A large number of transgenic crop varieties expressing the Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) insecticidal proteins have been commercialized in 13 countries since 1996. Although the use of these insect-resistant Bt crops can increase crop quality and yields, concerns remain about the potential negative effects of such crops on ecosystems. Transgenic soybean containing cry1Ac gene have been developed to control Lepidopteran pests of soybean and we aimed to investigate whether this soybean could affect non-target arthropods, which play a major role in ecological functions in agricultural ecosystems. In the present study, we first measured the levels of Cry1Ac protein in Bt soybean at different growth stages of soybean and then we compared the community structure of arthropods occurred in fields of transgenic and wild-type soybean. The levels of Cry1Ac protein in transgenic soybean leaves ranged from 252.9 to 604.5 μg g-1 DW. Multivariate analyses (PerMANOVA and NMDS) showed that the composition of the non-target arthropod community was affected by sampling date but not by soybean genotype. These results suggest that transgenic soybean expressing Cry1Ac protein may not adversely affect such non-target arthropod communities.

유전자변형 작물이 절지동물에 미칠 수 있는 잠재적인 부정적 영향은 유전자변형 작물의 주요한 환경위해성의 하나로 여겨지고 있다. 본 연구에서는 PPO (protoporphyrinogen oxidase) 저해 제초제 내성 유전자변형 벼가 절지동물에 미칠 수 있는 영향을 평가하기 위하여 절지동 물의 다양성과 군집구조를 조사하였다. 절지동물은 야외포장에서 벼의 생육기간 동안 황색점착트랩을 이용하여 채집하였다. 유전자변형 벼는 채 집된 절지동물군집의 다양도 지수에 유의한 영향을 주지 않았다. 또한 다변량분석(PerMANOVA, NMDS) 결과에서도 절지동물군집 구조는 채집시기에 따라 달랐지만 벼의 유전형(유전자변형 또는 비변형)에 의해 영향을 받지 않았다.

Climate change by global warming is predicted to affect on public health including increasing incidence of vector borne diseases. Vector borne diseases are transmitted by arthropod vectors, such as mosquitoes, chigger mites and ticks, and are highly sensitive to climate changes. The surveillance and R&D of infectious disease vectors are becoming important for climate change preparedness in Korea. So far, 10 regional vector surveillance centers (Incheon, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungbuk, Chungnam, Jeonbuk, Jeonnam, Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, and Jeju) have been established to monitor vectors and their pathogens against endemic diseases (japanese encephalitis, malaria, scrub typhus and SFTS) and imported diseases (dengue fever, west nile fever and yellow fever). The information on geographical distribution as well as real-time monitoring of vectors and their pathogens will be presented by this surveillance system, ‘VectorNet’. The R&D plan on vectors and their pathogens is now discussing in government-wide R&D committee on infectious diseases. The R&D areas will be included: 1) establishment of nationwide monitoring system, 2) study on biological and molecular characteristics, 3) development of vector identification and pathogen diagnosis methods, 4) development of vector control techniques, 5) management and conservation of vector resources.

Distribution and abundance of species are influenced by their environmental condition. Among various environmental factors, a vegetation is one of the most influential factors, because it is used as habitats as well as food resources. Arthropods including insects play a important role in forest ecosystems as grazers, scavenger, predators, etc. Deciduous and coniferous forests have different plant community composition, resulting in different environmental condition. In this study, we collected arthropod communities at two different deciduous and coniferous forest stands in the Mountain Gariwang. At each stand, three different sampling methods were used: soil core for soil macroinvertebrate, pitfall trap for wandering insects, and sweeping net for insects in the shrups. Therefore, sampling was conducted at vertical habitats in the forest. The results showed that there were no difference in the number of orders from soil at both coniferous and deciduous stands. However, the abundance was higher at coniferous stand than at deciduous stand. Collembola was the dominant taxa in soil. Meanwhile, there were no statistically significant differences of community composition between coniferous stand and deciduous stands. Multivariate analyses was conducted to characterize differences of communities at different stands as well as vertical distribution in forest.

