• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.27-34
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• 2023

Background: The understanding of ecosystem services can be quantified and qualitative to assess the impacts of changes in the ecosystem to support human well-being. In the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, sustainable use of ecosystem services has attracted the interest of a range of decision-makers. However, although there is a concern for biodiversity, natural ecosystem, and their services, linking ecosystems with conservation planning remains challenging. Results: This study assessed the first qualitative ecosystem services provided by the Mundok wetland with decision makers of the West/Yellow Sea region. Furthermore, this study applied the Rapid Assessment Wetland Ecosystem method to support natural resources management, improving living conditions. We identified that cultural and supporting services index are highly provided, but preparing a plan to increase the provisioning and regulating services in Mundok wetland is necessary. Conclusions: The assessment results can provide helpful information for ecosystem services assessment, habitat conservation, conservation planning, and decision-making at local level.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.31-45
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• 2020

The biological indices based on the community structure with species richness and/or abundance are commonly used to assess aquatic ecosystem health. Meanwhile, recently functional traits-based approach is considered in ecosystem health assessment to reflect ecosystem functioning. In this study, we developed a database of biological traits for 136 taxa consisting of major stream insects (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera, Coleoptera, and Odonata) collected at Korean streams on the nationwide scale. In addition, we obtained environmental variables in five categories (geography, climate, land use, hydrology and physicochemistry) measured at each sampling site. We evaluated the relationships between community indices based on taxonomic diversity and functional diversity estimated from biological traits. We classified sampling sites based on similarities of their environmental variables and evaluated relations between clusters of sampling sites and diversity indices and biological traits. Our results showed that functional diversity was highly correlated with Shannon diversity index and species richness. The six clusters of sampling sites defined by a hierarchical cluster analysis reflected differences of their environmental variables. Samples in cluster 1 were mostly from high altitude areas, whereas samples in cluster 6 were from lowland areas. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) displayed similar patterns with cluster analysis and presented variation of taxonomic diversity and functional diversity. Based on NMDS and community-weighted mean trait value matrix, species in clusters 1-3 displayed the resistance strategy in the life history strategy to the environmental variables whereas species in clusters 4-6 presented the resilience strategy. These results suggest that functional diversity can complement the biological monitoring assessment based on taxonomic diversity and can be used as biological monitoring assessment tool reflecting changes of ecosystem functioning responding to environmental changes.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.195-200
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• 2008

To analyze the riverine microbial community structure, genetic fingerprints and ecological indexes such as species abundances, diversity, evenness, dominance of targeted rivers in Gyeonggi Province were acquired and evaluated using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) technique. Genetic fingerprinting technique such as T-RFLP, which is able to show the microbial community clearly unlike traditional culture-dependent techniques, was thought to be useful to analyse the riverine microbial ecosystem under various factors. Riverine ecosystem evaluation using visible organisms would give biased results with time, targeted organism and researcher. But, T-RFLP, which can exclude the subjected biases such as culture condition and identification, would be an option to understand natural ecosystem by including the microorganisms that defy culture but perform important functions.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.259-269
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• 2002

보전전략은 규모가 큰 지역을 설정하여야 하는 데 그 이유는 광역보전지역은 다양한 생물지리학적인 분포를 포함할 수 있기 때문이다. 이런 관점에서 본 보고서는 우리 나라의 다섯 개의 중요한 생태계에 대하여 기술하였다. 다섯 개의 생태계는 산림생태계, 담수생태계, 연안 및 해양 생태계와 도서생태계 그리고 비무장지대생태계이다. 각각의 생태계 보전전략에 대해 물리적인 측면과 생물지리적 측면에서 기술되었으며 생태계 보전방안은 생태계의 기능과 가치뿐만 아니라 자연시스템을 유지하고 복원하는 데 매우 유리하다. 생태계 보전을 위해 1) 지역주민에게 인센티브를 제공하고, 2) 연구와 교육 및 홍보의 기능을 강화하며, 3) 지역정보와 기술을 상호 교환하고, 4) 국제협력 증진을 도모, 5) 보전지역을 조성하기 위한 예산확보를 제안하였다.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.70-79
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• 2000

Arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM) fungi have significant role for ecosystem structure and function. They are the major component of forest soil ecosystems and critically important for water and nutrient cycling in the system. To understand the ecology of AM fungi the fungal spores were collected, identified and counted in forest soils under various climatic and edaphic conditions. In relation to soil depth 90% of AM fungi spores and mycorrhizas distributed within 15cm soil depth. Number of spores per $100m{\ell}$ forest soil volume was 5 to 36 spores from 1 to 3 fungal species. AM fungal species diversity was higher in warmer climates, and more moist and fertile soils. The most frequently found species were Gigaspora decipiens irrespective of soil moisture and Gi. gigantea irrespective of soil fertility. In the Jeju island the soils of Cryptomeria japonica plantations and Miscanthus sinensis var. purpurascens meadow had more AM spores than the other soils. We suggest AM fungi be considered as keystones species when restoring a disturbed forest ecosystem.

