• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.107-124
• /
• 2015

The 'Imjin System' (or Rimjin System) was established in 1962 as a new stratigraphic unit separated from the Upper Paleozoic Pyeongan System based on the discovery of brachiopods and echinoderms of possible Devonian age. Subsequent discoveries of the Middle Devonian charophytes confirmed the Devonian age of the system. The Imjin System is distributed in the Imjingang Belt between the Pyongnam Basin and the Gyeonggi Massif, spans from the eastern areas including Cholwon-gun of the Gangwon Province, Gumchon-gun, Phanmun-gun, and Tosan-gun of the Hwanghaebuk Province, to the western areas of Gangryong-gun and Ongjin-gun of the Hwanghaenam Province, and includes the Yeoncheon Group (metamorphic complex) to the south. Unlike the lower Paleozoic strata in the Pyongnam Basin which solely produce marine invertebrate fossils, the Imjin System yields diverse non-marine plant and algal fossils. Brachiopods of the system are similar to those from the Devonian of the South China Block and include taxa endemic to the platform, implying a close paleogeographic affinity to the South China Block. The Imjin System is generally considered as of Middle to Late Devonian in age, although there have been suggestions that the system is of the Middle Devonian to Carboniferous in age. North Korean workers postulated that the Imjin System was deposited in the current geographic position, where the "Imjin Sea" (an extension of the South China Platform) was located during the Devonian. The Imjin System displays strong local variations in stratigraphy and its thickness. It has recently been reported that the strata are repeated and overturned by thrust faults in many exposures. The Yeoncheon Group a southward extension of the Imjin System, also experienced intense tight folding and contractional deformation. Northward decrease in metamorphic grade within the system suggests that the northern part of the Gyeonggi Massif and the Imjingang Belt are probably an extension of the Dabie-Sulu Belt between the South China and Sino-Korean blocks, and the Imjin System is an remnant of accretion resulted from the collision between the two blocks. In order to understand tectonic evolution and Paleozoic paleogeography of eastern Asia, further studies on stratigraphic, sedimentologic and tectonic evolution of the Imjin System involving scientists from the two Koreas are urgently needed.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.601-613
• /
• 2011

The purpose of this study is to provide an protected wildlife species and potential habitats in Seoul through the overall present status of the species which live in Seoul. This study was performed in Seoul, the entire area of which is 605.52 $km^2$. We analyzed a total of 57 studies, including academic papers and research reports, for the natural ecology in Seoul. As for the results from the study, it was found that a total 1,907 species from 5 taxa were inhabiting and growing within the area. Among the total, plants of 1,656 species accounted for 86.7%, 197 species of wild birds made up 10.3%, 29 species of amphibians and reptiles consisted of 1.5%, and 27 species of mammalia totaled 1.4%. A total of 440 species except foreign species and species legally preserved by the Ministry of Environment, common species and uncertain species were selected as primary candidates. By taxon, it shows 212 species of plants, 180 species of wild birds, 24 species of mammalia, and 24 species of amphibians and reptiles. For extensive research subjects and research data limited in certain insect family, analysis by literature for discovered insects was excluded. The selection criteria for the second candidate species was based on extinction crisis, rarity, historicity and locality, academic value, habitat specificity, etc. The second candidate species from the primary species were selected through taxon experts' evaluations. As for the results of the selection of the second candidates, a total 77 species were selected through the experts' evaluations. Each species by taxon was 25 species for plants, 21 species for wild birds, 5 for mammalia, 10 for amphibians and reptiles and 16 species for insects. A site investigation for the second candidates was conducted to select the final candidate species. For the target areas, the habitats of the second candidates given by the literature and 46 potential areas in Seoul, which show good natural resistance, were finally selected. From the result of the site investigation, it was found that 14 species of plants, 19 species of wild birds, 2 species of mammalia, 4 species of amphibians and reptiles, and 16 species of insects were actually inhabiting Seoul; thus, the final 55 protected species were selected.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.374-383
• /
• 2019

