Korea National Park Service

Zhang et al. (2008) investigated subspecific variation of Common Kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) wintering in Beijing, China, using a partial mtDNA control region (394395bp), and concluded that two subspecies were present. However, analysis of their raw data revealed mostly double peaks at each nucleotide position, indicating ambiguity in the DNA sequence. These likely arose from a combination of factors, including irregular PCR efficiencies and slight primer mismatches. Zhang et al. (2008) likely misinterpreted these double peaks as evidence of distinct subspecies. This resulted in an inflated number (56) of variation sites. Their interpretation was further confounded by potential issues with their primers, designed from a sequence of F. peregrinus with a one-nucleotide difference. To address these limitations, we sequenced the full mtDNA control region (1,266bp) of 38 Common Kestrel samples using newly designed primers. This analysis yielded clean, single-peak profiles for each sequence, confirming that all samples belonged to F. t. interstinctus. We therefore propose reclassifying these populations as a single subspecies, F. t. interstinctus. Erroneous barcode sequences can distort subspecific identification and population structure, leading to inaccurate data and misleading phylogenetic inferences. Our study underscores the critical need for robust methods to minimize barcode sequencing errors. This would not only ensure accurate phylogenetic inferences for Common Kestrels but also support reliable population genetic studies across diverse taxa.

Water deer (Hydropotes inermis) are classified as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List due to their declining population trend, indicating global concern. However, water deer are considered a harmful species in South Korea where the population is relatively abundant. The population status of water deer varies across their geographical range, but information on their distribution is limited due to insufficient research and reporting. This study, therefore, aimed to identify the environmental variables influencing the distribution of water deer and to provide insights into their daily behavior patterns. Camera traps were deployed at 108 points within 22 grid cells (each 5 km × 5 km), from March to September 2021, located in the central-east part of the Korean Peninsula. Water deer were detected 92 times across 17 grid cells. A single-season occupancy model revealed that occupancy decreases with the increase in normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) (β_NDVI: -1.00±0.21), which is presumed to be related to the use of forbs or low woody plants as food resources. Detection was influenced by slope, with higher slopes likely limiting mobility and, thereby reducing detection (β_slope: -0.60±0.03). The diurnal behavior patterns were confirmed to be crepuscular, with activity primarily around sunrise and sunset. These findings are expected to enhance the understanding of this species and may be used for the management of water deer as a problematic species in South Korea, as well as for species conservation efforts internationally.

The long-tailed goral (Naemorhedus caudatus) faces significant threats from habitat loss and fragmentation and is classified as a Class I endangered species by the Ministry of Environment in South Korea and vulnerable by the IUCN. Understanding the behavioral ecology of this species is crucial for effective conservation and protective measures. Using GPS collars, this study investigated the home range sizes and activity patterns of nine rehabilitated long-tailed gorals (four males and five females) across three regions (Yanggu, Seoraksan National Park, and Uljin) from 2014 to 2016. The 95% minimum convex polygon (MCP) home range averaged 0.64 ± 0.33 km2, while the 50% MCP home range averaged 0.15 ± 0.05 km2. The male home ranges were larger than the female home ranges. Additionally, the home ranges varied seasonally, with the smallest recorded in winter. The activity pattern of long-tailed gorals was predominantly crepuscular and diurnal, with no significant sexual differences. There were no significant differences in activity during spring, summer, and autumn; however, activity in winter differed significantly from that in the other seasons. The data provided on the home ranges and activity patterns of the species will serve as a basis for developing effective conservation and management strategies to protect this endangered species. By elucidating the spatial and temporal behaviors of long-tailed gorals, this study enhances our understanding of the ecological needs of the species and helps develop precise conservation measures.

Urbanization and associated forest conversions have given rise to a continuum of native (forest fragments) and modified (artificial grasslands and perennial ecosystems) land-use types. However, little is known about how these shifts affect soil and fine-root compartments that are critical to a functioning carbon and nutrient circulation system. In this study, soil physicochemical properties, fine-root mass, and vertical distribution patterns were investigated in four representative urban land-use types: grassland (ZJ), perennial agroecosystem (MP), broadleaf deciduous forest patch (QA), and coniferous evergreen forest patch (PD). We quantified the fine-root mass in the upper 30 cm vertical profile (0–30 cm) and at every 5 cm depth across three diameter classes (<2 mm, 2–5 mm, and <5 mm). Soil physicochemical properties, except for phosphorus, nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, and sodium cations, varied significantly across land-use types. The total root biomass (<5 mm) decreased in the order of QA (700.3 g m−2) > PD (487.2 g m−2) > ZJ (440.1 g m−2) > MP (98.3 g m−2). The fine-root mass of ZJ and MP was correlated with soil nutrients, which was attributed to intensive management operations, while the fine-root mass of QA and PD had a significant relationship with soil organic matter due to the high inputs from forest litter. Very fine roots (<2 mm) presented a distinct decremental pattern with depth for all land-use types, except for MP. Very fine roots populated the topmost 5 cm layer in ZJ, QA, and PD at 52.1%, 49.4%, and 39.4%, respectively. Maintaining a woody fine-root system benefits urban landscapes by promoting soil stabilization, improving ground infiltration rates, and increasing carbon sequestration capacity. Our findings underscore the importance of profiling fine-root mass when assessing urban expansion effects on terrestrial ecosystems.

