• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.423-432
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• 2004

In coastal area of Inchon, dredging and the disposal of dredged material for sea-wall construction and reclamation have increased in recent years. These activities may impact the benthic environment and result in changes in benthic communities, but little information is available on the extent and direction of these changes. We investigated whether there have been changes in the dominant macrobenthic species and benthic community over the last decade, and explored the relationship between environmental variables and spatial patterns of macrobenthic community structure. We sampled macrobenthos and recorded environmental variables in the coastal habitats of Inchon in March and June 2004. In total, 212 macrobenthic species were recorded during this study, predominately crustaceans $(34{\%})$, mollusks $(32{\%})$ and polychaetes $(21{\%})$. The mean density of macrobenthos was $1,393\;ind./m^{2}$.The most abundant species was Amphioplus japonicus $(20.5{\%})$, followed by Heteromastus filiformis $(14.4{\%})$, Theora fragilis $(8.2{\%})$ and Ampharete sp. $(4.0{\%})$. Over the past decade the dominant macrobenthic species in this area shifted. Multivariate analysis (multidimensional scaling) revealed significant differences in community structure among three regions: the middle part of the sampling area (B), site 8 (C) and other sites (A). Mean density varied significantly among the three regions, but no differences in the number of species and diversity (H') were observed. The distribution of the macrobenthic community was affected by environmental variables such as percentage sand content and sediment kurtosis. Species that were important in different areas included A. japonicus in region A, Raeta puchella in region B and T. fragilis in region C. The important species in regions B and C were filter-feeding bivalves, and the abundance of these species may be related to the increase in percentage sand content. We suggest that the sediment composition (percentage sand content) may be an important factor in determining the dominant species and structure of the macrobenthic communities in coastal Inchon. Long-term monitoring programs are necessary to understand ongoing changes in the benthic communities of this area.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.1347-1356
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• 2013

Tricholoma matsutake, an ectomycorrhiza that has mutual relationships with the rootlet of Pinus denisflora, forms a fruiting body that serves as a valuable food in Asia. However, the artificial culture of this fungus has not been successful. Soil fungi, including T. matsutake, coexist with many other microorganisms and plants; therefore, complex microbial communities have an influence on the fruiting body formation of T. matsutake. Here, we report on the structures of fungal communities associated with the fairy ring of T. matsutake through the pyrosequencing method. Soil samples were collected inside the fairy ring zone, in the fairy ring zone, and outside the fairy ring zone. A total of 37,125 sequencing reads were obtained and 728 to 1,962 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were observed in the sampling zones. The fairy ring zone had the lowest OTUs and the lowest fungal diversity of all sampling zones. The number of OTUs and fungal taxa inside and outside the fairy ring zone was, respectively, about 2 times and 1.5 times higher than the fairy ring. Taxonomic analysis showed that each sampling zone has different fungal communities. In particular, out of 209 genera total, 6 genera in the fairy ring zone, such as Hemimycena, were uniquely present and 31 genera, such as Mycena, Boletopsis, and Repetophragma, were specifically absent. The results of metagenomic analysis based on the pyrosequencing indicate a decrease of fungal communities in the fairy ring zone and changes of fungal communities depending on the fairy ring growth of T. matsutake.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.55-66
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• 2022

As the number of immigrants staying in Korea has gradually increased since the mid-1990s, the rate of chronicle migration from certain countries such as China and Vietnam remain high. Registered foreign residents have formed ethnic communities depending on their countries of origin, and the purpose of stay, Korean language literacy, rent, and accessibility have resulted in their self-congregation or forced segregation. This study aims to explore the direction in which immigrants' residential distribution move over time, and whether the ethnic communities show any differences in the level of congregation or segregation. It focuses on identifying the residential distribution of Korean-Chinese, Chinese, and Vietnamese at the city, county, and district level across the country in Korea and examining the congregation and residential changes of three groups over the past decade using centrographic method. Comparing the location as well as the level of residential congregation or dispersion of three groups, which account for the majority of non-professional immigrants in Korea, it will provide a basis for further research on residential congregation or segregation of immigrants in the future.

• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.45-63
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• 2014

Due to advance in Internet technology, most tourists tend to search travel information in the Online Travel Communities(OTC). Given this new paradigm in terms of finding travel information, most of relevant studies in this area are still dealt with explaining tourists' behaviors regardless of the types of communications. Therefore, to overcome some limitations in previous studies, we attempt to examine the relationships between both formal and informal communications and tourists' behavioral changes in the OTC context. Specifically, we developed a research model by employing the PPM(push-pull-mooring) framework and tested it to understand why and how tourists' behaviors might be changed. Survey data collected from 323 online tourists were used to test the model the model using SEM(structural equation modeling). The implications of our empirical findings for both research and practice are discussed.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.199-209
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• 1999

Before investigating the long-term variations in macrobenthic communities sampled in the Chokchon macrotidal flat in Inchon, Korea, from 1989 to 1996, we need to understand how environmental factors in the area vary. As potential governing agents of tidal flat communities, abiotic factors such as mean sea level, seawater, air temperature, and precipitation were considered. Data for these factors were collected at equal intervals from 1976 or 1980 to 1996, and were analyzed using a decomposition method. In this analysis, all the above variables showed strong seasonal nature, and yielded a significant trend and cyclical variation. Positive trends were seen in the seawater and air temperatures, and based upon this relationship, it was found that the biological sampling period of our program has been carried out during warmer periods in succession. This paper puts forth some hypotheses concerning the response of tidal flat macrobenthos communities to the changing environment including mild winters in succession.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.213-224
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• 2013

Between May 2006 and November 2009, we investigated the relationship between fluctuations in environmental factors and phytoplankton communities in Saemangeum Artificial Lake, South Korea. Nutrient concentrations in the lake increased because of the inflow of water from Mankyung and Dongjin Rivers during the summer rainy season; in particular, high concentrations were detected at an inner zone close to the estuaries. During the summer rainy season, salinity at the inner zone reduced more rapidly than that at the other zones, and it was similar to the changes in nutrient concentrations. Variations in phytoplankton communities were caused by fluctuations in environmental factors: the abundance of phytoplankton at the inner zone was higher than that at the other zones. Diatoms were the dominant species in the phytoplankton communities. A small centric diatom, Skeletonema costatum like species, was predominant, with a mean abundance of 19.5% in Saemangeum lake. Because of accelerated eutrophication in the lake, phytoplankton abundance increased continuously and the total number of species present in the community decreased. In particular, some dinoflagellates could intermittently cause red tides during low temperature and salinity conditions (at the inner zone). In 2006~2007, a red tide-forming dinoflagellate, Prorocentrum minimum, was the predominant species, while Heterocapsa triquetra, Karlodinium veneficum, and Heterocapsa rotundata were the newly recorded species in late 2008 to early 2009. Therefore, the dynamics of phytoplankton communities under the perennially eutrophic conditions in Saemangeum lake appear to be primarily affected by changes in water temperature and salinity. In particular, the growth of harmful algae may have been accelerated by the low salinity and temperature conditions during the spring season at the inner zone.

• Journal of Information Technology Services
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.159-173
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• 2015

This paper presents a study on the Internet of Things based low-power wireless sensor networks for remote monitoring of wildlife ecosystem due to climate change. Especially, it is targeting the wild vegetation communities ecological monitoring. First, we performed a pre-test and analysis for selecting the appropriate frequency for the sensor network to collect and deliver information reliably in harsh propagation environment of the forest area, and selected for sensors for monitoring wild vegetation communities on the basis of considerations for selecting the best sensor. In addition, we have presented the platform concept and hierarchical function structures for effectively monitoring, analyzing and predicting of ecosystem changes, to apply the Internet of Things in the ecological monitoring area. Based on this, this paper presents the system architecture and design of the Internet of Things based low-power wireless sensor networks for monitoring the ecosystem of the wild vegetation communities. Finally, we constructed and operated the test-bed applied to real wild trees, using the developed prototype based on the design.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.271-278
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• 2016

