• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.35 no.3 s.99
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• pp.237-246
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• 2002

Tamjin Dam is built in the upper reaches of the Tamjin River which flows through the Janghung-gun and Gangjin-gun of the Jeollanamdo, Korea. In order to map out a preservation strategy of the fish community from dam construction, We studied the distribution of fish distribution and changes of the habitat environment. we found 49 fish species inhabiting in the downstream and upstream of the Tamjin Dam. Among them, migratory fish were two species sweet smelt, Plecoglossus altivelis and freshwater eel, Anguilla japonica. The Coreoperca kawamebari which designated as a species to be protected by The Ministry of Environment of Korea was also observed. After the dam construction, reservoir would be filled with water and running water system will change to standing water system. Then the habitat and spawning space for mountain torrent fish will be reduced and the migration of migratory fish to upstream will be blocked. Through our study, we proposed several ways to protect fish community. In order to preserve the reduced habitat and spawning area of mountain torrent fish, a fishway has been diagnosed to be built in the shallow reservoir in the entrance of the upriver. The establishment of artificial spawning ground on the riverside has been recommended. In addition, We propose a creation of a shelter for fresh water eel, Anguilla japonica in areas where the depth of the water is about l0m by laying rocks. Since it is difficult for a spawning ground to be formed naturally in the reservoir due to the year-round changes in water level, We suggested a floating spawning facility using an artificial fixture. In the downstream of the dam, a waterway-style habitat and spawning ground in the river and increasing the diversity and abundance of fish fauna in the Tamjin River. A low-cost and highly efficient operational fishway has been recommended so that migratory fish such as Plecoglossus altivelis (sweetfish) can migrate from the lower reaches to the upper reaches of the river.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.48-57
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• 2024

Distribution status and extinction threat evaluation of an endangered species, Cobitis choii, were investigated from 2015 to 2019. In 2015 and 2018, we investigated past appearance sites of C. choii. In 2015, 163 individuals from nine sites were collected by surveying 19 stations. In 2018, 19 individuals from five sites were collected by surveying 22 sites. In 2019, 156 individuals from 12 sites were collected as a result of a survey of 79 sites of past appearance and potential appearance of C. choii. Appearance regions were Mihocheon (Baekgokcheon (2 sites), Chopyeongcheon (1 sites)), Gapcheon (3 sites), Yugucheon (2 sites), Jicheon (4 sites), and Geumgang mainstream (2 sites). Among these appearing regions, Baekgokcheon, Yugucheon, and Mihocheon mainstreams showed a sharp decline in population. Baekgokcheon was estimated to have a habitat change due to a project to raise the bank of Baekgok Reservoir. Yugucheon was estimated to have a habitat disturbance due to flood-induced collapse and reconstruction of weir. Mihocheon mainstream was estimated to have water pollution and habitat disturbance. On the other hand, Chopyeongcheon and Geumgang mainstream were newly habitat identified and Gapcheon was noted to show an increase in the number of individuals. After performing extinction threat evaluation, C. choii was evaluated as Endangered (EN A2ac) due to its rapid population decline (more than 50%) in its habitats of Baekgokcheon, Yugucheon, and Mihocheon based on criteria A, while it was evaluated as Vulnerable (VU B1ab (iii,v) +B2ab +B2ab (iii,v)) due to its narrow extent of occurrence (EOO, 1,735 km²) and area of occupancy (AOO, 36 km²) in 6 locations with a continuous population decline based on criteria B. Therefore, the final threat of extinction grade was evaluated as Endangered (EN A2ac). In Baekgokcheon, Yugucheon, and Mihocheon mainstream where the population has declined rapidly recently, conservation measures are urgently required to increase its population.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.291-302
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• 2017

The research was carried out in order to find climate factors which determine the distribution of Eurya japonica, and the potential habitats (PHs) under the current climate and climate change scenario by using species distribution models (SDMs). Four climate factors; the warmth index (WI), the minimum temperature of the coldest month (TMC), summer precipitation (PRS), and winter precipitaion (PRW) : were used as independent variables for the model. Seventeen general circulation models under RCP (Representative concentration pathway) 8.5 scenarios were used as future climate scenarios for the 2050s (2040~2069) and 2080s (2070~2099). Highly accurate SDMs were obtained for E. japonica. The model of distribution for E. japonica constructed by SDMs showed that minimum temperature of the coldest month (TMC) is a major climate factor in determining the distribution of E. japonica. The area above the $-5.7^{\circ}C$ of TMC revealed high occurrence probability of the E. japonica. Future PHs for E. japonica were projected to increase respectively by 2.5 times, 3.4 times of current PHs under 2050s and 2080s. It is expected that the potential of E. japonica habitats is expanded gradually. E. japonica is applicable as indicator species for monitoring in the Korean Peninsula. E. japonica is necessary to be monitored of potential habitats.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.60-88
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• 2023