When free-ranging birds are accidentally killed or die, there may be greater potential for their associated ticks to detach, seek alternate hosts, and become established. We examined 711 carcasses of 95 avian species for ticks at a stopover island of migratory birds in the Republic of Korea where only Ixodes nipponensis and I. persulcatus were previously reported from local mammals and vegetation. A total of 16 ticks, I. turdus and Haemaphysalis flava, were collected from 8 fresh carcasses belonging to 5 avian species. Despite their known abundance on migratory birds and mainland Korea, these species had not colonized the isolated insular ecosystem possibly due to the low abundance and diversity of local hosts. The results imply that increasing human impact, such as the anthropogenic mortality of migratory birds and the introduction of non-native mammalian hosts, will increase the potential invasion and colonization risk of ticks. This finding also suggests that tick surveillance consisting of fresh carcasses of dead migratory birds may provide additional information, often ignored in surveillance of ticks on live birds, for the potential introduction of non-native ticks and associated pathogens affecting animal and human health.

Zircon U-Pb geochronology and bulk-rock geochemistry analyses were carried out to investigate their relationship with depositional environments of the non-marine Neungju Basin sediments in South Korea. The Neungju Basin was formed in an active continental margin setting during the Late Cretaceous with associated volcanism. Detrital zircon age distributions of the Neungju Basin reveal that the source rocks surrounding the basin supplied sediments into the basin from all directions, making different zircon age populations according to the depositional environments. Mudstone geochemistry with support of detrital zircon U-Pb age data reveals how the heterogeneity affects the geochemical characteristics of tectonic setting and weathering intensity. The sediments in the proximal (alluvial fan to sandflat) and distal (playa lake) environments differ compositionally because sediment mixing occurred exclusively in the distal environment. The proximal deposits show a passive margin signature, reflecting their derivation from the adjacent metamorphic and granitic basement rocks. The distal deposits properly indicate an active continental margin setting due to the additional supply of reworked volcaniclastic sediments. The proximal deposits indicate a minor degree of chemical weathering corresponding to fossil and sedimentological records of the basin, whereas the distal deposits show lower weathering intensity by reworking of unaltered volcaniclastic detritus from unstable volcanic and volcaniclastic terranes. Overall, this study highlights that compositional data obtained from a specific location and depositional environments may not describe the overall characteristic of the basin.

ABSTRACTMigratory birds have evolved diverse migration strategies in response to a variety of factors, but information about the detailed migration patterns of Asian songbirds is not yet available. To understand the short-distance migration pattern of declining Yellow-throated Buntings (Emberiza elegans) in East Asia, we analyzed stable isotopes from the outermost tail feathers (rectrices) of individual buntings collected in Korea and Japan. Temporal changes in feather hydrogen (δ2Hf) and oxygen (δ18Of) isotopic values at stopover islands suggested that northern populations start migration earlier than southern populations, especially in autumn. Latitudinal gradient in δ2Hf values of three wintering populations implied that northern breeders wintered farther north than southern breeders. The migration pattern of this bunting, known as Type II chain migration, was also inferred from hydrogen isotope-based geographic assignments of feather growth origins. Our data demonstrate that stable isotope analysis may help to bridge current knowledge gaps in songbird migration despite coarsely mapped isoscapes and as-of-yet undetermined isotope calibration functions in Asia.

The complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of Gavia pacifica was sequenced and characterized the circular mt genome, which constituted 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs, and 2 ribosomal RNAs) and a non-coding region (NCR). Phylogenetic analysis based on the full mt genome sequences confirmed that the Genus Gavia belongs to a monophyletic group containing the G. stellata, G. arctica, and G. pacifica. This is the first completed mt genome from G. pacifica, which provides data for further study of phylogeny in Gaviiformes.

We sequenced the complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of Gavia arctica. The circular mt genome is 17,065 bp long, consisting of 37 genes (13 proteins, 22 transfer RNAs, and two ribosomal RNAs) and a control region. Phylogenetic analysis based on the full mt genome sequences confirmed that the genus Gavia is a monophyletic group, containing the G. stellata, G. arctica, and G. pacifica. These data can provide insights into the phylogenetic relationships for inferring the pattern and degree of mt genome evolution among the loon species.