• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.9-17
• /
• 2024

The purpose of this study is to select and predict optimal heatwave indices for describing and predicting heat-related illnesses. Regression analysis was conducted using Heat-related illness surveillance system data for a number of heat-related illnesses and meteorological data from the Korea Meteorological Administration's Automatic Weather Station (AWS) for the period from 2021 to 2023. Daily average temperature, daily maximum temperature, daily average Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), and daily maximum WBGT values were calculated and analyzed. The results indicated that among the four indicators, the daily maximum WBGT showed the highest suitability with an R² value of 0.81 and RMSE of 0.98, with a threshold of 29.94 Celsius. During the entire analysis period, there were a total of 91 days exceeding this threshold, resulting in 339 cases of heat-related illnesses. Predictions of heat-related illness cases from 2021 to 2023 using the regression equation for daily maximum WBGT showed an accuracy with less than 10 cases of error annually, demonstrating a high level of precision. Through continuous research and refinement of data and analysis methods, it is anticipated that this approach could contribute to predicting and mitigating the impact of heatwaves.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.66 no.1
• /
• pp.79-92
• /
• 2024

Global warming is a key challenge subjecting animals to heat stress conditions resulting in multiple physiological alterations in tropical climate. Dietary approach seems to be the more friendly approach to curb the adverse effects of heat stress in rabbits. Some herbs have been categorized to have high potential for promotion of immune responses for amelioration of heat stress. Thus, this research aims to evaluate the potential of Mistletoe (Viscum album), Moringa (Moringa oleifera) and Phyllanthus (Phyllanthus amarus) leaf meal as herbal supplements for the alleviation of heat stress in female rabbits by measuring improvement in sex and stress hormonal responses in serum biochemistry. 80 Rabbit does were exposed to 4 dietary groups supplemented with each of Mistletoe, Moringa, Phyllanthus and a control in an 84-day trial at the summit of thermal stress in South west Nigeria. Growth indices were monitored throughout the study, blood samples were compiled at the end of the trial to assess serum biochemistry, stress and sex hormonal responses of the Does using standard protocols. The results revealed that final weight and weight gain of Does fed on Phyllanthus were significantly (p < 0.05) higher (11.46% and 14.25%, respectively) than Does on control. The herbal supplements enhance glucose, protein, albumin and globulin, reduced cholesterol, and creatinine of Does under heat stress conditions. Among the herbal treatment groups, mistletoe, moringa and phyllanthus had 12.42%, 18.39% and 16.90%, respectively, lower corticosterone than control groups which had 39.76ng/ml. Triiodothyronine of Does fed control were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than Does on Moringa oleifera and Phyllanthus amarus supplements. Estradiol and Follicle stimulating hormone of rabbit Does fed on moringa supplement were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than other treatments. In conclusion, the herbal supplements tend to mitigate the detrimental outcome of thermal stress on Does by suppressing stress hormones. Moringa oleifera and Phyllanthus amarus enhanced sex hormones while Phyllanthus amarus confered growth promoting effects on the Does.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.66 no.4
• /
• pp.307-317
• /
• 2021

In recent years, global warming has led to frequent climate change-related problems, and elevated temperatures, among adverse climatic factors, represent a critical problem negatively affecting crop growth and yield. In this context, the present study examined the physiological traits of wheat plants grown under high temperatures. Specifically, the effects of elevated temperatures on seed development after heading were evaluated, and the vegetation indices of different organs were assessed using hyperspectral analysis. Among physiological traits, leaf greenness and OJIP parameters were higher in the high-temperature treatment than in the control treatment. Similarly, the leaf photosynthetic rate during seed development was higher in the high-temperature treatment than in the control treatment. Moreover, temperature by organ was higher in the high-temperature treatment than in the control treatment; consequently, the leaf transpiration rate and stomatal conductance were higher in the control treatment than in the high-temperature treatment. On all measuring dates, the weight of spikes and seeds corresponding to the sink organs was greater in the high-temperature treatment than in the control treatment. Additionally, the seed growth rate was higher in the high-temperature treatment than in the control treatment 14 days after heading, which may be attributed to the higher redistribution of photosynthates at the early stage of seed development in the former. In hyperspectral analysis, the vegetation indices related to leaf chlorophyll content and nitrogen state were higher in the high-temperature treatment than in the control treatment after heading. Our results suggest that elevated temperatures after the booting stage positively affect wheat growth and yield.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.69 no.1
• /
• pp.49-60
• /
• 2024

A region can be divided into cultivation zones based on homogeneity in weather variables that have the greatest influence on crop growth and yield. This study classified the cultivation zone of soybean using weather indices as a prior study to classify the agroclimatic zone of soybean. Meteorological factors affecting soybeans were determined through correlation analysis over a 10 year period (from 2013 to 2022) using data from the Miryang and Suwon regions collected from the soybean yield trial database of the Rural Development Administration, Korea and the meteorological database of the Korea Meteorological Administration. The correlation between growth characteristics and the minimum temperature, daily temperature range, and precipitation were high during the vegetative growth stages. Moreover, the correlation between yield components and the maximum temperature, daily temperature range, and precipitation were high during the reproductive growth stages. As a result of k-means clustering, soybean cultivation zones were divided into three zones. Zone 1 was the central inland region and southern Gyeonggi-do; Zone 2 was the southern part of the west coast, the southern part of the east coast, and the South Sea; and Zone 3 included parts of eastern Gyeonggi-do, Gangwon-do, and areas with high altitudes. Zone 1, which has a wide latitude range, was further subdivided into three cultivation zones. The results of this study may provide useful information for estimating agrometeorological characteristics and predicting the success of soybean cultivation in South Korea.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.42 no.6
• /
• pp.430-438
• /
• 2009

