• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.305-320
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• 2005

Recently 64 species in Korea have been ranked as rare and endangered taxa by the Ministry of Environment using two categories, I and II. The original threat categories produced by the Ministry of Environment were developed to provide a standard for specifying animals and plants in danger of extinction and has been influential sources of information used in species conservation in Korea. However, the criteria by Ministry of Environment were applied to the whole taxa only by regional boundaries, especially in South Korea, rather than international context, and it also lacked an explicit framework that was necessary to ensure repeatability among taxa because of the absence of quantitative criteria to measure the likelihood of extinction. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) has developed quantitative criteria for assessing the conservation status of species. The threatened species categories, the 2000 IUCN Red List, proposed by SSC (Species Survival Commission) of IUCN have become widely recognized internationally. Details of threatened Korean plants, identified by applying the IUCN threat categories and definitions, were listed and analyzed. The number of species identified as threatened was only 34 out of 64 taxa (48.4%), while the rest of taxa were rejected from the original lists. Many of the species (51.6%, 33 taxa) excluded from the original list proposed by Ministry of Environment do not qualify as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable because these taxa were widely distributed either in Japan or in China/far eastern Russia and there is no evidence of substantial decline in these countries. An evaluation of taxa in Korea has been carried out only based on subjective views and qualitative data, rather than quantitative scientific data, such as rates of decline, distribution range size, population size, and risk of extinction. Therefore, the national lists undermine the credibility of threatened species lists and invite misuse, which have been raised by other cases, qualitative estimate of risk, political influence, uneven taxonomic or geographical coverage. The increasing emphasis on international responsibilities means that global scale is becoming more significant. The current listings by Environment of Ministry of Korea should be challenged, and the government should seek to facilitate the resolution of disagreements. Especially the list should be flexible enough to handle uncertainty and also incorporates detailed, quantitative data. It is suggested that the highest priorities for the Red List should be given to endemic species in Korea first. After setting up the list of endemic species to Korea, quantitative data on population size and structure, distributional range, rated of decline, and habitat fragmentation should be collected as one of long term projects for the Red list categories. Transparency and accountability are the most important key factors. Also, species assessors are named and data sources referenced are required for the future objective evaluations on Korean plant taxa.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.17-23
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• 2003

Restoration ecology is undergoing rapid growth as academic field over the last 15 years. The specification of goals for restoration projects is frequently described as the most important component of a project. The endeavor for universal development of goals for ecological restoration continues to generate many discussion and controversy. I discuss the importance of restoration goals and diverse roots of restoration ecology, and show how the complex lineages within restoration ecology. I review the three major theme that currently are used to develop the restoration goals : restoration of species, restoration of whole ecosystem or landscapes, and the restoration of ecosystem services. Restoration ecology, landscape ecology and conservation biology share goals to conserve biodiversity, but differ in focus of approach. I review the differences among three fields. Conservation biology has been more zoological, more descriptive, and theoretical, and more emphasized the population and genetic research. However, restoration ecology has been more plant ecological, more experimental, and emphasized the community and plant succession. Landscape ecology has emphasized the interaction of ecosystem and dispersal among populations. I suggest the integration of restoration ecology, landscape ecology and conservation biology. For example, conservation biology will contribute to the preservation of original habitats by population study, restoration ecology will contribute to regenerate damaged ecosystem and ex situ preservation, and landscape ecology will contribute to restoration of population and landscape.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.17.1-17.3
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• 2019

Text mining has become an important research method in biology, with its original purpose to extract biological entities, such as genes, proteins and phenotypic traits, to extend knowledge from scientific papers. However, few thorough studies on text mining and application development, for plant molecular biology data, have been performed, especially for rice, resulting in a lack of datasets available to solve named-entity recognition tasks for this species. Since there are rare benchmarks available for rice, we faced various difficulties in exploiting advanced machine learning methods for accurate analysis of the rice literature. To evaluate several approaches to automatically extract information from gene/protein entities, we built a new dataset for rice as a benchmark. This dataset is composed of a set of titles and abstracts, extracted from scientific papers focusing on the rice species, and is downloaded from PubMed. During the 5th Biomedical Linked Annotation Hackathon, a portion of the dataset was uploaded to PubAnnotation for sharing. Our ultimate goal is to offer a shared task of rice gene/protein name recognition through the BioNLP Open Shared Tasks framework using the dataset, to facilitate an open comparison and evaluation of different approaches to the task.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.98-106
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• 2002

