• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.128-139
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• 1996

The twelve relatively intact ev ergreen broad-leaved forests in the islands off the southern coast of the Korean peninsula were surveyed. The species which commonly appeared over seventy percents in frequency among studied island biotic ecosystems including rare and endangered species and an introduxed or invaded species in the observed localities were also discussed. The common species in each areas were summarized as 28 families, 34 genus and 37 taxa. The pokildo island marked the highest species diversity as 5.511 per 100m$^{2}$ sized plots. And then the species diversity of the Mijo-ri(4.677) and the Maengson-ni(2.481) were following. The total number of rare and endangered species which appeared in the investigated areas were 24 families and 32 taxa, and 13 taxa, and the Pokildo island had the largest number as of 13 families, 12 species, 1 variety and 13 taxa. The 7 species of Compositae, 5 species of Leguminosae and 2 species of Phytolaccaceae were recorded as naturalized, invaded of introduced species. Also each one species which belonged to the Amaranthaceae, Betulaceae, Bignoniaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Commelinaceae, Cupressaceae, Labiatae, Malvaceae, Nyctaginaceae, Pinaceae, Polygonaceae and Txaceae were recorded. The Pokildo island had the largest number of plant invaders with at least 9 families and 13 genus and 13 species including Cryptomeria japonica of Taxodiaceae. It was urgently needed to work for the preperation of an island management plan to the levels of species or habitat conservation.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.132-144
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• 2015

Yongneup wetland protected area, the only high moor in Korea, is a core area to conserve biodiversity. Even though the Yongneup wetland protected area is relatively small, various plant species are distributed in the Yongneup wetland protected area because it includes various habitats showing different environmental gradients. Vascular plants distributed in the Yongneup wetland protected area were identified as a total of 376 taxa that is composed of 73 families, 217 genera, 322 species, 3 subspecies, 44 varieties and 7 forms. For endangered plants designated by the Ministry of Environment, 5 species including Trientalis europaea var. arctica, Lilium dauricum, Halenia corniculata, Lychnis wilfordii and Menyanthes trifoliata were found and 34 taxa were confirmed to be distributed only in the mountainous wetland habitats. Regarding naturalized plants, a total of 11 taxa were distributed, but most of them were distributed in the areas where artificial interference has occurred. And in areas inside the wetlands that are relatively well preserved, 2 species of Bidens frondosa and Erigeron annuus were observed. In this study, the occurrence and distribution of Pseudostellaria baekdusanensis M. Kim, which was recently found in Mt. Baekdu and reported as a new species, were identified in the Yongneup wetland protected area. A wetland is a very vulnerable area to drastic environmental changes and damages to its ecosystem could cause the extinction of rare plant species which are distributed only in the wetlands. Therefore, it is mandatory that current status of the Yongneup wetland protected area is evaluated and actions to prevent rapid environmental changes are taken. Fourteen separate investigations were conducted in 2013 and another four in 2014, to evaluate current status of the Yongneup wetland protected area. These investigations have provided us the basic information for future actions of conservation and restoration.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.829-836
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• 2016

This study was carried out on Kongju National University and its neighboring area, Mt. Gyeryong national park and Mt. Worak national park in the breeding season of long-tailed tits Aegithalos caudaatus from 2008 to 2012. The result of the inquiry, the nests were found in 15 species of trees, and this result shows me it's not choosy about them. But after having classified them according to the features and analyzed them, long-tailed tits preferred evergreen needleleaf tree and deciduous broad-leaf tree and deciduous bush, especially evergreen needleleaf tree. The concealment rate of long-tailed tits' nests was $11.61{\pm}4.79%]\;4.38{\pm}2.19%$(n=29) in Kongju National University and it's neighboring area, $6.06{\pm}2.31%$(n=43) in Mt. Gyeryong national park and $4.38{\pm}2.19%$(n=32) in Mt. Worak national park. By regional groups, the concealment rates of neighboring nests were almost same, but there are no differences among the areas. The average of the color codes was $26.52{\pm}16.14$(n=32) that those of the nest subtract from those of surroundings of the nest. The nests were procryptic according to their surroundings, and if their nest in a tree were evergreen needleleaf trees, they were made of moss. while if the trees of nest in a tree were yellow because of fungus, made of dried moss, they were yellow, too.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.896-907
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• 2016