Under field conditions, we investigated how transgenic Bt cabbage expressing the insecticidal Cry1Ac1 protein affects two target Lepidoptera species — Plutella xylostella (Plutellidae) and Pieris rapae (Pieridae) — as well as the structure of the local non-target arthropod community. When exposed to Bt cabbage line C30, Plutella xylostella and Pieris rapae were significantly less abundant than when in the presence of the non-transgenic control. Multivariate analyses (PerMANOVA and NMDS) showed that composition of the non-target arthropod community was affected by sampling date but not by cabbage genotype. These results suggest that transgenic cabbage expressing Cry1Ac1 protein can be effective in controlling Plutella xylostella and Pieris rapae in the field and that cultivation of this cabbage may not adversely affect such non-target arthropod communities.

In apple orchards under different farming practices (organic and conventional), arthropod community structure was investigated. Arthropods were collected with pitfall traps, band traps, yellow sticky traps and pheromone traps from May to December, 2012 in Danyang-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do, Korea. Biodiversity was analyzed with species richness and Shannon diversity index (H΄). Sampled arthropods were identified 37 families in 14 orders from 21,618 individuals in organic orchard-1 and 33 families in 10 orders from 11,318 individuals in organic orchard-2 and 35 families in 13 orders from 27,711 individuals in conventional orchard. Species richness was relatively highest in organic orchard-1, intermediate in conventional orchard and lowest in organic orchard-2. In ecologically functional group, abundance of pests was higher in conventional orchard than in organic orchards due to the high occurrence of Phyllonorycte ringoniella (Gracillariidae) and Lyonetia prunifoliella (Lyonetiidae). Organic orchards showed higher abundance, species richness and species diversity of epigeic predators and those of parasitoids above ground than conventional orchard. Abundance of detritivores, mainly collembola, were higher in organic orchard than in conventional orchard.

 ,  , The effect of natural enemies on four major pests of hot pepper was tested in greenhouses. The aphids were successfully controlled by introducing three Aphidius colemani-banker plants, and releasing 23.3 wasps per m<, SUP>, 2<, /SUP>, on April 16 and 23 wasps per m<, SUP>, 2<, /SUP>, in a greenhouse of 660 m<, SUP>, 2<, /SUP>, . To control thrips, Orius laevigatus was released twice, 3.0 bugs per m<, SUP>, 2<, /SUP>, at a time(May 11<, SUP>, th<, /SUP>, and June 12<, SUP>, th<, /SUP>, ). The thrips population was controlled within 0.3 thrips per flower during the growing season. To control two species of mites, Tetranychus kanzawai and Polyphagotarsonemus latus, and the silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, a total of 113.7 individuals of Amblyseius swirskii were released twice(May 11<, SUP>, th<, /SUP>, and 30<, SUP>, th<, /SUP>, ). The densities of B. tabaci and T. kanzawai were kept within 171.0 individuals/trap and 0.8 individual/leaf, respectively. P. latus was suppressed completely twelve days after release. The cost of the released natural enemies to control the four arthropod pests in this study was 420,000 Won per 660 m<, SUP>, 2<, /SUP>, .

This study reports the results of natural enemy application against four insect pests on greenhouse sweet pepper in winter cropping system. Orius laevigatus (3.3/㎡) was released at two different times (Nov. 2005 & Feb. 2006) to control Frankliniella occidentalis, western flower thrips (WFT). Throughout the cropping season, the lowest level recorded of WFT was less than 2.0 individuals per yellow sticky trap. Amblyseius swirskii (232.3/㎡) was released four times (Nov. 2007 ~ Aug. 2008) to control Bemisia tabaci, tobacco whitefly (TWF). Until July 2008, TWF population had been suppressed lower than 6.6/trap. Phytoseiulus persimilis (44.5/㎡) was released seven times (Apr. 2008 ~ Aug. 2008) to control Tetranychus kanzawai, tea red spider mite (TRSM). As a result, TRSM population was suppressed lower than 1.7/leaf. To control aphids, Aphidius colemani (9.5/㎡) was released seven times (Oct. 2004 ~ Jan. 2005), with the transplantation of banker plants (5.5pot/660㎡). As a whole, aphid"s population has been successfully reduced to less than 2.0/leaf.

The environmental risks of cucumber mosaic virus resistant transgenic chili peppers with the CMVP0-CP gene on non-target organisms in the agroecosystem environments was evaluated during the periods of the chili pepper growing season (June 19, July 30, August 31) in 2007. Arthropods assemblages leaves and flowers of chili peppers were quantitatively collected by using an insect vacuum collector to compare the arthropod community structures between non-transgenic chili peppers (nTR, P 915) and mosaic virus resistant transgenic chili peppers (TR, CMV-cp, line 7). There was no statistical difference in the arthropod community structure between the two types of crops, nTR and TR, at the same season, although the species richness and Shannon’s index were somewhat different among seasons, indicating no effects of genetically modified peppers on the arthropod community. However, further studies were required to conclude more concretely for the potential environmental risk of the transgenic chili pepper of CMV-cp.