Forest clear-cutting operations influence biodiversity through habitat changes and food resource availability for inhabitant species. This study examined the effects of clear-cutting on forest arthropod communities. Arthropods were collected from two different forest treatment areas (clear-cut and control) in summer and autumn. In each treatment area, arthropods were sampled from both crown and ground surfaces using sweeping and pitfall trap methods, respectively. Then, the taxonomic order of the collected arthropod specimens was easily identified. Results indicate that arthropod abundance and number of taxa present were higher at ground surface than at crown levels in both clear-cut and control areas. At crown level, more homopteran species were present in clear-cut areas than in control areas in summer. At ground surface, populations of Isopoda and Opiliones were higher in control areas than in clear-cut areas, whereas numbers of Araneae, Orthoptera, and Hymenoptera were greater in clear-cut areas. Cluster analysis and principal component analysis showed distinct differences between clear-cut and control communities at crown level in summer and at ground surface in autumn. Thus, our results indicate that clear-cutting significantly influences arthropod communities, and higher taxa are valuable for conducting rapid biological assessments of ecosystem disturbances.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.205-216
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of large scale marine sand mining on the marine ecological community. For the study, four stations along the coast were selected and monitored in 1998 and 2001 at mining areas and non-mining areas about the Gyeonggi Bay. The result revealed that in 1998, 9 species of fishes, 16 species of crustaceans, and 6 species of mollusks were collected where as in 2001, 11 species of fishes, 5 species of crustaceans, and 2 species of mollusks were collected, uncovering the fact that fishes have diversified while crustaceans and mollusks have reduced on a grand scale. Also, there were two key characteristics regarding the changes of biological communities in mining and nonmining areas. The first was the dwindling of crustaceans inhabiting the sand area. This outcome may be accounted for by the facts that physical removal of seabed sediments and re-sediment due to expansion of floating particles cause direct influence on the ocean floor ecosystem and have continuous effect on the communities of crustaceans which feed on them. Secondly, the newly arrived species and their population during spring and summer seasons have increased in the non-mining areas and have decreased in the mining area. It can be concluded that highly nomadic fish species migrate toward areas with less disturbance or destruction of ecosystem from marine sand mining, and consequently, the communities of fishes change in the sea area. Setting aside the characteristics of the investigated sea areas where the arriving conditions of species vary by seasons, the clear differences of population of organisms in those areas are due to environmental alterations owing to the marine sand mining ; if those large-scale marine sand mining activities continue in the Gyeonggi Bay, their effects on biological communities in the areas will only grow.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2017.06a
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• pp.245-245
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• 2017

Heavy metal pollution of agricultural soils affects land productivity and has impact on the quality of surrounding ecosystem. Soil microbial community parameters are used as reliable indices for assessing quality of agricultural lands under metal stress. This study investigated bacterial community structure of polluted and undisturbed paddy soils to elucidate soil factors that are related to alteration of bacterial communities under conditions of metal pollution. No obvious differences in the richness or diversity of bacterial communities were observed between samples from polluted and control areas. The bacterial communities of three locations were distinct from one another, and each location possessed distinctive set of bacterial phylotypes. The abundances of several phyla and genera differed significantly between study locations. Variation of bacterial community was mostly related to soil general properties at phylum level while at finer taxonomic levels concentrations of arsenic and lead were significant factors. According to results of bacterial community functional prediction, the soil bacterial communities of metal polluted locations were characterized by more abundant DNA replication and repair, translation, transcription and nucleotide metabolism pathway enzymes while amino acid and lipid metabolism as well as xenobiotic biodegradation potential was reduced.Our results suggest that the soil microbial communities had adapted to the elevated metal concentrations in the polluted soils as evidenced by changes in relative abundances of particular groups of microorganisms at different taxonomic resolution levels, and by altered functional potential of the microbial communities.