• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.249-256
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• 2015

Islands are often habitats to unique species because they have different environmental conditions from the mainland and other islands. Another characteristic of islands is their limited natural resources, which has led island residents to heavily rely on traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and use resources sustainably. The so-called "Maeul landscape" shows the interrelationship of biological species and people's use of natural resources. Shinan-gun is an administrative district located in the southwestern part of Korea that forms an archipelago with huge tidal flat areas. Since long ago, people's use of these tidal flats shows a high degree of biocultural diversity. Maeul landscapes also show humans' adaptation to the natural environment. For instance, strong winds blowing mainly from the northwest have led people in Shinan-gun to create "Ushil," a windbreak forest with stone blocks to block wind from their villages and agricultural fields. At present, the transfer of TEK to future generations is at stake due to socio-economic changes that cause island populations to shrink and age rapidly. Islands are often regarded as good destinations for tourism, but attention should also be given to sustainable development due to the environmental characteristics of islands. International organizations are making efforts to curb the threats of global environmental problems especially on small islands. Their activities are aimed at seeking solutions that stress the central role of biocultural diversity in establishing the sustainable use of natural resources on islands. Joint efforts oflocal people and government authorities to protect and conserve the Maeul landscape should be encouraged.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.230-239
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• 2017

These days, the demand of farm tours is on the rise in Korea. However, most of them are related to farming experience. To overcome the situation, ecological experience is introduced. In this sense, it is necessary to obtain the contents and educational materials of ponds, the space of farming and ecological experience. Therefore, this study analyzed the use patterns of oriental medicine of pond wetland plants. Oriental medicine is used for old and traditional knowledge, and is still applied to various fields, such as medical science, pharmacy, and science. The analyzed result of this study will be helpful for the educational materials of ecological experience. This study surveyed plants of 40 pond wetlands in rural areas, and looked into the use patterns of traditional medicine by using the contents of Korea Traditional Knowledge Portal being operated by Korean Intellectual Property Office. According to the vegetation survey of the 40 pond wetlands, there were a total of 457 taxa in 108 families, 309 genera, 392 species, 59 varieties, 5 forma, and 1 subspecies. Among them, 314 taxa in 53 families, 136 genera, 265 species, 45 varieties, 3 forma, and 1 subspecies had the information on the use patterns of traditional medicine. It means that 68.8% of the plants around pond wetlands contain traditional medicine. Given other application patterns, such as food, handcraft and traditional farming, more than 70~80% are expected to include traditional knowledge. 314 taxa used for traditional medicine had 570 kinds of efficacy and 325 kinds of disease treatment. It means that one taxon has 4.0 (0~20) kinds of efficacy on average and 6.6(0~20) kinds of disease treatment. It is expected that this study result will be applied to various fields, including experience, education, and medical science. And it is considered that valuable pond wetlands are worthwhile to be conserved constantly.