• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.384-401
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• 2016

The vegetation assessment indicator has been developed recently as a biological part of the integrated assessment system for river environment to improve the efficiency of river restoration projects. This study carried out to test the vegetation assessment indicator and to reset its grade criteria on experimental streams. We classified and mapped vegetation communities at the level of physiognomic-floristic composition by each assessment unit. A total of 204 sampling quadrats were set up on the 68 assessment units at 5 experimental streams. By analyzing the vegetation data collected, we examined the appropriate numbers of sampling quadrats, the criteria of vegetation index score, classification of vegetation community, and grade criteria for vegetation assessment. The developed vegetation assessment indicator composed with the vegetation complexity index (VCI), the vegetation diversity index (VDI), and the vegetation naturalness index (VNI) was proved to reflect the current conditions of the streams sufficiently. The contribution of vegetation naturalness index to grading by vegetation assessment indicator was larger, but three indexes were closely correlated to each other. Also there was more clearer discrimination of grading with the application of adjusted criteria of vegetation assessment indicator and the standardized classification of vegetation community, but the stream segment type did not influence the vegetation assessment grade significantly.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.637-656
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• 2023

River estuaries are dynamic and productive ecosystems with high regional biodiversity. Environmental DNA (eDNA) has become a useful approach to assessing biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems. This study was conducted to investigate fish community characteristics and species diversity in two river estuary ecosystems, the Taehwa River and Changwon Stream. We further compared conventional and eDNA metabarcoding analyses of the fish communities. The conventional survey was performed in May, July, and October 2022, while the eDNA analysis was conducted only in May. We observed various fish species with different life histories, including carp, goby, and marine fish. We also found that migratory fish, such as dace Tribolodon hakonensis, sweetfish Plecoglossus altivelis, and eel Auguilla japonica, occurred in the Taehwa River, suggesting high river connectivity. Marine fish species were predominant in the Changwon Stream, as this river is located close to the sea. The diversity indices showed that the Taehwa River generally had higher species richness, evenness, and diversity values than the Changwon Stream. A total of 9-19 species were detected in the conventional survey for the three sites, whereas 11-18 species were found from eDNA analysis. The findings indicate that the sensitivity of eDNA was similar to or higher than that of the conventional method. Our study findings suggest the efficiency and efficacy of eDNA-based fish community monitoring, although with some shortcomings in applying the genetic marker to Korean fish, including no clear-cut distinction for Korean endemic species and/or genetically closely related species groups.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.90 no.1
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• pp.36-42
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• 2001

Changes in breeding bird community and forest structure by thinning were investigated from April 1997 to August 1998 in 10ha ($400{\times}250m$) of temperate mixed hardwood forest in Mt. Gariwang which is located in National Forest, Pyoungchang, Kangwon Province, Korea. Bird community was surveyed by the territory mapping method and forest structure was done by analyzing the vertical structure of foliage, distribution of diameter at breast height (DBH) of trees and tree species composition. After the thinning, tree density, number of tree species and basal area were decreased from 195ea/ha, 18 species and 6.69 $m^2/ha$ into 100ea/ha, 13 species and 3.04 $m^2/ha$, respectively. Foliage coverages in upper and mid layer were decreased, but coverage in low layer was increased. Large trees (Over 40cm of DBH) were decreased. Number of breeding bird species and pairs were decreased from 14 species and 23 pairs into 8 species and 12 pairs after the thinning. Number of breeding pairs of Yellow-breasted bunting Emberiza elegans incresed. There were decrease in number of species in hole & bush-nesting and canopy & bush-foraging guild. The results suggested that the thinning affect the species composition of breeding bird community and the forest structure. Changes of habitat structure might influence in breeding bird's density, species diversity and habitat using pattern of breeding bird community.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.555-563
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• 2016

