• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2024

Most wetlands worldwide have suffered from extensive human exploitation. Unfortunately they have been less explored compared to river and lake ecosystems despite their ecological importance and economic values. This is the same case in Korea. This study was aimed to estimate the assemblage attributes and distribution characteristics of benthic macroinvertebrates for fifty wetlands distributed throughout subtropical Jeju Island in 2021. A total of 133 taxa were identified during survey periods belonging to 53 families, 19 orders, 5 classes and 3 phyla. Taxa richness ranged from 4 to 31 taxa per wetland with an average of 17.5 taxa. Taxa richness and abundance of predatory insect groups such as Odonata, Hemiptera and Coleoptera respectively accounted for 67.7% and 68.2% of the total. Among them Coleoptera were the most diverse and abundant. Taxa richness and abundance did not significantly differ from each wetland type classified in accordance with the National Wetland Classification System. There were three endangered species (Clithon retropictum, Lethocerus deyrolli and Cybister (Cybister) chinensis) and several restrictively distributed species only in Jeju Island. Cluster analysis based on the similarity in the benthic macroinvertebrate composition largely classified 50 wetlands into two major clusters: small wetlands located in lowland areas and medium-sized wetlands in middle mountainous regions. All cluster groups displayed significant differences in wetland area, long axis, percentage of fine particles and macrophyte composition ratio. Indicator Species Analysis selected 19 important indicators with the highest indicator value of Ceriagrion melanurum at 63%, followed by Noterus japonicus (59%) and Polypylis hemisphaerula (58%). Our results are expected to provide fundamental information on the biodiversity and habitat environments for benthic macroinvertebrates in wetland ecosystems, consequently helping to establish conservation and restoration plans for small wetlands relatively vulnerable to human disturbance.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.32-38
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the natural river conservation work and to find remedies for them, targeting Jangsu-cheon with high frequency of use by citizens among the rivers in Incheon Metroplitan City, Korea; for this, this study conducted investigations and analyses of Jangsu-cheon completed in December, 2008. As a result of investigating 3 spots for the water system of Jangsu-cheon over a total of 3 years (2009, 2010, 2014), it was found that benthic macro-invertebrates of a total of 3 phyla, 5 classes, 11 orders, 26 families, 56 species, and 980 specimens were distributed there. When they were analyzed by year, 18 families and 30 species in 2009, right after the natural river conservation work, and 22 families and 37 species in 2010, 2 years after the work, were found, with 7 species increasing in number; after that, as a result of the investigation in 2014, 22 families and 38 species were found, which tells the river has entered the stabilization stage since the recovery in 2010.Therefore, this study could identify: the water environment of the river was improved due to the natural river conservation work for Jangsu-cheon; in addition, Jangsu-cheon showed good ecological environment due to the continuous maintenance of the good wetlands in Incheon Grand Park in the upper area of the river; and the natural river conservation work of Jangsu-cheon created positive effects.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.1-7
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• 2008

Plan and management for Ecological Abandoned Mine Lands (AMLs) reuse using Geographic Information System (GIS) technique are an ideal method. GIS technique display, manage and analyze a spatially referenced data, which can be combined in user-defined ways to make plan and decision about AMLs reuse. Local communities are affected by AMLs. In the past, plan and management of AMLs have never been considered for ecological aspects as well as using GIS. However, the rapidly growing GIS technology have proven to be a valuable tool in the process of understanding environment and of making responsible environmental decisions. This paper suggests that making responsible decision and plan using GIS can create a various types of benefits to local communities. This also shows that GIS may play a vital role at the decision/planning process of analysis and exploration of local environmental situation. We are trying to apply to decision support system for AMLs reuse. Moreover, a lot of thematic maps are making using GIS providing a comprehensive data with images. These can be an ideal platform to deliver meaningful outcomes.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.247-256
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• 2012

We evaluated the landscape ecological value of selected minefields and wetland patches as a habitat of the forest bird community. The avian fauna of three minefields of 8.5ha, 17.4ha, and 40.6ha were evaluated by comparing that of three control sites of mountain area. Average number of forest bird species, number of individuals, species diversity index, species richness, and species evenness were analyzed according to the size of patch and environmental characteristics such as the presence of wetland and connectivity. Community similarity was evaluated between test and control plots. Avian fauna can be summarized as follows. First, 63 species were recorded, and the sum of maximum counts was 828 individuals. Species diversity index was 3.8, and the species richness was 9.2. Species evenness was 93.3. Second, small, isolated forest patch had a low average number of species and individuals as expected. But, small forest patches with streams had higher bird density than patches without water surface. Third, forest patches with marsh wetland were evaluated as lower habitat quality than forest patches with stream wetland in terms of the number of bird species per unit area, number of individuals per unit area, species diversity index, species richness index, and species evenness. Finally, Community similarity of the small forest patches with streams was similar with large connected forest. As a result, lowland forest patch was shown the good quality for the forest bird community in spite of small extents, and community structure was similar with mountain forest bird community. Thus, riparian forest restoration could improve the biodiversity of the forest bird community.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.251-259
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• 2014

