• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.150-154
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• 2018

In lotic wetlands, runner reed (Phragmites japonicus) plays a role as a pioneer, which helps other plant species to settle by making dense roots trapping floating-sediments. In lentic wetlands, on the other hand, P. japonicus could play a role as an invader threatening biodiversity by forming tall and dense stands. To conserve an abandoned paddy terrace in mountainous areas, a habitat of an endangered dragonfly species (Nannophya pygmaea), from the monotypic-occupation by P. japonicus, we applied three kinds of treatment: (1) hand-clipping in 2009, (2) mechanical excavating in 2012, and (3) planting of alternative vegetational unit in 2012. We have monitored vegetation changes in the wetland in 2008~2012 and 2017. Vegetation cover of P. japonicus sharply decreased from 43% in 2011 to 16% in 2012 by the mechanical excavation. After 5 years from applying the treatment, Schoenoplectiella mucronata that was utilized in the planting became the predominant species instead of P. japonicus and the number of wetland plant species increased from 16 to 25 with the shift in species composition. This study showed the utility of three control methods of P. japonicas in a lentic wetland.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.113-124
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• 2014

The observed rainfall may be different along with the altitude of rain gauge, resulting in the fact that the characteristics of rainfall events occurred in urban or mountainous areas are different. Due to the mountainous effects, in higher altitude, the uncertainty involved in the rainfall observation gets higher so that the density of rain gauges should be more dense. Basically, a methodology for the rain gauge network evaluation, considering this altitude effect of rain gauges can account for the mountainous effects and becomes an important step for forecasting flash flood and calibrating of the radar rainfall. For this reason, in this study, we suggest a methodology for rain gauge network evaluation with consideration of the rain gauge's altitude. To explore the density of rain gauges at each level of altitude, the Equal-Altitude-Ratio of the density of rain gauges, which is based on the fixed amount of elevation and the Equal-Area-Ratio of the density of rain gauges, which is based on the fixed amount of basin area are designed. After these two methods are applied to a real watershed, it is found that the Equal-Area-Ratio generates better results for evaluation of a rain gauge network with consideration of rain gauge's altitude than the Equal-Altitude-Ratio does. In addition, for comparison between the soundness of rain gauge networks in other watersheds, the Coefficient of Variation (CV) of the rain gauge density by the Equal-Area-Ratio is served as the index for the evenness of the distribution of the rain gauge's altitude. The suggested method is applied to the five large watersheds in Korea and it is found that rain gauges installed in a watershed having less value of the CV shows more evenly distributed than the ones in a watershed having higher value of the CV.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.201-212
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• 2021

In wetland protection areas, a phytosociological research was conducted on willow forests, which plays an important ecological and environmental role and is the main material for ecological restoration. A total of 61 relevés were collected according to the Z-M(Zürich-Montpellier) school's method and the characteristics of plant communities and the composition of the species were identified. A total of 9 plant communities including 237 taxa were differentiated. Willow species showing the high r-NCD(relative net contribution degree) value in study areas were Salix koriyanagi, Salix chaenomeloides, Salix triandra subsp. nipponica, Salix gracilistyla and Salix pierotii. Poaceae was the most diverse in species, followed by Asteraceae, Apiaceae, Polygonaceae and Fabaceae. Life form type of willow forests in wetland protection areas was determined to be Th(therophytes)-R₅(non-clonal form)-D₄(clitochores)-e(erect form) type. The naturalized plants and invasive alien species were identified as 24 taxa and 4 taxa, respectively. Naturalized and disturbance indices were 10.1% and 41.4%, respectively. The results of the site-species ordination by Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling(NMDS), wetland types and altitude gradient were the main ecological factors determining the spatial distribution of plant communities. Diversity index and evenness index were high in mountainous palustrine wetlands with relatively high altitude, and the disturbance index, naturalized index and appearance rate of annual plant were high in riverine and lacustrine wetlands with low altitude.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.131-140
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• 2013

In Korea, many paddy fields in mountainous area have been abandoned because of their low accessibility and rice price and the abandoned paddy terraces have changed into natural lentic wetlands. To understand the relationship between characteristics of environmental conditions and early development of plant community in abandoned paddy terraces, we investigated at four well-maintained abandoned paddy terraces in 3 different climatic zones in Korea. Soil texture of abandoned paddy terraces was mostly kinds of loam and electric conductivity of soil was also similar among abandoned paddy terraces. On the other hand, contents of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, and calcium in soil were relatively low and significantly different among abandoned paddy terraces. Water depth was different within sites and inter-sites. Although environmental conditions including climate, soil condition and water depth were different among abandoned paddy terraces, the compositions of plant communities were relatively similar in all abandoned paddy terraces. 55 dominant taxa out of 141 recorded species were commonly recorded over sites and they were mostly perennial obligate wetland plants and facultative wetland plants. 8 taxa out of 55 dominant taxa occurred at all abandoned paddy terraces with over 10% coverage. Several site-specific species occurred at site, which have some area with deep water level. This result indicates that early development of plant community in abandoned paddy terraces of similar water regime is similar in the entire area of Korea even though environmental conditions such as climate, biogeographic history and soil are different.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.229-236
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• 2010

