• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.193-199
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• 2023

Background: The least weasel (Mustela nivalis) holds the distinction of being the world's smallest carnivorous animal, yet its presence in South Korea has remained poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, this study investigates the habitat preferences and distribution of the least weasel in South Korea. Results: Our study compiled presence data from various sources, including citizen reports, national surveys, and expert observations. The results confirmed the nationwide presence of the least weasel in mainland South Korea, with notable concentration regions such as Gangwon province. Among the various habitats, forest edges and forests emerged as the predominant choice, with over half of the documented locations situated within these environments, particularly in broadleaf forests. Additionally, the data reveal a year-round presence of the least weasel, with recorded cases occurring at varying levels throughout the year. Conclusions: Our research advances the understanding of least weasels in South Korea. Despite the relatively modest dataset, our results provide as a valuable resource for future conservation initiatives, emphasizing the significance of forested landscapes. Additionally, it assists in identifying priority areas for protection and management efforts. To secure the future of the least weasel in South Korea and beyond, further research, including long-term monitoring and genetic studies, is imperative.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.570-607
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• 2023

The subgenus Tricoma Cobb, 1894 comprises free-living marine nematodes encompassing a total of 83 validated taxa. Within this diversity, twenty-one taxa thrive in the deep sea, while twenty-three are found in coral reefs, flat areas, or green algae. Additionally, eleven taxa inhabit the sublittoral zone at depths exceeding 10 meters, and the remaining taxa are situated on beaches, coasts, or in habitats lacking detailed information. In the course of a survey focused on the East Sea free-living marine nematodes, we identified four new and two previously unrecorded species belonging to the subgenus Tricoma. Specifically, two new species, Tricoma (Tricoma) breviseta sp. nov. and T. (T.) donghaensis sp. nov., were discovered in mud-sandy sediment in deepsea environments below 2000 meters within the Ulleung Basin and Hupo Bank. Two previously unrecorded species [T. (T.) paralucida Decraemer, 1987 and T. (T.) similis Cobb, 1912] and the two newly found species [T. (T.) longicauda sp. nov. and T. (T.) ulleungensis sp. nov.] were obtained from subtidal coarse sand at a depth of 20 meters during a survey of the waters surrounding Ulleungdo Island. The distribution and information on validated taxa within the subgenus Tricoma were systematically collected, reviewed, and cataloged. Detailed morphological features and illustrations of Tricoma species from Korea were provided through the use of differential interference contrast microscopy.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.332-339
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• 2024

The filamentous freshwater red alga Compsopogon caeruleus(Compsopogonophyceae, Compsopogonaceae, Rhodophyta) occurs in tropical and subtropical regions of worldwide. This species has been reported from Asia, America, Africa, Europe and Oceania, and the worldwide distribution of Compsopogon caeruleus is in variable water habitats. Several morphospecies of the genus Compsopogon had been recorded, but recent molecular phylogenetic analyses with worldwide sampling identified a monospecific genus, C. caeruleus. In the present study, we first report a freshwater red alga Compsopogon caeruleus from Korea. We identified Compsopogon caeruleus in an urban river in Yongin City, and analyzed its morphological and genetic characteristics. Nuclear 18S rDNA, plastidal rbcL gene and mitochondrial cox1 gene sequences isolated from Korean Compsopogon caeruleus showed high sequences similarity with Compsopogon caeruleus from worldwide (98.6-100% (18S rDNA), 99-100% (rbcL) and 97.7-100% (cox1)). These sequences similarities support the identification of a red alga found in Korea as Compsopogon caeruleus. This new geographical report provides the useful information for understanding the distribution and habitat range of Compsopogon caeruleus especially concerning urban freshwater environments.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.34-45
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• 2013

