• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.249-260
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• 2022

This mini review examines the habitat connectivity and effectiveness of Korean Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (YSLME) region. We first reemphasize that the Korean region of the YSLME is a single ecosystem (ecoregion) given the biophysical distribution patterns. The MPAs within the YSLME contribute about 50% to the total MPAs in Korea, accounting for about 10% of the territorial sea waters of Korea and 20% of the waters of YSLME on the Korean side. By area, national parks account for nearly 45% of the MPAs, followed by the wetland protected areas at 25%, with other types of MPA comprising the remaining 30%. Large MPA (> 100 km²) is the dominant type of MPA, accounting for 90% of the total area. We find that MPAs in the region are connected physically and perhaps also genetically. However, the level of protection was found to be low, and a no-take zone is rarely implemented. In addition, interrupted freshwater discharge caused by river-mouth dams poses a major hindrance to the physical connectivity of the MPAs. Restoration of the river-mouth dams and strengthened regulation on MPAs, with further expansion of MPAs in line with the current development of post-2020 global biodiversity frameworks, should be priorities for better management of marine resources. The newly revised law incorporating the concept of "Marine Ecosystem Axis Management" would reinforce the processes, and their effectiveness together with overall management of MPAs in Korea should be evaluated by designing appropriate measurement tools.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2014

This study was to understand the ecological characteristics of the goral through the study on goral behavioral characteristics and to be carried out to provide basic behavioral data such as annual home range, seasonal home range and monthly used altitude with 4,752 locations obtained during the study period through home range analysis of three long-tailed gorals (Naemorhedus caudatus) in Soeraksan. For this study, gorals who were rescued from heavy snow in Seoraksan were used. The gorals were equipped with GPS Collar, released at their natural habitats, and then monitored from May, 2010 to September, 2011. According to our results, annual home ranges of the gorals (n=3) have $0.88km^2$ of MCP 95%, $0.27km^2$ of MCP 50%, $0.43km^2$ of FK 95%, and $0.09km^2$ of FK 50% respectively. Seasonal home range of MCP 95% was $0.47km^2$ in spring, $0.45km^2$ in summer, $0.63km^2$ in fall and $0.50km^2$ in winter respectively and home ranges of fall was the largest. In the case of FK 95% analysis, home ranges were $0.23km^2$ in spring, $0.19km^2$ in summer, $0.33km^2$ in fall, and $0.22km^2$ in winter respectively and the largest seasonal home range was fall. Female and male annual home ranges of the gorals were $1.03km^2$ for female and $0.58km^2$ for male. In analysis of the monthly used altitudes which were used Jun, July, and August were higher than in the other months and the altitudes which were used in Dec, Jan, and Feb were lower than in the other months. This study was to secure basic data for the habitat management policy, restoration, and conservation of Korea gorals and to be conducted to contribute to the success in doing or planning stage of the wild animal restoration.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.427-435
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• 2020

The most important thing to successfully restore an oak forest is finding suitable climatic conditions and topographic factors for the oak species to be introduced. In this study, in order to find suitable environmental conditions for the five dominant oak trees on the Korean Peninsula, we carried out analysing the information on the location of forest vegetation on the Korean Peninsula. The range of annual mean temperature of the five oak trees was narrow in the order of Q. mongolica (7.7~14.3℃), Q. variabilis (9.2~13.8℃), Q. acutissima (10.5~14.3℃), Q. serrata (11.4~13.7℃), Q. aliena (11.0~12.9℃). The range of annual precipitation of oaks was narrow in order of Q. mongolica (1072.7~1780.9 mm), Q. variablis (1066.6~1554.9 mm), Q. acustissima (1036.5~1504.8 mm), Q. serrata (1062.6~1504.7 mm). The range of altitude was in order of Q. mongolica (147~1388m), Q. serrata (93~950m), Q. variabilis(90~913m), Q. acustissima (60~516m), Q. aliena (55~465 m). The range of slope was in the order of Q. mongolica (8~56°), Q. variabilis(5~52°), Q. serrata (11~45°), Q. aliena (15~38°), Q. acustissima (16~37°). These results are considered to be very useful in the case of ecological restoration using deciduous oak trees on the Korean Peninsula.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.53-65
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• 2000

