• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.292-300
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• 2016

Diverse and comprehensive countermeasures were established to prevent water pollution in coastal areas such as constructed wetlands(CW).This study was conducted to assess the water quality improvement through CW constructed along the shoreline of Hwaseong coastal reservoir. The CW is located in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do and consisted of a forebay and a wetland. The CW was monitored twice during rainy days and 10 times during dry days. The monitoring results indicated that in and out flowrates were highly correlated with COD and TN loads. COD, TN and TP concentrations in the forebay was lower during dry days than rainy days. However, concentration and mass removal efficiencies of COD, TN and TP were greater during rainy days. In addition, the volume flowing into the CW was less compared to the outflow during rainy days indicating that the CW efficiently reduced the runoff volume. The overall pollutant removal efficiency of the CW were at least 50% for TSS, 20 to 35% for TP, and 26 to 94% for TN. The data gathered may be used to improve the pollutant removal efficiency of the system in the future.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.52 no.spc2
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• pp.765-776
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to provide the legal and institutional guidelines and standards that can be used in the whole river restoration project and to analyze and evaluate the performance of the river project. We constructed an assessment system of four biological taxa that can represent the river environments, namely, evaluation indexes and standards of vegetation and birds, benthic invertebrates and fishes. Specifically, the assessment indicator and criteria of biological characteristics are summarized, so that in case of vegetation community, vegetation diversity, vegetation complexity, and vegetation naturalness can be quantitatively assessed through the combination of three indices. Based on the scientific basis of the advanced techniques, benthic invertebrates, fishes, and birds were proposed to quantitatively evaluate assessment grades according to the classification of biological data. In order to evaluate biological characteristics, which are a part of river environmental naturalness, we proposed a comprehensive biological index and evaluation grade applying the weight of these four biological taxa, and it clearly reflects the characteristics of river environment in test bed.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.370-385
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• 2023

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (Cyano-HABs) are an international environmental problem that negatively affects the ecosystem as well as the safety of water resources by discharging cyanotoxins. In particular, the discharge of microcystins (MCs), a highly toxic substance, has been studied most actively, and various water treatment methods have been proposed for this purpose. In this paper, we reviewed adsorption technology, which is recognized as the most feasible, economical, and efficient method among suggested treatment methods for removing MCs. Activated carbons (AC) are widely used adsorbents for MCs removal, and excellent MCs adsorption performance has been reported. Research on alternative adsorption materials for AC such as biochar and biosorbents has been conducted, however, their performance was lower compared to activated carbon. The impacts of adsorbent properties(characteristics of pore surface chemistry) and environmental factors (solution pH, temperature, natural organic matter, and ionic strength) on the MCs adsorption performance were also discussed. In addition, toward effective control of MCs, the possibility of the direct removal of harmful cyanobacteria as well as the removal of dissolved MCs using adsorption strategy was examined. However, to fully utilize the adsorption for the removal of MCs, the application and optimization under actual environmental conditions are still required, thereby meeting the environmental and economic standards. From this study, crucial insights could be provided for the development and selection of effective adsorbent and subsequent adsorption processes for the removal of MCs from water resources.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.101 no.3
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• pp.333-343
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• 2012

In-stream large wood (LW) has a critical impact on the geomorphic characteristics relevant to ecosystem management and disaster prevention, yet relatively little is known about variations in its dynamics and subsequent export on the watershed-scale perspective in Korea. Here we review variations in the dynamics and subsequent export of LW as a function of stream size, which is appropriate for Korean mountain streams. In upstream channels with narrow bankfull widths and low stream discharges, a massive amount of LW, resulting from forest dynamics and hillslope processes, may persist for several decades on valley floor. These pieces, however, are eventually transported during infrequent debris flows from small tributaries, as well as peak hydrology in main-stem channels. During the transport, these pieces suffer fragmentation caused by frictions with boulders, and stream bank and bed. Although infrequent, these events can be dominant processes in the export of significant amounts of LW from upstream channel networks. In downstream channels with wide bankfull widths and high stream discharges, LW is dominantly recruited by forest dynamics and bank erosion only at locations where the channel is adjacent to mature riparian forests. With the LW pieces that are supplied from the upstream, these pieces are continuously transported downstream during rainfall events. This leads to further fragmentation of the LW pieces, which increases their transportability. With decreasing stream-bed slope, these floated LW pieces, however, can be stored and form logjams at various depositional sites, which were developed by interaction between channel forms and floodplains. These pieces may decay for decades and be subsequently transported as particulate or dissolved organic materials, resulting in the limitation of LW fluvial export from the systems. However, in Korea, such depositional sites were developed in the extremely limited streams with a large dimension and no flood history for decades, and thus it does not be expected that the reduction of LW export amount, which can be caused by the long-term storage. Our review presents a generalized view of LW processing and is relevant to ecosystem management and disaster prevention for Korean mountain streams.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.219-228
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• 2015

