• Title/Summary/Keyword: natural ecosystems

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Development of Molecular Biological Methods to Analyze Bacterial Species Diversity in Freshwater and Soil Ecosystems

  • Lee, Dong-Hun;Noh, Sung-Ae;Kim, Chi-Kyung
    • Journal of Microbiology
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    • v.38 no.1
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    • pp.11-17
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    • 2000
  • A new method was developed for the rapid analysis of diverse bacterial species in the natural environment. Our method is based on PCR-single-strands-conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and selective isolation technique of single-stranded DNA. Variable V3 fragments of 16S rDNA were amplified by PCR with bacterial 16S rDNA primers, where one of the primers was biotinylated at the 5'-end. The biotinylated strands of the PCR products were selectively isolated by using streptavidin paramagnetic particles and a magnetic stand, to prevent SSCP analysis producing heteroduplexes from heterogeneous DNA samples. The selected strands were separated by electrophoresis on a polyacrylamide gel, and detected by silver staining. Analysis of PCR products from 8 bacterial strains demonstrated their characteristic DNA band patterns. In addition, changes in the structure of the bacterial community and species diversity in the microcosm treated with phenol could be monitored. After 3 weeks of incubation, phenol and its intermediate, 2-hydroxy-muconic-semialdehyde, were degraded by indigenous bacteria. These dominating bacterial populations were identified as strong bands on an SSCP gel. Therefore, this study provides useful tools for microbial community analysis of natural habitats.

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A Study on Processing Methods of New Materials Applied to Biomimicry Characteristics (바이오미미크리 특성이 적용된 신재료 가공방법 연구)

  • Ji, Ju-Yeon;Seo, Ji-Eun
    • Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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    • v.22 no.5
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    • pp.367-375
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    • 2013
  • Using the 'New material' concept has recently been introduced into the natural characteristics. In the course of such a, Janine M. Benyus has proposed to mimic the characteristics of natural ecosystems to mention the concept of Biomimicry. Process made engineered using technical elements for representing the material properties of Biomimicry such will be acting importantly, This study intends to analyze how new materials applied to 'Biomimicry' characteristics are processed in space. The results were as follows : 1) Processing methods of new materials resulted as 'Forming', 'Surface treatment', 'Bonding', 'Inserting'. These four were divided and analyzed into 'Form', 'System', 'Adaptation'. As a result of this analysis, such significances were shown as 'Forming/Surface treatment/Bonding' in 'Form', 'Bonding' in 'System' and 'Adaptation'. 2) 'Bonding' applied to 'System' of new material can be recycled to be combined with other materials through the existing adhesive material, and present as a solution of 'Sustainable development'. 3) 'Bonding' applied to 'Adaptation' of new material is to impart the ability to react to the environment through the joint, but is characteristic, at this time, using digital and other field technology. It appeared primarily that it can be known to meet the social trends and convergence between fields. Thus, as the finish that are friendly to the environment from the interior design, the results of the study are expected to be utilized in the study of new materials guidelines.

Recolonization of benthic macroinvertebrates after anthropogenic disturbance in natural streams, South Korea

  • Chun, Seung-Phil;Chon, Seung-Hoon;Lee, Seung-Oh;Im, Jang-Hyuk;Lee, Woo-Kyun;Kim, Myoung-Chul
    • Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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    • v.29 no.2
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    • pp.228-235
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    • 2015
  • Stream ecosystems are closely related to many human activities. Therefore, streams are affected by anthropogenic disturbances such as riverine development and gravel-mining as well as deterioration of water quality. The goal of this study was to elucidate the recolonization process of the macroinvertebrate community after a small-scale anthropogenic disturbance. Field studies were conducted at three sites in a natural stream. The number of recolonizing species tended to increase slightly over time, exceeding the total species number of the control. Ephemeroptera contributed the most to shaping the recolonizing pattern of the entire community. From the result of changes in dominant species, the early recolonizers of each site were the species that showed more frequent occurrence particulary at each sites. But the late recolonizers are Chironomidae at all the sites commonly. This result implies that the actual differences exist among the recolonizing trends of each benthic macroinvertebrate taxon. Collector-gatherers and scrapers comprised about 70% of the recolonizing species. These results indicate that the recolonizing process of an aquatic community after an artificial disturbance depends on the environmental conditions(particularly substratum composition or organic pollution) of the habitat.

