• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.145-156
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• 2014

Macrobenthic biodiversity in the rocky intertidal areas of the Tae-an region, Republic of Korea, has decreased since the Hebei Spirit oil spill in December 2007. We aimed to investigate ecological roles of Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) because recruitment and growth of oysters are critical to the recovery of damaged rocky shore ecosystem. We surveyed two sites monthly: natural rocky substrate and farming substrate, from July 2012 to January 2013 to identify and compare the changes in macrobenthic fauna. The abundance of young oysters was higher at the natural site. On the other hand, the mean height of oyster on the farming substrate was more than twice as great. The abundance of oyster at the natural site increased until October and then continuously decreased until end of study period. However, the abundance of oyster at the farming site constantly decreased from the beginning of study period. These different growth patterns might be attributable to spatial competition between oyster and a barnacle species (Balanus albicostatus) and environmental factors. At the natural site, physical stress factors including dramatic temperature changes and desiccation a few of the major factors limiting growth during aerial exposure. In addition, motile macrobenthos could be detrimental to oysters because they interrupt filter-feeding activities and hence hamper the growth of oysters. We show the higher recruitment of oysters at the natural site and healthy growth in the farming substrate are due to complicated differences in physical and biological stress factors.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.49-60
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• 2014

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of forest fire on natural distribution and regeneration of Pinus densiflora Sieb. & Zucc. in Goseong, Gangwon province, Korea. After 13 years of the last forest fire in 2000, five investigation plots ($10m{\times}10m$) in each of rocky land and ridge, the well-known location as a favorite site for natural distribution of P. densiflora, were set to investigate stand characteristic and soil environment including physico-chemical properties and moisture contents of soil. Also, five investigation plots in slope area were set and investigated as well. The concentration of organic matter, total nitrogen, and exchangeable nutrients ($K^+$, $Ca^{2+}$, $Mg^{2+}$) were highest in the slope while the soil in the rocky land showed the lowest concentration of organic matter, total nitrogen, available $P_2O_5$, and exchangeable nutrients ($K^+$, $Na^+$, $Ca^{2+}$, $Mg^{2+}$). The soil in the slope only showed higher concentration of total nitrogen, $K^+$ and $Ca^{2+}$ than the unburned area in Goseong. Mean soil moisture contents in the rocky land (5.77%) were lowest while the slope (15.78%) and the ridge (15.27%) showed almost three times as much than the rocky land. P. densiflora was dominant in the rocky land and Quercus spp. were dominant in the ridge and slope. The average proportion of P. densiflora was highest in rocky land (58.4%, 14.6 trees per plot) followed by the ridge (25.2%, 7.8 trees per plot) and the slope (11.3%, 3.4 trees per plot) while the average height of P. densiflora was highest in slope (277cm) followed by the ridge and the rocky land. The height and crown width of Quercus spp. were higher than P. densiflora in the every plot. The results suggest that P. densiflora may be able to naturally regenerate and survive in the rocky land after the fire while P. densiflora in the ridge and the slope are suppressed by Quercus spp.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.219-228
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• 2013

In Korea, more than 300 oil spill accidents occur every year. Despite the frequency, only a small pool of data is available on the initial effect of oil spill on macrobenthic fauna inhabiting rocky shores. The aim of this study was to analyze the variation of macrobenthic fauna composition and community structure on rocky shores, and understand the impact of oil on rocky shore organisms after the Hebei Spirit oil spill. Field surveys were carried out in five regions dose to the wreck site in January, April and September 2008. Polluted sites after the Hebei Spirit oil spill showed that biological index consistently decreased for 9 months limited to breeding and recruitment of organisms by spilled oil. Macrobenthic community was subdivided into 3 groups by species elimination and differences between density of major dominant species: enriched biota community under a relatively stable environment, the second with relatively low ecological index and the last with poor community. In this study, species number did not clearly reflect the effect of oil on the rare and mobile species. However, mean density, biomass and community structure showed the effect of oil by considering breeding activity, decline in recruitment and variation pattern with time.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.947-959
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• 2015