This study was conducted to investigate the vertical distribution and vascular plants in the Gakho mountain. Form the results of three field surveys from May 2022 to September 2022, a total of 478 total taxa, representing 426 species, 11 subspecies, 35 varieties, four forms, and two hybrids were identified, which were categorized in 282 genera and 94 families. We identified the elevational distribution ranges of 398 taxa of vascular plants. Among them, 19 taxa were endemic to Korea, one taxon was identified as a rare plant. The floristic target plants amounted to 72 taxa, specifically two taxa of grade V, two taxa of grade IV, 16 taxa of grade III, 27 taxa of grade II, and 25 taxa of grade I. Further, 71 taxa were identified as northern lineage plants. A total of 19 taxa of alien plants were identified, with a Naturalized Index of 4.0%, an Urbanization Index of 6.6%, and three plants that disturbed the ecosystem. The result of analyzing the pattern of species richness showed a reversed hump shape with minimum richness at mid-high elevation. A cluster analysis showed a high degree of similarity between adjacent elevation sections that are geographically adjacent with similar habitat environments. Warmth index in the Gakho mountain ranged from 57.2℃·month to 84.2℃·month. Our results provide basic data on vascular plants and valuable information on elevational distribution ranges of current plant species in the Gakho mountain, which could serve as a baseline for comparison of the shifts in elevation under future climate change.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.115-121
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• 2009

In order to elucidate the mechanisms affecting plant distributions in the reclaimed dredging area in the Gwangyang steelworks, in the Gwangyang Bay, Korea, we examined soil characteristics and plant distributions in four study sites and a control site in the study area. Desalination occurring along a gradient with increasing elevation, resulting in decrease of soil pH, EC, P, K, Cl, Ca, Mg, and salt and an increase in soil T-N, silt, clay contents. From site 1 (the lowest-elevation site) to site 5 (the highest-elevation site), halophytes decreased in abundance and nonhalophytes increased. The dominant species in each site were: Phragmites communis, Limonium tetragonum, and 12 additional species at site 1, Carex pumila, Suaeda japonica, and 15 additional species at site 2, Spergularia marina, Scirpus planiculmis, and 22 additional species at site 3, Miscantus sinensis, Lespedeza bicolor, and 26 additional species at site 4 and Pinus thunberii, Rhododendron mucronulatum, and 39 additional species at site 5, which resembled a naturally-occurring P. thinbergii community. Cluster analysis of the vegetation data matrix grouped the 35 plots into 5 major groups, and cluster analysis using the soil environment data matrix revealed 4 major groups. CCA of the floristic and environmental data matrix showed a positive relationship of SAR, EC, Na, Cl, and Ca, which are related to salt, in the $1^{st}$ axis and $2^{nd}$ axis, but negative relationships for altitude, organic contents, silt, and clay contents. Notably, plant species in the reclaimed dredging area that were separated along the $1^{st}$ axis showed strong relationships with factors that related to salt. Long-term exposure to natural rainfall in the reclaimed dredging area changed the soil characteristics, such as salinity. This change in soil characteristics might alter the SAR, which affects plant survival strategies in a given habitat. These results strongly indicated that factors related to salt and elevation play important roles in determining the overall plant distribution in the reclaimed dredging area.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.654-663
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• 2019

Pollinators, which are important organisms in pollination ecology, have been highly valued for their economic contributions to crop production in the agricultural and biotechnology industries. As the production of over 70% of farm products, such as fruits, are mediated by pollinators, bees are important and useful insects to humans. However, pollinators are now seriously threatened with their numbers decreasing annually and their biodiversity being negatively affected by ongoing climate change, misuse of land, change of geographical features, and use of pesticides to increase agricultural production. Thus, surveys and analyses of the emergence and distribution of wild bees are important for conservation and management practices designed to help them continue to play their ecological and agricultural roles despite negative pressures, such as climate and topography changes. We surveyed pollinators, especially wild bees, at 51 research sites in South Korea every two to four weeks for two years from 2017 to 2018 using ez-Malaise traps and analyzed the temporal and spatial distribution of wild bees. The bees showed a normal temporal distribution that peaked between July and August. The bees' working period lasted until November. The spatial distribution of wild bees showed a significant correlation with latitude, and different bees were identified depending on the local habitat. No significant correlation was found for longitudinal distribution with regression analysis (p > 0.05), but this study identified locally specific wild bees. Although we could not predict significant distribution according to longitude, Further studies should be able to analyze the difference in the distribution of wild bees according to the climate, topography, and land-use patterns by humans. The results of this study provide basic information on pollinator distribution, which can be useful in agriculture and for the conservation and management of biodiversity in South Korean pollination ecology.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.127-135
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• 2018

