• Title/Summary/Keyword: agricultural ecosystem

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Impacts of Managing Water in a Closed Basin: A Study of the Walker River Basin, Nevada, USA

  • Tracy, John C.
    • Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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    • 2012.05a
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    • pp.1-10
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    • 2012
  • Throughout much of the world, many ecological problems have arisen in watersheds where a significant portion of stream flows are diverted to support agriculture production. Within endorheic watersheds (watersheds whose terminus is a terminal lake) these problems are magnified due to the cumulative effect that reduced stream flows have on the condition of the lake at the stream's terminus. Within an endorheic watershed, any diversion of stream flows will cause an imbalance in the terminal lake's water balance, causing the lake to transition to a new equilibrium level that has a smaller volume and surface area. However, the total mass of Total Dissolved Solids within the lake will continue to grow; resulting in a significant increase in the lake's TDS concentration over time. The ecological consequences of increased TDS concentrations can be as limited as the intermittent disruption of productive fisheries, or as drastic as a complete collapse of a lake's ecosystem. A watershed where increasing TDS concentrations have reached critical levels is the Walker Lake watershed, located on the eastern slope of the central Sierra Nevada range in Nevada, USA. The watershed has an area of 10,400 sq. km, with average annual headwater flows and stream flow diversions of 376 million $m^3/yr$ and 370 million $m^3/yr$, respectively. These diversions have resulted in the volume of Walker Lake decreasing from 11.1 billion m3 in 1882 to less than 2.0 billion $m^3$ at the present time. The resulting rise in TDS concentration has been from 2,560 mg/l in 1882 to nearly 15,000 mg/l at the current time. Changes in water management practices over the last century, as well as climate change, have contributed to this problem in varying degrees. These changes include the construction of reservoirs in the 1920s, the pumpage of shallow groundwater for irrigation in the 1960s and the implementation of high efficiency agricultural practices in the 1980s. This paper will examine the impacts that each of these actions, along with changes in the region's climate, has had on stream flow in the Walker River, and ultimately the TDS concentration in Walker Lake.

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A Study on Annual Carbon Emission Characteristic Changes Affected by Rainfall (강우에 의한 토양호흡 배출 특성이 연간 토양호흡 배출량에 미치는 영향 연구)

  • Kong, Hak Yang;Park, Sung Ae;Shim, Kyu Young;Kim, Tae Kyu;Lee, Jae Seok;Suh, Sang Uk
    • Journal of Climate Change Research
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    • v.7 no.4
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    • pp.397-405
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    • 2016
  • For better understand of the soil respiration characteristic in ecosystem, it is necessary to accurately determine the daily, monthly and seasonal $CO_2$ flux related to various environmental factors. In general, soil respiration is being measured on a sunny day. But soil respiration is known to be affected by soil temperature and soil moisture content. In case of forestry, changes in soil moisture content are entirely dependent on rainfall. If we calculated the monthly soil respiration measured based on sunny days data only, it could be a factor that loses credibility soil respiration. On this study, we measured soil respiration on Pinus koraiensis plantation at Mt. Taehwa of Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do on sunny and rainy days in 2012, using Automatic Open-Closed Chamber system (AOCC) and portable $CO_2$ analyzer (GMP343). Then we computed the regression equations using sunny days data, precipitation less than 10 mm data, and precipitation over 10 mm data. At first, there were no significant differences in observed data and computed data. But less than 10 mm precipitation, computed data was 26.5% lower than observed data. Precipitation over 10 mm, on the other hand, the former was 29.3% higher than the latter. In each case, it showed significant differences between observed and computed data (p<0.05). So if we computed regression equation using soil respiration measured sunny days only, about 30% of annual soil respiration could be overestimated. Through further study, we suggest the subdivision and computation of regression equation on the basis of the rainfall intensity.

