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영어

Korea National Parks are total 6.7% of South Korea area and support various natural ecosystems and resources in 22 parks including 4 marine and coastal national parks. We would introduce the efforts of habitat management and monitoring on seabird breeding colonies in national parks. Since 2011, Korea National Park Research Institute (KNPRI) has monitored the effects of climate change on island ecosystem. Seabirds are often used as indicators of marine environment change. Because they spend whole their life at sea and/or coasts and reflect changes of marine ecosystem as top predators. To investigate the effect of climate change on island ecosystem, we monitored breeding phenology and breeding performance such as nest density, clutch size and egg volume of Black-tailed gulls (Larus crassirostris) on Hongdo Island for 7 years (2011~2017). Hongdo Island is one of the biggest breeding colonies of seabirds in Korea and is located in Southeast coast where marine environment changes are detected. We also investigated diet of Black-tailed gulls and marine life distribution near Hongdo Island. As a result, the initiation date of breeding was getting advanced. In 2017, breeding population on Hongdo stated to breed 6 days earlier than in previous year. Nest density and egg volume of Black-tailed gulls had been declined. It might be related to higher sea temperature and availability of anchovies which were main diet of Black-tailed gulls during the breeding season. We also found warm current fish in diet of Black-tailed gulls and subtropical marine life near Hongdo Island. Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) which lives in sub-tropical climate widely distributed on Hongdo Island. For the future, we will do scientifically manage island ecosystem through long-term monitoring.