• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.69-80
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• 2021

The new town in Korea, developed as a large-scale housing plan, has created urban ecological corridors to provide habitat and movement routes to wildlife and to promote natural ecological flow. This study aimed to investigate the use of wildlife in 10 ecological corridors in Gwanggyo New Town through camera trap technology and confirm effectiveness by identifying environmental factors affecting the use of wildlife's urban ecological corridors. Our researchers installed 20 unmanned sensor cameras at each the entrance and exit of the ecological corridors, and monitored urban wildlife for 10 weeks. According to the monioring results, the main species in Gwanggyo New Town were identified not only raccons, cats, water deer, korean hare and avain but also magpies, dove, eurasian tree sparrow, ring-necked pheasant, and eurasian jay. The number of uses ecological corridors of urban residents was 801(13.49%), as high as that of urban wildlife (1,140, 19.20%), which was judged to have disturbed the use of ecological corridors by wildlife. However, most dominant species of urban wildlife are nocturnal so that, it was judged that they share home range with urban residents at a time interval. In addition, according to the correlation analysis results between the mammal using rate of the urban ecological corridors and environmental factors(ecological corridor-specific length, ecological corridor-specific width, cover degree, shielding degree, connected green area, separation of movement routes, and presence of streetlights), environmental factors were not statistically significant. However, the more the area of green space connected to ecological corridors, the more increasing the mammal using rate of ecological corridor(r=0.71, p<0.05). Therefore, the area of green space connected to the ecological corridors that is associated with rate of wildlife using corridors should be considered as a priority when developing an urban ecological corridors. In the future, this study will extend the observation period of the ecological corridors and continuously accumulate data by adding the number of observation cameras. Furthermore, it is expected that the results of this study can be used as basic data for the standards for urban ecological corridors installation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.55-65
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• 2024

This study aimed to figure out diel activity patterns of water deer and wild boar, whose habitat is disturbed by human activity in a suburban area. Photographic data of water deer and wild boar collected by 18 camera traps from January 2021 to November 2022 was categorized into four diel periods (dawn, day, dusk, and night), and converted into frequencies per 100 CTD (Camera Trap-Days) for seasonal and spatial diel activity pattern analysis. Water deer exhibited intense nocturnality in fall, and wild boar did in fall and winter. During the fall, water deer's night-time capture rate was the highest (61.9%), and day-time photographic rate was the lowest (13.9%) among other seasons. During the fall and winter, wild boar's night-time photographic rate was relatively high (77.6%, 78.0%, respectively), and day-time photographic rate was relatively low (0.7%, 1.8%) in comparison with other seasons. In spatial diel activity analysis, both water deer and wild boar showed a tendency to avoid humans, especially near trails during day-time hours. The day-time photographic rate of water deer in trail-near group was 12.1% and trail-far group was 24.6%. The day-time photographic rate of wild boar was 3.4%, 5.7%, respectively. Because the diel activity patterns of wildlife reflect human disturbance, this study provides useful ecological information for developing appropriate management plans for the coexistence of water deer and wild boar in suburban areas.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.87-96
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• 2009

Pinus thunbergii plantations in Pohang-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea, are of low ecological quality, with arrested succession and a high proportion of ruderal species. To improve the quality of the habitat, we created canopy gaps ($\sim42\;m^2$) and monitored changes in abiotic (light availability, canopy openness) and biotic (survival and growth of seedlings and understory communities) variables in 2007 and 2008 in plots that had received one of five types of treatment: cutting of canopy trees and removal of the understory (CU), cutting of canopy trees only (C), girdling of canopy trees and removal of the understory (GU), girdling of canopy trees (G) or control. Each treatment was applied to three replicate plots. Abiotic variables did not significantly differ among treatments. Survival rates of target species were slightly lower in the CU, G and control conditions. Based on logistic regression analysis, the only significant growth factor affecting survival was height growth. Positive effects of seedling height and leaf area growth on survival were also detected, but did not reach statistical significance. In treatment G, gradual improvement of overstory conditions and mitigation of competition by limitation of disturbance to the understory community were likely to have promoted seedling growth. There were no significant effects of gap treatments on changes in species abundance (cover and richness) and composition of understory between the study years. This result implies that the small gaps created in our study may be below the threshold size to affect understory growth. However, the results of this study are based on a short-term investigation of only two years. Long-term research is strongly recommended to clarify the effects of gap treatment on plant communities in afforested areas.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.90-102
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• 2018

