, passage migrants are dominant birds at study areas whereas summer and winter visitors are most dominant birds at mainland's forests. We could divide two groups of bird community in the view of monthly species composition, one is November to February group, the other March to July group by ordination analysis. Number of species did not show seasonal fluctuation which is common pattern of bird community in mainland. This pattern reflects that species composition can change during breeding and non-breeding periods, but overall number of species did not change. This can be related with the high use of passage migrants at study area, also suggests that the JEFs can be highly utilized as stopover sites during migration. At mainland's forests, we can observe about five species of woodpeckers, however we just observed the only one species of White-backed Woodpeckers (Dendrocopos leucotos) at study areas. In the view of nesting guild, breeding birds can be grouped into the 9 bush-& ground nesters, 8 canopy nesters, 7 hole nesters and one house nesters. Among hole nesters, we can observe only one species of primary cavity nesters White-backed woodpecker, and the five secondary cavity nesters, that is three species of tits, tricolor flycatchers (Ficedula zanthopygia) and ruddy kingfishers (Halcyon coromanda). Therefore, White-backed woodpeckers can be regarded as a keystone species and forest practice should consider the careful conservation of this species.

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
• /
• 제17권4호
• /
• pp.786-819
• /
• 2014

Emphasizing the importance of R&D as a source of open innovation, Korean government is developing various programs focused on technology commercialization and is expanding investment on it. In spite of those efforts, technology commercialization is not vitalized yet due to the lack of demand for technology transfer, R&D planning scheme without considering market, immaturity of technology market, and so on. This study aims to suggest the business ecosystem model so that technology commercialization could be facilitated based on business ecosystem perspective. We set the framework for modeling a business ecosystem through reviewing the previous works, and draw several problems to be solved regarding public R&D commercialization in Korea from the perspective of ecosystem. Considering those, this research proposes the business ecosystem model for public R&D commercialization as a reference model for describing, discussing, and developing the technology commercialization strategy. The proposed model consists of 4 domains as follows: R&D, technology market, information distribution channels, and customers. The business ecosystem model shows that technology commercialization could be facilitated to create the market value through close relationship and organic cooperation among its members that form the ecosystem. Public research institutes as a keystone player could control the fate of the ecosystem. In this regard, this paper suggests roles of public research institutes for evolving the business ecosystem.

• ALGAE
• /
• 제30권1호
• /
• pp.59-66
• /
• 2015

The growth and hole formation of Ulva australis were examined at seven coastal areas of Korea between July and August, 2013. Animal species and weight growing on the Ulva fronds were estimated at Haseom, Pohang, and Woedo. The effects of wave exposure on the morphological features and residential animals of Ulva fronds were investigated at wave-exposed and sheltered sites of Seongsan on October 19, 2013. U. australis had different frond areas ($82-665cm^2$), hole areas ($2.5-6.3cm^2$), and hole numbers (9.8-41.3 holes) at the seven sites. Within $0.1m^2$ of Ulva frond, hole areas ranged from 0.37 to $5.94cm^2$, and between 4.9 and 36.2 holes were observed. Fourteen residential animal species were observed at the three evaluated sites, 75.0 (Haseom) to 408.7 individuals $100g^{-1}$ Ulva (Pohang) per site. The dominant residential species at each site differed with Amphithoe sp. at Haseom, Monodonta spp. at Pohang, and Pagurus sp. at Woedo. The growth (frond area, wet weight) and hole number of Ulva fronds, and the number of residential animals were significantly greater in samples collected from the sheltered shore than the wave-exposed shore of Seongsan. The present results showed U. australis grew well at sheltered shores and had more holes on the fronds due to abundance of residential animals. The dominant residential animals (crabs, gammaridea, and snails) were similar in the Ulva populations of sheltered and wave-exposed shores, but greater species diversity was observed at the exposed shore (18 species ver. 11 species). In conclusion, U. australis is a keystone species providing habitat to various invertebrates and frond holes are positively correlated to the number of residential animals.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• 제28권6호
• /
• pp.613-626
• /
• 2014

Seaweeds were identified after qualitative sampling at 14 stations of Dokdo coasts from May to July 2013 and seaweeds and animals inhabiting 23 Eisenia bicyclis plants were examined to evaluate its ecological role. Biomass was calculated by using regression between stipe length and weight of E. bicyclis. A total of 128 species were identified, including 18 green, 35 brown, and 75 red algae. Coarsely branched form was dominant functional group occupying 47.66% and 91 species (71.09%) were in ESG I group, growing in stable environmental coast. Also, R/P, C/P, and (R+C)/P were 2.14, 0.51, and 2.66, respectively showing temperate and mixed flora. Biomass and density of E.bicyclis were $23.74kg\;m^{-2}$ and 64 fronds $m^{-2}$. Twelve seaweeds and 83 animal species (15 Annelida, 25 Mollusca, 34 Arthropoda, 3 Echinodermata, and 6 others) were observed from 23 holdfasts and Ericthonius pugnax was dominant taxon having 538 (43.11%) of 1,248 animal individuals. These results indicate that E.bicyclis is a keystone species showing very important ecological role. In conclusion, the number of seaweeds increased because of intensive research and dominance of coarsely branched form and ESG I group seaweeds, representing that environmental condition of Dokdo is still intact.

• Korean journal of communication and information
• /
• 제71권
• /
• pp.33-51
• /
• 2015

In South Korea, the community building projects and so-called 'community businesses' are recently regarded as one of the popular issues for the local people and social activists. The project seems to be a miracle resolution for various social matters such as the deteriorating welfare, health care, security system and the worsening income problem, etc. But these promising social discourses and practices which encourage to build communities are not only constructing 'good governance' for the sound cooperation between the state and civil society, but also allowing government technologies to manage and regulate civil society and citizens. This irony of building community is not yet thoroughly considered. The aim of this article is to ask 'Is building community good for all of people?'; 'How does community guarantee the freedom of people who participate in?'. The reflection for community in South Korean Society has related to The May 18-community in Gwangju. The May 18-community is a keystone for understanding the ethos and pathos of community. This study tries to unravel the relation between the May Uprising and the idea of community throughout affects and hearts of participants. The lived experience and testimony of the people of Gwangju in May, 1980, reveals that community should not be in an order and an notion of security. Examining hearts of members of 'whatever community' in the May Uprising is essential to imagine a new form of community which incorporates liberation and freedom as its base.