To secure water resources, dams are normally constructed on the upper - middle part of streams, and it generates physical disturbances such as habitat alteration and stream fragmentation. Such construction can restrict movement of aquatic organisms, especially for freshwater fish which is one of top predator in aquatic ecosystem, and cause genetic fragmentation and community change. In this study, to investigate impact of habitat alteration after dam construction on freshwater fish, we monitored fish community changes, and compared fish fauna between dam reservoir and inflows. Additionally, movement characteristics and habitat boundaries of four species were identified by radio telemetry method. The study was conducted in the Gunwi Dam which was constructed in December 2010. Radio telemetry was applied to Pungtungia herzi, Zacco platypus (living lotic and lentic), Silurus asotus (lentic preferred species) and Zacco koreanus (lotic preferred species). The number of species was remarkably decreased (4 family, 10 species) comparing with before the dam construction (7 family, 15 species). Specifically, Coreoleuciscus splendidus, Niwaella multifasciata, Liobagrus mediadiposalis, Coreoperca herzi and Odontobutis platycephala that inhabit in the lotic environment were not collected in the study area. A total of 8 species were caught in both the dam reservoir and tributaries except 2 species (C. auratus and S. asotus). Sorenson's similarity between the reservoir and its tributaries was high (0.842). All of the radio tagged species stayed in the reservoir except S. asotus which moved to the tributary. These species mainly utilized the shallow littoral zone as a habitat. These results could be useful as a baseline data for efficient management of fishes in lakes.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.248-257
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• 2006

Total naturalized plant species in the streams of Jeonju were listed as 109 taxa; 24 families, 75 genera, 106 species, 3 varieties. Dividing by stream, Jeonju stream has 75 taxa; 20 families, 55 genera, 73 species, 2 varieties. Samcheon stream has 86 taxa; 19 families, 64 genera, 84 species, 2 varieties. Soyang stream has 80 taxa; 21 families, 60 genera, 77 species, 3 varieties. Urbanization Index (UI) of total streams (109 taxa) was 40.2%. UI was 27.7% in Jeonju stream (75 taxa), 31.7% in Samcheon stream (86 taxa), 29.5% in Soyang stream (80 taxa). Dividing by degree of naturalization classification, 25 taxa (9.2%) were found in class 5, 17 taxa (6.2%) in class 4, 32 taxa (11.8%) in class 3, 27 taxa (9.9%) in class 2 and 8 taxa (2.9%) in class 1. Dividing by introduction period, 48 taxa (44%) aye in period I, 19 taxa (17%) in period II, 42 taxa (39%) in period III. Dividing by growth type, 48 taxa (44%) are annuals, 25 taxa (23%) are biennials, 33 taxa (30%) are perennials. Dividing by the place of origin, 39 taxa (35%) are from Euyope, 33 taxa (30%) from North America, 11 taxa (10%) from Tropic America, 9 taxa (8%) from Europe Asia,5 taxa (5%) from South America, 5 taxa (5%) from China.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.166-177
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• 2010

This study is to identify potential factors to impact on appearance of wildbirds which live in the core forest around urban area in Gangdong-gu, Seoul. As a result of analysis of, studies on biotope showed most of urbanization biotope was biotope of residential areas with high green coverage and biotope of residential and business areas with low green coverage while most of biotope of green and openspace was core green biotope. The research area was divided into several blocks based on biotope types in the urbanization areas excluding green and openspace. As a result of research on wildbirds, total 51 species 3,419 individuals appeared in spring and total 35 species 4,213 individuals appeared in winter. 24 wild bird species were selected as subjects of this study among 31 species seen in urbanization areas, since urban birds, rapacious birds, waterside birds were excluded from the study for the proper consideration. Then this study looked at how many species and individuals of the subjects were observed at each research block in urbanization areas during spring and winter separately. Landuse structure and green structure in each block were examined to see whether these structures affect the number of wild birds observed in urbanization areas of Gangdong-gu. Furthermore, the distance between these blocks and green was assessed. While studying the potential links between the landuse structure and the number of wild birds observed in urbanization areas of Gangdong-gu, block area, green coverage, and building-to-land ratio were believed to affect the number of types and species of wild birds in the research area. In terms of correlation analysis of whether green structure affected the number of wild birds observed in urbanization areas of Gangdong-gu, crown volume of layers, the average green patch area, the average height of canopy layer were found to have an impact not only on the number of types but also species of wild birds in the research area.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.261-269
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• 2001

