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- P-ISSN2765-2203
- E-ISSN2765-2211
- KCI Candidate
Abstract
Among the 13 species of otters in the world, only one Eurasian otter (Lutra lutr) is found in South Korea. In the Korean Peninsula, otter pelts were historically valuable and expensive commodities used for international trade, and otters have long been poached as hunting animals. Recent rapid economic development in South Korea has increased habitat fragmentation and loss, creating a continuing threat to the natural environment. Otters live only in the area of rivers and streams as a family group and are territorial (linear habitat). Due to these limited conditions of otter habitat, the population size of otter is lower than that of onshore mammals. According to recent research, DNA analyses using microsatellite markers have shown that only approximately 7-21 otter individuals inhabit river systems for a length of 50-230 km. Korea's urban streams are associated with many threats that hinder otters from inhabiting them. Many areas around the urban streams are surrounded by high concrete riverbanks, and the risk of roadkill is also high. Nevertheless, ecological restoration projects in the urban rivers will contribute greatly to the stable inhabitation of otters. Detailed otter conservation strategies, such as the elimination of threat factors, improvement of habitat environment, and restoration of food resources and shelter, will provide a positive restoration effect on otter and river ecosystems as well.
Abstract
Nationalism can solidify national unity and ideology but sometimes causes conflicts in human societies. Interestingly, it affects tiger conservation as well. Collaborative efforts are imperative for tiger conservation due to their vast home ranges which cross political boundaries and the limited financial resources. However, tiger states have not shown substantial commitment to collaboration. The nationalism that is entrenched in tiger conservation provides a credible explanation for this passive collaboration among nations. One type of nationalism occurs within a country by favoring one particular subspecies over another. The other type of nationalism occurs when former range countries want tigers. Instead of contributing to saving tigers in current habitats, they are eager to bring tigers back to their political boundaries regardless of the tremendous financial resources required and the lower chance of success. Considering nationalism in tiger conservation, tigers, just like humans, may need a passport for a better chance to survive.
Abstract
Sanankerto is one of pilot projects for tourism villages in Indonesia due to its natural tourism potential with a 24-ha bamboo forest located in Boon Pring Andeman area. However, the distribution of existing bamboo has never been identified or mapped. Thus, the management is facing difficulty in planning and developing tourism potential as well as spatial management in the area. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to identify and analyze the structure of bamboo vegetation in the Boon Pring Tourism village and to perform vegetation mapping. The type of research was descriptive exploratory with a cluster sampling technique (i.e., a two-stage cluster) covering an area of ± 10 ha. Bamboo vegetation analysis was performed by calculating diversity index (H’), evenness index (E), and Species Richness index (R). Data were collected through observation and interviews with local people and the manager to determine zonation division. Mapping of bamboo vegetation based on zoning was processed into thematic maps using ArcGis 10.3. Micro climatic factors were measured with three replications for each sub-cluster. Data were analyzed descriptively and quantitatively. Nine species of bamboo identified. Diversity, evenness, and species richness indices differed at each location. Activities of local communities, tourists, and manager determined the presence, number, and distribution of bamboo species. These bamboo distribution maps in three zoning (utilization, buffer, and core) can be used by manager for planning and developing natural tourism potential.
Abstract
The oriental stork (Ciconia boyciana) is listed as an endangered species internationally. Its resident population has been extirpated in South Korea since 1971. Its predicted historical habitat included forests (54%), rice paddy fields (28%), grasslands (17%), river-streams (less than 1%), and villages (less than 1%) based on pre-extirpation records in a previous study. However, habitat attributes of recently reintroduced oriental storks since 2015 remain unknown. To examine habitat use patterns and home ranges of recently reintroduced oriental storks, 2015-2017 tracking data of 17 individuals were used to analyze their spatial attributes with a Kernel Density Estimate method and breeding status. Their habitat use patterns from peripheral to core areas were highly associated with increasing rice paddy fields (26%) and decreasing forested areas (55%). Scale-dependent home ranges were 51% smaller for breeders than for non-breeders on average. Our study results highlight that the habitat use pattern of reintroduced oriental storks seems to be comparable to the historical pattern where the used area is likely to be more centralized for breeders than for non-breeders in South Korea. Furthermore, the direction of habitat management for oriental storks should focus on biodiversity improvement of rice paddy fields with chemical free cultivation and irrigation.
Abstract
To understand restoration and conservation projects conducted in Korea for endangered freshwater fishes and amphibians/reptiles, information about Request for Protocols-related studies on restoration, breeding, and release were collected. Trends of studies were visualized via word clouds and VOSviewer program using a text mining technique. Analysis of restoration projects for endangered freshwater fishes elucidated that most research studies conducted to date were focused on genetics and release through captive breeding that could be classified into captive breeding and habitat environments. As for research projects related to amphibians/reptiles, monitoring projects had the highest number, followed by genetic, translocation, and monitoring studies. In addition, restoration projects for amphibians/reptiles included a large number of post-capture translocation projects. Thus, many projects were confirmed by public institutions rather than by the Ministry of Environment. Network analysis revealed that it was largely classified into capture, translocation, and Kaloula borealis. Based on these results, limitations, achievements, and challenges associated with projects conducted thus far are highlighted. Research directions for future restoration and conservation of endangered freshwater fishes and amphibians/reptiles in South Korea are also suggested.
