• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.25-35
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• 2008

Typhoon Ewiniar and Bilis followed by heavy rainfall in July 2006 triggered massive slope failures and debris flows along the Osaek valley within Seoraksan National Park. Since national road 44 is constructed along the fault-line, the susceptibility of hazard in the area is very high. Debris flows in Osaekcheon are mobilized from landslides near the ridgelines and peaks when heavy rainfall elevates pore pressure and adds weight to the hillslopes, causing failure. Stream flows falling onto the existing colluvium or channel-margin deposits also trigger debris flows. Steep slopes constructed along the road and thin regolith in the slope is the main reason for the landslide in the upper stream. In middle reaches of stream, under-fit drainage utilities and narrow bridges cause the overflow, this then triggers debris flow. Overflowing and erosion in the channel margin deposits is main reasons for the debris flow. The intensities and frequencies of heavy rainfall are certain to increase, so early warning and management system for the landslide-related hazard is urgently needed.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.298-307
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• 2018

Background: Subalpine ecosystems at high altitudes and latitudes are particularly sensitive to climate change. In South Korea, the prediction of the species richness of subalpine plant species under future climate change is not well studied. Thus, this study aims to assess the potential impact of climate change on species richness of subalpine plant species (14 species) in the 17 mountain national parks (MNPs) of South Korea under climate change scenarios' representative concentration pathways (RCP) 4.5 and RCP 8.5 using maximum entropy (MaxEnt) and Migclim for the years 2050 and 2070. Results: Altogether, 723 species occurrence points of 14 species and six selected variables were used in modeling. The models developed for all species showed excellent performance (AUC > 0.89 and TSS > 0.70). The results predicted a significant loss of species richness in all MNPs. Under RCP 4.5, the range of reduction was predicted to be 15.38-94.02% by 2050 and 21.42-96.64% by 2070. Similarly, under RCP 8.5, it will decline 15.38-97.9% by 2050 and 23.07-100% by 2070. The reduction was relatively high in the MNPs located in the central regions (Songnisan and Gyeryongsan), eastern region (Juwangsan), and southern regions (Mudeungsan, Wolchulsan, Hallasan, and Jirisan) compared to the northern and northeastern regions (Odaesan, Seoraksan, Chiaksan, and Taebaeksan). Conclusions: This result indicates that the MNPs at low altitudes and latitudes have a large effect on the climate change in subalpine plant species. This study suggested that subalpine species are highly threatened due to climate change and that immediate actions are required to conserve subalpine species and to minimize the effect of climate change.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.111 no.1
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• pp.72-80
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• 2022

In this study, intention type was assigned to determine appropriate conservation and use of the Baekdudaegan Protection Area. To determine intention type, 84 indices were integrated into 7 types: the Natural Environment Protection District, Natural Scenic District, Agriculture and Forestry Promotion District, Living Environment Protection District, Education/Culture/Arts Promotion District, Recreation/Tourism Promotion District, and Disaster Management District. Intention types were decided by comparing the occupying proportion of the intention types for each watershed segment in which the Seoraksan, Taebaeksan, and Sockrisan region boundaries were included. Weight values were applied to each of the seven intention types because each type did not play an equal role in the target regions. Most regions were classified as Natural Environment Protection intention types because the Baekdudaegan area is regulated with strong forestry and environmental protection acts; thus, the weight values related to nature protection were higher than those for other types. To supplement the results from this study, additional research is needed to determine the intention type and weight for each region, and it will also be necessary to integrate sociocultural factors and field survey data.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.484-498
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• 2023

