• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.15-28
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• 2013

This paper was made on the basis of geotourism to explain morphological characteristics of Patagonia and Atacama region in the Andes through 10-day fieldwork. The Patagonian landscape was focused on the Torres del Paine National Park, Chile and the Los Glacier National Park, Argentina; on the other hand, the Atacama morphological landscape was investigated around the San Pedro de Atacama. Many geomorphological features such as uplift, semiarid and glacier landscapes can be found in Patagonia, so it is strongly recommended to have an opportunity to enjoy these landforms by geotourism. Massive intrusive rock bodies of granite can be shown in those two National Parks declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. And, the Atacama Desert located on the forearc depression in the Andes, Chile has also many geomorphological destinations of arid and volcanic landforms; badland, pediplain, pediment, salt lake and geyser. Especially, huge pediplain is one of the greatest view points in the Atacama Desert. Patagonia and Atacama are the best geographical tourism sites to know diverse tectonic landforms made by the conflict between South American and Pacific plates.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.638-651
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• 2022

Last year, a new perception of the right to peace on the Korean Peninsula was adopted: DMZ Yanggu Peace Declaration 2021. The Declaration reflects that there is a raising of necessity for a new perception and approach from the perspective of DMZ-related laws, sustainable ecological environment and security. Gangwon is making considerable efforts to make the border area in DMZ as an area of peace by continuously enhancing publicity on the establishment of the 'Peace Special Self-Governing Province'. This study suggests the necessity of a paradigm shift towards the significance of the interkorean border region that it should function as a passage between the South and the North rather than a dam. For, to be renewed as a sustainably developing region through newly constructed flow of communication, the wall of hostility must preliminarily fall dawn. Then a question arises about how Gangwon is, out of other border region, most eligible for the reconsideration of its significance as a border area. The answer relies on the newly established agenda and understandings towards the right to peace in the perspective of founding the policy for the Unification of the Korean Peninsula. Furthermore, the conservation of DMZ ecological environment through enlistment of UNESCO Biosphere Reserve should go hand in hand with the ultimate value of global agenda of the conservation and protection of the environment. The study insists that the peace zone is a prerequisite for the adaption of the era of future-oriented glocalization featured by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Up to this date, the border area was an area of pain and agony. It is time for Gangwon to be reborn as an area of peace and coexistence. The aim of this study is to point a direction for Gangwon to become a sustainably developing region by illuminating the value of the Gangwon border area as a new area of peace.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.275-291
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to analyze the level and characteristics of system thinking of middle and high school students on cycle of matter in the Earth system considering the impact of human activities on the cycle. For this purpose, we developed items for assessment and assessment rubric through the analysis of 2015 revised curriculum and applying systems thinking, respectively. Middle and high school students who participated in the Korea Earth Science Olympiad were the subjects of this study. The level of system thinking was determined using the assessment rubric for student responses collected using items for assessment. The characteristics of system thinking were identified using word analysis. Based on these, the improvement of the curriculum considering the impact of human activities was discussed. The results of the study are as follows: first, the system thinking level of most secondary school students was low in identifying or classifying system elements for matter cycle, and high levels, such as system relationship or generalization of patterns, were found to be relatively small. It was found that students had a higher level of system thinking in the carbon cycle than in the water cycle. Second, in terms of the characteristics of system thinking about water cycle, water was recognized as a major system element and mainly related with evaporation between atmosphere and other system elements. Whereas, in the carbon cycle, carbon dioxide was regarded as a major system element, and photosynthesis and respiration were represented in relation with the biosphere. Third, for education considering the impact of human activities on the matter cycle in the Earth system, it is proposed improving the curriculum considering the socio-ecological system by extending the existing earth system.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.725-736
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• 2023