Climate change can affect variables related to the life cycle of insects, including growth, development, survival, reproduction and distribution. As it encourages alien insects to rapidly spread and settle, climate change is regarded as one of the direct causes of decreased biodiversity because it disturbed ecosystems and reduces the population of native species. Hypera postica caused a great deal of damage in the southern provinces of Korea after it was first identified on Jeju lsland in the 1990s. In recent years, the number of individuals moving to estivation sites has concerned scientists due to the crop damage and national proliferation. In this study, we examine how climate change could affect inhabitation of H. postica. The MaxEnt model was applied to estimate potential distributions of H. postica using future climate change scenarios, namely, representative concentration pathway (RCP) 4.5 and RCP 8.5. As variables of the model, this study used six bio-climates (bio3, bio6, bio10, bio12, bio14, and bio16) in consideration of the ecological characteristics of 66 areas where inhabitation of H. postica was confirmed from 2015 to 2017, and in consideration of the interrelation between prediction variables. The fitness of the model was measured at a considered potentially useful level of 0.765 on average, and the warmest quarter has a high contribution rate of 60-70%. Prediction models (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) results for the year 2050 and 2070 indicated that H. postica habitats are projected to expand across the Korean peninsula due to increasing temperatures.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.613-621
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• 2011

Bog bean (Menyanthes trifoliata L.) is an endangered species in Korea, inhabiting in montane wetlands. Its' habitats are decreasing due to artificial disturbances and climate change in Korea. Interspecies competitions determine the distribution of a species and it is important to examine the effects of companion species on the growth of a species. To reveal the effects of habitat substrate and companion species on the growth of bog bean, we compared the growth parameters of bog bean at three substrate conditions where plant communities were formed: water column, Sphagnum mat, and paddy soil. Bog bean had the highest relative coverage at Sphagnum mat condition and there are few species whose height were higher than it. In contrast, there were many species larger than bog bean at paddy soil condition. The maximum coverage of bog bean was the largest at water column condition, and the lowest at paddy soil condition. Our results indicate that the growth of bog bean was more restricted by interspecific competition at paddy soil condition than at Sphagnum mat condition. Those results suggest that bog bean avoid competitions by expansion of rhizome rather than elongation of its height. For conservation or creation of bog bean habitats, it is necessary to offer the environment where other species cannot survive well.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.98 no.5
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• pp.563-567
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• 2009

This study was conducted to clarify the characteristics of bird communities between before and after forest fire in tropical deciduous Dipterocarp forest of Mondulkiri protected forest of the northeastern Cambodia from January to April 2009. The DBH distribution of trees were different in each DBH class. Most of the trees (> 80%) were belong to < 30 cm DBH. After the forest fire, coverage of understory layers were dramatically decreased by the fire. Total 64 species of birds were recorded, and 64 and 46 species of birds were observed before and after the fire, respectively. Observed number of individuals of bee-eaters, treepies, kingfishers, lapwings, herons, junglefowl, peafowl, prinias and warblers were decreased after the fire. The decrease of those species would be related with the change of habitat condition, such as decrease of water amount and understory coverage. For the management and conservation of junglefowls, peafowls, prinias and warblers, understory vegetation should be maintained in Mondulkiri protected forest, northeastern Cambodia.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.240-245
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• 2016

This study was conducted to predict the changes of potential distribution for invasive alien plant, Amaranthus viridis in Korea. The habitats of A. viridis were roadside, bare ground, farm area, and pasture, where the interference by human was severe. We used maximum entropy modeling (MaxEnt) for analyzing the environmental influences on A. viridis distribution and projecting on two different representative concentration pathways (RCP) scenarios, RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5. The results of our study indicated annual mean temperature, elevation and precipitation of coldest month had higher contribution for A. viridis potential distribution. Projected potential distribution of A. viridis will be increased by 110% on RCP 4.5, 470% on RCP 8.5.