The objectives of this study are to develop a stormwater management system that would contribute to improving water circulation, recycling storm water and promoting biodiversity in urban areas, to apply the system in an actual site, and to verify its effectiveness in order to generate a stormwater management system applicable in Korea. This study reviewed former researches and case studies, categorized stormwater management system into pre-treatment, retention and infiltration phases, and analyzed the strength and weakness of the techniques by synthesizing unit techniques of each stage. As a result, the process of the stormwater management system includes the following phases: 1) a rubble filtration layer; 2) a retention pond; 3) a infiltration pond; and 4) a stormwater retention pool (recirculation and recycling). Then, an empirical study to design and create the generated system according to the features of a site and to verify its effectiveness was conducted. The future study direction is to verify the effectiveness of the developed stormwater retention and infiltration ponds. To this end, it is planned to perform hydrological monitoring using automatic measuring equipment and monitoring on habitat bases and the biota living on the base. Based on its outcome, the applied model would be refined and improved to develop an alternative stormwater management system that would allow to achieve the improvement of urban water circulation, increase of biodiversity and efficient use of water resources.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.38-51
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• 2000

This study seeks to present creation techniques increasing biodiversity while excluding techniques that avoid rooftop as a place for revegetation or techniques that are standardized and ecologically undesirable. To this end, a theoretical study was conducted including the identification of issues that need to be considered in introducing biotope creation techniques at a rooftop space using eco-pond or eco-park creation techniques. Based on the result, a creation process and techniques were presented for the rooftop of Kyungdong Energy Company building located in Bundang, Sungnam city. The conclusions reached in this study are as follows. First, when structural problems such as load or leakage are resolved and when it is planned as a habitat within a range of carrying load, a rooftop may be habitats for various organisms. Second, same creation techniques for eco-ponds or eco-parks may be applied to create biotope in a rooftop. In fact, the introduction of a wetland ecosystem on a rooftop may contribute significantly in increasing biodiversity. In addition, it would be desirable to approach traditional rooftop revegetation methods in an ecological aspect and to introduce indigenous plants and to offer habitats to insects and birds. Third, in order to create rooftop biotope, there should be enough studies and experiments on resolving structural problems and on techniques or technologies to create habitats. Since the Kyongdong Energy Company rooftop biotope described in this study is the first experimental site in Korea, it requires a series of process to identify problems and to improve them by monitoring the site in the future. Through such studies and experiments, efficient rooftop biotope creation techniques should be developed and disseminated.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.29-34
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• 2003

This paper describes the effects of sewage amount, temperature, and years in operation on the infiltration rate of a sewage disposal system. The self-purifying sewage disposal system, which is typically used in rural areas, consists of reeds and fine gravel. Water plants are planted on the gravel bed which provides the habitat for microbes. The basic process is that the gravel bed filters incoming sewage. Thus this system requires the smooth flow of sewage through the gravel. However, the efficiency of the disposal system will be lowered if the gravel bed is clogged with sewage sludge. A three year study shows that infiltration rate slows down significantly until the 7th day, depending on the sewage amount and the temperature. After the 7th day, the infiltration rate remains almost constant. In addition, the infiltration rate decreases as the temperature falls. It also decreases as the number of years in operation increase. But there is no significant change in the infiltration rate after the 7th day, independent of the temperature, the sewage amount, and years in operation. In order to take advantage of high infiltration rate, which improves the efficiency of the disposal system in its early stages, having two gravel beds and using them alternatively will be efficient. This operation method is called intermittent load and makes the disposal system last longer. The water plant roots above the gravel bed make the effective filtration possible because they delay accumulation of the sewage sludge and stabilize the filtration ability.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2011

The current study analyzed appropriateness of abandoned rice paddy wetlands as habitats for the Amphibia by assessing functions and value of abandoned rice paddy wetlands within land development districts as a habitat for living creatures and researching into the Amphibia living in the subject districts. For this purpose, the study designated abandoned rice paddy wetlands within Hwaseong A District and Pangyo B District under land development as subject lands. Those wetlands went through succession after abandonment of farming. Detailed study results are as follows. From classification of wetland types and an analysis of their characteristics, it was found that herbaceous plants such as smartweed communities, horsetail communities and reed communities, and woody plants such as pussy willow communities appeared in both districts. These abandoned rice paddy wetlands shows typical characteristics of palustrine wetlands. As a result of a vegetation structure research, it was observed that succession has been progressed for at least over 2~3 years. In assessment of wetland functions by item, it was found that they are developing into fine wetlands in terms of functions because they are ranked over Moderate Class except separate distance from streams. Also from a research into animals living in the abandoned rice paddy wetlands, it was found that main inhabitants are Rana nigromaculata,Rana dybowskii, Hyla japonica, Bufo bufo gargarizans, etc. It can be confirmed that the abandoned rice paddy wetlands are providing appropriate conditions as habitats to the Amphibia in a view that those species have life cycles of inhabitation (shores and wetlands) - egg-laying (rice paddy, puddles and swampy places) - hibernation (rice field banks and swampy places). From this point of view, it was found that abandoned rice paddy wetlands that developed because of abandonment of farming can be used as means to improve structure and functions of habitats.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.31-48
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• 2014

