• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.394-407
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• 2023

Ecological restoration is an ecological technology that diagnoses problematic ecological spaces and restores the damaged ecosystem to a healthy appearance similar to its original appearance based on reference information obtained by analyzing intact nature. To achieve successful restoration, the project must be carried out in respect of a series of procedures. However, in Korea, restoration projects are usually actively promoted regardless of diagnostic evaluation, which wastes cost and energy, and the effect is not significant. As the reference information is not utilized, ecological restoration to return the damaged nature makes features different greatly from the appearance of nature, causing another damage. As the restoration effect is not evaluated, it is impossible to determine whether it is successful or not, and as a result, even if the project continues, there is no development and no effect. However, advanced societies have not only made academic progress by respecting these procedures but also have great economic effects along with the improvement of environmental conditions as ecological restoration has become an industry. Therefore, the international society recognizes ecological restoration as an important means of solving environmental problems at the global level, including climate change, and international organizations are actively promoting projects to treat the injured planet. However, most of the restoration projects promoted in Korea were evaluated below the level as a result of the evaluation of the effect. Nevertheless, those who have led low-quality projects are blocking plans to establish ecological restoration as a new industry that can contribute significantly to improving these levels, and thus the problem is expected to worsen. To solve this problem, it is necessary to filter out defective businesses by introducing a strict and correct project evaluation system by dividing it into before and after. Furthermore, it is necessary to establish ecological restoration as an industry and leave the process in the principles of the market.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.579-592
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• 2022

Much controversy has been generated over whether the ecological restoration project in Korea is faithful to the basic approach of ecological restoration compared to projects aimed at creating parks or green spaces. This study was aimed at understanding the level of awareness of practitioners in the planting design method, which is recognized as relatively important in landscape architecture and ecological restoration. The proficiency of practitioners in planting design techniques for ecological restoration projects was investigated and analyzed in seven areas: overall planting design awareness, plant species selection method, planting tree sizes, planting density, use of native species, vegetation climatic zone, soil environment, and weed control. There was no statistically significant difference between the group who thought they were experts in the field of ecological restoration and the group who thought they were experts in the field of parks and green spaces. Moreover, there was no statistically significant difference between the degree of work performance, that is, the group whose main industry was ecological restoration, the group that performed relatively more ecological restoration work, and the group that rarely performed it. Therefore, to apply desirable ecological restoration techniques in the future and to clearly differentiate between the approach in the field of parks and green spaces, the appropriate tree size or planting density selected in the ecological restoration planting design stage must be chosen. To this end, the awareness of expert groups must be improved and related laws, systems, and guidelines must be revised.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.67-79
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• 2001

According to the new general movement of ESSD in Korea, the role, background, and subjects, etc. of Ecological Restoration Area were studied to find out the way for this area to be settled as one kind of industry. Questionnaire and literature study were carried out to understand and to find out the way of the area settlement with the conceptual and practical definition of it. The related sub-areas studied were 1. regulations and standards including design and construction 2. researches and developments around the area 3. related curriculums applying in the educational organizations 4. present situation of the industry. Followings are the results of this study and several proposals for the area to be settled in Korea with the other related areas. 1. The boundary of Ecological Restoration could be defined as the concept of preservation(or conservation) and restoration of the ecosystem with ecological planting - including the restoration strategies for the areas of slope, artificial foundations, watersides and wetlands, with in bio-diversity and eco-forests for these areas. 2. It seems that the more investments needed for the elaborate and professional techniques to be developed for the design and construction works to the contrary that the base of this area be matured already in the several sub-areas. 3. For the successful work of Environmental Restoration, defining the new industrial branch -independent from existing construction industry- is recommended through the law system under the control of the Ministry of Environment. It will be better if professional officer system in governmental organization could follow up this. 4. Educational organization and Technical expert qualifying system to train the Ecological Restoration Professionals should be induced for the effective practice of the area.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.23-40
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• 2013