Assessment of Soil Erosion Loss by Using RUSLE and GIS in the Bagmati Basin of Nepal

  • Bastola, Shiksha;Seong, Yeon Jeong;Lee, Sang Hyup;Shin, Yongchul;Jung, Younghun
    • Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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    • v.20 no.3
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    • pp.5-14
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    • 2019
  • This study attempted to study the soil erosion dynamic in the Bagmati Basin of Nepal. In this study, an inclusive methodology that combines Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and GIS techniques was adopted to determine the distribution of soil loss in the study basin. As well, this study attempts to study the intensity of soil erosion in the seven different land use patterns in the Bagmati Basin. Soil loss is an associated phenomenon of hydrologic cycle and this dynamic phenomenon possesses threats to sustainability of basin hydrology, agriculture system, hydraulic structures in operation and overall ecosystem in a long run. Soil conservation works, and various planning and design of watersheds works demands quantification of soil loss. The results of the study in Bagmati Basin shows the total annual soil loss in the basin is 22.93 million tons with an average rate of 75.83T/ha/yr. The computed soil loss risk was divided into five classes from tolerable to severe and the spatial pattern was mapped for easy interpretation. Also, evaluation of soil loss in different land use categories shows barren area has highest rate of soil loss followed by agriculture area. This is a preliminary work and provides erosion risk scenario in the basin. The study can be further used for strategic planning of land use and hydrologic conservation works in a basin.

Estimating potential range shift of some wild bees in response to climate change scenarios in northwestern regions of Iran

  • Rahimi, Ehsan;Barghjelveh, Shahindokht;Dong, Pinliang
    • Journal of Ecology and Environment
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    • v.45 no.3
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    • pp.130-142
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    • 2021
  • Background: Climate change is occurring rapidly around the world, and is predicted to have a large impact on biodiversity. Various studies have shown that climate change can alter the geographical distribution of wild bees. As climate change affects the species distribution and causes range shift, the degree of range shift and the quality of the habitats are becoming more important for securing the species diversity. In addition, those pollinator insects are contributing not only to shaping the natural ecosystem but also to increased crop production. The distributional and habitat quality changes of wild bees are of utmost importance in the climate change era. This study aims to investigate the impact of climate change on distributional and habitat quality changes of five wild bees in northwestern regions of Iran under two representative concentration pathway scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5). We used species distribution models to predict the potential range shift of these species in the year 2070. Result: The effects of climate change on different species are different, and the increase in temperature mainly expands the distribution ranges of wild bees, except for one species that is estimated to have a reduced potential range. Therefore, the increase in temperature would force wild bees to shift to higher latitudes. There was also significant uncertainty in the use of different models and the number of environmental layers employed in the modeling of habitat suitability. Conclusion: The increase in temperature caused the expansion of species distribution and wider areas would be available to the studied species in the future. However, not all of this possible range may include high-quality habitats, and wild bees may limit their niche to suitable habitats. On the other hand, the movement of species to higher latitudes will cause a mismatch between farms and suitable areas for wild bees, and as a result, farmers will face a shortage of pollination from wild bees. We suggest that farmers in these areas be aware of the effects of climate change on agricultural production and consider the use of managed bees in the future.

Ammonia Adsorption Characteristic of Reusable PAN/zeolite Fibers Made by Electrospinning (전기방사로 제작된 재이용 가능한 PAN/제올라이트 섬유의 암모니아 흡착 특성)

  • Ro, Yeon Hee;Chung, Woo Jin;Chang, Soon Woong
    • Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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    • v.39 no.4
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    • pp.281-288
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    • 2020
  • BACKGROUND: Generally, ammonia occurs from agricultural waste disposal. Ammonia is known as a harmful substance to the human body and has a bad influence such as eutrophication on the ecosystem. It is possible to remove the ammonia by ammonia adsorption method using natural zeolite, without external influence. However, due to the natural zeolite shape, it is hard to reuse. METHODS AND RESULTS: Electrospinning method can produce fiber with constant diameter. Moreover, electrospinning method has no limitation for selecting the material to make the fiber, and thus, it is valuable to reform the surface of adsorbent. In this study, reusable membrane was made by electrospinning method. The highest removal efficiency was shown from the membrane with 20% of zeolite included, and it has been verified that it is possible to reuse the membrane through chemical treatment. The highest ammonia removal efficiency was about 92.4%. CONCLUSION: In this study, ammonia adsorption characteristics of zeolite fibers were studied. Electrospinning method can produce zeolite fiber with even distribution. Ammonia can be removed efficiently from ion exchange ability of the natural zeolite. The result of adsorption isotherm indicated that both Freundlich model and Langmuir model provided the best fit for equilibrium data. And study on desorption has demonstrated that the ion exchange from zeolite was reversible when 0.01 M NaCl and KCl solution were used.

