Miran Kim

Characteristics of Benthic Invertebrates in Organic and Conventional Paddy Field

BACKGROUND: Today, environmentally friendly farming has become an important feature of agricultural policy. It promotes or sustains farming systems which protect and enhance the environment. This study was conducted to compare benthic invertebrate communities in an organic and a conventional paddy field in South Korea. METHODS AND RESULTS: Benthic invertebrates were collected at 11 regions of a rice paddy from June to August, 2009, 2010 and 2011. These comparisons undertaken using a community assessment approaches such as the number of individuals and species and community composition. Generally, the larger number of individuals and species of benthic invertebrates was observed in an organic paddy than in a conventional paddy field. Organic paddy fields could supported the wider range of species and abundance in aquatic invertebrates comparing to conventional paddy fields. Carrying capacity to support larger numbers of invertebrates also tends to be higher in organic paddy than in conventional paddy field. Specially, organic farming regions surrounded by forests were high quality habitat for benthic invertebrates than other surrounded regions such as grassland. CONCLUSION(S): We concluded that organic farming was more advantaged to benthic invertebrates than conventional farming. In order to improve biodiversity in rice paddy field, farming regimes without agricultural chemicals are recommended. The effect of organic management on biodiversity and abundance of benthic invertebrates could be maximized across highland farmland.

Status of Birds Using a Rice Paddy in South Korea

BACKGROUND: Rice paddies not only produce food but also provides wildlife habitats. Although more than half agricultural land of South Korea is rice paddy, a few studies have been conducted in rice paddy ecosystem. We investigated a status of bird using a rice paddy in South Korea using published data. METHODS AND RESULTS: Birds using a rice paddy have been defined as birds which breed, rest or forage on rice paddy, bank, reservoirs or irrigation ditches. According to the publication from 1980s, birds using a rice paddy were total 47 families 279 species. Scolopacidae and Charadriidae (18%), Falconidae, Accipitridae and Strigidae (12%) and Anatidae (11%) used a rice paddy. Half of bird species using a rice paddy visited a dried rice paddy during the winter and 39.4% of them used a flooded rice paddy in spring, autumn or summer. Dependency on a rice paddy was high in ducks, egrets, cranes, and shorebirds. Population of dabbling ducks has decreased for last 12 years while cranes have increased. CONCLUSION(S): Rice paddies provide both migratory

Characteristics Communities Structure of Benthic Macroinvertebrates at Irrigation Ponds, within Paddy Field

BACKGROUND: Ecological functions of irrigation ponds were well known fact that important for biodiversity conservation in agricultural ecosystems. However, many irrigation ponds were destructed with changes of agricultural environment. The objective of this study is to appreciate the importance of ecological functions of irrigation pond. Furthermore, it presented to useful information for restorations of irrigation pond from analyses of correlations between benthic macroinvertebrate communities and locational factors of irrigation ponds. METHODS AND RESULTS: Benthic macroinvertebrate sampling was conducted from 2010 to 2012 at 15 study ponds. Comparisons of benthic macroinvertebrates diversity approached species richness and density, and statistical analyses were performed using independent t-test. A total of 131 species / 137,118 individuals of benthic macroinvertebrates were recorded during study period. Dominant taxa of benthic macroinvertebrates included Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Odonata. Generally, benthic macroinvertebrate diversity in mountain region and existing ponds were showed higher than open field and created ponds, respectively. DCA ordination showed that benthic macroinvertebrate community was most correlated with locational characteristics of irrigation pond, and it correlated with bank type and age of pond. CONCLUSION(S): In conclusions, in order to restore ecological irrigation pond, it is necessary to consider environmental factors such as locational characteristics and bank types.

Occurrence and Distribution of C4 Plants under Diverse Agricultural Field Types in Korea

In order to search for distribution characteristics on C4 plants at the paddy fields, uplands, orchard and roadside in South Korea, vascular plants were investigated. Flora investigation had been carried out from May 2002 to October 2006 at 241 plots. In the results of survey, the flora of these areas consist of 74 families, 231 genera and 352 species totally. The class frequencies were arranged by the order of Magnoliopsidae (255 species), Monocotyledoneae (89 species), Pteropsida (7 species) and Sphenopsida (1 species). The number of species in each investigated agricultural field types was 55 families with 203 species in paddy field, 49 families with 218 species in uplands, 44 families with 115 species in orchard and 48 families with 202 species in roadside respectiviely. Representative species compositions of these four agricultural field types were characterized by Artemisia princeps, Persicaria thunbergii in paddy field, Artemisia princeps, Erigeron annuus in upland and roadside, Commelina communis, Digitaria ciliaris in orchard, respectively. Therefore, indicative species in agricultural ecosystem was Artemisia princeps. Among the investigated 352 species, C4 plants identified were 38 species, and the occurrence ratio of C4 monocotyledonous plants were higher in paddy field, orchard and roadside than upland. Such differences in the occurrence ratio of C4 plants under diverse agricultural field types reflect differences in environmental condition such as micro-climate, soil moisture under various agricultural fields. Dominant C4 monocotyledonous plants were Digitaria ciliaris and Commelina communis, while C4 dicotyledonous plants were Amaranthus mangostanus and Chenopodium album var. centrorubrum in agricultural fields. Naturalized plants were identified as 47 species and occurrence ratio were higher in upland and roadside than other agricultural field types. Among the investigated naturalized plants, C4 plants were Amaranthus mangostanus and Amaranthus retroflexus. Distribution characteristics of representative C4 plants in agricultural field types, revealed that the projected increase in temperature due to climate change may provide better conditions for the growth of C4 plants. Thus, the necessity of long-term monitoring should be conducted on the diffusion of C4 plants that may threaten influence agroecosystem in Korea.

