Conservation drones are remote-controlled devices capable of collecting information from difficult-to-access places while minimizing disturbance. Although drones are increasingly used in many research disciplines, their application to wildlife research remains to be explored in depth. This paper reports on the use of Phantom 2 Vision+ for monitoring areas in two national parks in South Korea. The first research area was conducted in Chiaksan National Park, and the second in Taeanhaean National Park. The aim of this research is to introduce ecologists and researchers alike to conservation drones and to show how these new tools have are fundamentally helping in the development of natural sciences. We also obtained photographs and videos of monitoring areas within our test site.

The world of technology is pleasantly evolving to a stage where small robotic aid may be used to ease the work of researchers, and to one day bring more accurate results than the current human abilities allow. In the research field of species monitoring in biology, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have begun to play an important role in how research is approached, analyzed, and then applied for further investigation, particularly by focusing on a single species. This paper uses data that has been collected from June to October 2015, to demonstrate how the innovative idea of using UAVs to monitor a particular species will bring a positive development in conservation research, and what it was able to achieve in this research field so far. More precisely, we examine the potential of UAVs to take center stage in future research, as well as their current accuracy. This paper describes the use of the commercially available Phantom 2 Vision+ for the detection, assessment, and monitoring of the butterfly species Libythea celtis, demonstrating how it can help the monitoring of butterflies and how it could be developed for even more adventurous and detailed research in the future.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are a new and yet constantly developing part of forest inventory studies and vegetation-monitoring fields. Covering large areas, their extensive usage has saved time and money for researchers and conservationists to survey vegetation for various data analyses. Post-processing imaging software has improved the effectiveness of UAVs further by providing 3D models for accurate visualization of the data. We focus on determining the coniferous tree coverage to show the current advantages and disadvantages of the orthorectified 2D and 3D models obtained from the image photogrammetry software, Pix4Dmapper Pro-Non-Commercial. We also examine the methodology used for mapping the study site, additionally investigating the spread of coniferous trees. The collected images were transformed into 2D black and white binary pixel images to calculate the coverage area of coniferous trees in the study site using MATLAB. The research was able to conclude that the 3D model was effective in perceiving the tree composition in the designated site, while the orthorectified 2D map is appropriate for the clear differentiation of coniferous and deciduous trees. In its conclusion, the paper will also be able to show how UAVs could be improved for future usability.

Background: Conventional bird observation methods are line survey or point count method by bare eyes or through binoculars or telescopes. But in this study, the possibility of monitoring waterbirds using drones beyond the conventional research methods was explored. It also describes the direction of producing and accumulating images of waterbird habitats as a method to efficiently determine changes in waterbird habitats. Results: From the study, it was concluded that waterbird monitoring using drones was a new monitoring technique which could be applied to the field and 26 kinds of waterbirds were observed. In the case of a drone with a single lens, it was difficult to identify objects because the size of the subject was too small at a certain altitude. In this case, zoom lens can be an alternative. It has also been verified that image analysis software can be used to accumulate images of waterbird habitats. Conclusions: If various kinds of advanced drones and cameras are used, it would be possible to monitor larger areas including the areas that are difficult for human access and to observe more waterbirds and wider habitats.

This study was conducted in an effort to provide important clues pertaining to the conservation and restoration of Aporia crataegi by identifying the spatial distribution characteristics of the current habitats, prospective habitats, and future habitats of A. crataegi in accordance with climate changes. To determine the distribution of A. crataegi, data from a total of 36 collecting points throughout South Korea, North Korea, China, Japan, Mongolia, and Russia are used. The spatial distributions of the data were examined through MaxEnt modeling. The distribution probability rates exceeded 75% at 18 locations among the 36 species occurrence locations, with Gangwon province showing the highest distribution probability in South Korea. The precision of the MaxEnt model was remarkably high, with an AUC value of 0.982. The variables that affect the potential distribution of A. crataegi by more than 10% are the degree of temperature seasonality, the amount of precipitation in the warmest quarter, the annual mean temperature, and the amount of precipitation in the driest month, in that order of importance. It was found that the future potential distribution area of A. crataegi continuously moves northward over time up to 2070s. In addition, the area of the potential distribution showing a habitable probability rate that exceeds 75% in northeast Asia was 28,492 km 2 , where the area of potential distribution in the north part of Korean peninsula was 20.404 km 2 in size. Thus, it is anticipated that the most important future habitats of A. crataegi in the northeast Asia will be North and South Hamgyeong provinces and Ryanggang province near Mt. Baekdoosan in the northern area of the Korean peninsula.