The Polygonum amphibium complex (Poygonaceae) is a highly polymorphic taxon that can grow in aquatic environments as well as in moist terrestrial habitats. Aquatic and terrestrial plants of the P. amphibium complex vary significantly in morphology and exhibit very complicated patterns of morphological variation, resulting in the description of numerous infra-specific taxa. Principal components analysis of 107 individuals of the P. amphibium complex from Asia and North America using 11 morphological characters showed that the aquatic plants can be discerned from the terrestrial plants by leaf size, shape, and petiole length. In contrast, both aquatic and terrestrial plants collected from the same population or locality shared identical sequences in the matK, psbA-trnH IGS, rbcL-accD IGS and trnL-trnF regions of the chloroplast DNA (cpDNA), suggesting that aquatic and terrestrial forms of the P. amphibium complex are not genetically diverged; morphological differences between the two forms are probably due to the differences in environmental conditions of the habitats. In addition, results from the morphological analysis and the maximum parsimony analysis of the cpDNA data set revealed that the plants from Asia including Korea, Japan, China, Mongolia and Russia Far East are diverged from those in North America and Europe, suggesting that the Asian populations should be recognized as a distinct variety, P. amphibium var. amurense Korsh.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.87-93
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• 2002

The tree of heaven naturalized plant grows in the various habitats of the city. The principal reason is that it is reproduced not only through sexual reproduction but through asexual reproduction. By the spreading of sucker and a bud appearance of the seed it forms a group easily inside the city habitat. The distribution of seed and spreading of the seedlings of the tree of heaven were investigated like the followings. As the result of the sexual reproduction by the seed and hangs in cluster farm, 350 individuals are germinated at the Namsan the best environment, and 50 individuals at Toegyewon Rotary These seeds are dispersed by the effect of wind and geographical factor. Because the northwest wind is blowing mainly from late autumn to early spring, it is dispersed in the south. In Toegyewon Rotary, a slant site, is dispersed mainly by down the site. Compared with width of crown, the seedling of a seed germination are distributed outside more than inside the crown and the seed is spreaded until the maximum 7.5 times of crown width at the investigated area. 1 year seedlings appeared as a group at the place of 2-4 times of the crown (in 20m from the crown, 75% distribution). Considering the distribution by the seed scattering of the tree of heaven, there is a possibility of sudden individual increase even in the deteriorated city environment. So this possibility shows that we need to consider the protection of the city soil, and the species variety decrease resulted from the successful competition to the other species.

• Journal of Satellite, Information and Communications
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.41-49
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• 2017

This paper will describe lunar lava tubes' five analyzed fields, such as geology, geomorphology, internal configuration, stability, communication and habitats requirements. This research gets through qualitative and qualitative data analysis as following results. A huge size and configuration differences between lunar lava tubes and earth one on geology and landform environments. Exo-genetics activities, such as meteorites, radiation, and sudden temperature bigger affect than Endo-genetic activities, such as effusion and earthquake of the lunar lava tubes. Landform and internal configuration of the lunar lava tubes due to the huge cave perilous landform that gravity difference have a technical limitation from internal approach and data obtain of the huge skylights and sinuous rilles. Stability of the lunar lava tubes deals with geology and landform. It was obvious geo-structural stability elements results generated on low rate of collapsed halls(skylights), low gravity, and relatively thick covers. In terms of the communication capability on the external and internal lunar lava tubes cordless communication techniques will overcome limitations of the sun-power generates supporting communication systems. Through this research it realized obvious differs between potential habitats possibility by accumulative theories by scholars and techniques of the lunar lava tubes. Especially, it is a favorable expectation throughout overcoming attempt on zero gravity, cosmo radiation, lunar dust of the exo-genetic limitations to the steep escarpment of skylights to approach and achieve techniques by the civil engineering, networking and GIS techniques as the endo-genetic environment treatment.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.147-154
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• 2014

Bacteria play an important role in biogeochemical cycles in marine environments and their functional attributes in ecosystems depend primarily on species composition. In this study, seasonal variation of bacterial diversity was investigated by pyrosequencing of 16S rDNA in surface sediment and overlying seawater collected in the south East Sea, planned for the site of $CO_2$ sequestration by the carbon capture and storage (CCS) project. Gammaproteobacteria was dominant in the sediment in most seasons, whereas Alphaproteobacteria was a most dominant group in the overlying water. Thus, the bacterial diversity greatly differ between sediment and seawater samples. On the genus level, bacterial diversity between two habitats was also different. However, the number of genera found over 5% were less than 10 in both habitats and the bacterial community was composed of a number of diverse minor or rare genera. Elevation of $CO_2$ concentration during a $CO_2$ storage process, could result in change of bacterial diversity. Thus, this study will be very useful to access the effect of $CO_2$ on bacterial diversity and to predict functional change of the ecosystem during the process of CCS project.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.345-357
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• 2002