Variation in Population Size of Mudfish by Agricultural Practices in Paddy Fields

BACKGROUND: This study was carried out to compare population size of mudfish (Misgurnus mizolepis) between the agricultural practices and to investigate the causes of its differences. We also provided basic information for sustainable use of mudfish population in paddy fields. METHODS AND RESULTS: Mudfish and benthic invertebrates which are diet of mudifish were investigated from 8 sites of organic and conventional rice paddy fields in South Korea. Total number of mudfish were 1,882 individuals in survey sites. Mudfish population were 2.4 times larger in organic paddy fields (1,333 individuals) than in conventional paddy fields (549 individuals). The population size of mudfish was larger in Mungyeong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do and Anseong-si, Gyeonggi-do with relatively better environmental conditions than the other 5 sites including Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Cheongyang-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, Gunsan-si, Jeollabuk-do, Gimje-si, Jeollabuk-do, Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam-do, Hamyang-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do. Benthic invertebrates collected from survey sites were 74 species, 68 genera, 46 families, 19 orders, 6 classes and 3 phyla. According to agricultural practices, benthic invertebrates were identified 66 species, 62 genera, 41 families, 17 orders, 6 classes and 3 phyla in organic paddy fields while there were 66 species, 60 genera, 42 families, 18 orders, 6 classes and 3 phyla in conventional paddy fields. Dominant invertebrates were Chironomidae sp., Branchiopoda sp., Ostracoda sp., and Copepoda sp. There were no differences in dominant species between organic and conventional paddy fields. Population size of mudfish tended to increase with the population size of Chironomidae sp., Branchiopoda sp., Ostracoda sp., and Copepoda sp. But, only population of Chironomidae sp. and Copepoda sp. statistically related to population size of mudfish. The number of individuals of mudfish (Misgurnus mizolepis) was higher at the low rate of urban area than any other surveyed region and was affected by appearance ratio of main preys such as Chironomidae sp. and Ostracoda sp. CONCLUSION(S): The population size of mudfish in rice paddy fields could be affected by environmental conditions and agricultural practices such as organic and conventional methods.

Geological Distribution of Aquatic Invertebrates Living in Paddy Fields of South Korea

The roles of paddy fields are re-evaluated as an artificial wetland. Although 44% of total aquatic invertebrates in South Korea are observed in a rice paddy, information of their distribution and characteristics of habitat use is limited yet. This study was carried out to provide information and characterizing distribution of community of aquatic invertebrates using a rice paddy through the South Korea. Aquatic invertebrates were collected at 284 sites of a rice paddy in South Korea from June to August, 2005, 2006 and 2007. We grouped sampling sites according to its species and population of aquatic invertebrates using a non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). Total 21 orders 60 families 114 species were collected from a rice paddy. Coleoptera (25%), Heteroptera (17%), Diptera (17%) and Odonata (12%) were observed. Aquatic invertebrates were classified into three groups (Group 1: Gangwon, Gyeonggi and Chungbuk; Group 2: Chungnam, Jeonbuk, Jeonnam and Jeju; Group 3: Gyeongbuk and Kyeongnam). In Group 1, Muljarus japonicas distributed mainly Gangwondo and Chungbuk. In Group 2, Sigara nigroventralis and S. substriata were mainly observed. In Group 3, higher density of Daphnia sp. and Chironomidae gen. spp. was found in the southern part of Korea.

Status of Birds using Rice Fields in Mid-western Part of Korean Peninsula

BACKGROUND: Rice fields are one of the most important habitats for various bird species. The list of bird species occurred in rice fields in Korean peninsula have been documented. However, information of listed bird species is included not only rice fields but also other wetland habitats such as lakes, tidal flats and rivers. Therefore, the study was conducted to clarify the status of bird observed in rice fields of Korea.METHODS AND RESULTS: Birds using rice fields defined as birds which forage or rest on rice paddies, levees, ditches and farming roads. Birds using rice fields recorded as total 124 species belonging to 40 families. Anatidae and Scolopacidae were the best represented family, followed by Ardeidae, Accipitridae, Motacillidae and Emberizidae; 50% of species belonged to these six families. 18 of 124 endangered wild species, which designated threatened at the national scale, found in this study regions.CONCLUSION: Despite interest in birds using rice fields of Korean peninsula, knowledge of birds and rice fields there is extremely limited. We need more studies to understand and conserve for birds in rice fields of Korea.

Seasonal Change in C 3 /C 4 Mixed Vegetation Populations over Paddy Levees in South Korea

Studies of seasonal changes in mixed communities are rare, particularly in Asian summer monsoon climate zones. In our present study, seasonal changes in the profile and coverage of and plants were investigated in 2009 in Haenam, Yeongdong and Cheorwon regions of South Korea (all at different latitudes). The aim was to estimate the impacts of temperature and sunshine duration on species composition and transition timing of the and plants. From our results, the number of plants was found to increase from early spring to mid-May, and then decrease again until September in the Haenam and Yeongdong regions, but continuously increase from early spring to September in the Cheorwon region under relatively low summer temperatures. On the other hand, the number of plants increased from June or July to September in all three regions. These seasonal changes in species number and ratio have a direct impact upon species diversity which is highest when there are no dominant species. The relative coverage and relative summed dominance ratio (SDR`) of the plants decreased from spring to autumn, but increased for the plants during this time in an exponential fashion with increasing accumulated temperature and sunshine duration. The transition timing from to plants occurred when the sum of sunshine duration for the days with daily mean temperature above was 1017 hrs for the SDR`.