• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.81-91
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• 2011

An exploratory study was conducted in Gopalganj, a southern district of Bangladesh to explore the role of wild date palm (Phoenix sylvestris Roxb.) husbandry in the rural economy. A total of 36 households in the study area were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. A multistage sampling method with 10% intensity and a semi-structured questionnaire were used for the study. Based on the land holding capacity of the households, the farmers were categorized into five groups as landless, marginal, small, medium, and large. The date palm was distributed over seven different habitats of which roadside support the highest value (31%) followed by agricultural field and orchard (25% each). Though the large category farmers own most of the palms (43%), a considerable portion (562 individuals out of 1980) of it is managed by the landless farmers, who earn a substantial livelihood from the palms. The farmers manage the palm mainly for juice production; juice is either used fresh as drink or after some sort of processing as molasses and/or alcoholic beverage. Date palm husbandry contributes 32,601 Tk., 21,107 Tk., 20,626 Tk., 29,574 Tk. and 35,335 Tk. respectively to the five group seasonally and 50,980 Tk., 77,556 Tk., 90,208 Tk., 112,560 Tk., 140,675 Tk. respectively annually (1 US$ = 70 Tk.). Date palm trees contribute 65.48% of mean annual income to landless farmers followed by 27.21% to marginal farmers. However the poor marketing system result in decreasing the annual return from palm trees. Palm husbandry could be a promising source of rural incomes in Bangladesh if the farmers' traditional management knowledge was linked to more scientific management practices.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.952-961
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• 2019

Chlorella spp. are green algae that are found across wide-ranging habitats from deserts to arctic regions, with various strains having adapted to survive under diverse environmental conditions. In this study, two novel Chlorella strains (ABC-002, ABC-008) were isolated from a freshwater lake in South Korea during the winter season and examined for possible use in the biofuel production process. The comparison of ABC-002 and ABC-008 strains with Chlorella vulgaris UTEX265 under two different temperatures ($10^{\circ}C$, $25^{\circ}C$) revealed their cold-tolerant phenotypes as well as high biomass yields. The maximum quantum yields of UTEX25, ABC-002, and ABC-008 at $10^{\circ}C$ were 0.5594, 0.6747, and 0.7150, respectively, providing evidence of the relatively higher cold-resistance capabilities of these two strains. Furthermore, both the biomass yields and lipid content of the two novel strains were found to be higher than those of UTEX265; the overall lipid productivities of ABC-002 and ABC-008 were 1.7 ~ 2.8 fold and 1.6 ~ 4.2 fold higher compared to that of UTEX265, respectively. Thus, the high biomass and lipid productivity over a wide range of temperatures indicate that C. vulgaris ABC-002 and ABC-008 are promising candidates for applications in biofuel productions via outdoor biomass cultivation.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.243-248
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• 2015

This study was conducted to predict the changes of potential distribution for invasive alien plant, Conyza bonariensis in Korea. C. bonariensis was found in southern Korea (Jeju, south coast, southwest coast). The habitats of C. bonariensis were roadside, bare ground, farm area, and pasture, where the interference by human was severe. Due to the seed characteristics of Compositae, C. bonariensis take long scattering distance and it will easily spread by movement of wind, vehicles and people. C. canadensis in same Conyza genus has already spread on a national scale and it is difficult to manage. We used maximum entropy modeling (MaxEnt) for analyzing the environmental influences on C. bonariensis distribution and projecting on two different RCP scenarios, RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5. The results of our study indicated annual mean temperature, elevation and temperature seasonality had higher contribution for C. bonariensis potential distribution. Area under curve (AUC) values of the model was 0.9. Under future climate scenario, the constructed model predicted that potential distribution of C. bonariensis will be increased by 338% on RCP 4.5 and 769% on RCP 8.5 in 2100s.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.497-506
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• 2020