Abstract
Saxifraga hirculus is classified as a vulnerable plant species in Europe, and it is confined to base-rich flushes in the British uplands. However, a lack of available information about its conservation status hampers the development of adaptive strategies for its in-situ conservation, especially with respect to grazing. To assess the effectiveness of sheep grazing in maintaining viable populations of S. hirculus, we compared the community dynamics of the vegetation in a base-rich flush over 44 years in two plots: one sheep-grazed under business-as-usual sheep grazing densities and the other fenced to exclude grazing. The plots were established in 1972, and the abundances of all vascular plants, bryophytes, and litter were measured at six intervals until 2016. Our results showed that although the presence of S. hirculus was maintained in both plots over the 44 years, it declined and reached a minimum between 1995 and 2010, when it was close to extinction. Since 2013, Saxifraga has recovered only slightly. Interestingly, the S. hirculus response appeared to be independent of grazing treatment, but it mirrored wider changes in the vegetation composition and structure within the flush over the 44 years. These changes are similar to others reported in broader uplands that have been attributed to a combination of reduced nitrogen and sulfur deposition and global warming. Thus, the simple adaptive management approach of “just managing” sheep grazing appeared ineffectual for preserving the S. hirculus population. S. hirculus showed signs of recovery at the end of the study period within this base-rich flush.
Abstract
South Korea presently harbors less than 800 long-tailed gorals (Naemorhedus caudatus), an endangered species. I report for the first time on the taxonomic status and genetic diversity of the Korean species using non-invasive fecal sampling based on mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequence analyses. To determine the taxonomic status of this species, I reconstructed a consensus neighbor-joining tree and generated a minimum spanning network combining haplotype sequences obtained from feces with a new goral-specific primer set developed using known sequences of the Korean goral and related species (e.g., Russian goral, Chinese goral, Himalayan goral, Japanese serow, etc.). I also examined the genetic diversity of this species. The Korean goral showed only three different haplotypes. The phylogenetic tree and parsimony haplotype network revealed a single cluster of Korean and Russian gorals, separate from related species. Generally, the Korean goral has a relatively low genetic diversity compared with that of other ungulate species (e.g., moose and red deer). I preliminarily showcased the application of non-invasive fecal sampling to the study of genetic characteristics, including the taxonomic status and genetic diversity of gorals, based on mitochondrial DNA. More phylogenetic studies are necessary to ensure the conservation of goral populations throughout South Korea.
Abstract
The Tibetan Plateau is home to the only alpine crane species, the black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis). Conservation efforts are severely hampered by a lack of knowledge on the spatial distribution and breeding habitats of this species. The ecological niche modeling framework used to predict the spatial distribution of this species, based on the maximum entropy and occurrence record data, allowed us to generate a species-specific spatial distribution map in Ladakh, Trans-Himalaya, India. The model was created by assimilating species occurrence data from 486 geographical sites with 24 topographic and bioclimatic variables. Fourteen variables helped forecast the distribution of black-necked cranes by 96.2%. The area under the curve score for the model training data was high (0.98), indicating the accuracy and predictive performance of the model. Of the total study area, the areas with high and moderate habitat suitability for black-necked cranes were anticipated to be 8,156 km2 and 6,759 km2, respectively. The area with high habitat suitability within the protected areas was 5,335 km2. The spatial distribution predicted using our model showed that the majority of speculated conservation areas bordered the existing protected areas of the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary. Hence, we believe, that by increasing the current study area, we can account for these gaps in conservation areas, more effectively.
Abstract
Understanding temporal variations in wildlife populations is a prerequisite for conservation planning of wide-ranging species such as tigers (Panthera tigris). We determined the temporal variation in abundance, population growth, and sex ratios at different age and sex stages for a tiger population in Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, India from November 2007 to February 2011 using motion-sensing cameras. We identified 19 male and 21 female tigers from stripe patterns during 16,110 trap nights within an area covering 233 km2. The annual abundance of the population varied from 34.9 (mean)±3.8 (SE) to 23.9±1.5, with a declining trend in the mean annual change of abundance (−12%). The density of adult females remained stable across the study duration, but the densities of adult males and non- breeding tigers fluctuated. The sex ratio was female-biased (0.58 males/female) for breeding tigers and male-biased (1.74 males/female) for non-breeding tigers. Our results reinforce the importance of long-term studies for monitoring the naturally occurring processes in populations to develop population indicators and identify reliable baseline information for conservation and management planning of populations.
Abstract
The conservation of the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in South Korea requires the protection and preservation of natural habitats while additionally ensuring coexistence with human activities. Applying habitat map modeling techniques provides information regarding the distributional patterns of raccoon dogs and assists in the development of future conservation strategies. The purpose of this study is to generate potential habitat distribution maps for the raccoon dog in South Korea using geospatial technology-based models. These models include the frequency ratio (FR) as a bivariate statistical approach, the group method of data handling (GMDH) as a machine learning algorithm, and convolutional neural network (CNN) and long short-term memory (LSTM) as deep learning algorithms. Moreover, the imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA) is used to fine-tune the hyperparameters of the machine learning and deep learning models. Moreover, there are 14 habitat characteristics used for developing the models: elevation, slope, valley depth, topographic wetness index, terrain roughness index, slope height, surface area, slope length and steepness factor (LS factor), normalized difference vegetation index, normalized difference water index, distance to drainage, distance to roads, drainage density, and morphometric features. The accuracy of prediction is evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. The results indicate comparable performances of all models. However, the CNN demonstrates superior capacity for prediction, achieving accuracies of 76.3% and 75.7% for the training and validation processes, respectively. The maps of potential habitat distribution are generated for five different levels of potentiality: very low, low, moderate, high, and very high.
