This study analyzed the epilithic diatom community and ecological health of freshwater streams using environmental DNA (eDNA)-based metabarcoding technology. eDNA metabarcoding is a method that analyzes biological communities by performing PCR amplification followed by next-generation sequencing (NGS), offering higher sensitivity and faster results compared to traditional microscopic analyses. The study compared the eDNA metabarcoding results of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase large chain gene (rbcL) targeting epilithic diatoms according to Taq polymerases (SuperFi II, GainBlue, EzPCR, and AccuPower). SuperFi II and GainBlue yielded the highest number of reads and zOTUs, with GainBlue showing particularly uniform read distribution, allowing for more accurate analysis for community diversity of epilithic diatoms. On the other hand, EzPCR and AccuPower exhibited lower number of reads and zOTUs, making them less suitable for the community diversity. In terms of community similarity analysis, SuperFi II and GainBlue produced highly similar results, while EzPCR and AccuPower showed significant differences. This study demonstrates that PCR Taq polymerases significantly influence community diversity and similarity analyses of epilithic diatoms, with GainBlue providing the most stable and accurate results. Our findings serve as a valuable foundation for improving the accuracy of eDNA-based metabarcoding analyses of diatoms.

This study applied a camera trapping method to investigate species diversity of birds and mammals in Jingwan-dong Wetland located in Bukhansan National Park, Seoul, Korea. The objectives of this study were to (1) verify the efficiency of the camera trapping method through a combination of literature and observation surveys, and to (2) propose it as an effective monitoring method to assessing changes in biodiversity. From February 2022 to June 2022, a total of six cameras were installed for 121 days to conduct camera trapping in three aquatic environments. As a result, a total of 14,742 videos were obtained with a data acquisition rate of 59.2%. Analysis of the data identified a total of 20 families and 47 species of birds with 7 families and 8 species of mammals. When previous field observation data compiled from the past 10 years starting from 2011 were analyzed, a total of 33 families and 90 species of birds with 5 families and 6 species of mammals were identified. Camera trapping in Jingwan-dong Wetland recorded species list, including 3 families and 3 species of bird and 2 families and 2 species of mammal not observed in the past decade. Thus, camera trapping, which complements temporal limitations of field survey, can be an effective monitoring method for rapidly changing biodiversity if spatial limitations are improved. Resulting species lists can serve as a basis for future restoration and management plans.

To analyse the relationship between above-ground carbon stocks, species diversity and broadleaved forests structural diversity of South Korean forests, we collected vegetation inventories from environmental impact assessment projects over the past 10 years. The available data were selected and organised including tree species, DBH and area each projects. The data was classified by forest type, aboveground carbon stocks were calculated and compared, and the correlation between aboveground carbon stocks and biodiversity and structural diversity was analysed. The results showed that above-ground carbon stocks were higher in mixed forests and broadleaved forests and lower in needleleaved forests, similar to previous studies. However aboveground carbon stocks of mixed forests were higher in natural forests than in plantations. Aboveground carbon stocks in broadleaved forests were higher in plantations than natural forests, and there was no statistical different of between natural and plantations in needleleaved forest. This could be the result of a variety influences including biological and environmental factors in the study area, and further research is needed to analyse the effects on carbon sequestration. Correlation analysis showed no correlation between biodiversity and above-ground carbon stocks, but a positive correlation between structural diversity and above-ground carbon stocks. This indicates that above-ground carbon stocks in forests are associated with unevenness diameters and the proportion and evenness of tree species by diameter. In addition, it has been analysed that the high succession stages in forest have higher species diversity and structural diversity, and greater efficiency in the utilization of resources required for plant growth, leading to increased plant productivity and storage. Considering that the study sites were young forests with an average DBH of 14.8~23.7 cm, it is expected that carbon stocks will increase as biodiversity and structural diversity increase. Further research is needed to develop techniques to quantitatively assess the relationship of diversity to carbon stocks for policy use in assessing and increasing carbon stocks in forests.

River estuaries are dynamic and productive ecosystems with high regional biodiversity. Environmental DNA (eDNA) has become a useful approach to assessing biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems. This study was conducted to investigate fish community characteristics and species diversity in two river estuary ecosystems, the Taehwa River and Changwon Stream. We further compared conventional and eDNA metabarcoding analyses of the fish communities. The conventional survey was performed in May, July, and October 2022, while the eDNA analysis was conducted only in May. We observed various fish species with different life histories, including carp, goby, and marine fish. We also found that migratory fish, such as dace Tribolodon hakonensis, sweetfish Plecoglossus altivelis, and eel Auguilla japonica, occurred in the Taehwa River, suggesting high river connectivity. Marine fish species were predominant in the Changwon Stream, as this river is located close to the sea. The diversity indices showed that the Taehwa River generally had higher species richness, evenness, and diversity values than the Changwon Stream. A total of 9-19 species were detected in the conventional survey for the three sites, whereas 11-18 species were found from eDNA analysis. The findings indicate that the sensitivity of eDNA was similar to or higher than that of the conventional method. Our study findings suggest the efficiency and efficacy of eDNA-based fish community monitoring, although with some shortcomings in applying the genetic marker to Korean fish, including no clear-cut distinction for Korean endemic species and/or genetically closely related species groups.