This study surveyed the altitudinal diversity and distribution of butterflies inhabiting Mt. Jirisan. Field surveys were conducted thrice (May, June, and July) using a line transect method along four routes in 2015. During the survey, a total of five families, 58 species, and 769 individuals were collected. Of the species collected, the majority belonged to the family Nymphalidae (28 species), followed by Hesperiidae (nine species), Pieridae (eight species), Lycaenidae (seven species), and Papilionidae (six species). As for the individuals, Pieridae accounted for the largest number (333 individuals), followed by Nymphalidae (309 individuals), Lycaenidae (63 individuals), Hesperiidae (33 individuals), and Papilionidae (31 individuals). A cluster analysis performed on the butterfly species distinguished three altitude zones. The butterflies showed different ecological traits in each of the altitude zones. Analysis of the altitudes of the habitats of eight dominant species revealed that each species inhabited a particular altitude. This study confirmed the hypothesis that continuous monitoring will identify changes in the altitudinal distribution and diversity of butterflies on Mt. Jirisan in response to climate change.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.407-408
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• 2020

We studied the efficacy of the 'Natural Enemy in First (NEF)' technology in controlling thrips and aphids in tomato greenhouses, relative to the natural enemy and conventional chemical treatments. This technology combined the use of natural enemies of the pests (parasites/predators) with their food sources/habitats, and the treatment commenced at the time of planting. The 'NEF' technology, for the control of thrips, had an efficacy 32% higher than the natural enemy treatment, and 82% higher than the conventional chemical treatment. The average population density of aphids after the treatment was not significantly different among all treatments.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.255-269
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• 2022

Actinomycetes isolated from marine habitats represent a promising source of bioactive substances. Here, we report on the isolation, identification, productivity enhancement and application of the bioactive compounds of Streptomyces qinglanensis H4. Eighteen marine actinomycetes were isolated and tested for resistance to seven bacterial diseases. Using 16S rRNA sequencing analysis (GenBank accession number MW563772), the most powerful isolate was identified as S. qinglanensis. Although the strain produced active compound(s) against a number of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, it failed to inhibit pathogenic fungi. The obtained inhibition zones were 22.0 ± 1.5, 20.0 ± 1, 16.0 ± 1, 12.0 ± 1, 22.0 ± 1 and 24.0 ± 1 mm against Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Escherichia coli ATCC 19404, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027, Candida albicans ATCC 10231 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC6538, respectively. To maximize bioactive compound synthesis, the Plackett-Burman design was used. The productivity increased up to 0.93-fold, when S. qinglanensis was grown in optimized medium composed of: (g/l) starch 30; KNO₃ 0.5; K₂HPO₄ 0.25; MgSO₄ 0.25; FeSO₄·7H₂O, 0.01; sea water concentration (%) 100; pH 8.0, and an incubation period of 9 days. Moreover, the anticancer activity of S. qinglanensis was tested against two different cell lines: HepG2 and CACO. The inhibition activities were 42.96 and 57.14%, respectively. Our findings suggest that the marine S. qinglanensis strain, which grows well on tailored medium, might be a source of bioactive substances for healthcare companies.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.345-352
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• 2022

In this study, the dietary habits of the spinyhead sculpin Dasycottus setiger were investigated based on 156 specimens collected seasonally between May 2018 and February 2019 from the East Sea off the Korean coast. In terms of the weight contribution (%W), the main food items of the spinyhead sculpin were found to be teleosts (33.5%), followed by carid shrimps (13.8%), amphipods (13.3%), cephalopods (12.0%), and polychaetes (7.1%). Dietary analyses based on the weight contribution of different prey taxa in the diet of the spinyhead sculpin revealed considerable variation in the dietary composition in terms of the sampling region and fish size implying intra-specific dietary segregation. The spinyhead sculpin showed a size-related trends in dietary shift from amphipods to carid shrimps and teleosts in northern region, and from carid shrimps and mysids to teleosts and cephalopods in middle eastern coast. Multivariate analyses of dietary changes revealed that the dietary composition of spinyhead sculpin is significantly associated with the sampling site, but not the fish size. Amphipods contributed more to the diets of the northern population, while mysids typified the diets of spinyhead scuplin inhabiting the middle eastern coast, indicating differences in available food resources between the two study regions.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.9-16
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• 2022