Phylogeny, Morphology and Pathogenicity of Biscogniauxia mediterranea Causing Charcoal Canker Disease on Quercus brantii in Southern Iran

  • Samaneh, Ahmadi;Fariba, Ghaderi;Habiballah, Charehgani;Soraya, Karami;Dariush, Safaee
    • Research in Plant Disease
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    • v.28 no.4
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    • pp.209-220
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    • 2022
  • Charcoal canker of oak, which has recently increased in southern Iran, could pose a serious threat to the entire forest ecosystem in the near future. In addition, it seems that climate change and its consequences, such as drought in the southern regions of Iran, have exacerbated this phenomenon. Consequently, the objective of this study was to identify the fungal pathogens that could cause charcoal canker disease in the oak forests of South Zagros. It was also sought to find associations between changes in the occurrence/exacerbation of charcoal canker disease under non and intense drought stress in non-inoculated or inoculated Quercus brantii seedlings. In total, 120 isolates were obtained from eight oak forests located in the Zagros Mountains of Southern Iran, Kohgiluyeh & Boyer-Ahmad and Fars provinces, which were classified as Biscogniauxia mediterranea based on morphological assessment. Subsequently, molecular assay confirmed the result by phylogenetic inference of internal transcribed spacer-rDNA regions, α-actin, and β-tubulin genes. The results of the pathogenicity test showed that the response of isolates of B. mediterranea (Iran-G1 and Iran-M70) was varied in different environments for the measured necrotic lesion length. In comparison with the control moisture treatments (non-stress), the necrotic lesion length in inoculated treatments increased under intense drought stress. In general, inoculated oak seedlings' exposure to water-deficient stress by the pathogen of B. mediterranea could affect the spread/severity of the charcoal canker disease.

Comparison of soil erosion simulation between empirical and physics-based models

  • Yeon, Min Ho;Kim, Seong Won;Jung, Sung Ho;Lee, Gi Ha
    • Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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    • 2020.06a
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    • pp.172-172
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    • 2020
  • In recent years, soil erosion has come to be regarded as an essential environmental problem in human life. Soil erosion causes various on- and off-site problems such as ecosystem destruction, decreased agricultural productivity, increased riverbed deposition, and deterioration of water quality in streams. To solve these problems caused by soil erosion, it is necessary to quantify where, when, how much soil erosion occurs. Empirical erosion models such as the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) family models have been widely used to make spatially distributed soil erosion vulnerability maps. Even if the models detect vulnerable sites relatively well by utilizing big data related to climate, geography, geology, land use, etc. within study domains, they do not adequately describe the physical process of soil erosion on the ground surface caused by rainfall or overland flow. In other words, such models remain powerful tools to distinguish erosion-prone areas at the macro scale but physics-based models are necessary to better analyze soil erosion and deposition and eroded particle transport. In this study, the physics-based Surface Soil Erosion Model (SSEM) was upgraded based on field survey information to produce sediment yield at the watershed scale. The modified model (hereafter MoSE) adopted new algorithms on rainfall kinematic energy and surface flow transport capacity to simulate soil erosion more reliably. For model validation, we applied the model to the Doam dam watershed in Gangwon-do and compared the simulation results with the USLE outputs. The results showed that the revised physics-based soil erosion model provided more improved and reliable simulation results than the USLE in terms of the spatial distribution of soil erosion and deposition.

