• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.39 no.1 s.115
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• pp.62-72
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• 2006

Biological health in aquatic environments has been assessed by several approaches using various bio-taxa. Especially, fish has been identified as one of the best ecological indicators for an integrative health assessments in aquatic environments. In this preliminary study, the necropsy-based approach using the Health Assessment Index (Adams et al., 1993; HAI, Blazer, 2000), was employed for the assessments of aquatic environments influenced by effluent water from wastewater disposal plants (WDP) near a urban stream (i.e., Cap-Stream). For the impact analysis from the effluents, we developed 10 metric necropsy-based model including $M_l\;skin,\;M_2\;fin,\;M_3\;thymus,\;M_4\;spleen,\;M_5\;hindgut,\;M_6\;kidney,\;M_7\;liver.\;M_8\;eyes,\;M_9\;gill,\;and\;M_{10}$ pseudobranch. We set up duplicate controls (natural upstream water plus 5 fishes in each control tank) and duplicate treatments (effluent water from the WDP plus 5 fishes in each treatment tank) in the laboratory. Preliminary results showed that HAI values in the controls were zero, indicating an excellent condition by the criteria of HAI, while the HAI values in the treatments ranged between 40 and 150, indicating a poor condition. Also, various health conditions, based on the index of biological integrity (IBI), species richness, tolerance guilds, and trophic guilds supported the HAI approach. The HAI approach, not applied in Korea, not may be used as an surrogate fer ecological health assessment in lotic ecosystems.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.96 no.1
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• pp.115-123
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• 2007

We investigated the effects of postfire logging on bird populations and communities through 57 point counts in unburned, burned and logged burned plots of coniferous forests in Samcheok, Korea. We found that lower species richness, abundance, and diversity in logged plots where were controlled by a typical postfire management. As results of guild analysis for nest sites and food resources, postfire logging reduced densities of ground-shrub nesters, primary and secondary cavity nesters, but was also related to reduction in densities of some foraging groups such as timber drillers and foliage searchers. These results suggest that snag-retention is essential for birds in burned forests and that postfire logging is incompatible with the maintenance of bird populations and communities. Consequently we need to develope guidelines of postfire management for snag-retention in burned forests through intensive researches focused on some target species such as Great spotted woodpeckers Dendrocopos major.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.195-206
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• 2021

In 2020, South Korea initiated research and development of a longitudinal connectivity evaluation between upstream and downstream based on stream ecosystem health. This study analyzed the migration of upstream and downstream migratory fish species, fish distribution characteristics, trophic guilds, tolerance guilds, and species composition changes from 2015 to 2020 at Songrim weir in Yeongok stream, where the cross-structure of an ice harbor-type fishway for fish movement was recently improved. A total of 5,136 fish, including 36 species, were collected and three major migratory fishes were identified, namely, Tribolodon hakonensis, Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis, and Oncorhynchus keta. According to the comparative analysis before (Pre-I) and after (Post-I) improvement of the fishway, the relative abundance of primary freshwater fish increased in the upstream section, while the number of migratory fishes decreased. The fish species that used the fishway in the Songrim weir were Tribolodon hakonensis (58.4%) and Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis(11.8%). According to the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test migratory fish showed a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) in the upstream and downstream, showing a biological improvement effect of the crossstructure. On the other hand, the annual change of migratory fish based on the MannKendall trend test did not significantly increase or decrease (p>0.05). Therefore, in the fish passage improvement project, it is necessary not only for physical, hydrological, and structural tests, but also for pre- and post-biological tests on the use and improvement effect of fishway.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.302-313
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• 2014

This study was conducted to compare the characteristics of fish distribution according to sand type stream and cobble type stream the 4 stream selected every season. The collected Korea endemic species during the survey period were 24, including Acheilognathus gracilis. Dominant species of Hongcheon stream and Muju Namdae stream was Zacco koreanus, each accounting for 39.9% and 28.4% in order, and dominant species in Yanghwa stream was Rhodeus notatus, 13.6%, and those in Gap stream was Z. platypus, by 26.0%. As a result of community analysis, dominant index was 0.27~0.63, diversity index was 1.92~2.67, evenness index was 0.6~0.79, richness index was 3.09~3.53, and dominant index was the highest in Hongcheon stream, and the indices of diversity, evenness and richness were the highest in Yanghwa stream. As a result of tolerance guild analysis, Hongcheon stream and Muju Namdae stream with a variety of substrates accounted for relatively higher rate by 50.1% and 46.4% in sensitive species respectively, and Yanghwa stream and Gap stream with greater sand substrates had 0.5% and 5.3% scarce rate of sensitive species. As a result of similarity analysis using the species, population and substrate structures of the fisheries appeared in each stream, cobble type streams such as Hongcheon stream and Muju Namdae stream were the most similar by 50.4% in species and population, 95.2% in bed structure. As a result of IBI analysis, Hongcheon stream and Muju Namdae stream appeared as 'Class A,' Yanhwa stream and Gap stream as 'Class B' and the two groups of cobble type stream and sand type stream were divided as a result of principal components analysis.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.69-81
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• 2010