An attempt was made to establish the suitability classes of lands for the cultivation of ginseng(Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer). For this study, the relationships between various soil characteristics and ginseng yields were investigated on altogether 450 ginseng fields (150 sites in paddy and 300 sites in upland), across Kangwon, Kyunggi, Chungbug, Chungnam, Jonbug and Kyungbug Provinces, where ginseng is widely cultivated. In the paddy fields, most influential properties of soil on the ginseng yields was found to be the drainage class. Texture of surface soil and available soil depths affected the ginseng yields to some extents. However, the topography, slope, and the gravel content were found not to affect the ginseng yields. In the uplands, the texture of surface soil was most influential and the topography, slope, and occurrence depth of hard-pan were least influential on the performance of the crop. Making use of multiple regression, by SAS, the contribution of soil morphological and physical properties such as, topography, surface soil texture, drainage class, slope, available soil depth, gravel content, and appearance depth of hard-pan, for the suitability of land for ginseng cultivation was analyzed. Based on the results of above analysis, adding up all of the suitability indices, land suitability classes for ginseng cultivation were proposed. On top of this, taking the weather conditions into consideration, suitability of land for ginseng cultivation was established in paddy field and in uplands. As an example, maps showing the distribution of suitable land for ginseng cultivation were drawn, adopting the land suitability classes obtained through current study, soil map, climate map, and GIS information, for Eumsung County, Chungbug Province. Making use of the information on the land suitability for ginseng cultivation obtained from current study, the suitability of lands currently under cultivation of ginseng was investigated. The results indicate that 74.0% of them in paddy field and 88.3% in upland are "highly suitable" and "suitable".

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.160-167
• /
• 1994

Meteorological elements such as air temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, sunshine duration, and so on observed by Korea Meteorological Administration, were analyzed to estimate the climatic change and to establish countermeasures in agriculture. Climatic differences were compared between two periods, early($1931{\sim}1960$) and late($1961{\sim}1990$), by calculating climatic resource indices, coldness index and warmth index of the two periods. Annual mean air temperatures of Seoul, Taegu, and Pusan in 1910's were 10.7, 12.3, and $13.4^{\circ}C$, respectively, having increased by $1.3^{\circ}C$ in Seoul and Taegu and by $0.9^{\circ}C$ in Pusan in 1990's. Mean air temperature in the spring($March{\sim}May$) increased by $0.69^{\circ}C$, which is a higher increasing rate than in the other seasons ($0.26{\sim}0.33^{\circ}C$). Regional differences exist in annual mean air temperature between the early and late part of the 20th century with little increase in this experiment did not germinate at pH 1.0. At pH 2.0, the flowering cabbage and geranium in the middle northern area, while in the southern part about $1^{\circ}C$increase was recorded during the last period. In the late period the annual rainfall increased by 100mm, except for the western coast area and the middle northern area. The P/E ratio showed a trend of an annual increase in the late period, being higher in the summer and lower in the winter. Relative humidity showed slight differences in seasons and regions but annual values did not. Duration of sunshine decreased by about an hour in the spring. Coldness index and warmth index of the late period were higher by 3.7 and 1.0 than those of the early period, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.327-337
• /
• 2022

Ecological restoration is considered a good means to prevent biodiversity loss in terms of the ecosystem's health and sustainability. However, there are difficulties in putting it into practice as there is no comprehensive and objective standard for the selection of plant species, such as environmental, ecological factors, and restoration goal setting. Therefore, this study developed an evaluation index necessary for selecting plant species for restoration using the Delphi method that synthesizes the opinions of the expert group. A survey with 38 questionnaires was conducted twice for experts in ecological restoration, etc., and the importance and priority of evaluation indicators were analyzed by dividing the restoration targets into inland and island regions. The result of the importance analysis showed that "native plants" had the highest average of 4.9 among the evaluation indices in both inland and island regions, followed by "seed security", "propagation", and "root growth rate". In the inland region, the index priority was analyzed in the order of "native plants", "appearance frequency", "root growth rate", "distribution range", and "seed security" in the island region, it was analyzed in the order of "native plants", "root growth rate", "appearance frequency", "distribution range", and "tolerance", showing slight differences between the two indicators. As a result of the importance and priority indicator analysis, we set the mean importance and priority of 4.1 and 2.9, respectively, in the inland region and 4.2 and 2.9, respectively, in the island region. As for the criteria of selecting plant species for ecological restoration, the "native plants" had the highest importance and priority. "Seed securing", 'viability", "topography", "proliferation", "tolerance", "soil conditions", "growth characteristics", "early succession", "distribution range", "appearance frequency", and "germination rate" were classified into subgroups of low importance and priority. The lowest indicators were "final stage of succession", "transition period", 'transition stage", "root", "reproduction", "soil", "appearance", "technology", "landscape", "climate", and "germination rate". We expected that the findings through objective verification in this study would be used as evaluation indicators for selecting native plant species for ecological restoration.