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Development of drought Tolerant Temperate Rice Variety by Pyramiding QTLs, Pup1 and DTY4.1

  • Jae-Hyuk Han;Na-Hyun Shin;Ian Paul Navea;Jin-Woo Lee;IL-Ryong Choi;Joong Hyoun Chin
    • Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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    • 2022.10a
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    • pp.206-206
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    • 2022
  • Sustainable agriculture is a potential strategy to enable agricultural cultivation systems to feed the growing population under climate change. Sustainable agriculture consists of environment-friendly farming methods that allow the production of crops with minimal harm to the ecosystem. Early establishment in rice might be helpful to adopt sustainable agriculture with less inputs, such as water and phosphorus fertilizer. Two QTLs conferring tolerance to abiotic stress and low nutrition condition, DTY4.1 and Pup1, respectively, are effective for good establishment in the early growth stage under low water and phosphorus fertilizer application. We developed 'Sechanmi' and 'MSI 1-DTY' harboring Pup1 and DTY4.1 into MS11, a japonica rice variety adaptable to tropical regions, using Marker-Assisted Backcrossing (MABC). MS 11-PD lines were developed to meet the demand for less water and P fertilizer application throughout the growth stage of rice. In the F5 generation, water-saving or rainfed cultivation was performed in different P (phosphorus) content. Irrigation was applied only when severe drought was observed one month after transplanting. There was no significant difference observed between the parents and MS11-PD lines in low P conditions. However, MS11-PD lines had more tillers in P-supplied conditions compared to that of the parents 40 and 50 days after transplanting. Under the same amount of P, MS11-PD lines might have higher phosphorus uptake capacity than the parents, increasing the number of tillers and showing better early establishment. The better vegetative growth stage is one of the factors that can potentially increase production by way of higher number of panicles. Through this breeding strategy, it is possible to attain sustainable agriculture by applying less P and water to address the need of a growing population.

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Analysis of Habitat Conditions by Tree Density and Discharge in the Geum River (수목밀도와 유량에 따른 금강의 물리서식처 변화 분석)

  • Mikyoung Choi;Taeun Kang;Changlae Jang
    • Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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    • v.10 no.4
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    • pp.250-257
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    • 2023
  • Tree in river have environmental functions such as ecosystem preservation and flood control functions that protect the riverbank. On the other hand, excessive tree development can have the negative effect of fixing the sand bar and reducing the cross-sectional area. Nays2D simulation results performing two flow conditions (average dam operation discharge and two-year frequency discharge) and four tree density conditions (current, zero, low, high tree density) used as input data for PHABSIM to calculate WUA (Weighted Usable Area). The results show that riverbed changes occur more significantly in the zero tree density than presence of trees, which could have a positive impact on the biological habitat environment of Zacco platypus.

An Analysis on the Rural Research Trends using Topic Modeling (토픽모델링을 활용한 농촌연구 동향분석)

  • Kim, Gaeun;Jeong, yookyung;Lim, Yeonghun
    • Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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    • v.29 no.4
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    • pp.81-92
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    • 2023
  • The purpose of this study is to identify rural research topics, differences in research topics over time, and key mediators through the analysis of academic research trends using topic modeling. This study analyzed a total of 1,183 articles published in the Journal of Rural Planning and Rural Society over a 23-year period (2000-2022). We categorized rural research topics into 30, examined the proportion of research in each topic, and identified major changes in research topics over time. We also identified key words that mediate between research topics. The study found that, first, rural research trends can be categorized into five types (resources and utilization, area/space, people, ecosystem/environment, and tourism), with area/space being the most studied. Subtopics include rural amenities, rural disappearance/village miniaturization, and rural landscape management. Second, the research topics for each period were different. In the first period(2003-2007), the main research topics were rural amenities and Agricultural production- based climate vulnerability assessment. In the second period(2008-2012), the main research topics were Rural extinction and village depopulation, and rural landscape management, and in the third period(2013-2017), the main research topics were rural sixth industrialization and rural ecotourism. In the fourth period(2018-2022), rural development planning and rural life services(life SOC) were the main research topics. The significance of this study is that it extends the existing method of analyzing research trends and provides basic data to enhance comprehensive insights and understanding of rural research.