Objectives : In the Korean Pharmacopoeia 12th edition (KP 12) and the Korean Herbal Pharmacopoeia (KHP), two authentic herbal medicines are described, namely Bang-gi (Cheong-pung-deung) and Mok-bang-gi, respectively. In China, Bun-bang-gi is also used as herbal medicine. This study was conducted to develop a molecular authentication tool for distinguishing the three herbal medicine used as Bang-gi, which are Sinomeni Caulis et Rhizoma (Rhizome of Sinomenium acutum), Stephaniae Tetrandrae Radix (Root of Stephania terandra), and Cocculi Radix (Root of Cocculus trilobus). Methods : Twelve samples of three species (four samples of S. acutum, five samples of S. tetrandra, and three samples of C. trilobus) were collected from different habitats. The sequences of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions were obtained and comparatively analyzed to design the species-specific sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) primers. The specificity of each pair of SCAR primers that amplified species-specific amplicon was evaluated for establishing the singleplex and multiplex PCR assay tools. Results : The singleplex SCAR markers show discriminability in C. acutum, S. tetrandra, and C. trilobus. These SCAR markers were also efficiently authenticated three species in the multiplex SCAR amplification using single PCR reaction. Furthermore, these PCR assay methods were applicable to authenticate dried herbal medicines distributed in the markets. Conclusions : The SCAR markers and PCR assay tools help discriminate the three herbal medicines used as Bang-gi at the species levels and provide a reliable genetic method to prevent the inauthentic distribution of these herbal medicines.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.619-628
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• 2021

Background and objective: Native to the limestone zones of the Korean Peninsula, Zabelia tyaihyonii is a popular plant for landscaping. As it is now classified as a rare species, the conservation of its genetic resources is necessary. Methods: In this study, which aimed to understand the morphological variation of Z. tyaihyonii, 18 characteristics of Z. tyaihyonii from five habitats were examined. Results: Of these 18 characteristics, 16 characteristics showed significant differences among sites, and the coefficient of variation ranged from 5.4% (for corolla lobe number) to 31.3% (for flower number). Notable variations were observed in the size of flower and calyx lobe. When the corolla length and calyx lobe length were used as the classification key of Z. tyaihyonii, the sites were divided into those with small, intermediate, and large values. Hair was observed on the filament of all samples, a finding which conflicts with an earlier report. Rather than classifying Z. tyaihyonii into different species on the basis of corolla length (COL) and calyx lobe length (CALL) values, we recommend modifying the species description to incorporate the variation in these characteristics of interest. Principal component analysis results showed that the first main component was highly correlated with the traits related to the size of the calyx lobe (length: 0.819, width: 0.758), and the second main component was highly correlated with the traits related with the size of the inflorescence (length: 0.790, width: 0.626). Conclusion: Several notable variations were identified among the characteristics related to inflorescence and calyx lobe. There is little genetic exchange among groups, or each group is influenced by micro environmental factors, because sites that are located nearby. In addition, the difference between COL and CALL, which is used as the classification key for Z. tyaihyonii, was divided into small group, large group, and intermediate group, regardless of the sites' geographical distance.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.957-965
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• 2021

This research was carried out to investigate seed germination and growth of the perennial plant Apocynum lancifolium under different NaCl concentrations, with a view for future cultivation on reclaimed land. Initial characterization revealed that the average length and weight of A. lancifolium seed pods was 133.6 mm and 0.23 g, respectively, and the thousand-grain weight was 0.59 g. Upon examining the effects of light on seed germination, we found germination to be 1.7% higher under light conditions (90%) than under dark conditions (88.3%). In terms of the response to salt stress, we found that 90% of seeds germinated in the 0.00%, 0.25%, and 0.50% salt treatment groups. Although salt treatment up to a concentration of 0.5% was found to have little effect on seed germination, the rate of germination decreased at higher concentrations and was completely inhibited in the 2% treatment. We also established that germination rates were higher in seeds sown in horticultural topsoil than in the coarse sandy soil found in the plant's natural habitats. Although the growth of A. lancifolium tends to decrease with an increase in salt concentration, we found that the stem thickness, fresh weight, and dry weight of A. lancifolium seedlings subjected to 0.25%-1.0% salt were comparable to those of the control seedling that were not exposed to salt. Furthermore, in contrast to those plants subjected to 2.0% salt, these plants continued to grow and remained viable.