This study is carried out to offer the raw data for conservation and management of tidal flat ecosystem by surveying and analysing the flora distributed in Daesong tidal flat wetland, Ahnsan-si, Gyeonggi-do coast, Korea. The results of surveying the flora were recorded as 186 taxa including 45 families, 121 genera, 170 species, 14 varieties and 2 forms. The halophytes checked around this site were 20 taxa including Atriplex gmelinii, Salicornia europaea, Suaeda glauca, Suaeda japonica, Phragmites communis, Carex scabrifolia and so forth. Polygonum bellardii that species had ecological value was the specific plant by floristic region. The growth locations of halophytes were 11 taxa of upper, 4 taxa of high tide line and 5 taxa of lower. The naturalized plants were 42 taxa including Phytolacca americana, Chenopodium glaucum, Melilotus alba, Veronica persica, Bidens pilosa, Leptochloa fusca and so forth. Because Aster subulatusand Leptochloa fusca grew a upper tidal flat wetland, they had the characteristics of halophytes. The focuses on the management of Daesong wetland were halophytes and naturalized plants. Firstly, to maintain a halophytes communities, we will sow the halophytes seeds and plant the individuals. And In-Situ conservation was applied to Polygonum bellardii habitat. Secondly, to prevent the genesis of naturalized plant, we will don't disturb around the wetland environment. The invasive alien plant, Lactuca scariola, was removed by periodic monitoring and purification activity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.63-74
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• 2013

This study suggests that some of the negative arguments related to naturalized plants raised in academic discussions are unreasonable through an analysis of trends in the academia's research on naturalized plants in South Korea. A total of 117 academic papers related to "naturalized plants" on the Korean Studies Information Service System (KISS) website were re-classified by space, the number of vascular plant species, the number of naturalized plant species, naturalization index (NI), and urbanization index (UI). Correlation between human interference and naturalized plant distribution, and between sizes of conservation areas and naturalized plant distribution were analyzed. According to the results, while there was a tendency between urban population and UI ($r^2$ = 0.70, p = .000), the number of visitors in national parks had no relation to either the NI or the UI (r = 0.028 and r = 0.013, respectively). Likewise, there was no correlation between national parks or conservation areas and naturalized plant distribution (r = 0.014, r = 0.17, respectively). The average NI and the UI of forest areas were approximately twice as low as those of national parks. In estimated regression equation, when one hypothesizes that the entire 4,952 taxa of plants growing in South Korea, the number of naturalized plants, combining paleo-naturalized plants and neo-naturalized plants, amounted to 2,398 taxa, 48.43%. In the academia, Korean Endemic Plants are less than one quarter of 4,952 taxa. Such results signify that, contrary to discussions in the academia, it is meaningless to distinguish between naturalized plants and native plants. In certain aspects, academic discussions on naturalized plants in Korea have proceeded in a manner similar to cultural exclusion by mono-culturalism in a multi-cultural environment.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.45-62
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• 2020

This study is to present the basic data for the conservation and management of natural resources of National Park by understanding the ecological characteristics of special protected areas located in Tohamsan District, Gyeongju National Park, South Korea. The numbers of vascular plants were summarized as 106 taxa including 47 families, 79 genera, 96 species, 1 subspecies, 7 varieties and 2 forms. For status by sites, there were 59, 50 and 55 taxa in A area(Pedicularis ishidoyana), B area(Millettia japonica) and C area(Cypripedium macranthos), respectively. In the dominant species, the tree layer was Quercus serrata(A area), Platycarya strobilacea and Pinus koraiensis(B area) and Fraxinus rhynchophylla(C area), the subtree layer was Carpinus cordata and Quercus serrata(A area), Pinus koraiensis and Castanea crenata(B area) and Fraxinus rhynchophylla(C area), the 1^st shrub layer was Toxicodendron trichocarpum and Rhododendron schlippenbachii(A area), Lindera erythrocarpa and Styrax japonicus(B area) and Fraxinus rhynchophylla and Lindera erythrocarpa(C area), 2^nd shrub layer was Styrax obassis and Lespedeza maximowiczii(A area), Lespedeza maximowiczii and Rhododendron mucronulatum(B area) and Lindera erythrocarpa(C area), the herbaceous layer was Athyrium yokoscense, Dryopteris chinensis, Dryopteris lacera and Lindera obtusiloba(A area), Athyrium yokoscense, Millettia japonica, Carex humilis Leyss. var. nana and Carex ciliato-marginata(B area) and Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser. subsp. serrata, Ajuga spectabilis and Oplismenus undulatifolius(C area).