• Journal of Scientific & Technological Knowledge Infrastructure
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• s.10
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• pp.26-49
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• 2002

생물다양성은 육상 생태계, 해양과 기타 수생 생태계와 이들의 복합 생태계를 포함하는 모든 원천에서 발생한 생물체의 다양성을 말하며, 종내.종간 및 생태계의 다양성을 포함한다. 즉, 생물다양성이란 생물종(Species)의 다양성, 생물이 서식하는 생태계(Ecosystem)의 다양성, 생물이 지닌 유전자(Gene)의 다양성을 총체적으로 지칭하는 말이다. 종다양성(Species diversity)은 한 지역내의 종의 다양성 정도를 말하는 것으로서 분류학적 다양성을 지칭하며, 생태계 다양성(Ecosystem diversity)은 한 생태계에 속하는 모든 생물과 무생물의 상호작용에 관한 다양성을 말한다. 또한 유전적 다양성(Genetic diversity)은 종내의 유전자 변이를 말하는 것으로 같은 종내의 여러 집단들을 의미하거나 한 집단내 개체들 사이의 유전적 변이를 의미한다.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.218-247
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• 2023

In our ongoing efforts to explore the species diversity of the harpacticoid fauna in Korea, we present findings on four newly identified species from family Tegastidae Sars, 1904. Although this family is frequently encountered in phytal communities, the diversity of tegastid copepod species within Korean waters largely remains to be elucidated. Drawing from our collections of tegastid harpacticoids from Chuja-do and Geomun-do Islands, we provide morphological descriptions for Tegastes lobus sp. nov., T. tresetosus sp. nov., T. pilosus sp. nov., and Syngastes acutus sp. nov., and propose their taxonomic relationships in relation to other species within the genus. Finally, we update the list of tegastid harpacticoids found in Korea and provide a key for identifying the six confirmed species from this region.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.149-162
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• 2012

Habitat loss and fragmentation are ongoing major anthropogenic impacts on landscapes, which can strongly affect ecosystems, populations and species. The studies on forest fragmentation have been progressed, but the studies on definition of forest fragmentation and their synthetic trend in South Korea still leaves much to be desired. Therefore we set the definition of forest fragmentation and reviewed the related papers. We can give a definition that forest fragmentation is not only a process of spatial landscape transformation, but also a process of ecosystem change by it. The trend of studies on forest fragmentation divided into two fields, landscape and ecosystem changes. Forest fragmentation caused by land change altered the composition and configuration of forest patches. Most studies related on that analyzed the change using landscape index. The effects of forest fragmentation on ecosystem subdivided into three fields : biodiversity, edge effects, and invasive species, but the studies in South Korea is short. The study on relations between forest fragmentation and ecosystem change is necessary to face the Convention on Biological Diversity in South Korea. In addition, the fundamental studies on biodiversity is important to mitigate against forest fragmentation.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 2024

This note summarizes the application of zooplankton indices for water quality management and estimation based on main research topics of articles focusing on wetland ecosystems, topics that are remained poorly investigated in S. Korea. The aquatic ecosystem-based consists of indices that respond to different target environmental factors, including environmental disturbance. Among the major indicator species and biota, we reviewed that management strategy for the wetland environment has to be focused more on small-sizes, in terms of zooplankton ecology and indices. The ecology of zooplankton communities in freshwater ecosystem has been the focus of an increasing number of studies since 2019, and considerable progress has been made in understanding the major mechanisms involved in regulating their abundance, diversity and spatio-temporal patterns. Even though studies on the freshwater ecosystem in Korea have a long history, a few of studies on zooplankton biota were conducted at wetlands. We suggested the candidate zooplankton indices proposed by the U.S. EPA and EU to suit Korean conditions. In the step of selecting metrics, the best available metrics are species-related variables, such as composition and abundance, as well as richness and diversity. Overall, in spite of several limitations, the development of a plankton-based multivariate assessment method in Korea wetlands is possible using mostly field research data. Later, it could be improved based on qualitative metrics on zooplankton, and with the emergence of further survey data. The present information can be used as basic information for researchers who are dealing with aquatic environments and its interaction with organisms.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.219-226
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• 2024

Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) is emphasized to enhance ecosystem conservation and increase its ecological value. However, effective implementation of PES and policy execution requires insufficient ecosystem monitoring and research. Therefore, this study analyzed the effectiveness of PES implemented in Janghang Wetland to propose habitat management strategies. The study included monitoring migratory birds and analyzing key species' food sources. The dominant avian species observed in Janghang Wetland include Larus crassirostris, Anas platyrhynchos, Anser albifrons with their primary food sources analyzed as Gramineae plants such as Bromus japonicus, Elymus sibiricus, Brassicaceae plants such as Rorippa palustris. Furthermore, this study found that PES facilitates rice seed supply within Janghang Wetland, benefiting birds including Grus vipio, Anser fabalis, A. albifrons. To sustainable manage Janghang Wetland, improving food supply systems and exploring decentralized supply methods for G. vipio and Gooses (Anser fabalis, A. albifrons) are necessary. Additionally, managing boundaries between agricultural and developmental areas to improve ecological connectivity is essential. This study reaffirmed the ecological importance of Janghang Wetland as a crucial habitat for migratory species. The result will be significant as foundational data that can be used for future policy-making and support sustainable conservation efforts.