농업생태계에 심겨진 탄저병 저항성 유전자인 PepEST 유전자가 내재된 유전자변형 고추의 환경위해성을 평가하기 위하여 2006년 고추의 생육기간 동안 절지동물의 군집구조를 3회(6월 20일, 7월 25일, 8월 28일)에 걸쳐 조사하였다. 두 가지의 고추 즉 모본(nTR, WT512)와 유전자 변형 고추(TR, line 68)의 꽃과 잎에 서식하는 곤충을 포함한 절지동물의 군집구조를 파악하기 위하여 곤충을 포획할 수 있는 진공 흡입기를 이용하여 절지동물

파종방법을 달리한 논생태계내 절지동물의 군집상을 분석하기 위하여 경기도 수원에 위치한 담수직파, 건답직파, 이앙구의 3포장과 이천에 위치한 담수직파, 이앙구 2포장을 선정하여 1994년도에 조사하였다. 절지동물은 총 15목 45과가 채집되었다. 절지동물군집을 기능군(길드)로 나누어 분석한 결과, 두 지역 모두 파종 방법에 관계없이 밀도가 '천적군>해충군>비해충군'의 순으로 나타났다. 해충군에는 멸구과(Delphacidae)의 벼멸구(Nilaparvata lugens Stal), 흰등멸구(Sogatella furcifera Horvath), 애멸구(Laodelphax striatellus Fallen)와 매미충과(Cicadelidae)의 끝동매미충(Nephotettix cincticeps Uhler)이 우점종들이었고 전체 해충군의 80% 이상을 차지하였다. 파종방식에 따른 해충밀도의 유의성 있는 차이는 없었다. 천적군에서는 거미류가 전체 천적의 90% 이상을 차지했다. 그 중 배회성 거미(hunting spider)와 50% 이상이었고 늑대거미과(Lycosidae)의 황산적거미(Pirata subpiraticus Bos. et St.)가 주요 우점종이었다. 조망성 거미류(webbing spider)에서는 갈거미과 (Tetragnathidae)의 턱거미(Pachygnatha clerki Sundevall)가 주요 우점종이었다. 파종방식에 따른 거미군 집구성의 뚜렷한 차이는 없었다. 비해충군은 본답 초기에 깔따구류 등의 파리류가 주종을 이루었고 벼의 생육이 진전됨에 따라 급격히 감소하였다. 파리류의 발생은 기계이앙구보다 직파구에서 많았으며 특시 건답직파구에서 많이 발생하였다.

벼, 현미 및 백미를 실내에 저장하면서 저곡생태계의 구성, 군집의 천이 및 이에 따르는 군집의 에너지 변환 양상을 1987년 2월부터 1988년 11월까지 조사하였다. 곡물의 온도 변화는 약 4주간의 시차를 두고 저장실의 온도 변화에 따랐다. 벼, 현미, 백미의 함수량은 실내 상대습도가 39-90% 의 범위에서 변화하였음에도 각각 12.7 0.4, 13.1 0.4, 및 13.5 0.3%로 안정된 수준에 있었다. 마다발동물의 군집천이는 벼, 현미, 백미에서 각각 다르게 나타났다. 벼의 경우 우점종이 가루민다드미벌레에서 어물다드미벌레로 천이하였다. 현미 및 백미의 정우에는 밀가루줄명나방에서 쌀바구미, 미동정 기생충, Anisopteromalus calandrae Howard와 거짓쌀도둑의 우점으로, 다시 쌀바구미로 천이하였다. 그러나 백미에서는 호미와는 달리 다드미벌레목 2종의 일시적인 우점 현상이 관찰되었다. 대체적으로 벼에서의 군집은 현미냐 백미에서의 군집에 비해 단순하게 구성되었으며 불안정하였다. 천립중의 약화는 벼와 백미의 경우에는 관찰할 수 없었으나 현미의 경우 마디발동물의 활동이 활발했던 시기에 다소 감소하였다. 그러나 회분함량은 현미, 백미 및 벼에서 공히 증가한 자취를 불 수 없어 저장기간 중 곡물생태계의 에너지의 손실은 미미하였단 것으로 판단되었다.