It is very useful and important to see the status and change of necessary parts in a short period through selecting and observing the bioindicator continually to forecast and prepare the future. Especially, living things are so closely related to the environment that the indicator between the environment and living things shows close interrelationship. Also, the indicator related to environment provides information about representative or decisive environmental phenomenon and is used to simplify complicated facts. Considering wide range of background and application including various indicators such as the change-, destruction-, pollution-, and restoration of habitats, climate change, and species diversity, the closest category includes "environmental indicator," "ecological indicator," and "biodiversity indicator." The selection and use of bioindicator is complicated and difficult. The necessary conditions for the indicator selection are flexible and greatly depend on the goals of investigation such as the indicator for biological diversity investigation of specific area, the indicator for habitat destruction, the indicator for climate change, and the indicator for polluted area. It should meet many various conditions to select a good indicator. In this study, eleven selection standards are established based on domestic and overseas studies on bioindicator selection: species with clear classification and ecology, species distributed in geographically widespread area, species that show clear habitat characteristics, species that can provide early warning for a change, species that are easy and economically benefited for the investigation, species that have many independent individual groups and that is not greatly affected by the size of individual groups, species that is thought to represent the response of other species, species that represent the ecology change caused by the pressure of human influence, species for which researches on climate change have been done, species that is easy to observe, appears for a long time and forms a group with many individuals, and species that are important socially, economically, and culturally.

This study tried to analyze error range and resolution of drone images using a rotary wing by comparing them with field measurement results and to analyze stands patterns in actual vegetation map preparation by comparing drone images with aerial images provided by National Geographic Information Institute of Korea. A total of 11 ground control points (GCPs) were selected in the area, and coordinates of the points were identified. In the analysis of aerial images taken by a drone, error per pixel was analyzed to be 0.284 cm. Also, digital elevation model (DEM), digital surface model (DSM), and orthomosaic image were abstracted. When drone images were comparatively analyzed with coordinates of ground control points (GCPs), root mean square error (RMSE) was analyzed as 2.36, 1.37, and 5.15 m in the direction of X, Y, and Z. Because of this error, there were some differences in locations between images edited after field measurement and images edited without field measurement. Also, drone images taken in the stream and the forest and 51 and 25 cm resolution aerial images provided by the National Geographic Information Institute of Korea were compared to identify stands patterns. To have a standard to classify polygons according to each aerial image, image analysis software (eCognition) was used. As a result, it was analyzed that drone images made more precise polygons than 51 and 25 cm resolution images provided by the National Geographic Information Institute of Korea. Therefore, if we utilize drones appropriately according to characteristics of subject, we can have advantages in vegetation change survey and general monitoring survey as it can acquire detailed information and can take images continuously.

The agricultural area is a priority to develop than the natural area for land developments. However, the importance of agricultural biodiversity is emphasized recently. The agricultural area does not only provide food for human and habitat for wild life but also contribute to improve biodiversity. It is necessary to preserve the agricultural area with rich biodiversity. The study was conducted to analyze biodiversity of insects for conservation value assessment of agricultural areas. According to the results of field survey, there is higher biodiversity index in agricultural areas surrounding the forest or small size agricultural areas. By contrast, the index is lower in agricultural areas near roads or in the intensive agricultural area. The results show that there is high biodiversity in agricultural areas, especially margin agricultural area such as below 2ha and over slop rate of 15%. Therefore, further studies should be conducted field survey more to generalize for biodiversity in agricultural area, and establish the criteria to protect agricultural area from land developments.