Background: We sought to understand the relationship between the seed bank and vegetation in abandoned rice paddies in South Korea, in order to guide management of these sites. We investigated the floristic composition and species richness of the soil seed bank and ground vegetation in former paddies along three seral gradients (wet meadow, young forest, and mature forest) in Gwangneung Forest Biosphere Reserve. Results: Seed bank samples contained 59 species, of which the dominant families were Cyperaceae, Gramineae, and Polygonaceae. Species richness and seedling density (59 taxa and 19,121 germinants from all samples) were high. Carex spp. (11, 921 germinants) were the dominant taxa. The species composition in the seed bank changed gradually as the land transitioned from wet meadow to mature forest. Sørensen's index of similarity between above- and below-ground vegetation was 29.3% for wet meadow, 10.8% for young forest, and 2.1% for mature forest. Germinant density also declined, with 10, 256 germinants for wet meadow, 6445 germinants for young forest, and 2420 germinants for mature forest. Conclusions: Changes in aboveground environment and life history traits such as amphicarpic plants, likely affect the composition of soil seed bank species. Abandoned paddy fields may be good sites for restoration of wetland forest and conservation of wetland habitat. Some intervention may be required to promote the recovery of a natural species assemblage.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.5-11
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• 2008

This study examined the characteristics of Pinus thunbergii community that forms a windbreak forest around the coast of Gwanmaedo located in Jodo-myeon, Jindo-gun, Jeollanamdo which is located in the south-western areas of Korea from December 2005 to April 2007 and to suggeste the ecological management methods of coastal windbreak areas. P. thunbergii community, a coastal windbreak forest of Gwanmaedo, was classified into disturbance, growth, mixture, stability, and back mountain vegetation according to major companions species and vegetation types. P. thunbergii community of disturbance and growth vegetation needs active management through tree thinning, mowing, weeding out, use of rest space, and felling sick pine trees. P. thunbergii community of mixture, stability, and back mountain vegetation needs active preservation of a coastal windbreak to restore natural vegetation by making a windbreak walk and a forest buffer zone and inducing vegetation succession. Accordingly, in this study, ecological management methods were suggested according to the actual state of distribution by habitat characteristics of coastal windbreak areas such as management of beaches and surrounding area of idle lands, restoration of back wetlands, inhibition of foreign plants, maintenance of diversity of species and habitats, and prevention of aging and spread of damage from insects.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.175-191
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• 2011

Colonization patterns and community changes in benthic macroinvertebrates in the Cheonggye Stream, a functionally restored stream in downtown Seoul, Korea, were studied from November 2005 to November 2007. Benthic macroinvertebrates were quantitatively sampled 15 times from five sites in the stream section. Taxa richness (59 species in total) increased gradually over the first year, whereas the density revealed seasonal differences with significantly lower values in the winter season and after flood events. The benthic macroinvertebrate fauna may have drifted from the upstream reaches during floods and from the Han River, arrived aerially, or hitchhiked on artificially planted aquatic plants. Oligochaeta, Chironommidae, Psychodidae, and Hydropsychidae were identified as major community structure contributors in the stream. Swimmers and clingers colonized relatively earlier in the upper and middle reaches, whereas burrowers dominated particularly in the lower reaches. Collector-gatherers colonized at a relatively early period throughout the stream reaches, and collector-filterers, such as the net-spinning caddisfly (Cheumatopyche brevilineata), predominated in the upper and middle reaches after a 1-year time period. Cluster analyses and multi-response permutation procedures demonstrated that the Cheonggye Stream shares more similarities with the Jungnang Stream than with the Gapyeong Stream. Detrended correspondence analysis and nonmetric multidimensional scaling demonstrated that physical environmental factors (depth, current velocity, dissolved oxygen, and pH) as well as nutrients (total nitrogen and total phosphorous), water temperature, and conductivity could affect the distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates in the study streams.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.177-188
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• 2008

Attempts to develope designation criteria for ecological protected areas were made for rational and scientific designation and management of 'ecosystem and landscape conservation areas', 'wetland protection areas', 'special islands protection areas', and 'wildlife protected areas' which have been designated and managed by the Ministry of Environment. Through analysis of the requisites and criteria of IUCN, UNESCO, Natura 2000, the Ramsar convention, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Germany as well as various academic researches, evaluation items of the protected areas were classified into naturalness, biodiversity, ecosystem, and scientific values. These classification titles are reflection of Korean laws concerning the 4 protected areas described above. Of these items 'naturalness' is composed of 3 factors of wilderness, geomorphology and landscape, and vegetation. 'Biodiversity' is composed of the 5 factors of species diversity, endangered species, rare species, indigenous biological resources, and habitat of wetland wild animals. 'Ecosystem' is composed of 5 factors of typicalness, diversity, rarity, restoration ability, and degree of interference. All factors are scored using a 3 point scale of high, middle, or low and are then transformed into the numerical index for designating and zoning purposes. Conclusively, it is expected that the developed methodology will be highly applicable with field verifications.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.437-441
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• 2009