This study was conducted at 25 sites of 6 mainstreams and 19 tributaries sites within Heuck Stream watershed during May~October 2003 for the survey of fish distributions, compositions, and community characteristics. The survey showed that total fish was identified as 9 family and 26 species in all sites, and Cyprinidae dominated the community as 15 species. The dominant species of >20% of the total were Zacco temminckii (29%), Zacco platypus (22%), and Rhynchocypris oxycephalus (21%) in the watershed. Community analysis, based on the stream spatial gradients, indicated composition differences along the main axis of the stream from the headwater to the downstream; R. oxycephalus predominated in the most headwater zone and Z. temminckii dominated in the lower headwater zone, whereas Z. temminckii -Z. platypus dominated in the mid-to-downstream, and Z. platypus dominated the community in the most downstream zone. Total endemic species was 7 family and 15 species, which is made of 50% in the fish community, so that the high proportion of endemic species indicated a healthy region in terms of fish community, compared to average 23% in Korean peninsula in general. The total number and species of fish increased as the stream order (stream size) increased, indicating that impacts on chemical pollution or habitat disturbance were not so large to the fish community in this watershed. Trophic and tolerance guilds analysis showed that relative proportions of sensitive and insectivore species were >50% in the watershed and decreased as the stream order increased, whereas relative proportions of tolerant and omnivore species showed an opposite results. These outcomes suggest that the natural condition of watershed is preserved relatively and the region should be protected from the chemical and habitat disturbace by agricultural activity and urban developments.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.873-883
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• 2015

From August 2012 to April 2013, the ichthyofauna and post-restoration properties of Yangjae stream were investigated. A total of 1,503 fish of 2 forms, 16 species and 5 families were studied during the survey period. A survey of the distribution of freshwater fish inhabiting Yangjae stream after restoration of the stream showed large populations of Zacco platypus and Rhynchocypris oxycephalus. From the frequency distribution of the total length for the Zacco platypus population inhabiting Yangjae stream, it was estimated that there are 4 distinct age groups, with an abundance of the 27-63 mm (Age $0^+$) category accounting for 51.3% of the population. The regression coefficient (b) for the length-weight relationship in Zacco platypus was 3.27, while the slope of the condition factor was positive, demonstrating that stable growth conditions are being maintained. Analysis of tolerance and trophic guilds showed a decrease in the numbers of sensitive species and insectivore species further downstream, and an increase in tolerant species and omnivore species. Principal component analysis using community indices and indices of biotic integrity (IBI) showed that there were differences according to the survey time: the first and second surveys showed major changes on certain single species populations while during the third survey, it was analyzed that the populations of various types of fish had established balance.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.327-336
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• 2007

This study assessed ecological health using a multi-metric fish model from 15 sites in the headwater watershed of southern Han River during June${\sim}$August 1999 and then compared the health with conventional community diversity index to figure out differences between health and diversity index. For the analysis, we adopted 10 metric IBI model for regional applications. During this survey, total number of species sampled were 24 (6 families) and varied depending on magnitude of ecological disturbance and stream order. In the mountainous streams, mean proportion of sensitive and insectivore species was composed of 91% and 56%, respectively, indicating a potential healthy conditions. However, tolerant species with 66% and omnivore species with 76% were sampled from the 2nd order stream, which was shown deterioration in the physical habitat quality. In the overall watershed, mean IBI value was 38, judging as "fair" condition by the health criteria. Values of Individual IBI were closely associated with stream order and this pattern was similar to other mountainous streams showing low chemical pollutions and disturbance. Our comparison between IBI and diversity index over the stream order showed a distinct difference; Shannon-Weaver diversity index overestimated the actual community conditions and the variation range in the 2nd order stream was greater in the diversity index. Overall data suggest that the multi-metric approach may to a useful tool for stream ecosystem management and the conventional diversity index may not effective unless the stream order is considered for the stream evaluation.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.105-115
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• 2017