Ecological characteristics on habitats and morphological features of the seagrass Zostera caulescens Miki in Korea were examined. The biogeographical distribution of Z. caulescens was confirmed in the south coast of the Korea. Zostera caulescens usually inhabits at the inner bay, where is sheltered from wave action and 3.0 to 6.5 m deep. The sediment in habitats is composed of very fine muddy sand or sandy mud. In morphology, Z. caulescens is easily distinguished from other species of the genus by the formation of vegetative canopy on the top of reproductive stems. The number of longitudinal ribs in testa was 24 revealed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) while the number of ribs in Z. marina has been often reported to be 16-20. Purplish anthocyanin spots were displayed on the surface when the testa was removed. We found that the size and shape of leaf epidermal cells in Z. caulescens were very different from those of Z. marina when the leaf cuticles were removed by maceration which could be useful characters for identifying Zostera species. The leaf of Z. caulescens displays two different casts of color when the fresh plant is closely observed. The margins of leaves appear brighter than the center of leaves due to the thickening by the development of paralleled venation in the middle of leaves. The comparison of two populations of Z. caulescens in Korea showed that they were considerably different in their shoot density and biomass. The shoot density and biomass at Gabae population was $367.3 m^{-2}\;and\;725.7g$ dry wt $m^P{-2}$ respectively, while those at Jukrim population were $112.5m^{-2}\;and\;392.0g\;dry\;wt\;m^{-2}$, respectively.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.113-120
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• 2020

For the conservation of both Sericinus montela (vulnerable species by red book of Korea) and A. contorta, we investigated environmental factors affecting the growth and reproduction of Aristolochia contorta. We selected four A. contorta habitats at Gapyeong, Pyeongtaek, Cheongju, and Yeoju in Korea and surveyed community and habitat characteristics of companion species, herbivore appearance, support types, and soil physicochemical properties in July and October, 2018. Habitat environments and the growth and reproduction characteristics of A. contorta were different according to four habitats of different regions. In particular, the fastest growth speed and earliest flowering and fruiting were observed in Pyeongtaek. Growth of A. contorta in Cheongju and Yeoju were interrupted by aboveground damage from human disturbance. In this study, support types seemed to be important for growth speed of A. contorta. Flowering and fruiting timing were likely to be related to combined effects of soil cation contents and competitive and herbivore stresses. Therefore, providing effective support and reducing biological stress should be necessary for stable growth and proper flowering and fruiting timing of A. contorta. In addition, experimental evidence would be needed to figure out the effect of soil cation and biological stress on flowering and fruiting of A. contorta in detail.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 1991

The distribution of cryophilous arctic-alpine and alpine plants in Korea is reviewed in connection with palaeoenvironment, along with a discussion to their origins, patterns of migration, and their refugia. At present, the estimated number of Korean arctic-alpine and alpine species is 419, and this includes 75 arctic-alpine species, 239 alpine species and 105 Korean endemic alpine species. The disjunctive distribution of cryophilous arctic-alpine and alpine plants is likely to be due to first, the downslope and southward expansion of those species towards the Korean peninsula as a primary refugia from the arctic region as the Pleistocene glacial phases approached, and then their subsequent isolation upslope in mountain areas toward a secondary refugia as the interglacial and post-glacial climatic ameliorations followed; secondly, the expansion of forest tree communities on lowland and montane areas subsequent to the end of the Pleistocene has had the effect of dividing formerly high mountains as a result of the increased competition; and thirdly, the general disapperance or restriction of available habitats for arctic-alpine and alpine species because of post-glacial climatic amelioration. The existence of 139 alpine species exclusively in the north of Korea may be due to the following reasons; first, frequent exchanges of alpine floras with other neighbouring East Asian regions would have been facilitated; secondly, there are numerous high mountains available for the alpine plants to survive and prosper during the post-glacial period; thirdly, the existence of easy accesses between mountains within the north, which has enabled alpine floras to migrate when necessary; and finally, the availability of diverse environments and habitats for the alpine flora of the north. However, the continued survival of those species in Korea at the world's or East Asia's southernmost limits of their distribution for many species is in danger if global warming associated with the greenhouse effect takes place.