The compliance of deep geological disposal facilities for high-level radioactive waste with safety objectives requires consideration of uncertainties owing to temporal changes in the disposal system. A comprehensive review and analysis of the characteristics of this evolution should be undertaken to identify the effects on multiple barriers and the biosphere. We analyzed the evolution of the buffer, backfill, plug, and closure regions during the early phase of the post-closure period as part of a long-term performance assessment for an operating license application for a deep geological repository in Finland. Degradation mechanisms generally expected in engineered barriers were considered, and long-term evolution features were examined for use in performance assessments. The importance of evolution features was classified into six categories based on the design of the Finnish case. Results are expected to be useful as a technical basis for performance and safety assessment in developing the Korean deep geological disposal system for high-level radioactive waste. However, for a more detailed review and evaluation of each feature, it is necessary to obtain data for the final disposal site and facility-specific design, and to assess its impact in advance.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.508-519
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• 2017

There have been many studies on monitoring of biodiversity changes and preservation of Gwangneung Forest Biosphere Reserve (GFBR) in South Korea in recognition of the rare ecosystem that has been preserved for a long period. However, there are few studies on diversity and community characteristics of benthic macroinvertebrates as an indicator of stream health of GFBR. The purpose of this study was to assess the water quality of Bongseonsa Stream that penetrated through Gwangneung Forest and the nearby torrents by analyzing the benthic macroinvertebrates community during April to September 2016. The investigation collected a total of 114 species of benthic macroinvertebrates belonging to 56 families, 17 orders, 8 classes, and 5 phyla from the Bongseonsa Stream and Kwangneung Stream. Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera were the largest groups in species diversity with 30 species (32.3%) and 16 species (17.2%), respectively, and Tubificidae sp., Baetis fuscatus, Antocha KUa, and Cheumatopsyche brevilineata, which usually habit in contaminated streams, appeared frequently. Among the feeding function groups, the gatherers and hunters appeared relatively frequently, and the shredders and scrapers appeared frequently in the torrents. Among the habitat oriented groups, the clingers and burrower appeared more frequently and represented the microhabitats in the shallow areas. The result of the analysis of benthic macroinvertebrates community showed that the dominant index was $0.48{\pm}0.10$ in average while it was lowest with 0.33 in GS 8 of the Gwangneung Forest torrent and highest in BS 1 of Bongseonsa Stream. The diversity and richness indices were inversely proportional to the dominant index and were 2.53 and 4.22, respectively, in GS 8 where the dominant index was low. The result of the analysis of community stability showed that area I, which had high resistance and restoration, was high in Bongseonsa Stream while the area III, which had low resistance and restoration, was high in Gwangneung Forest, indicating that the water system in Gwangneung Forest had a wider distribution of specifies sensitive to agitation. The biological water quality assessment showed ESB of $50.88{\pm}17.69$, KSI of $1.11{\pm}0.57$, and BMI of $78.55{\pm}11.05$. GS 8 of Gwangneung Forest torrent was judged to be the highest priority protective water area with the best water environment and I class water quality with ESB of 63, KSI of 0.55, and BMI of 89.9. On the contrary, BS 1 of Bongseonsa Stream was judged to be the high priority improvement area that had the lowest water quality rating of III with ESB of 25, KSI of 2.13, and BMI of 62.7. Although the diversity of water beetle was higher in the water system of nearby Bongseonsa Stream than the water system inside the Gwangneung Forest, the annual community structure appeared to have distinct differences.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.1047-1056
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• 2016

This study aims to provide managerial implications for provincial parks through an analysis on visitors' characteristics and motivational factors. The information was collected by surveying 290 visitors. The survey questionnaire consisted of questions regarding visitors' socioeconomic characteristics, characteristics of their travel behavior, visitors' motivation to visit the park, and the degree of satisfaction derived from visiting the park. Results show that most respondents appeared not to collect any information on the park prior to their visit. It was also seen that most visitors do not visit other tourist sites nearby, and are not aware of the Gochang UNESCO biosphere, which indicates that Gochang-gun, which is responsible for park management, needs to make more efforts to promote the park. A factor analysis on the visitors' motivation to visit the park extracted three factors to visit the Seonunsan Provincial Park: 'to hike,' 'to experience and observe nature,' i.e., nature learning field trip and camping, and 'to build and nurture bonding with family and friends.' To examine the effect of these various motivational factors had on the visitors' satisfaction level upon visiting the park, we conducted a multiple regression analysis with the three extracted factors to visit the park and the respondents' socioeconomic characteristics as independent variables, and the degree of recommendation of visiting the park as a dependent variable. The result shows found that, of the three travel factors, only the 'hiking' factor statistically significantly affected the degree of recommendation of visiting the park. This result suggests that the Seonunsan Provincial Park only satisfied hikers and failed to meet the demands for nature experience and observation. It is therefore suggested that the park managers develop new experience-based tourism programs, such as guided tours conducted by professional eco-interpreters.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.456-463
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• 1996