1990년대 이후 하천환경에 대한 관심은 치수적 과점에서 이수적 관점, 환경적 관점으로 확대되어 가고 있으며, 이에 부응하여 하천환경을 개선하기 위한 노력이 1990년대 말부터 자연형 하천개발이라는 이름으로 확산되어 우리나라의 하천환경을 크게 변모시켜 나가고 있다. 실제로 자연형 하천은 우리 주변의 하천경관 및 수질을 많이 개선하는 효과를 거두어 왔으나, 하천의 보전 및 복원에 대한 구체적인 기술개발이 없는 상태에서 경쟁적으로 시행되어 비효율성, 비생태성, 비안전성의 문제를 노출시키고 있다. 특히 하천의 다양한 물리적 인자와 복합되어 형성되는 하도서식처 환경들에 대한 이해의 부족은 하천에 서식하는 다양한 생태계의 순환과정 및 연계성을 단절시키고 근본적인 하천환경복원을 어렵게 한다. 최근에 하천환경 복원사업의 근본 목표는 그 하천 고유의 하천경관이나 생태계 등의 특성을 회복(Rehabilitation)시키거나 복원(Restoration)시키는 것으로, 평여울, 급여울, 폐쇄형 하도습지, 웅덩이 등과 같은 하도서식처로서의 물리적 자연환경을 인위적으로 조성하여 원활한 생태환경이 자생될 수 있도록 하기 위한 노력의 일환이다. 그러나 하천 생태계는 물리적 환경에 의해서만 지배되는 것은 아니며, 하천생태계가 원활하게 조성되기 위해서는 그에 따른 적정한 수질이 유지되는 것 또한 중요하다. 물론 자연생태계의 순환과정이 원활해진다면, 하천의 자정능력 향상을 가져오게 되고 그로 인하여 수질도 생태환경에 적합하게 유지되는 것은 자연스러운 이치이다. 결국 자연적으로 조성된 하천에서의 물리적 서식처 환경이 수질에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지 파악하는 것은 앞으로 하천환경 복원사업에 있어서 매우 중요한 요소 중의 하나이다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 물리적 환경인 하도서식처 환경을 조사하고 그에 따른 화학적 특성을 평가해 보았다. 본 연구의 결과는 앞으로 하천복원에 있어서 물리적 서식처 조성과 수질의 상호 연계성 및 복원기술의 타당성을 평가하는데 중요한 지표가 될 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.119-125
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• 2016

Mongolia has one of the strongest climate warming signals on Earth, and over 40% of the human population depends directly or indirectly on pastoral livestock production for their livelihoods. Thus, climate-driven changes in rangeland production will likely have a major effect on pastoral livelihoods . The loss of species dependent mostly on rainfall has resulted in adverse changes in the botanical composition of the steppes . Summer season in 2015 was completely dry until middle of July and, had not enough vegetation cover as last 15 years. The purpose of this study is to check plant community dynamics in Mongolia in relation to climate change in 2014 and 2015. The study sites were selected in mountain-steppe habitat in central Mongolia. In the 2014, there have been registered 81 plant species of 56 genera of 25 families on the investigated sites and, occurred 57 plant species of 44 genera of 21 families in the 2015. It is concluded that the abundance and richness of plants are directly connected to heavily affect by the climatic factor, i.e. amount of precipitation during growing season. As a same like result of climate change, in Mongolian land is going become desertification, and each spring, soil particles from Mongolia are swept up by a cold air mass into the atmosphere and blasts into south east China, Korea and Japan. The Koreans call this phenomenon the "Fifth season" or "Yellow sand", and the Chinese call it "Yellow dragon".

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.299-306
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• 2010

The use of local seed provenance is often recommended in forest restoration. Early vigor is a combination of the performance of seed germination and emergence after planting. The ability of young Brant's oak plants to grow and develop after emergence and its dependence on local habitat conditions was investigated in this study. The effects of seed source and shade on early growing seedlings of Brant's oak (Quercus brantii L.) were determined in field measurements. Seeds of Quercus brantii L. were collected from 4 forest areas (seed sources) in southern Zagros (Provinces of Kohkilouyeh-Bouyer Ahmad and Fars) at altitudes of 850, 1,100, 1,500, 2,100 m a.s.l., and planted in a nursery constructed in southwestern Iran. According to a split-plot design consisting of four blocks, each containing two main treatment plots (no shading, partial shading), each main plot was sub-divided into four sub-plots (for elevations of 850, 1,100, 1,500 and 2,100 m). Results showed that shade treatments had significant effects on emergence percentage and rate, shoot length, shoot dry weight (SDW), root dry weight (RDW), leaf area (LA), and chlorophyll content. Ecological factors also had an effect on seed performance. Altitude of seed source had a very significant effect on root length, LA, SDW, and RDW. The seeds collected from 850 m a.s.l. elevation showed the highest performance, especially in leaf area, root length, shoot dry weight, and root dry weight. Our results showed that the altitude of 850 m a.s.l. was the best for collecting Brant's oak seeds.