The Wangpo stream located in the Buyeo-gun was a small stream with both low water quality and quantity due to the cultivated land and settlement area through the stream. In order to restore ecosystem, the Sustainable Structured wetland Biotop system was applied to treat 1,500 to 7,000 ㎥/d amount of effluent water pumped from the Buyeo sewage treatment plant facility as well as inflowed from nonpoint pollution source of Wangpo stream. As a result of continuous monitoring for 2 years from 2016 to 2018 after completing restorative construction, the average BOD₅ as an index of organic pollution was 7.3 mg/L and the average effluent concentration became 2.1 mg/L, showing an improvement by 71.2%. The average inflow concentration of T-N was 7.953 mg/L and the average outflow concentration was 3.379 mg/L, showing 57.5% of improvement. The average inflow concentration of T-P was 0.177 mg/L and the average outflow concentration was 0.052 mg/L, showing about 70.7% improvement. The results of ecological monitoring after creating biotope by reuse of treated waste water and nonpoint pollution source of the Wangpo Stream are as follows. The plant taxa founded in water SSB(Sustainable Structured wetland Biotop) system of the Wangpo Stream was total 41 species in 21 families, showing a higher proportion of naturally introduced plant than that of artificially planted species. In case of other terrestrial animals, both amphibian and reptile group were confirmed as 3 species in 6 families, avian group was 25 species of 15 families, and mammal group observed 5 species in 5 families, respectively. All species have been created and enhanced through purified water inhabited in the SSB(Sustainable Structured wetland Biotop) system as a treatment wetland, eventually migrating to the Wangpo Stream.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.6-19
• /
• 2009

We investigated the macrozoobenthos at major two harbors of Korea in July and August 2007 in order to check the changes in the species composition due to the invasive species and to make a species inventory at each harbor system. At the Incheon Harbor, a total of 88 species was sampled with abundance of 3,212 ind. m$^{-2}$ and biomass of 239 g m$^{-2}$. The most dominant species was Tharyx sp. belong to polychaete taxa, followed by Chaetozone setosa in the harbor area. The dominant species of outer area were Musculus senhousia and Sternaspis scutata. The diversity index ranged between 0.9$\sim$2.4, and evenness index between 0.3$\sim$0.9, and richness index between 1.8$\sim$3.9. Benthic pollution index ranged between 16$\sim$74. The highest benthic pollution index was at station 4. On the other hand the lowest value was at station 6, where a large amount of M. senhousia belong to mollusca occurred. At the Busan Harbor, a total of 89 species was sampled with density of 1,845 ind. m$^{-2}$ and biomass of 133.6 g m$^{-2}$ in August 2007. The most dominant species was Tharyx sp., followed by M. japonica and Cirratulus cirrata within harbor area. M. japonica was dominant species in the outer area. The diversity index ranged between 0.7$\sim$2.2, evenness index between 0.3$\sim$1.0, and richness index between 1.1$\sim$4.1. Benthic pollution index ranged between 31$\sim$90. The lowest benthic pollution index was found at site 2 within harbor area.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.101 no.1
• /
• pp.7-19
• /
• 2012

After having announced legislation for threatened or endangered species on the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants in 2005, the Korea Ministry of Environment proposed (in June 2011) amending the list, thereby delisting or reclassifying endangered species using new quantitative criteria for two levels (I and II), as well as status reviews. The new legislation included 40 species remained in their original endangered status, but 19 species were delisted, 5 species were proposed as candidates for delisting, 29 species were given a new endangered listing, and 3 species were proposed for an endangered listing in Korea. We assessed the threatened status of 98 plants using the IUCN Red List Criteria (version 3.1) at the global level, and compared the Ministry's revised criteria with the IUCN Red List Criteria and ESA criteria used in the USA. Most species proposed by the Ministry do not qualify as threatened and one of the major difficulties found in applying IUCN Red List Criteria at the global scale was a lack of knowledge on the status of species at broader geographic scales and the perceived difficulty this causes. Under the current classification process, many endangered species, such as Abeliophyllum distichum, Leontice microrhyncha, Echinosophora koreensis, Leontopodium coreanum, Iris odaesanensis, and Corylopsis coreana at global level were excluded here. Knowledge gaps and uncertainties mean that the number of taxa at high risk of extinction may be substantially greater than is currently understood. Due to a lack of information on its taxonomic status, currently there is controversy over the Red List status of Physocarpus insularis. Also, Caragana koreana, which was an invalidly published name, should be excluded here. Although the Korea Ministry of Environment insisted this procedure was conducted by applying the modified IUCN threat categories and definitions, this evaluation has been carried out based only on subjective views and misapplication of the IUCN Red List Criteria. The current listings by the Korea Ministry of Environment should be challenged. We suggest that broad species concepts on endemic species are applied and also criteria that adequately address the proper quantitative knowledge should be used. It is suggested that the highest priorities for the Red List should be given to endemic species at least in the Korean peninsula first at global scale.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.25-34
• /
• 2013