Amphibians are the world's most threatened group of animals, with approximately 41% facing extinction. Contrary to this global trend, the number of amphibian species in Korea has increased by approximately 53.3% over the past 20 years. In particular, salamanders within the genus Hynobius showed even greater diversity, with the number increasing three-fold from two species to seven. However, morphological and ecological traits required for the clear differentiation of these animals are yet to be determined, leading to much confusion. In this study, we investigated the validity of using size traits for species identification, as this method is currently considered a rule of thumb when differentiating Geoje salamanders (Hynobius geojeensis), cryptic Uiryeong salamanders (H. perplicatus), and Korean small salamanders (H. unisacculus). Our study revealed that sex, study period, and habitat were all factors associated with significant differences in snout-vent length, head width, and body weight. Differences in these size traits were evident both between and within species. Our results show that body size traits applied in the recent classification of the three new salamander species could not be seen as a suitable criterion. Such identification methods based solely on body size not only cause great confusion in the field but will also limit future research on Korean Hynobius salamanders.

Through sample-size-based rarefaction analyses, we tried to suggest the appropriate degree of sample concentration and sub-sample extraction, as a way to estimate more accurate zooplankton species diversity when assessing biodiversity. When we collected zooplankton from three reservoirs with different environmental characteristics, the estimated species richness (S) and Shannon’s Hʹ values showed different changing patterns according to the amount of sub-sample extracted from the whole sample by reservoir. However, consequently, their zooplankton diversity indices were estimated the highest values when analyzed by extracting the largest amount of sub-sample. As a result of rarefaction analysis about sample coverage, in the case of deep eutrophic reservoir (Juam) with high zooplankton species and individual numbers, it was analyzed that 99.8% of the whole samples were represented by only 1 mL of sub-sample based on 100 mL of concentrated samples. On the other hand, in Soyang reservoir, which showed very small species and individual numbers, a relatively low representation at 97% when 10 mL of sub-sample was extracted from the same amount of concentrated sample. As such, the representation of sub-sample for the whole zooplankton sample varies depending on the individual density in the sample collected from the field. If the degree of concentration of samples and the amount of subsample extraction are adjusted according to the collected individual density, it is believed that errors that occur when comparing the number of species and diversity indices among different water bodies can be minimized.

본 연구는 한라산천연보호구역의 기초자료 확보를 목적으로 수행된 한라산천연보호구역 기초학술조사 중 버섯류 에 대한 연구로, 2018년 4월부터 10월까지 7개월 동안 성판악탐방로와 돈내코탐방로 사이 지역을 대상으로 수행되었다. 조사된 버섯은 총 65과 184속 392종이며, 이 중 187종의 버섯이 죽은 나무나 나뭇가지에서 발생하였다. 주름버섯목에 속하는 버섯이 184종으로 가장 높게 나타났고, 시기적으로는 7월에 206종으로 가장 많이 발생하였다. 또한 대부분의 버섯은 600~800 m 사이 고도에서 발생하였다. 본 연구에서 조사된 버섯들 중 기후변화 생물지표 종에 해당되는 버섯이 5종, 후보종 2종이 나타났으며, 392 종 중 국외 반출 승인 대상 생물자원에는 163종이 해당되었다(*Appendix 홈페이지에 업로드).

본 연구는 서부 민간인통제선 일대 둠벙에 서식하는 저서 성대형무척추동물 종 다양성 및 군집 구조를 규명하여 향후 보전방향을 제안하고자 하였다. 조사 결과 3문 5강 17목 59 과 192종의 저서성대형무척추동물이 출현하였다. 다른 지역의 둠벙 (61~131종), 다른 유형의 정수성 습지 (47~92종), 그리고 우포늪 등의 보호습지 (48~135종)와 비교할 때, 서부 민간인출입통제구역 일대 둠벙에서 더 다양한 분류군이 출현하는 것으로 나타났다. 환경부 지정 멸종위기야생생물 물방개, 물장군, 대모잠자리를 포함 28종의 특이종이 확인되었으며, 98곳의 조사지에 특이종이 하나 이상 분포하는 것을 확인하였다. 한편 섭식기능군 및 서식기능군 분석에서 이동성이 높은 무리의 우점이 나타난 점, 개별 조사지의 다양도와 특이종의 출현 빈도가 반드시 비례하지는 않는 점을 함께 고려할 때, 서부 민간인출입통제구역 일대 둠벙의 높은 종 다양성은 둠벙과 인근 수생태계의 연결성을 통해 유지되는 것으로 보여진다. 그러므로 서부 민통선 일대 둠벙의 생물 다양성 보전계획을 수립할 때 특별히 종 다양성이 높은 몇 개 둠벙만을 점적으로 보전하는 접근은 부적절할 수 있으리라 판단 되며, 둠벙을 포함한 수서생물의 이동성 서식지 전반의 연결성을 고려한 접근이 적절할 것으로 생각된다.