The purpose of the present study is to estimate the regional and seasonal variations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) flux across the sediment-water interface of the inner and central areas of Hiroshima Bay from August 1994 to May 1995. In addition it compares the measured methods and estimates the effect of DIN released from sediment to the primary production of Hiroshima Bay. One method used in this study is to calculate DIN flux from a concentration gradient between sediment porewaters and the overlying water, and the other method is to measure DIN flux from the sediment-core experiment. The fluxes of $NH_{4}^{+}-N\;and\;NO_{2}^{+}\;+\;NO_{3}^{-}-N$ in the inner area were higher than those in central area, all of which showed seasonal variation. $NH_{4}^{+}-N$ flux was maximum in August, while $NO_{2}^{-}\;+\;NO_{3}^{-}-N$ flux was high in January compared with the other seasons. The calculated $NH_{4}^{+}-N\;and\;NO_{2}^{-}+NO_{3}^{-}-N$ fluxes from sediments were $18.2\~60.8\;{\mu}g-at/m^2{\cdot}hr\;and\;0.24\~18.2\;{\mu}g-at/m^2{\cdot}hr$, respectively. The measured $NH_{4}^{+}-N\;and\;NO_{2}^{-}+NO_{3}^{-}-N$ fluxes across the sediment-water interface were $2.00\~111\;{\mu}g-at/m^2{\cdot}hr\;and\;-265\~82.9\;{\mu}g-at/m^2{\cdot}hr$, respectively. The former was lower than the tatter. The calculated $NH_{4}^{+}-N$ flux showed closer relation to environmental factors (dissolved of gen in the overlying water, temperature and redox condition of the sediments) than the measured one did. On the other hand, in the case of $NO_{2}^{-}+NO_{3}^{-}-N$ flux both the calculated and the measured showed little relation to environmental factors, while they turned out to have stronger relation with their concentration in sediments. DIN released from the sediment is expected to support about $25\%\~67\%$ of the primary production in Hiroshima Bay.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.481-494
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• 2011

Investigation of the $CO_2$ exchange between biosphere and atmosphere at regional, continental, and global scales can be directed to combining remote sensing with carbon cycle process to estimate vegetation productivity. NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) currently produces a regular global estimate of gross primary productivity (GPP) and annual net primary productivity (NPP) of the entire terrestrial earth surface at 1 km spatial resolution. While the MODIS GPP algorithm uses meteorological data provided by the NASA Data Assimilation Office (DAO), the sub-pixel heterogeneity or complex terrain are generally reflected due to coarse spatial resolutions of the DAO data (a resolution of $1{\circ}\;{\times}\;1.25{\circ}$). In this study, we estimated inputs retrieved from MODIS products of the AQUA and TERRA satellites with 5 km spatial resolution for the purpose of finer GPP and/or NPP determinations. The derivatives included temperature, VPD, and solar radiation. Seven AmeriFlux data located in the Corn Belt region were obtained to use for evaluation of the input data from MODIS. MODIS-derived air temperature values showed a good agreement with ground-based observations. The mean error (ME) and coefficient of correlation (R) ranged from $-0.9^{\circ}C$ to $+5.2^{\circ}C$ and from 0.83 to 0.98, respectively. VPD somewhat coarsely agreed with tower observations (ME = -183.8 Pa ~ +382.1 Pa; R = 0.51 ~ 0.92). While MODIS-derived shortwave radiation showed a good correlation with observations, it was slightly overestimated (ME = -0.4 MJ $day^{-1}$ ~ +7.9 MJ $day^{-1}$; R = 0.67 ~ 0.97). Our results indicate that the use of inputs derived MODIS atmosphere and land products can provide a useful tool for estimating crop GPP.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.81-91
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• 2021