The purpose of this study is to investigate the properties of Menyanthes trifoliata habitat in coastal lagoons. To characterize plant composition in the habitats in the lagoon, the plot sampling method was applied. The depths of water and floating mat were measured. Surface water quality factors including pH, electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO), and total dissolved solids (TDS) were measured in the sites. Phosphate, nitrate, ammonium, and major cations were measured in laboratory. The wetland has 78 taxa of wetland plants. The average coverage and density of M. trifoliata was 62.6% and $71.2/m^2$, respectively and Phragmites australis is important associate in Sunyoodam lagoon. The average depths of floating mats were 26.5cm in M. trifoliata and 68.9cm in the P. australis-M. trifoliata communities, and the water depth below the mat was 106.5cm and 17.7cm, respectively. The values of pH, DO, EC and TDS in the water were 5.06, 46.1%, 59.4 ${\mu}s/cm$, and 29.3 mg/L, respectively. The concentrations of phosphate, nitrate, and ammonium showed 47.2, 9321, and 15.9 ${\mu}g/L$, respectively. The concentrations of Ca, K, Na, and Mg had 11.1, 1.5, 15.1, and 11.3 mg/L, respectively. The habitats of M. trifoliata in the lagoon corresponds to a kind of lowland communities in Hewett's classification. To conserve the habitats of M. trifoliata in Sunyoodam lagoon, the supply of open water area, the construction of observation deck, and the block of inflow from the surrounding paddy fields are needed in the future.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.37 no.3 s.108
• /
• pp.319-331
• /
• 2004

This study was conducted to evaluate the ecological impact of freshwater bivalve (Corbiculidae) on plankton communities in experimental enclosure systems (2 m ${\times}$ 2 m ${\times}$ 2 m). During the acclamation period of one month, cyanobacteria, including Microcystis viridis and Microcystis aeruginosa, dominated in both control and treatment enclosures with no noticeable density difference. After the addition of 100 mussels, dominant species of phytoplankton shifted from Microcystis to Scenedesmus in concert with slight decrease in the cell density and the increase of N/P ratio. However, cell density in the control quickly increased, accompanied with changes of dominant species to Oscillatoria spp. With the introduction of additional 500 musseles in the treatment enclosure, dominant phytoplankton species in both enclosures were replaced with Selenastrum spp. and Cryptomonas sp. In the initial stage, the total zooplankton abundance in the control was higher than that of treatment, but it was reversed after the addition 100 mussels. After mussel density increased up to 600 indivisuals, zooplankton density in the treatment decreased with dominance of small taxa, such as rotifers and nauplius. However, abundance and carbon biomass of large zooplankton, such as Bosmina longirostris and Diacyclops thomasi were maintained in a high level compared with those of control. During the study period, Chl. a concentration in mussel treatment and control increased with DIP and $NH_3-N$, respectively. Due to the increase of $NH_3-N$, especially after the introduction of additional 500 mussels, nitrogen limitation did not occur in the treatment enclosure in contrast with strong nutrient limitation occurred in the control. These results indicate that filter-feeding Corbicula could exert important impact on nutrient recycling and plankton community structure in a freshwater ecosystem, through direct feeding and competition for the same food resource as zooplankton on one hand, and through alteration of nutrient availability on the other.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.339-362
• /
• 2002

Pollen morphology of 13 species of Korean Euphorbia was re-examined by means of LM and SEM. Taxonomic evaluation of palynological characters and relationships among taxa were also discussed based on the analysis of polar length, equatorial diameter, aperture size and exine thickness. Korean Euphorbia species were classified into three groups based on the mean size of polar length (P) and equatorial diameter (E) as follows:Group 1. sect. Tulocarpa and Tithymalus of subgenus Esula; $(P){\times}(E)=(54.88-67.17{\mu}m){\times}(44.30-64.75{\mu}m)$, Group 2. sect. Esula and Helioscpiae of subgenus Esula; $(P){\times}(E)=(39.98-47.24{\mu}m){\times}(36.07-38.83{\mu}m)$, Group 3. sect. Chamaesyce and Hypericifoliae of subgenus Chamaesyce; $(P){\times}(E)=(30.32-32.51{\mu}m){\times}(21.71-26.23{\mu}m)$. Various features of surface sculpturing were also grouped into 8 types by the characteristics of perporation size and distance of perporations as well as connection state of it. Pollen size and surface sculpturing were comparatively available in the levels of subgenus and section. Especially subgenus Chamaesyce was distinctly different from subgenus Esula by having compactly distributed perporations on exine surface as well as its small size of pollen grains. Because of the great variations in pollen size and the occurrence of various types of surface sculpturing according to the local poulations of each species, it was evaluated that they were unsuitable in classifying each species of Euphorbia. But such cases, that is, E. hylonoma being more familiar with E. ebracteolata than E. Pallasii, and E. pekinensis and E. fauriei as well as E. pallasii being strongly related with each other based on the similarity of surface sculpturing, reflected its usefulness in the classification of some Euphorbia species.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.221-244
• /
• 2004