The Relationship between circulation of precipitation and urbanization (생태학적 측면에서 고찰한 빗물 순환체계와 도시화와의 관계)

  • 이은희
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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    • v.24 no.4
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    • pp.123-131
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    • 1997
  • Since the industrial revolution. the growth of cities has been especially apid and the rate of ulbanization has been high. This urban development is encroaching on the natural environment because the cities are developed with not only residential estates, industrial area and buildings but also with infrastructure. The surface area of the city is sealed ,with pavement whereas nature is disturbed and modified. The hydrological cycle in the city is inf1uenced by the change of land use I. e., from forest to agricultural land, talc draining of wetlands and above all the increase of built-up areas. The surface retention and interception of precipitation in the city is reduced. because the surface area is now smooth and solid. The characteristics of the hydrological cycle in the city are increased runoff, reduced evapotranspiration and infiltraction . We have too much faith in technology although it may cause more unforseen problems. We build more river banks and 'emulation dams and straighten rivers and streams in order to protect ourselves from disasters.. However. the results of hose developments are often higher$.$ water levels, the disturbance of aquatic ecosystems and the reduction of biodiversity. Therefore, we should examine problems from the hydrological cycle in cities and study a natural system as close cities to nature as possible. This paper shows the problems caused by the hydrological cycle in the city. The ecology-oriented method and design must be used in order to protect our environment from dicturbance.

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Engineering characteristics and eco-cultural potential of spring in Jeju Island

  • Koh, Byoung Ryoun
    • Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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    • 2019.05a
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    • pp.218-218
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    • 2019
  • Jeju island has an area of $1,810km^2$ and is considered the largest island in South Korea. In Jeju Island the average annual precipitation is 1,957mm. About 54% of precipitation is estimated to be lost due to evapo-transpiration and direct runoff, and the remainder is recharged. Historically springs and puddles were the island's primary sources of water. However, after 1970 all sectors, including the urban and industrial sectors depended solely on groundwater as their water resource. As vast amount of water is being recharged the Island has many springs, especially near the coastlines. Historlcally, spring of Jeju Island formed village and make it possible to continue a life. Also it produces many values such as the spring related story, culture, tourism and ecosystems. Especially, the naturally rare phenomenon that about 900 springs appear over the whole area of Jeju Island makes it possible to call it as a natural heritage. As a result of this most springs have either been destroyed or been in the state of neglect. In some cases it has been observed that springs were preserved by nature, however majority of the cases saw springs losing their own nature as a result of abandonment. It was recorded that there were 911 springs in Jeju Island with most of them being distributed along the coast, which consequently increases their susceptibility to seawater intrusion. The objective of this study is therefore to analyze Eco-cultural and Engineering characteristics about springs in the island, highlighting its past utilization and reestablishing its potential as a source of spring.

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Economic Empowerment of Agro Tourism "Jawaunik" (Java Unique): A Case Study in Indonesia

  • NURLAELA, Siti;MURSITO, Bambang;SHODIQ, M. Fajar;HADI, Pramono;RAHMAWATI, Rahmawati
    • The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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    • v.8 no.5
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    • pp.741-748
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    • 2021
  • The purpose of this study is to find out how to empower the community in developing Unique Javanese Agro Tourism in the Klaten regency, Central Java Indonesia. Community economic empowerment is carried out by 1) conservation-based development, namely the pattern of community development while maintaining the authenticity of ecosystems by seeking to preserve natural, historical, cultural, and recreational natural resources. Community development can be done in stages, that is, carried out before the area becomes an object of agro-tourism and after the area becomes an object of agro tourism, 2) Community empowerment in the development of unique Javanese agro-tourism can be done with the development of community-based agro-tourism, intended to pattern community development that places agrotourism as empowering farmers to obtain good value from agricultural products as well as from tourist visits; the dual effect of absorption of agricultural products by tourism businesses and developers of agro-tourism areas/regions; by the government as an area to develop agrotourism; synergy between communities; and the role of tourism institutions and agricultural institutions in fostering agro-tourism so that this can enhance the aesthetic value and beauty of nature.

SoEM: a novel PCR-free biodiversity assessment method based on small-organelles enriched metagenomics

  • Jo, Jihoon;Lee, Hyun-Gwan;Kim, Kwang Young;Park, Chungoo
    • ALGAE
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    • v.34 no.1
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    • pp.57-70
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    • 2019
  • DNA metabarcoding is currently used for large-scale taxonomic identification to understand the community composition in various marine ecosystems. However, before being widely used in this emerging field, this experimental and analytic approach still has several technical challenges to overcome, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) bias, and lack of well-established metabarcoding markers, a task which is difficult but not impossible to achieve. In this study, we present an adapted PCR-free small-organelles enriched metagenomics (SoEM) method for marine biodiversity assessment. To avoid PCR bias and random artefacts, we extracted target DNA sequences without PCR amplification from marine environmental samples enriched with small organelles including mitochondria and plastids because their genome sequences provide a valuable source of molecular markers for phylogenetic analysis. To experimentally enrich small organelles, we performed subcellular fractionation using modified differential centrifugation for marine environmental DNA samples. To validate our SoEM method, two marine environmental samples from the coastal waters were tested the taxonomic capturing capacity against that of traditional DNA metabarcoding method. Results showed that, regardless of taxonomic levels, at least 3-fold greater numbers of taxa were identified in our SoEM method, compared to those identified by the conventional multi-locus DNA metabarcoding method. The SoEM method is thus effective and accurate for identifying taxonomic diversity and presents a useful alternative approach for evaluating biodiversity in the marine environment.