The morphological characteristics and genetic relationships among 32 germplasms of Zanthoxylum schinifolium and Zanthoxylum piperitum collected from two farms in Korea were investigated. The traits with the most variability were seed color, leaf size, and spine size. The intraspecific polymorphism of Z. schinifolium and Z. piperitum was 96.5% and 60.3%, respectively. The genetic diversity and Shannon’s information index values ranged from 0.11 to 0.33 and 0.19 to 0.50, with average values of 0.26 and 0.42, respectively. Two ISSR primers (UBC861 and UBC862) were able to distinguish the different species. The genetic similarity matrix (GSM) revealed variability among the accessions ranging from 0.116 to 0.816. The intraspecific GSM for Z. schinifolium and Z. piperitum was 0.177-0.780 and 0.250-0.816, respectively. The GSM findings indicate that Z. schinifolium and Z. piperitum accessions have high genetic diversity and possess germplasms qualifying as good genetic resources for cross breeding. The clustering analysis separated Z. schinifolium and Z. piperitum into independent groups, and all accessions could be classified into three categories. Z. Schinifolium var. nermis belonged to independent groups. Comparison of the clusters based on morphological analysis with those based on ISSR data resulted in an unclear pattern of division among the accessions. The study findings indicate that Z. schinifolium and Z. piperitum accessions have genetic diversity, and ISSR markers were useful for identifying Z. schinifolium and Z. piperitum.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.524-540
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• 2013

After the construction of the Geum River estuary dam, we investigated the ecological property of phytoplankton community with physicochemical property in 9 stations of Geum River estuary 4 times seasonally in 2010 about the environmental changes through the change of phytoplankton. Physicochemical property seems to show eutrophication which developed from the tendency of accruing of the nutrients (those involved in intermittency of freshwater which flows from the dike and the surrounding cities), caused by the changing of tidal flow, the decreasing of the inflow of seawater after the construction of the Geum River estuary dam (dike). A total of 233 species of species composition of phytoplankton emerged, showing a highly increased result compared to that of the former research. The reason for the increase in number is considered as a phenomenon resulting from the mix of blackish and freshwater marine species in the flow of intermittency of freshwater discharge. Also, the standing crops of phytoplankton considerably increased compared to when the dike had not yet been built. Highly affected by the discharge of occasional freshwater, the diatoms of blackish water zone dominated in spring and winter, while freshwater species appeared to dominate in summer and autumn. The species diversity showed over 2.0 except in winter season. After a cluster analysis, the result showed that the Geum River estuary was influenced by runoff from cities like Gunsan, the sewage which flows from Gyeongpo River, and the intermittency of freshwater discharge from the Geum River estuary dam.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.1 s.68
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• pp.27-32
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• 2005

The recovery of vegetation in the burned area after forest fire was investigated in Mt. Sirubng, Jinju city, from 1994 to 2000. The floristic composition of a burned area was 37 kinds in 2000. The life from spectra of six sites showed H-D1-R5-e type. This type is similar to the life form which has been usually showed in most of burned areas. Total diversity index of six burned sites showed 2.135 (1996), 3.784 (1998), and 2.948 (2000). whereas, total diversity index of six unburned sites was 2.642 (1996), 2.516 (1998), and 2.723 (2000). Evenness index of six sites showed 1.816 (1996), 2.641 (1998), and 1.925 (2000). The dominant index of burned and unburned areas were 0.012 and 0.250 (1996), 0.031 and 0.261 (1998, and 0.110 and 0.275 (2000), respectively. The degree of succession in the unburned area gradually increased and the burned area was recovered to be similar to the unburned area after three years.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.159-168
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• 1999

The ophemeropterans such as Epeorus pellucidus, Uracanthella rufa and Drunella uculea were dominated in station 1. It was generally showed the stable aquatic communities with low dominance index values throughout the year in station 2. The first dominant species in station 3 were all mayflies with the average DI value of 0.38. The first dominant species of Uracanthella rufa known as relatively tolerant species in station 4. A crustacean species Gammarus spp. have frequently occurred as the 1st or 2nd dominant species in station 5. Limnodrilus socialis, and Chironomus spp. were dominated in stations 6 and 7 Station 1, 2 and 3 were classified as oligosaprobic status according to their average diversity index values ranging from 3.46 to 3.52. Station 7 showed $\alpha$-mesosaprobic water condition with the overall average diversity value of 1.26. In general, the equitability and species richness values in the same sampling areas had close relations with their diversity values. The dendrogram drawn by dissimilarity values among 7 sampling sites indicates that the macrobenthic communities were divided into 3 groups： stations 1, 2, 3 and 4； stations 6 and 7； and station 5 alone.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.21-33
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• 2012