We conducted field surveys of amphibians and reptiles over a two-year period in 16 lagoons along the eastern coastline of South Korea, and determined the habitat characteristics correlated with the number of amphibian and reptilian species and individuals. We documented 11 amphibian species and 8 reptilian species. The dominant amphibian species was the black-spotted pond frog (Rana nigromaculata), and the dominant reptilian species was the red-eared turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans), an invasive species. Among the 14 habitat characteristics, connectivity to mountainous area significantly affected the number of amphibian and reptilian individuals. Other factors, including emerged plant cover, salinity, pH, the number of birds for amphibians and connectivity to agricultural land, lagoon perimeter length for reptiles also influenced the number of species or individuals of them. Our results demonstrate that these lagoons are home to more amphibians and reptiles than has been previously known. To effectively conserve herpetofauna in the lagoon ecosystem, lagoons as well as surrounding wetlands, grasslands, and mountainous areas should be protected.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.191-201
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• 2013

Landslide in Korea occurs generally in summer, and rainfall is a major factor to trigger landslides. This study evaluates the applicability of radar rainfall to estimate landslide occurs locally in mountainous area. Temporal changes in spatial distribution of rainfall is analyzed using radar data, and the characteristics of rainfall in landslide area during the landslide occurred in Inje, July 2006. This study shows radar rainfall field can estimate local landslides more precisely than the rainfall data from ground gauges.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.629-636
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• 2015

The samples were collected at lowland swamps, reservoirs, mountainous wetlands, and sphagnum bogs from 2012 to 2014. The followings were newly recorded in Korea: two species, three varieties, and one form, including six taxa of the genus Cosmarium. The newly recorded Korean species were Cosmarium bioculatum var. hians, C. bireme, C. pseudobiremum, C. nitidulum var. pseudorectangulare, C. trilobulatum f. retusum, and C. trilobulatum var. depressum. The flora of the genus Cosmarium contains 303 taxa in total in Korea. The specimens were cultured and deposited on the algal culture collection of Kyonggi University (ACKU) and National Institute of Botanical Resources (NIBR).

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2024

Most wetlands worldwide have suffered from extensive human exploitation. Unfortunately they have been less explored compared to river and lake ecosystems despite their ecological importance and economic values. This is the same case in Korea. This study was aimed to estimate the assemblage attributes and distribution characteristics of benthic macroinvertebrates for fifty wetlands distributed throughout subtropical Jeju Island in 2021. A total of 133 taxa were identified during survey periods belonging to 53 families, 19 orders, 5 classes and 3 phyla. Taxa richness ranged from 4 to 31 taxa per wetland with an average of 17.5 taxa. Taxa richness and abundance of predatory insect groups such as Odonata, Hemiptera and Coleoptera respectively accounted for 67.7% and 68.2% of the total. Among them Coleoptera were the most diverse and abundant. Taxa richness and abundance did not significantly differ from each wetland type classified in accordance with the National Wetland Classification System. There were three endangered species (Clithon retropictum, Lethocerus deyrolli and Cybister (Cybister) chinensis) and several restrictively distributed species only in Jeju Island. Cluster analysis based on the similarity in the benthic macroinvertebrate composition largely classified 50 wetlands into two major clusters: small wetlands located in lowland areas and medium-sized wetlands in middle mountainous regions. All cluster groups displayed significant differences in wetland area, long axis, percentage of fine particles and macrophyte composition ratio. Indicator Species Analysis selected 19 important indicators with the highest indicator value of Ceriagrion melanurum at 63%, followed by Noterus japonicus (59%) and Polypylis hemisphaerula (58%). Our results are expected to provide fundamental information on the biodiversity and habitat environments for benthic macroinvertebrates in wetland ecosystems, consequently helping to establish conservation and restoration plans for small wetlands relatively vulnerable to human disturbance.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 2017

Nepal is a landlocked mountainous country in South Asia, located between China to the north and India to the south, east, and west. As such, wastewater management has become one of the most significant problems in urban area of Nepal. In Nepal, the centralized wastewater treatment systems were dysfunctional due to high cost of operation, discontinuous power supply, lack of proper maintenance and proper technical workforce to address the issues. As such, constructed wetlands (CW) were applied to treat various secondary wastewater as alternative to wastewater treatment facilities. Generally, efficiency and sustainability of CW technology depends on proper operation and maintenance and active community involvement. This study summarizes information about 26 CW in Nepal. Specifically, factors including data banking, removal efficiency, quality of discharged water, compliance to water quality standard of Nepal and operation and maintenance were investigated. Considering removal efficiency per pollutant, Ka-1 achieved the greatest reduction for most pollutant followed by B-1, L-3, Ka-5 and K-1. Nepal has practiced CW technology for more than 2 decades but currently, development of technology was interrupted by the inefficient performance of existing facilities. Public awareness about the technology, natural disaster, unavailability of specified substrate materials, lack of fund for further research and experiments has hindered the expansion of technology. In spite of these concerns, CW was still proven as an alternative solution to the present wastewater problems in urban areas of Nepal.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.209-220
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• 2015

This study has improved the existed physical disturbance evaluation assessment technique in a river and analysed its applicability. The improvements are the quantitative evaluation items instead of qualitative one by providing the background and their evaluation equations, corresponding detailed itemization of evaluation score, and the direct input of hydraulic characteristics and geometrical changes by numerical simulation. In order to confirm the applicability of improved disturbance evaluation technique, the comparison and analysis between the evaluation results of existed and improved techniques have been carried out by applying to the 6 cases of natural, urban, and mountainous streams. Direct input of numerical simulation results of HEC-RAS enables the evaluation simple for 8 evaluation items excluding the items of habitat environment and bottom substrate. The improved disturbance evaluation technique, which evaluates the degree of disturbance sensitively by the quantitative and detailed itemized evaluations, has been confirmed the appropriate applicability by applying to river systems.