Food Security through Smart Agriculture and the Internet of Things

  • Alotaibi, Sara Jeza
    • International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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    • v.22 no.11
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    • pp.33-42
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    • 2022
  • One of the most pressing socioeconomic problems confronting humanity on a worldwide scale is food security, particularly in light of the expanding population and declining land productivity. These causes have increased the number of people in the world who are at risk of starving and have caused the natural ecosystems to degrade at previously unheard-of speeds. Happily, the Internet of Things (IoT) development provides a glimmer of light for those worried about food security through smart agriculture-a development that is particularly relevant to automating food production operations in order to reduce labor expenses. When compared to conventional farming techniques, smart agriculture has the benefit of maximizing resource use through precise chemical input application and regulation of environmental factors like temperature and humidity. Farmers may make data-driven choices about the possibility of insect invasion, natural disasters, anticipated yields, and even prospective market shifts with the use of smart farming tools. The technical foundation of smart agriculture serves as a potential response to worries about food security. It is made up of wireless sensor networks and integrated cloud computing modules inside IoT.

Evaluation of Ecological Function of Mangrove Soil on Absorbing Heavy Metals: A Case Study from the Dongzhaigang Mangrove in China

  • Xin, Kun;Huang, Xing;Zhou, Qingqing;Chen, Zhili
    • Journal of Ecology and Environment
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    • v.33 no.1
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    • pp.15-18
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    • 2010
  • Mangroves are special plant communities that live along intertidal zones in tropical and subtropical areas. They are regarded as one of the most important types of natural ecosystem in the world because of the many ecosystem functions that they perform, of which water purification is the most complex. Mangrove ecosystems are conducive to the deposition and retention of heavy metals. So it is important to understand the impact of heavy metals on mangrove ecosystems, and especially on soil subsystems. We examined the levels of heavy metals in the soil of mangroves in the Dongzhaigang Mangrove National Nature Reserve. Dongzhaigang, the first mangrove nature reserve established in China, is located south of Haikou in Hainan Island and encompasses $33.37\;km^2$, of which mangroves comprise $20.56\;km^2$. To assess the impact of human activities, we collected a large number of soil samples in four sampling areas (the protection station, the harbor, a tour area, and Yeboluo island) in the study area. We measured the concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn and Cd in the soil samples using the spectra of polyatomic molecules. The average concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn and Cd were $5.04\;{\mu}g/g$, $10.36\;{\mu}g/g$, $20.06\;{\mu}g/g$ and $0.06\;{\mu}g/g$, respectively, and the heavy metal concentrations were lowest in the protected area, highest in the harbor, and intermediate in Yeboluo Island and the tour area. The heavy metal concentrations in the soil collected from different sample plots are related not only to the physical and chemical properties of the soil, but also to the heavy metal emitted by nearby pollution sources. Our analysis indicates that tourist boats are the main pollution sources in the study area.

A Study on the Method of Ecosystem Health Assessment in National Parks (국립공원 생태계 건강성 평가 방법에 관한 연구)

  • Oh, Jang Geun;Won, Hyeok Jae;Myeong, Hyeon-Ho
    • Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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    • v.49 no.2
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    • pp.147-152
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    • 2016
  • This study was conducted to develop a technique of ecosystem health assessment on Korea National Parks. The purpose of natural resource monitoring in national parks is to develop scientific information on the current status and long term trends in the composition, structure, and function of park ecosystems, and to determine how well current management practices are sustaining those ecosystems. The evaluation results will reflect in the park conservation and polices and promote the effect and functions of assessment program to the people. Health assessment steps were performed in order the establishing monitoring goals and objectives, development of the conceptual model, frame establishment, determination of indicators, standard and classification and health assessment. Health Indicators were selected the 13 with common, choice and climate indicators. We developed a pictogram and was separated into five colors to health condition, it was divided into three shape for comparison with the past state. Seoraksan, Odaesan National Park has been rated highly but Bukhansan, Kyeryongsan National Park has been underestimated.