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea did not have direct legislation on natural environmental conservation until the early 1970s when the regime was still in the early stage. The Law on Land was enacted in 1977 to provide the legal basis for protecting the natural environment, including land protection, protection zones, and forest formation and protection. The enactment of the Law on Environmental Protection in 1986 made progress on environmental conservation in the DPRK. The constitutional amendment in 1992 stipulated "the preservation and creation of the natural environment as the responsibility of the state." Based on the Framework Law on Environmental Protection, subordinate statutes in various fields were enacted after the1990s. While the committee designated and managed the protected zones in the early days, the Framework Law on Environmental Protection established the ground for the designation of legally protected areas, and the Law on Protection of Scenic Spots and Natural Monuments enacted in 1995, and the Law on Environmental Protection enacted in 2009 provided the details. Furthermore, the types of nature reserves include biosphere reserves, primeval forest reserves, animal reserves, plant reserves, and scenic reserves. The 2nd National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan established in 2007 based on the Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD) stated 326 protected zones in the DPRK. However, the 2018 United Nations list of Protected Areas shows only 31 registered zones, indicating the need to establish basic information on protected areas in DPRK. This study can provide basic information for a better understanding of the nature conservation system in the DPRK. Considering that environmental protection activities such as protection of endangered species and recovery of environmental pollution are subject to exceptions under the current sanctions against North Korea (UN Security Council, the United States), it will be possible to contribute to identifying possible inter-Korean cooperation projects in the field of the natural environment.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.302-314
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• 2023

This study aims to explore the direction for Korea's effective response to Target 3 (30by30), which can be said to be the core of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (K-M GBF) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), to find the direction of systematic OECM (Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures) discovery at the national level through a survey of global conceptual review and expert perception of OECM. This study examined ① the use of Korean terms related to OECM, ② derivation of determining criteria reflecting global standards, ③ deriving types of potential OECM candidates in Korea, and ④ considerations for OECM identification and reporting to explore the direction for identifying systematic, national-level OECM that complies with global standards and reflects the Korean context. First, there was consensus for using Korean terminology that reflects the concept of OECM rather than simple translations, and it was determined that "nature coexistence area" was the most preferred term (12 people) and had the same context as CBD 2050 Vision of "a world of living in harmony with nature." This study suggests utilizing four criteria (1. No protected areas, 2. Geographic boundaries, 3. Governance/management, and 4. Biodiversity value) that reflect OECM's core characteristics in the first-stage selection process, carrying out the consensus-building process (stage 2) with the relevant agencies, and adding two criteria (3-1 Effectiveness and sustainability of governance and management and 4-1 Long-term conservation) and performing the in-depth diagnosis in stage 3 (full assessment for reporting). The 28 types examined in this study were generally compatible with OECMs (4.45-6.21/7 points, mean 5.24). In particular, the "Conservation Properties (6.21 points)" and "Conservation Agreements (6.07 points)", which are controlled by National Nature Trust, are shown to be the most in line with the OECM concept. They were followed by "Buffer zone of World Natural Heritage (5.77 points)", "Temple Forest (5.73 points)", "Green-belt (Restricted development zones, 5.63 points)", "DMZ (5.60 points)", and "Buffer zone of biosphere reserve (5.50 point)" to have high potential. In the case of "Uninhabited Islands under Absolute Conservation", the response that they conformed to the protected areas (5.83/7 points) was higher than the OECM compatibility (5.52/7 points), it is determined that in the future, it would be preferable to promote the listing of absolute unprotected islands in the Korea Database on Protected Areas (KDPA) along with their surrounding waters (1 km). Based on the results of a global OECM standard review and expert perception survey, 10 items were suggested as considerations when identifying OECM in the Korean context. In the future, continuous research is needed to identify the potential OECMs through site-level assessment regarding these considerations and establish an effective in-situ conservation system at the national level by linking existing protected area systems and identified OECMs.