This study aimed to analyze the appropriateness of the criteria and methods of the feasibility study for national park re-planning. The rate of 'release area' was derived at a lower rate in the absolute evaluation (the second) than the relative evaluation(the third) Seoraksan and Juwangsan National Parks as well as Gayasan National Park. Despite the third evaluation method aiming to maintain park area through retention by setting the areas available for release as 10% rather than applying release, it was found that the absolute evaluation method did not derive more areas available for release. When the second and third ecology-based assessments were applied to study sites, both second and third ecological-based assessments showed that the actual release areas were not reflected in the extraction in 2011. Consequently, it was found that the ecological-based assessment was only a means of assistance instead of a means of critical decision-making for determining the release area. From the district adjustment of the park planning easibility study, it can be determined that interactive exchange and priority application of release criteria as external factors acted more significantly.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.636-644
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the callings of nocturnal birds using bioacoustic recording technology to identify species and to analyze the ecological characteristics of each species. Three sites - Seoraksan National Park, National Institute of Ecology, and Mudeungsan National Park - were investigated. The investigation period was from the middle of April 2018 to early March 2019 for Seoraksan national park, from late February of 2018 to the middle of February 2019 for the National Institute of Ecology, and from the middle of February 2018 to the end of August 2018 for Mudeungsan National Park. The main research results are as follows. Firstly, nocturnal bird species identified by the survey included Caprimulgus indicus, Otus sunia, Zoothera aurea, Bubo bubo, and Strix uralensis, 5 species in total. Secondly, the breeding call period of each species was from early May to early August for C. indicus, from early April to the end of September for O. sunia, from early March to early October for Z. aurea, from late September to early February for B. bubo, and from mid-January to early March for S. uralensis. Thirdly, the mating call rhythm was between 16:00 and 10:00 on the following day for all the observed species in the three regions, and the peak time zone was from 20:00 to 06:00 on the following day. Fourthly, there was no correlation between the cumulative call frequency and the precipitation for each species. Fifthly, the mean temperature during the period when the specific calls of nocturnal birds were detected was -4.00 ℃ for S. uralensis, 2.58 ℃ for B. bubo, 13.66 ℃ for Z. aurea, 19.50 ℃ for O. sunia, and 20.77 ℃ for C. indicus. The ANOVA results showed that there was a significant difference in mean temperature for the calling by species and that the mean temperature was S. uralensis, B. bubo, Z. aurea, and O. sunia-C. indicus, in the ascending order, for 4 groups in total. The period of the specific mating calls confirmed by the study is a period in which the frequency of calls was the highest among the periods when the specific calls were detected. Since it is associated with the known mating period of each species, the period of the high frequency of calls confirmed by the bioacoustic monitoring can be regarded as the mating season. This study is meaningful in that it is the early research that has used the bioacoustic recording technology to identify species and ecological characteristics of species of nocturnal birds in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.42-50
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to set the direction to manage national parks to cope with climate change, and offer basic data to establish the relevant policies. Towards this end, this study analyzed the current and future climate change vulnerability of national parks using the 24 proxy variables of vulnerability in the LCCGIS program, a tool to evaluate climate change vulnerability developed by the National Institute of Environmental Research. To analyze and evaluate the current status of and future prospect on climate change vulnerability of national parks, the proxy variable value of climate exposure was calculated by making a GIS spatial thematic map with $1km{\times}1km$ grid unit through the application of climate change scenario (RCP8.5). The values of proxy variables of sensitivity and adaptation capability were calculated using the basic statistics of national parks. The values of three vulnerability evaluation items were calculated regarding the present (2010s) and future (2050s). The current values were applied to the future equally under the assumption that the current state of the proxy variables related to sensitivity and adaptation capability without a future prediction scenario continues. Seoraksan, Odaesan, Jirisan and Chiaksan National Parks are relatively bigger in terms of the current (2010s) climate exposure. The national park, where the variation of heat wave is the biggest is Wolchulsan National Park. The biggest variation of drought occurs to Gyeryongsan National Park, and Woraksan National Park has the biggest variation of heavy rain. Concerning the climate change sensitivity of national parks, Jirisan National Park is the most sensitive, and adaptation capability is evaluated to be the highest. Gayasan National Park's sensitivity is the lowest, and Chiaksan National Park is the lowest in adaptation capability. As for climate change vulnerability, Seoraksan, Odaesan, Chiaksan and Deogyusan National Parks and Hallyeohaesang National Park are evaluated as high at the current period. The national parks, where future vulnerability change is projected to be the biggest, are Jirisan, Woraksan, Chiaksan and Sobaeksan National Parks in the order. Because such items evaluating the climate change vulnerability of national parks as climate exposure, sensitivity and adaptation capability show relative differences according to national parks' local climate environment, it will be necessary to devise the adaptation measures reflecting the local climate environmental characteristics of national parks, rather than establishing uniform adaptation measures targeting all national parks. The results of this study that evaluated climate change vulnerability using climate exposure, sensitivity and adaptation capability targeting Korea's national parks are expected to be used as basic data for the establishment of measures to adapt to climate change in consideration of national parks' local climate environmental characteristics. However, this study analyzed using only the proxy variables presented by LCCGIS program under the situation that few studies on the evaluation of climate change vulnerability of national parks are found, and therefore this study may not reflect overall national parks' environment properly. A further study on setting weights together with an objective review on more proper proxy variables needs to be carried out in order to evaluate the climate change vulnerability of national parks.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.779-788
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• 2014

This study, as a case where the environmental conflict and dispute arose between the use and the conservation as in the other protected areas in Korea, took the first step to build ecological citizenship to solve various and complicated issues in a fundamental level by providing a basic information on differentiated environmental perceptions of the locality and the visitors of Seoraksan National Park. The questionnaire survey was employed on September 6th and 7th with 150 residents of the park area and 200 visitors of Osaek-Daechungbong trail. Total number of 13 survey questions was introduced using Dunlap and Liere's NEP index. The result shows that the perception of 'balance of nature' was more dominant to the perception of 'humans over nature' and the perception to the 'limits to growth' was also somewhat positive in both groups. The differences in environmental perceptions between the groups exist; the visitor group tended to have more positive level of acceptance of NEP views. Such differences in perceptions suggest that a different normative approach should be taken to the residents of the national park with less pro-environment in their perceptions when policy making. It thus seemed possible that ecological citizenship could be realized since the younger and the higher education level are, the more pro-environment. The findings of the research may cause some concerns however, because the study has been confined as a case study with basic understanding of environmental perceptions and its differences between the interest groups. More extensive research is required to confirm if this is generalized.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.390-401
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• 2022