The purpose of present study was to introduce a multimetric approach, so called the Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) as a tool for evaluations of water environments. We used 11 metric systems for the IBI to evaluate stream conditions, based on the fish community, and modified 5 original metric attributes suggested by Karr (1981). Overall IBI values in Kap Stream averaged 36 (n = 5) and ranged 17${\sim}$49, indicating a 'fair condition' according to the modified criteria of Karr (1981) and U.S. EPA (1993). However, there were distinct differences in the IBI values among 5 study sites. The IBI values at sites 1, 2, and 3 were 49, 45, and 41, which indicated 'good${\sim}$excellent', 'good', and 'fair' condition, respectively, while values at sites 4 and 5 were 17 and 29, which indicated 'very poor' and 'poor', respectively. The minimum IBI at site 4 was probably due to continuous inputs of wastewater from wastewater disposal plants. The condition at site 4 resulted in predominance of tolerant species (50%), omnivore species (50%), and high abnormalies (43%). In the mean time, the IBI value at site 5, located near 5km downstream from the site 4, increased compared to that of site 4, and this seemed to be a result of recovery of water quality as the polluted water goes downward. We believe that present bioassessment methodology of IBI applied in this study may be used as a key tool to set up specific goals for stream restoration plans and dentify recovery levels of lotic ecosystems after restoration activities(i.e., prevention of point-source pollutant input, restoration of physical habitats, construction of riparian vegetation) as well as a biological measure diagnosing current stream conditions.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.321-327
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• 2006

In Korea, there is a growing competitive for water resources between industrial, domestic and agricultural consumer, and the environment as many other OECD countries. The demand on water use is also affecting aquatic ecosystems particularly where withdrawals are in excess of minimum environmental needs for rivers, lakes and wetland habits. OECD developed three indicators related to water use by the agriculture in above contexts : the first is a water use intensity indicator, which is expressed as the quantity or share of agricultural water use in total national water utilization; the second is a water stress indicator, which is expressed as the proportion of rivers (in length) subject to diversion or regulation for irrigation without reserving a minimum of limiting reference flow; and the third is a water use efficiency indicator designated as the technical and the economic efficiency. These indicators have different meanings in the aspect of water resource conservation and sustainable water use. So, it will be more significant that the indicators should reflect the intrinsic meanings of them. The problem is that the aspect of an overall water flow in the agro-ecosystem and recycling of water use not considered in the assessment of agricultural water use needed for calculation of these water use indicators. Namely, regional or meteorological characteristics and site-specific farming practices were not considered in the calculation of these indicators. In this paper, we tried to calculate water use indicators suggested in OECD and to modify some other indicators considering our situation because water use pattern and water cycling in Korea where paddy rice farming is dominant in the monsoon region are quite different from those of semi-arid regions. In the calculation of water use intensity, we excluded the amount of water restored through the ground from the total agricultural water use because a large amount of water supplied to the farm was discharged into the stream or the ground water. The resultant water use intensity was 22.9% in 2001. As for water stress indicator, Korea has not defined nor monitored reference levels of minimum flow rate for rivers subject to diversion of water for irrigation. So, we calculated the water stress indicator in a different way from OECD method. The water stress indicator was calculated using data on the degree of water storage in agricultural water reservoirs because 87% of water for irrigation was taken from the agricultural water reservoirs. Water use technical efficiency was calculated as the reverse of the ratio of irrigation water to a standard water requirement of the paddy rice. The efficiency in 2001 was better than in 1990 and 1998. As for the economic efficiency for water use, we think that there are a lot of things to be taken into considerations to make a useful indicator to reflect socio-economic values of agricultural products resulted from the water use. Conclusively, site-specific, regional or meteorogical characteristics as in Korea were not considered in the calculation of water use indicators by methods suggested in OECD(Volume 3, 2001). So, it is needed to develop a new indicators for the indicators to be more widely applicable in the world.