Variations in the species composition, biomass and size distribution of fisheries resources in the Uljin marine ranching area were investigated using trammel nets at two stations (artificial reef and natural rocky area) from 2009 to 2010. During the survey, a total of 74 species were sampled with a mean density of 132 ind./net and mean biomass of 21.56 kg/net. In the natural rocky area, a total of 45 species were sampled at a mean density of 202 ind./net and mean biomass of 28.81 kg/net, while in the artificial reef area, samples included a total of 56 species, with means of 62 ind./net and 14.30 kg/net. The dominant species, comprising over 3% of the total number of individuals, were Suberites ficus (30.8%), Ovalipes punctatus (19.2%), Paralichthys olivaceus (11.7%), Pleuronectes herzensteini (4.7%), Kareius bicoloratus (3.5%), Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae (3.5%) and Eopsetta grigorjewi (3.0%). The dominant species, in terms of biomass, comprising over 5% of the total biomass, were P. olivaceus (22.1%), S. ficus (18.7%), O. punctatus (7.2%), Hexagrammos otakii (6.6%), P. yokohamae (5.7%), K. bicoloratus and P. herzensteini (5.3%). A cluster analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) analysis based on the Bray-Curtis similarity of fourth root transformed data for number of species and individuals, was divided into two groups: the artificial reef area (group A) and the natural rocky area (group B).

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.297-304
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• 1997

Two new harpacticoid species of family Thalestridae are described on the basis of the specimens collected from the shallow sublittoral sand bottom or seagrasses of rocky shore in South Korea. Dactylopusia pauciarticulata n. sp. is discernible from its 19 congeners by the 6-articulated antennule. Paradactylopodia koreana n. sp. most resembles P. striata Kunz, 1973 of its seven congeners, but obviously distinguished from it by the shape of male leg 2 endopod.

• Mycobiology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.14-20
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• 2016

A new species and 2 new records of lichen genus Buellia were discovered from Chuja-do Island in Jeju Province during a recent floristic survey: B. chujana X. Y. Wang, S. Y. Kondr., L. $L\ddot{o}k\ddot{o}s$ & J.-S. Hur sp. nov., B. halonia (Ach.) Tuck., and B. mamillana (Tuck.) W. A. Weber. The new species is characterized by a brown, areolate thallus, the presence of perlatolic acid, and a saxicolous habitat. Together with previously recorded species, 10 Buellia species were confirmed from Jeju-do Island. Among these species, 3 growing in the exposed rocky area contained xanthone (yellowish lichen thallus, UV + orange), indicating that production of xanthone in this genus might be a defense strategy against the harm of UV light. Although the genus Buellia has been thoroughly studied in Korea before, novel species have been discovered continuously, and large species diversity has been found in this crustose genus, even from a small rocky island. This study indicates that the coastal area harbors a vast number of crustose lichen species, and there is great potential to discover unknown lichens in the coastal rocky area in Korea.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.95-109
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• 2008

This work is to describe the geomorphological features of Dongcheon-gugok in the Eastern Part of Gyeongsang Province, and attempt to develop a basic data for traditional natural heritage. The bedrocks of the study area is typically sedimentary rocks of Gyeongsang Series. Dongcheon-gugok in the study area is almost distributed in the valley of Taebaek Mountain range in Gyeongbuk Province. These valleys almost belong to tributaries of Nakdong River, and are characterized by narrow meandering valley in the moutainous region. Dongcheon-gugok in the study area is located in these valleys with steep slopes or rocky cliffs. And there are pools, point-bar with sands and gravels, riffles, etc in the river valley. Ancesters named these landscape with Jeolbyuk(rocky cliff), Bong(peak), Dam(pool), Tan(ripple), Cheonsa(point-bar), Pok(waterfall), Dae(hill), etc.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.401-414
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• 2017