This study investigated the characteristics of fish communities and inhabiting status of endangered species in the Bukcheon (Stream) of Seoraksan National Park, Korea from April to September 2020. A total of 4,356 fish of 7 families and 22 species were collected from 17 survey stations during the survey period. The dominant species was Zacco koreanus (relative abundance, 41.8%), and subdominant species was Rhynchocypris kumgangensis (relative abundance, 15.1%), followed by Pungtungia herzi (10.1%), Pseudopungtungia tenuicorpa (5.0%), Coreoleuciscus splendidus (4.1%), Zacco platypus (3.8%), Microphysogobio longidorsalis (3.5%), and Hemibarbus mylodon (2.2%). Among the fish species collected, 14 species (63.6%) were identified as Korean endemic species. There was one natural monument species (Hemibarbus mylodon), and four species of class II endangered wildlife that were designated by the Ministry of Environment (Acheilognathus signifer, Pseudopungtungi tenuicorpa, Gobiobotia brevibarba, and Brachymystax lenok tsinlingensis). Among the four species of class II endangered wildlife, B. lenok tsinlingensis inhabited in the upper stream, and A. signifer, P. tenuicorpa and G. brevibarba inhabited mainly in the middle-lower stream. Also, P. tenuicorpa, H. mylodon, and B. lenok tsinlingensis were inhabited in large numbers. Additionally, two cold-water fish species (R. kumgangensis and B. lenok tsinlingensis) and one landlocked species (B. lenok tsinlingensis) were collected. According to the results of cluster analysis, the dominance index decreased from upstream to downstream, but the diversity, evenness, and richness index increased; the cluster structure was divided into the uppermost, upstream, midstream, and downstream. The water quality of Bukcheon was evaluated as good overall since the river health (index of biological integrity) evaluated using fish was evaluated as very good (11 stations), good (2 stations), and normal (4 stations). However, river repair work was being carried out in some areas and some wastewater was flowing in from the midstream, therefore, supplementary measures to preserve fish habitats are required.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.156-185
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• 2012

In order to investigate vertical plant distribution on Osaek valley of Mt. Seorak by temperature change, vascular plants of fourteen areas with 100-meter-high difference were surveyed from the Osaekgyo(345m alt.) to the Daecheongbong(1708m alt.). A total of 449 taxa belonging to 94 families, 279 genera, 397 species, 5 subspecies, 45 varieties, and 2 forma were vegetated on survey areas. Around 500 m high did species diversity of vascular plants decrease rapidly. The Detrended correspondence analysis(DCA) divided distribution of vascular plants into five groups; areas below 500m alt., 500~900m alt., 900~1400m alt., 1,400~1,600m alt., and areas above 1,600m alt.. These results showed that vegetation of vascular plants on investigated areas has high correlation with climate elements of temperature. Vascular plants should be crowded within their own optimal ranges of vegetation. Climate change would result in shift of these distribution ranges, and thus vegetation shift will be happened accordingly.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.86-98
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• 2009

This study was carried out to investigate vegetation structure and soil properties of Adenophora racemosa population distributed in Jeombongsan, Seoraksan, Odaesan and Dutasan in Gangwon-do, Korea. From August 2007 until September 2009, $2m{\times}2m$ quadrate was established in native area of Adenophora racemosa in order to record a dominants and coverage, and soil factors at 22 sites. It was found that the altitude in the distributed areas for Angelica gigas population was 800 m or more. Adenophora racemosa population was classified into Rhododendron mucronulatum dominant population, Geranium var. hirsutum dominant population, Caret siderosticta dominant population and Aruncus dioicus var. kamtschaticus dominant population. In the site of study, soil pH, electrical conductivity, soil organic matter, available phosphorous, and exchangeable potassium, exchangeable calcium, exchangeable magnesium, exchangeable sodium concentration and total nitrogen were ranged from 5.0~7.1, 0.06~0.65dS/m, 0.96~8.94%, 12.3~32.8mg/kg, 0.12~0.89cmol+/kg, 0.34~10.08cmol+/kg, 0.1~l.4cmol+/kg, 0.02~0.29cmol+/kg and 0~8.4% respectively. According to the results of DCCA, Adenophora racemosa population were distributed in the high available phosphorous and exchangeable potassium, and Rhododendron mucronulatum dominant population was situated on low available potassium and high slope degree, Geranium var. hirsutum dominant population was high altitude, electrical conductivity and exchange magnesium, and Carex siderosticta dominant population and Aruncus dioicus var. kamtschaticus were distributed on high total nitrogen, organic matter, available phosphorous.