Effect of coastal dune restoration on the population of endangered Mongolian racerunner (Eremias argus) in the Republic of Korea

Abstract

The endangered species Mongolian racerunner (Eremias Argus), with a limited distribution in South Korea, is found only in sand dunes near waterside and forests. Therefore, species trends in this particular habitat are directly affected by habitat contamination and destruction. In this study, we examined the effects of coastal sand dune restoration on the distribution and population of E. argus. We conducted a field survey in Baramarye special protection zone, called Baramarye Coast, a part of the Taeanhaean National Park, during April and June 2016. We searched and recorded the location of E. argus and tagged them using the toe clipping method. The size of the E. argus population was estimated using the Peterson method. After the restoration of coastal sand dunes in Baramarye Coast, the population size of E. argus increased by 126–137 (21.1–55.7%) compared with that in 2008. The home range of E. argus in coastal sand dunes was significantly expanded by 4.8-fold for 95% Kernel density (KD) and 3.6-fold for 50% KD compared with that in 2008. Moreover, we confirmed that the distribution of E. argus was expanded to the restored area. Our study showed that in situ conservation is effective for endangered E. argus, distributed in particular environments such as coastal region. This study provides one more reason why coastal region must be conserved.

Range-Wide Phylogeography and Ecological Niche Modeling Provide Insights into the Evolutionary History of the Mongolian Racerunner (Eremias argus) in Northeast Asia

“…Recently, young populations have been established, which is consistent with the low genetic diversity of the populations in Gonghe, Russia and Korea. Among these regions, E. argus has been recognized as an endangered species in Korea [88,89]. The Korean Peninsula population originated recently from Shandong Province, as reflected by the tip position of the Korean Peninsula haplotype in the MJN (red in Ic; Figure S2).…”