Vegetation and landscape characteristics at the three highest summits of Republic of Korea, i.e. Seoraksan, Jirisan and Hallasan, are analyzed on the basis of species composition, physiognomy, vegetation distribution and structure of alpine plants, along with landform, geology, soil and habitat conditions. Dominant high mountain plants at three alpine and subalpine belts contain deciduous broadleaved shrub, Rhododendron mucronulatum var. ciliatum (31.6%), and evergreen coniferous small tree, Pinus pumila (26.3%) at Seoraksan, deciduous broadleaved tree, Betula ermanii (35.3%), evergreen coniferous tree, Picea jezoensis (23.5%) at Jirisan, and evergreen coniferous tree, Abies koreana (22.6%), deciduous broadleaved shrub, Rhododendron mucronulatum var. ciliatum, and Juniperus chinensis var. sargentii (19.4%) at Hallasan, respectively. Presence of diverse landscapes at the peak of Seoraksan, such as shrubland, grassland, dry land along with rocky areas, and open land may be the result of hostile local climate and geology. High proportion of grassland and wetland at the top of Jirisan may related to gneiss-based gentle topography and well developed soil deposits, which are beneficial to keep the moisture content high. Occurrence of grassland, shrubland, dry land, conifer vegetation, and rocky area at the summit of Hallasan may due to higher elevation, unique local climate, as well as volcanic origin geology and soil substrates. Presences of diverse boreal plant species with various physiognomy at alpine and subalpine belts, and wide range of landscapes, including rocky, grassland, shrubland, wetland, and conifer woodland, provide decisive clues to understand the natural history of Korea, and can be employed as an relevant environmental indicator of biodiversity and ecosystem stability.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.319-329
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• 2020

The sponge-dwelling shrimp, Anchistioides compressus Paulson, 1875, is recorded from Munseom Islet, Jejudo Island, Korea for the first time. All specimens were collected inside the orange coloured sponges by trimix diving at depth from 36-45 m on the rocky reef slope. Anchistioides compressus is characterized by the shape of the rostrum, the posterolateral teeth of the sixth somite, stylocerite being well developed, the anterior margin of the scaphocerite sharply produced, and the biunguiculate dactyli of the ambulatory pereiopods, as well as the proportions of the fingers of the second pereiopods. An illustrated description of the specimens and colour photo are provided to aid future recognition.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.237-252
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• 2016

Improved knowledge of the environmental factors affecting the natural regeneration of tree species in limestone forest is urgently required for species conservation. We examined the environmental factors and tree species characteristics that are important for colonization in diverse forest stands growing on a limestone hill in northern Thailand. Our analysis estimated the relative influence of forest structure and environmental factors on the regeneration traits of tree species. We established sixty-four $100-m^2$ plots in four forest stands on the limestone hill. We determined the species composition of canopy trees, regenerating seedlings, and saplings in relation to the physical environment. The relationships between environmental variables and tree species abundance were assessed by canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), and we used generalized linear mixed models to examine data on seedling/sapling abundances. The CCA ordination indicated that the abundance of tree species within the mixed deciduous forest was closely related to soil depth. The abundances of tree species growing within the sink-hole and hill-slope stands were positively related to the extent of rocky outcropping; light and soil moisture positively influenced the abundance of tree species in the hill-cliff stand. Physical factors had a greater effect on tree regeneration than did factors related to forest structure. Tree species, such as Ficus macleilandii, Dracaena cochinchinensis, and Phyllanthus mirabilis within the hill-cliff or sink-hole stand, colonized well on large rocky outcroppings that were well illuminated and had soft soils. These species regenerated well under conditions prevailing on the limestone hill. The colonization of several species in other stands was negatively influenced by environmental conditions at these sites. We found that natural regeneration of tree species on the limestone hill was difficult because of the prevailing combination of physical and biological factors. The influence of these factors was species dependent, and the magnitude of effects varied across forest stands.