Prunus sargentii complex of subgenus Cerasus is an Eastem Asiatic plant group that exhibits a broad range of morphological variation and includes P. takesimensis, P. yedosensis, P. verecunda, and P. sargentii. In this study, a morphological analysis was undertaken to determine whether the observed morphological variation was primarily attributable to morphological discontinuities among the taxa. P. sargentii, which distributed eastem area in Korea, northern area in Japan and far east Russia had umbel like inflorescence and additionally was characterized by sticky bud and leaf twigs, compared with P. serrulata complex. Also, P. verecunda in Korea and Japan was characterized by umbel like inflorescence and presence of hair in leaf, petiole and pedicel, and was treated as a variety of P. sargentii. Evidence obtained from multivariate morphometric analyses indicated that the entity of P. takesimensis formed a cohesive group somewhat distinct from P. sargenti.. Especially, P. takesimensis was characterized by relatively small flowers (26-32mm in diameter) and many flowers [(2)3-5] per umbel inflorescence, compared with P. sargentii (34-48mm and 2(3) per inflorescence) and should be recognized as an independent and endeImic taxon in Korea. Additionally, P. yedosensis, which was known to have umbel inflorescence (short peduncle type) with pubescent style based on the type specimen, was comprised of corymb inflorescence (long peduncle type) as well. The morphological differentiation between these two types of P. yedosensis was not considered sufficient to warrant recognition of specific status because of the putative hybrid origin, no distinctive geographical distribution pattern, and existence of various peduncle length on Island Jeju-do of Korea.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.312-323
• /
• 1999

External morphology, principal component analysis, cluster analysis, and vegetation were investigated to understand the taxonomic relationships and native environmental characters of Megaleranthis saniculifolia populations in four different habitats. Morphological characters such as calyx length and width, calyx index, presence or absence of serrate in calyx lobe, length of peduncle, branch of peduncle and fruit characters were useful for the identification of four different habitats. But, characters of plant height, bract and seed in four habitats were similar. The results obtained based on the principal component(PC) analysis of treated 96 OTU were divided into two groups by PC 1, 2, 3, and the sums of contributions for the total variance were 66.79%(PC1 31.3%, PC2 20.7%, PC3 15.8%, respectively), and only Mt. Taeki population was distinctly different from populations of other three habitats. In cluster analysis based on average linkage cluster analysis and Ward's method, there were similarities in the composition of clustered taxa, and each populations were not identified. Importance value by relative coverage and frequency appeared in M. saniculifolia(50.81%), Aruncus dioicus(12.64%), Corydalus turtschanovii(11.62%), Veratrum oxysepalum(11.45%), Anemone koraiensis(8.96%), Meehania urticifolia(8.76%), Filipendula palmata(7.06%), Aconitum pseudo-laeve(5.66%), Pseudostellaria palibiniana(5.45%) and Smilacina japonica(5.25%), respectively. These species were considered to be highly similar with M. saniculifolia. The highest importance value in all investigated sites was M. saniculifolia, but specific composition of high level different from each habitat. Average diversity of species was 1.40, and the highest in Mt. Kwangdeok(1.31), lowest in Mt. Jumbong(1.17). Average soil pH was 5.25 and similar in each habitat. Although the lowest content of K ion, but the highest the EC, water capacity, organic compound, Ca content were found in soil of Mt. Sobaek. Soils in Mt. Kwangdeok had the lowest content of EC, organic compound, Ca. Soils of Mt. Jumbong showed the highest of Mg content, but the lowest of water capacity, $P_2O_5$, and K contents.