This study was designed to present a river model with the aim of restoring the ecosystem and improving the landscape along the urban rivers on the basin of the Namhanl river, a core life channel for the National Capital regin. The revelation of botanical status, transition trend and correlation of plants might lead to providing the urban river restoration projects and ecological river formation projects with basic data for a model of ideal aquatic ecology and landscape. The outcomes of this study could be summed up as follows: 1. The plant communities of river flora found on the basin of the Namhan river could be categorized largely into 39 plant communities 2. Most diverse plants were distributed in the rivers lower reaches such as Unsim-ri where the protected zone of Paldang reservoir for city water borders the body of Jodae swamp where natural streams flow nearby. 3. One of the greatest threats to the biomass of the River Namhan is that the communities of such invasive alien plants as Panicum dichotomiflorum and Ambrosia artemisiifolia var. elatior dominate most parts of the area, a fact that has resulted in a reduced variety of plants and will, sooner or later, be likely to cause an ecological imbalance in the hitherto healthy Aquatic plant life. It is highly advisable to gradually diversify the species of trees and to return the plants bark to their original state since, besides the naturalized plants, plantations afforested with Erigeron canadensis and Erigeron annuus stocks in buckwheat field, Robinia Pseudo-accacia in riverside forest, Pinus rigida in terrestrial forest on the river basin and Larix leptolepis are anticipated to act as interceptors of normal migrations of the fluvial and terrestrial ecosystems. Finally, it seems also desirable to continue to explore the relationship between fluvial and terrestrial ecologies with the purpose of building up a model of natural streams in urban areas based on the surveyed factors for plant life, soil and landscape and, moreover, on the forecasting for overall influences derived from the rotation upon the ecosystem.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.114.1-114
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• 2003

A new isolate of rod-shaped virus was identified from grafted cactus, Gymnocalycium mihanovichii grafted onto Hylocereus trigonus, in Korea. The virus proved to be a new Tobamovirus and called previously as Tobamovirus-Ca for which we suggest the name Cactus mild mottle virus(CMMoV), because it produced systemic mild mosaic symptoms on its original host. CMMoV is distantly related to known species of the genus Tobamovirus on the basis of host range, serological and sequence analyses. Western blot analysis showed that CMMoV is serologically unrelated to Summons' Opuntia virus which is the only known species of the genus found in cactus plants. The 3'-terminal 2,910 nucleotides have been sequenced for the virus. The coat protein (CP) and movement protein (MP) genes encode 161 and 306 amino acids residues, respectively. The nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the CP were 39.6 ％ to 49.2 ％ and 26.4 ％ to 40.3 ％ identical to other tobamoviruses, respectively. The MP and 3' noncoding region shared 16.3 ％ to 23.3 ％ and 44.6 ％ to 63.4 ％ identities, respectively, with the members of the genus. Phylogenetic tree analysis of the CP gene revealed that CMMoV clusters with members of subgroup I of Tobamovirus. CMMoV particles contained genomic RNA along with two subgenomic RNAs, and this characteristics is common in the members of the subgroup II. This is the first information of sequence and comparative analysis of a Tobamovirus that infects cactus.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.207-218
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• 1995

Five non-stratified plant communities, Dichanthium-Artemisia-Themeda, Dichanthium- Plectranthes-Themeda, Plectranthes-Carex-Myrine, Heteropogon- Dichanthium-Dodonaea and Artemisia-Cynodon-Ber-beris were recognized in Girbanr hills, District Swat, during autumn, 1992. The indices of similarity showed that the communities were dissimilar. The percentage of leptophyllous and nanophyllous, terophytic and nanophanerophytic species were higher than other groups. These indicate dry and disturben conditions. Due to autumn season most of the species were entering in dormant stage. There was no tree layer on southern slopes while northern slopes had a poor layer of Pinus roxburghii. Deforestation, uprooting, terrace cultivation and overgrazing followed by erosion are the main ecological problems. The presence of isolated trees of Pinus roxburghii and stunted Olea ferruginea indicate that the original vegetation might have been of chirpine or Olea-Pinus type. The area having resource potential can be changed into a forest or rangeland by proper protection and management. Suggestions in favour of improvement are given.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.130-137
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• 2020

We found Diplachne fusca subsp. uninervia (J. Presl) P.M. Peterson & N. Snow, an unrecorded alien plant, in Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do and Ganghwa-gun, Incheon Metropolitan City. Diplachne fusca subsp. uninervia is native to North America (the USA and Mexico), Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Nicaragua), the Caribbean (the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico), and South America (Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay). It is reported as an invasive species worldwide. Diplachne fusca subsp. uninervia is closely related to D. fusca subsp. fascicularis (Lam.) P.M. Peterson & N. Snow (Gaet-deu-reong-sae in Korean), an invasive species in Korea, and both are infraspecific taxa of the species D. fusca. Diplachne fusca subsp. uninervia is distinguished from D. fusca subsp. fascicularis by the small size of its spikelets, glumes, and lemmas, with apex awnless. Its common name is "Jom-gaet-deu-reong-sae" based on the short spikelets. We found that D. fusca (≡Leptochloa fusca), previously known as "Gaet-deu-reong-sae", was misapplied. It is morphologically different from D. fusca subsp. fascicularis. Therefore, we changed the scientific name of Gaet-deu-reong-sae from D. fusca (≡L. fusca) to D. fusca subsp. fascicularis based on the type specimens, original descriptions, and recent studies.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.55-61
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• 1982