Survey on the phytoplankton community structure and distribution in the upstream watershed of the East River was carried out during the period from May, 2008 to April, 2009. A total composition of phytoplankton included 159 taxa, consisting of 7 orders, 56 genera, 139 species, and 40 unidenfied species. Among those, the diatoms and green algae were more frequently found during the investigation than the other taxa. Cocconeis placentula, Cymbella minuta, Diatoma vulgare, Melosira varians, Navicula cryptocephala, Scenedesmus acuminatus v. acuminatus, were among the most common. The standing crops of the phytoplankton ranged from 86 cells $mL^{-1}$ to 1,467 cells $mL^{-1}$. The dominant species were Achnanthes minutissima, Asterionella formosa, Aulacoseira ambigua, Cocconeis placentula, Coelastrum microporum, Cyclotella sp., Cymbella affinis, C. minuta, C. tumida, Diatoma vulgare, Fragilaria capucina, F. construens, F. crotonensis, Gomphonema affine, G. clevei, Melosira varians, Merismopedia elegans, Navicula cryptocephala, N. pupula, Nitzschia tryblionella, Oscillatoria anna, O. limosa, O. tenuis v. tenuis, Pediastrum duplex v. reticulatum, Phormidium tenue, Scenedesmus acuminatus v. acuminatus, S. acutus v. acutus, S. ecornis v. ecornis, S. quadricauda v. quadricauda, Spirogyra sp., Stigeoclonium sp., Synedra acus, S. ulna, and Ulothrix sp. The most dominant species was Cymbella minuta. The diversity index, evenness index, and dominance index ranged from 1.58 to 3.10, 051 to 0.95, and 0.22 to 0.74, respectively. The phytoplankton community structure of upstream stations of the survey area was influenced by the effluent of the Doam Lake.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.60-88
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• 2023

This study was conducted to investigate the vertical distribution and vascular plants in the Gakho mountain. Form the results of three field surveys from May 2022 to September 2022, a total of 478 total taxa, representing 426 species, 11 subspecies, 35 varieties, four forms, and two hybrids were identified, which were categorized in 282 genera and 94 families. We identified the elevational distribution ranges of 398 taxa of vascular plants. Among them, 19 taxa were endemic to Korea, one taxon was identified as a rare plant. The floristic target plants amounted to 72 taxa, specifically two taxa of grade V, two taxa of grade IV, 16 taxa of grade III, 27 taxa of grade II, and 25 taxa of grade I. Further, 71 taxa were identified as northern lineage plants. A total of 19 taxa of alien plants were identified, with a Naturalized Index of 4.0%, an Urbanization Index of 6.6%, and three plants that disturbed the ecosystem. The result of analyzing the pattern of species richness showed a reversed hump shape with minimum richness at mid-high elevation. A cluster analysis showed a high degree of similarity between adjacent elevation sections that are geographically adjacent with similar habitat environments. Warmth index in the Gakho mountain ranged from 57.2℃·month to 84.2℃·month. Our results provide basic data on vascular plants and valuable information on elevational distribution ranges of current plant species in the Gakho mountain, which could serve as a baseline for comparison of the shifts in elevation under future climate change.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.385-393
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• 2007

Benthic macroinvertebrate communities were studied after a small dam removal from the mid-section of the Gyeongan stream in Gyeonggi-do, Korea. Quantitative sampling was conducted at immediately upstream (upper) and downstream (lower) sites from the dam as well as at the site where the dam was located (dam site: middle) using a Surber sampler (50$\times$50 cm, mesh 0.25 mm), four times (November 2004, May 2005, January 2006, and May 2006) after the dam removal. As a result, 46 species of benthic macroinvertebtates, belonged in 35 genera, 27 families, 11 orders, 5 classes, and 4 phyla, were sampled from the stream sites, but the number of species that occurred at each sampling trial was different (ranged 3$\sim$17 spp.) according to the seasons and sites. Approximately one year after the dam removal, the species number has in-creased and taxa composition has changed as the microhabitat became more heterogeneously due to a riffle formation in the upstream site. Chironomid larvae and tubificid worms, which are common in Korean urban streams, were the dominant species, while Hydropsyche kozhantschikovi was the 2nd dominant species at some sampling trials. In general, McNaughton's dominance indices decreased and Shannon species diversity indices increased approximately one year after the dam removal. Compositions of collector-filterers, clingers, and swimmers increased as hydropsychid caddisflies, heptageniid mayflies, and baetid mayflies increased, respectively, in the upstream site. The group pollution index and the ecological score using benthic macroinvertebrates both indicated that water environment has been improved in the upstream site after the dam removal.