• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.161-172
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• 2018

A mixed farming system that includes organic rice production and freshwater fish farming is being called into attention in Korean agricultural industry and rural areas in order to improve farm management and environmental conservation. This study was conducted to evaluate the environmental and ecological value of such mixed farming practices. Expert assessment and rapid assessment method (RAM) of wetland evaluation were employed for this study. Experts have responded that biodiversity conservation including amphibian and reptile habitat (2.39), aquatic insect habitat (2.36), Fishery habitat (2.34), vegetation diversity (2.13), avian habitat (2.05), and experience and education were the most important function of mixed farming. The wetland function evaluation conducted using modified RAM indicated that rice-fish mixed system showed improvements in most of the evaluated functions, compared to the conventional rice paddies. The overall wetland function of rice paddies in rice-fish mixed system was greatly improved as compared with the conventional rice paddies. Rice paddies are known to play an important role in biodiversity maintenance, and provide ecosystem services such as climate modulation and carbon reduction. Rice-fish mixed system of farming may not only improve various ecosystem services of rice paddies, but may increase farm income through value added fish farming, as well as promotion of social services such as education and maintenance of tradition. Additional research is needed for quantitative analysis of the values gained from the most improved wetland function when mixed farming system is actually put into practice, and to utilize the results in advertising of the organic rice, and in various sectors such as food, education and direct payment policy.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.150-164
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• 2022

The objective of this study is to analyze the biodiversity changes and characteristics of the benthic macroinvertebrate community in the Nakdong River with eight weirs, which was constructed as one of the Four Major River Restoration Projects from May to October 2020. The study also includes the analysis of changes in the major groups of benthic macroinvertebrates for about ten years, from 2010 to 2020. The surveys collected 97 species of benthic macroinvertebrates belonging to 83 genera, 52 families, 18 orders, five classes, three phyla, and 128.1 individuals/m². Chironomidae sp. and Tubificidae spp., which are pollutant indicators, dominated throughout the sections. The community analysis result shows the average dominant index and the diversity index of 0.62±0.20 and 1.87±0.63, respectively, and indicated the most stability of the freshwater ecosystem in the upper stream of the Nakdong River. The survey showed dominance by Chironomidae sp. at the center of the Nakdong River weir and the most unstable community in Chilgok and Gangjeong Goryeong weirs. The results of the community stability analysis showed a high distribution of the characteristic group I with high resilience and resistance and small distribution of characteristic group III with low resistance and resilience, indicating a very unstable condition of communities in the Nakdong River weir section. Predators were relatively abundant among the functional feeding groups (FFGs), whereas shredders, gathering-collectors, and filtering-collectors were relatively lower. Among the habitat orientation groups (HOGs), burrowers and climbers were dominant, indicating a wide distribution of groups in ecosystems with low dissolved oxygen. An endangered species level II of Macromia daimoji was found in Sangju and Nakdan weirs. The analysis results for 10 years from 2010 showed that the number of species and populations increased immediately after the dam construction but plummeted in 2016 and are now stabilizing. Chironomidae spp. has been dominant in all sections over the past 10 years, and they are currently maintained at a rate of about 50%. The EPT groups have decreased significantly since 2011, and the Plecoptera and Trichoptera of the group have not yet been restored. The population of Tubificidae spp. showed an increase after construction was completed in 2012 and drastically increased in 2015 and 2020. The species of Cristaria plicata, designated as endangered species level I, has not been observed since 2011 in Hapcheon Changnyeong weir. Moreover, Macromia daimoji was rarely observed in seven weirs until 2015, and it has been confirmed that the current distribution habitat has decreased rapidly.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.93-102
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• 2001

Biomass and species composition of phytoplankton and zooplankton along the salinity gradients in the Seomjin River estuary were investigated in March, July, September and November, 1999. The locations of sampling sites were set based on the surface salinity during each cruise rather than geographic locations. A total of 96 phytoplankton species were identified with 60 diatom species in the study area. The species number of green algae was relatively high in low salinity region while the number of dinoflagellates increased in high salinity areas. Monthly mean of phytoplankton biomass ranged from 183 cells/ml to 833 cells/ml. There was a diatom bloom of Skeletonema costatum in November at the 5-15 psu salinity region and sharp decrease of biomass in very low salinity region occurred in March. During the rainy season in July with the salinity less than 8.1 psu, the green algae dominated in most of the study areas. Chroomonas spp. were highly dominant in March and September and the biomass increased towards the high salinity regions. A total of 83 zooplankton taxa were identified with 72 marine and 11 freshwater taxa. Major group of marine form was copepods with34 taxonomic groups. Most freshwater taxa were aquatic insects. Threshold salinities of freshwater zooplankton appearance were 8.1 psu in July, 4.7 psu in September, and 0.2 psu in November. The number of taxa appeared and abundances of zooplanktons were minimal in the middle of salinity gradients in this estuary.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.63-70
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• 2023

Golden apple snails (Pomacea canaliculat) (GAS) are widely used for weed control in rice cultivation. However, concerns on the ecological risk of invasive GAS species are increasing. This study aimed to evaluate the overall impacts of GAS on weed control, abundance of aquatic animals and insects, and rice yield, in comparison with that from other biocontrol agents such as loach (Misgurnus mizolepis) and catfish (Silurus asotus), which are alternatives for biological weed control in rice paddy cultivation. Field experiments included five treatments; control, herbicide, GAS, loach, and catfish. During the rice growth, weed appearance and biological abundance were monitored, and at harvest, the rice yield was determined. Weed control efficiency was the highest for GAS treatment (100%), followed by that for herbicide (95.8%), loach (57.5%), and catfish treatments (31.7%). Insect abundance was considerably decreased in GAS treatment due to heavy weed removal, which affects the habitat of aquatic animals and insects. The amount of rice yield (unit: kg 10 a^-1) was in the order of GAS (798.9) > loach (708.1) = herbicide (700.7) > catfish (629.4) > control (496.0). Therefore, considering the weed control efficiency, biological abudance, and rice yield, loach could be a potential alternative for biological weed control in organic rice farming. However, the activity of the biocontrol agents are susceptible to environmental conditions; therefore, further studies under different conditions are essential to confirm these findings.