Thirtyfour species of Korean medicinal plants which have been frequently used in oriental herb prescriptions were evaluated on their cytotoxicity and potential antitumor activities against AC glioma(9 ASK) in vitro. Dose of $100{\mu}g/ml$ of plant extracts appeared to exhibit slight cytotoxicity. Seven plant extracts, Aralia continentalis(Araliaceae), Lycium chinensis(Solanaceae), Epimedium koreanum(Berberidaceae), Platyodon grandiflorium(Campanulaceae), Pleuropterus multiflorus(Polygonaceae), Rheum undulatun(Polygonaceae) and Scutellaria baicalensis(Laminaceae), exhibited significant reversal$(51{\sim}90%)$ of astrocyte formation into original neuroglial cells' morphology through the prescreen tests.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.94-108
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to provide data for the restoration of 'Yongyun(龍淵)' and 'Hwahongmun(華虹門)' through an investigation of the vicinity of their original landscapes at the time of construction of Hwaseong in Suwon and through tracing the transformative process of the environments of this vicinity. The results are as follows; As identified by 'Yongyunjung(龍淵亭)' and 'Yongdugak(龍頭閣)', other names of Yongyun, 'Banghwasuryujung(訪花隨柳亭)', which was built on 'Yongduam', is a facility whose place identity is highlighted with a sense of unity with Yongyun. The south lakefront of Yongyun, bordering Banghwasuryujung, has boundaries that make the best use of the natural geographical features of Yongduam while the current circumference of Yongyun is comparatively shorter than its original state. The size of 'Joongdo(中島)', however, seems to be an example of apparent over-design complement and reorganize 'Joongdo', which had been restored larger than its original state at the time of restoration in the 1970s. The depth of 'Yongyun' was created to be lower than the actual depth, without consideration for its initial depth, as soil was accumulated through continuous flooding after it was created. It is assumed that the original drains which were installed about 10m inside the lake were created facing the stream. As regards the planting environment, a circular planting of willows was made in the outskirts of 'Yongyun', except the 'Yongduam' which is a pure forest, and a mix of 'Pinus densiflora', shrubbery and deciduous broad leaf trees was planted in 'Joongdo'. Of the plants growing in the area of this study, plant species introduced to Korea after Hwaseong was constructed are found, most of which provide interest and attraction. The old pine trees growing in a group once grew in the castle areas of the vicinity even in the 1920s, the period of Japanese occupation, but they disappeared from the area in the aftermath of subsequent urban development and the Korean War. Although restored to the site, the number and space taken up by these trees are insignificant compared to those of the original environment. On the basis of these results, the following is considered necessary for the true restoration of the vicinity of 'Yongyun' and 'Hwahongmun': First, the grounds of 'Yongyun' should be dredged deeply enough to expose the bedrock and should be recreated in the rough outline of a half moon by extension to the southwest toward 'Yongduam' and 'Hwahongmun', and the size of 'Joongdo' should be significantly reduced. Secondly, considering that most plant species, except the pine trees and wild trees in 'Yongduam', are non-native plants introduced in order to provide such attractions such as the appreciation of scenic areas, they should be replaced with native species, mainly with the pine trees which were utilized during the construction of Hwaseong. The weeping willows planted in the 'middle-island' should be relocated to the outskirts of 'Yongyun', and replaced with pine trees as the major trees and maple trees or deciduous broadleaf trees to fill in the gaps. Thirdly, exotic species such as the 'Pinus rigida' planted in a group around 'Banghwasuryujung' and 'Bugammun' and 'Pinus strobus' planted in the vicinity of Hwahongmun' should be removed.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.63-70
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• 2019

Objective : Arnebiae Radix, the roots of Arnebia euchroma (Royle) Johnst. or A. guttata Bunge, is a well-known traditional herbal medicine in East Asia. In the Korean Pharmacopoeia, three authentic species, including two Arnebia and Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb. et Zucc. have recognized as a Lithospermi Radix. But, the morphological and taxonomic information of two authentic Arnebia species lacks date since their distribution and difficulty of accessing the natural habitats. Methods : A full description of the external morphological characteristics of vegetative and reproductive organs in the original plants was carried out using digital calipers and stereoscope. For providing their taxonomic and nomenclatural synonyms, we reviewed various plant checklists and taxonomic literature. Results : This study provides taxonomic information of A. euchroma and A. guttata based on a morphological examination of authentic plant individuals and field observations. Detailed descriptions of the two Arnebia species, major quantitative and qualitative characteristics, nomenclatural reviews, distribution maps, and lists of voucher specimens examined are provided. The shape of leaves, root length, stem number, calyx length and pubescence as well as corolla color were useful characteristics for identification. Moreover, we confirmed that A. euchroma and A. guttata are clearly heterostylous species. Conclusion : Our research provides valuable basic information that could be used as quality control for distinguishing between Arnebiae Radix and its adulterants. These results will help in the understanding of authentic plants and also provide the verified materials and voucher information.