The natural environment restoration industry has been newly included in the environment area of engineering technology. Accordingly, the enactment of a standard of estimate for determining the 'Cost plus Fixed Fee' method has become necessary for the implementation and vitalization of natural environment restoration projects. The purpose of this study is to determine the standards for which the prices for engineering projects are calculated with respect to the enactment of an engineering project standard of estimate in the natural environment restoration field. These include the scope of the technological work, standard area, manpower requirements by technical grade that are necessary for carrying out the technological tasks. Relevant laws and regulations, systems and precedent case studies were investigated and analyzed to establish a price calculation standard. The overall results of the analysis were used and applied to questionnaires, public hearings, and expert delphi techniques. The study showed the following results： The scope of the technological work was categorized into 'Biotopes', 'Eco-corridors' and 'Ecological restoration'. The standard area was set up as $1,000m^2$ for 'Biotopes' and $5,000m^2$ for 'Eco-corridors' and 'Ecological restoration'. The manpower requirements by technical grade that are necessary for carrying out the technological tasks were determined. The suitability of the costs, standard area, manpower requirements by technical grade of ordered engineering projects that are determined by applying the standard of estimate for natural environment restoration that may be enacted pursuant to this study may be effectively investigated and analyzed. Moreover, further studies on the calculation of standard prices that can ensure the stability of natural environment restoration projects will be necessary.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.105-116
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• 2021

Background: The creation of the National Institute of Ecology began as a national alternative project to preserve mudflats instead of constructing the industrial complexes by reclamation, and achieve regional development. On the other hand, at the national level, the research institute for ecology was needed to cope with the worsening conditions for maintaining biodiversity due to accelerated climate change such as global warming and increased demand for development. In order to meet these needs, the National Institute of Ecology has the following objectives: (1) carries out studies for ecosystem change due to climate change and biodiversity conservation, (2) performs ecological education to the public through exhibition of various ecosystem models, and (3) promotes regional development through the ecological industry. Furthermore, to achieve these objectives, the National Institute of Ecology thoroughly followed the basic principles of ecology, especially restoration ecology, in the process of its construction. We introduce the principles and cases of ecological restoration applied in the process. Results: We minimized the impact on the ecosystem in order to harmonize with the surrounding environment in all the processes of construction. We pursued passive restoration following the principle of ecological restoration as a process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem degraded for all the space except in land where artificial facilities were introduced. Reference information was applied thoroughly in the process of active restoration to create biome around the world, Korean peninsula forests, and wetland ecosystems. In order to realize true restoration, we pursued the ecological restoration in a landscape level as the follows. We moved the local road 6 and high-voltage power lines to underground to ensure ecological connectivity within the National Institute of Ecology campus. To enhance ecological diversity, we introduced perch poles and islands as well as floating leaved, emerged, wetland, and riparian plants in wetlands and mantle communities around the forests of the Korean Peninsula in the terrestrial ecosystem. Furthermore, in order to make the public aware of the importance of the intact nature, the low-lying landscape elements, which have disappeared due to excessive land use in most areas of Korea, was created by imitating demilitarized zone (DMZ) landscape that has these landscape elements. Conclusions: The National Institute of Ecology was created in an eco-friendly way by thoroughly reflecting the principles of ecology to suit its status and thus the impact on the existing ecosystem was minimized. This concept was also designed to be reflected in the process of operation. The results have become real, and a result of analysis on carbon budget analysis is approaching the carbon neutrality.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.142-163
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• 2009

Taebaek city is located in the mountainous plateau area therefore the major industry was coal industry. According to dramatically declining of the major industry, Taebaek city is need to alternative industry which associated with considering the geographical characteristics of natural tourism resources for increasing the local economy. On the basis of these reasons, this study can be suggested ecological planning and mitigation of deterioration technique about the these study site. That is the reserved area for mountainous experience theme park. As the results of environmental ecology assessment are following as; The natural ecosystem areas, multi-layer structure forest such as forest of Pinus densiflora, forest of Quercus mongolica and deciduous forest have a high value of nature, diversity and potential. In addition, wild bird habitats were important area as a inhabitation, breeding, feeding and hiding. Therefore, on these areas should be preserved. Also, it needs to conserve on there such as more than three types of wild bird inhabitate areas, the fringe of high biological diversity, the wetland that have got good vegetation condition and the function of amphibia, reptiles crossing. In addition, inhabitation, the waterway of wetland form that have got wide waterside width needs to conserve. In conclusion, on the basis of analysis results such as conditions of plan, environment, ecological assessments, survey informations are able to suggest the connectivity of the axis of forest and management plan. Moreover, in the part of forest restoration plan, we suggest the plan of transplant for a compensation of damaged forest by land use.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.245-257
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• 2013