The present study is to understand the Bongseonsa stream in the National Arboretum fish fauna variation through comparison with historical data and to evaluate the stream health situated. We performed investigations over three times from April to September 2015. In the survey, 2,960 individuals which belonging to 22 species, 8 families were collected. Dominant species by number was Zacco platypus and subdominant species was Zacco koreanus. Seven Korean endemic species (Squalidus gracilis majimae, Microphysogobio yaluensis, Zacco koreanus, Koreocobitis rotundicausata, etc) were observed and showed a ratio of 36.4%. The community analysis revealed that the structure of fish community in the study sampling sites was instability in having dominance 0.79 (${\pm}0.15$), diverse 1.21 (${\pm}0.60$), evenness 0.58 (${\pm}0.15$) and species richness 1.49 (${\pm}0.83$). The values in the Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) was averagely 122.9 (${\pm}44.8$) in the Bongseonsa stream and this was showed to have favorable habitat surroundings. As a result of tolerance guild analysis, the total number of sensitive species and intermediate species were higher than tolerant species. Analysis was divided into A and B two groups of fiducial 12.25% in Cluster analysis degree of similarity between study sampling sites. Fish Assessment Index (FAI) was rated A and B grade in Bongseonsa stream that stream health showed favorable. However Wangsuk stream as a urban stream rated C grade and analysed the lowest grade in the whole study sampling sites. There was high correlation beteween FAI and various indexes, dominance, diverse, evenness and sensitive species and intermediate species.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.109-125
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• 2023

This study was conducted to select target fish species as baseline research for accumulation analysis of major hazardous chemicals entering the aquatic ecosystem in Korea and to analyze the impact on fish community. The test bed was selected from a sewage treatment plant, which could directly confirm the impact of the inflow of harmful chemicals, and the Geum River estuary where harmful chemicals introduced into the water system were concentrated. A multivariable metric model was developed to select target candidate fish species for hazardous chemical analysis. Details consisted of seven metrics: (1) commercially useful metric, (2) top-carnivorous species metric, (3) pollution fish indicator metric, (4) tolerance fish metric, (5) common abundant metric, (6) sampling availability (collectability) metric, and (7) widely distributed fish metric. Based on seven metric models for candidate fish species, eight species were selected as target candidates. The co-occurring dominant fish with target candidates was tolerant (50%), indicating that the highest abundance of tolerant species could be used as a water pollution indicator. A multi-metric fish-based model analysis for aquatic ecosystem health evaluation showed that the ecosystem health was diagnosed as "bad conditions". Physicochemical water quality variables also influenced fish feeding and tolerance guild in the testbed. Eight water quality parameters appeared high at the T1 site, indicating a large impact of discharging water from the sewage treatment plant. T2 site showed massive algal bloom, with chlorophyll concentration about 15 times higher compared to the reference site.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.27-43
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• 2017

The objectives of the study were to evaluate fish compositions, endangered species, community structure, physical habitat, and general water quality for a preliminary environmental impact assessment of Jeokbyeok River on the road construction between two regions. Total number of species and total number of individuals, based on CPUE, were 23 and 1186, respectively. The endangered species (I, II) as the legal protection species were Pseudopungtungia nigra (79 samples) Gobiobotia brevibarba) (5) Gobiobotia macrocephala (2), indicating a requiring of endangered species conservation. In the meantime, exotic species and ecological disturbing species such as Micropterus salmoides and Lepomis macrochirus, were not present, indicating a well conserved area. According to fish community analysis, values of species diversity index were high (range: 0.788 - 1.030), and the dominance index were low (range: 0.097 - 0.183), indicating that the fish community in this area was maintained well without high dominacne by specific species. Also, fish analysis on tolerance guilds and trophic guilds showed that the proportions of sensitive species were largely exceeded the proportions of the tolerant species, while the proportions of insectivore species were largely exceeded the proportions of the omnivore species. This outcome suggests that the ecosystem was well maintained in terms of tolerance and trophic compositions (food chain). Ecological health, based on the multi-metric fish model of Fish Assessment Integrity (FAI), reflected those fish conditions. In other words, values of FAI model averaged 82.4, which means a "good condition" in the criteria of ecological health by the Minstry of Environment, Korea. In addition, general water quality and physical habitat analyses showed that the system was in good condition. Under these conditions, if the road constructions between the two regions happen in the future, inorganic suspended solids may increase in the waterbody, and this may result in indirect or direct influences on the physical habitats and food chain as well as fish compositions, so the ecological protections and prevention strategy from the soil erosion are required in the system.