The habitat characteristics of Aconitum austrokoreense Koidz. were investigated to provide basic data for conservation and restoration. The altitude ranged from 260m to 728m with inclinations of $4-39^{\circ}$. As a result of vegetation survey within natural populations, a total of 147 taxa were identified inside 20 quadrates in 7 natural habitats. The importance value of Aconitum austrokoreense was 23.0% based on the coverage and frequency of the herbaceous layer and sat is more dominant. Species diversity was 1.23, and dominace and evenness were found to be 0.22 and 0.77, respectively. The soil type were silty loam (four sites), sandy loam (two sites) and loam (one site). The average field organic matter was 7.83% and the total nitrogen and pH were 0.35, and 5.69. Correlation analysis between environmental factors and population characteristic showed the correlations between chlorophyll content and slope, flowering rate and soil humidity. Conservation on habitats conditions is important for stable maintenance the flora and the surrounding area including habitats has to be designated a protection area for habitats conservation.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.147-153
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• 2015

Various adverse effects can occur due to direct exposure from toxic substances when toxic materials are used to restore river ecosystems. Thus, this study performed analysis on the development of toxicity in terms of survival and abnormality rates using embryos of Bombina orientalis living in Korea to analyze the toxicity of materials used in the river projects. The results showed that the toxicity in cement (C group) was the strongest whereas the toxicity in plant-based polyurethane (P1 group) was the weakest. Survival rates of B. orientalis embryos were 100%, 94 - 95%, 66 - 89% and 0% in control, P1, polyurethane (P2) and C groups, respectively. Abnormalities of embryos were 10.5%, 5.3 - 10.5%, 26.3 - 27.8% and 35.7% in control, P1, P2 and C groups, respectively. Furthermore, we verified that having a sufficient curing time reduced toxic substances that were extracted. The above result suggest that cement and polyurethane hamper the early development of amphibians. In conclusion, it is highly important to review biological safety with respect to the selection of materials used to restore rivers. This study shows the importance of the selection of eco-friendly materials and processes.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.103-111
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• 2016

Seasonal dynamics of kelp forest-forming algae, Ecklonia cava population formed following the large-scale disturbance by Typhoon 'Bolaven' in August 2012 were investigated in Jeju Island, Korea. Morphological characteristics, recruits density, mortality rate, total density and biomass were monitored bimonthly from June 2013 to June 2015. Total and longest blade lengths, and individual weight of E. cava showed distinct seasonal trends. Stipe length increased from winter to spring, but did not show increase or reduced from summer to autumn. This indicates that morphological characteristics of E. cava are mainly affected by the change of blades. The optimal temperature for E. cava growth was about $15-18^{\circ}C$ during winter to spring while the growths were inhibited at the water temperature above $20^{\circ}C$ during summer. E. cava exhibited very low recruitment during spring-summer. However, high recruitment was observed on April 2015 when canopy cover was very low due to low density. This indicates that recruitment of E. cava was controlled not by seasonal effects but by physical factors such as canopy and space. The mortality rate of juvenile plants was highest due to their unstable settlement. By June 2015, 34 months after the disturbances, E. cava was almost recovered to the pre-disturbance population size structure. These results suggest that recovery of kelp forest following the large-scale disturbance requires a considerable period of time (more than three years). This study should provide valuable ecological information on management, restoration and protection of kelp species.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.565-577
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to understand the factors influencing the decline and the patterns of changes in Abies nephrolepis populations on Mt. Seorak. We installed permanent quadrats in the areas of the Gwittagicheongbong (peak), Gwanmoneungseon (ridge), and the Seorak Falls and have monitored the community structure, population dynamics, radial growth, and vitality in the quadrats since 2009. Excluding the Seorak Falls, the three research sites showed a three-layer structure in which the low-tree layer forms the canopy. Major tree species were Khingan fir, Korean arborvitae, Mongolian oak, Erman's birch, and Korean maple. The significance of Khingan fir in Seorak Falls decreased from 45.3% in 2009 to 36.8% in 2018. The number of shoots ($DBH{\geq}5cm$) was highest at 1,800 individuals/ha and 1,700 individuals/ha at the Gwittagicheongbong 2 and the Gwanmoneungseon, respectively. The mortality rates over the past 10 years were very high, at 38.3% and 35.3%, respectively, in the Gwittagicheongbong 1 and Seorak Falls. The most stable inverse J-shaped distribution in the Gwittagicheongbong 1 area was shown in the size-frequency distribution of the Khingan fir populations. The average annual ring growth of the Khingan fir was 0.96 ~ 1.73 mm/year, and the ring growth tended to decrease in the areas of Gwittagicheongbong 1, Gwanmoneungseon, and Seorak Falls, where the vitality was low. If the monitoring process continues, it will be possible to obtain basic data for the conservation and management of subalpine vegetation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.110 no.4
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• pp.590-600
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• 2021