Lately, besides promoting the biodiversity of the natural ecosystems, there is a demand for climate change mitigation features that will reduce greenhouse gases and prevent disasters that will bring damages such as torrential rains. However, there was not a lot of discussion on the soils that are key in these features. Therefore, this paper proposes a network (Gold Network) as an alternative that will solve the problem that was filed earlier by figuring out how to compose the soil environment. First, in order to maximize the ecological status and value of the soil, a soil network can be proposed through the vertical and horizontal connections of the fragmented soil. Second, there is a need to understand and research the organic system of the ecosystems as well as the complex perspective of the ecosystem services, not only the fragmentary perspectives of the soil remediation, planting improvements or the other existing elements. Third, there is a need to apply the integrated perspective of the Landscape Ecology, Ecological Engineering and Restoration Ecology for the connectivity of the soil (network) due to it being in the execution of the soil network. If a soil network was to be built, a fundamental ecological network would be realized to not only promote biodiversity but also to prepare effective adaptation to climate change.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.51-60
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• 2012

Most streams in Korea have been managed mainly for the control of flood or usages of the water for agriculture, industry, and others, resulting in the loss of their natural characteristics. In recent years, ecological system and function of streams are recognized as very important, and a paradigm change in their management is prevailing. This study, first, analyzed recent stream restoration policies and projects and derived major restoration planning factors; second, evaluated relative importance and priority of the factors using AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method. The derived planning factors were four factors for the level 1, and sixteen factors for the level 2. Relative importance and priority of each factor were calculated, and finally, a composite relative importance and priority of all the factors were suggested. These findings are hoped to support stream restoration policies and be used in drafting restoration guidelines.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.47-56
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• 2023

The Quercus variabilis and Quercus dentata, which are said to be relatively drought tolerant among the important genus Quercus that represent deciduous broad-leaved forests in Korea. These two species are widely distributed worldwide in Korea, Japan and China (northern, central, western and eastern subtropical regions). This study compared the ecological niche breadth and overlap according to growth response in 4 soil moisture gradients for the two species and tried to reveal degree of competition and ecological niche characteristics. The ecological niche breadth was 0.977±0.020 for Q. variabilis and 0.979±0.014 for Q. dentata, the latter being slightly wider. And they were similar in 5 traits (stem length, leaf lamina length, leaf width length, stem weight, leaf petiole weight), Q. variabilis was more dominant in 4 traits (leaves number, stem diameter, leaf area, leaf petiole length), and Q. dentata was more dominant in 7 traits (root length, shoot length, plant weight, root weight, shoot weight, leaf weight, leaf petiole weight). The ecological niche overlap for soil moisture between the two species overlapped most in plant structure-related traits and least in photosynthetic organ-related traits such as petiole length. As a result of principal component analysis, degree of competition between the two species for soil moisture was more severe when the soil moisture condition was low than high. Among the measured traits that affect the two-dimensional distribution, 8 traits (Leaves number, Shoot length, Stem length, Plant weight, Root weight, Shoot weight, Stem weight, Leaves weight) were correlated with the factor 1, and 2 traits (Leaf width length, Leaf petiole weight) were correlated with the factor 2 (r>0.5). These results show that the ecological response of the two species to soil moisture is not a few traits involved, but several traits are involved simultaneously.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.1-11
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• 2012

This study prepared the list of planning components required for constructing environment-friendly industrial complex and grasped major environment-friendly planning components by measuring the importance per each planning component via the survey for specialists. As a result of measuring the importance of planning component according to each field for constructing environment-friendly industrial complex, it is indicated that important planning components in natural environment field are establishing complex location plan considering its configuration and slope, excluding projects for steep slope-land, establishing countermeasures for reducing contaminants per its source, and separated location of contamination industry around living space. In living environment field, proposed planning components having relatively high importance are separated location of pollution causing industry, establishing energy saving land use plan, linking with green way, circulation network plan, lowering noise level at roadside, plan for separating between pedestrian and vehicle, securing parking space, extending green park and proper location, installing green buffer zone, conserving and forming landscapes, land use for raising energy efficiency, and expansion of energy source. In case of ecological environment, core planning components such as conserving upper class of ecological naturality degree, conserving main habitat, and biotope forming plan are suggested. This study is limited to find out planning components for constructing environment-friendly physical environment of industrial complex which is a part of non-production process. The approach to solve environmental problem by linking spatially production process and non-production process. There is a need to conduct follow-up study to constructing technique for environment-friendly industrial complex considering production & nonproduction process afterward.