This study compared the stand structure of Abies koreana forests between Mt. Jirisan and Mt. Hallasan by analyzing DBH distribution, stem vitality, crown structure, importance value, species diversity, and DCA. The data were acquired through the national long-term ecological research project conducted by the Ministry of Environment. In the comparison of DBH class distribution, the stem density of A. koreana with DBH < 20 cm was higher in Mt. Hallasan than that in Mt. Jirisan; however, the stem density of A. koreana with DBH > 20 cm was higher in Mt. Jirisan than that in Mt. Hallasan. For A. koreana stem vitality, the ratio of alive standing was higher in Mt. Jirisan (72.0%) than in Mt. Hallasan (60.7%), whereas the ratio of alive leaning was higher in Mt. Hallasan (10.2%) than in Mt. Jirisan (1.1%). A. koreana stand in Mt. Jirisan was a mature stand with four evenly developed and distinct layers, whereas the tree layer in Mt. Hallasan was less than 10 m and the stand had three layers without a subtree layer. Mt. Hallasan's importance value of A. koreana was 39.4% higher than Mt. Jirisan's importance value of 26.6%. The species diversity of the A. koreana community of Mt. Jirisan was 2.52 times higher than that of Mt. Hallasan, which was 1.58. DCA results revealed that the average distance between Mt. Jirisan and Mt. Hallasan was relatively distinguished, and the degree of scattering of species composition of Mt. Jirisan was relatively dense compared with that of Mt. Hallasan.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.89-100
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• 2019

We've reviewed existing studies on the interactions among vegetation, hydrology, and geomorphology in the stream corridors, adding one more factor of vegetation in the traditional area of hydro-geomorphology. Understanding of the interactions among those three factors is important not only academically but also practically since it is related intimately to the restoration of river corridor as well as management itself. Studies of this area started from field investigations in the latter part of the 20th century and focused on the flume experiments and then computer modelling in the 1990s and 2000s. Now, it has turned again to the field investigations of specific phenomena of the vegetative-hydrologic-geomorphologic interactions in detailed micro scales. Relevant studies in Korea, however, seem to be uncommon and far behind the international status quo in spite that practically important issues related directly to this topic have been emerged. In this study, we propose, based on the extensive literature review and authors' own knowledge and experiences, a conceptual diagram expressing the interactions among vegetation, flow (water), sediment, and geomorphology. Existing relevant studies in Korea since the 1990s are classified according to the categorization in the proposed diagrams and then briefly reviewed. Finally, considering the practical issues of riparian vegetation that have emerged recently in Korea, we propose areas of investigation needed in near future such as, among others, long-term and systematic field investigations and monitoring at multiple river corridors having different attributes on vegetative-hydrologic-geomorphologic interactions, including vegetative dynamics for succession.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.9-21
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• 2021

In this study, fish and flow surveys were conducted at 12 survey points to calculate the fish habitat suitability index of Miho Stream in the Geum River Water System. The field surveys were conducted four times from September 2019 to May 2020. The results show the presence of 8 families, 37 species, and 5,754 individuals. The number of water purification species that preferred waters with a low flow rate was the highest. The habitat suitability index was calculated according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife method based on the populations collected at various water depths and flow rate sections and the flow rate survey results. For the dominant species, Zacco platypus and swimming species, the results were compared by calculating at Gasan Bridge and Palgye Bridge at the upper stream. The single species showed no significant difference between the upstream and downstream at water depths of 0.1 - 0.5 m and flow rates of 0.2 - 0.5 m/s. The species swimming ability was similarly calculated at water depths of 0.2 - 0.5 m and flow rates of 0.2 - 0.5 m/s. The dominant species, Pyramid, had a wide range of physical habitats. The habitat suitability index between the swimming species was similarly calculated. These results can be effectively used as basic data for calculating the environmental ecological flow rate and establishing a river restoration plan of the Miho Stream.