Recently, wetland and paddy wetland are being highlighted as the international environmental issues. However, research system which can assess paddy wetland is lacking. Thus, the purpose of this study is to assess the value of paddy wetland by applying RAM to paddy wetland. In addition, we would like to use this study as the data to establish assessment method for paddy wetland. 16 sites were selected as research targets based on altitude and soil. As the results of wetland assessment, 16 research target sites had total score of 212~227 and the average of 2.17~2.50. It was similar to those of Lacustrine Wetlands, Palustrine Wetland and Riverine Wetland which were sites in previous studies. The value could be recognized as the wetland. However, there was no difference in assessment results based on altitude and soil. It was found that all conservation values were the same. The factor the most closely affecting conservation value was the area. However, there was limitation to apply existing wetland assessment system to paddy wetland. In order to assess paddy wetland, factors such as rice farming methods, topography, vegetation, growth environment and biodiversity should be added. It was thought to supplement wetland assessment system through various further studies.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.9-21
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• 2021

In this study, fish and flow surveys were conducted at 12 survey points to calculate the fish habitat suitability index of Miho Stream in the Geum River Water System. The field surveys were conducted four times from September 2019 to May 2020. The results show the presence of 8 families, 37 species, and 5,754 individuals. The number of water purification species that preferred waters with a low flow rate was the highest. The habitat suitability index was calculated according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife method based on the populations collected at various water depths and flow rate sections and the flow rate survey results. For the dominant species, Zacco platypus and swimming species, the results were compared by calculating at Gasan Bridge and Palgye Bridge at the upper stream. The single species showed no significant difference between the upstream and downstream at water depths of 0.1 - 0.5 m and flow rates of 0.2 - 0.5 m/s. The species swimming ability was similarly calculated at water depths of 0.2 - 0.5 m and flow rates of 0.2 - 0.5 m/s. The dominant species, Pyramid, had a wide range of physical habitats. The habitat suitability index between the swimming species was similarly calculated. These results can be effectively used as basic data for calculating the environmental ecological flow rate and establishing a river restoration plan of the Miho Stream.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.460-467
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• 2022

In this study, we collected snake roadkill data from 2006 to 2017 and developed a species distribution model to identify the pattern of snake roadkill and predict the potential hotspot of snake roadkill in the Odaesan National Park of South Korea. During the study period, snake roadkills occurred most frequently on the road, which passes through between forest and stream at an altitude of about 600 m. The modeling result showed that the occurrence probability of snake roadkill was high on a road with a gentle slope at a distance of 25 m from the stream and an altitude of 600 m. The most susceptible regions for snake roadkill in the Odaesan National Park were located on National Route 6, about 2.2 km and 11.7 km away from the southern border of the park, and on Local Road 446, 3.44 km away from the southern border of the park. The results of this study suggest that providing alternative basking places and eco-corridors and installing protection fences that block the inflow of snakes into roads, preferentially around roads and streams at an altitude lower than 700 m would be an effective way of reducing snake roadkill in the Odaesan National Park.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.118-125
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• 2019

Swimming performance of fish is an important factor in the survival of fish. Also, swimming performance of fish is used in the form of habitat, or as a condition to consider when creating a fish ladder. However in Korea, researches in swimming performance of Korean freshwater fish were scarce and inadequate in some part, thus fish ladders were installed without considering their swimming performance. Therefore, in this study, we measured swimming performance of 4 Korean freshwater fish species to consider importance of swimming performance test. The fish used in this study were Carassius auratus, Zacco koreanus, Gnathopogon strigatus, Acheilognathus lanceolata intermedia species which was collected during October to November, 2018 at Geum River, and measurement for swimming speed of each fish was done by using $Loligo^{(R)}$ System, swim tunnel respirometer in January to February of 2019. The average value of the burst critical swimming speed ($U_{crit}$) for each species was $0.8{\pm}0.04m\;s^{-1}$ for C. auratus, $0.77{\pm}0.04m\;s^{-1}$ for Z. koreanus, $0.95{\pm}0.04m\;s^{-1}$ for G. strigatus, $0.73{\pm}0.03m\;s^{-1}$ for A. lanceolata intermedia and the average value of prolonged critical swimming speed was $0.54m\;s^{-1}$ for C. auratus, $0.67m\;s^{-1}$ for Z. koreanus, $0.7m\;s^{-1}$ for G. strigatus, $0.54m\;s^{-1}$ for A. lanceolata intermedia. Since the fish used in this experiment were collected from a small part of the water system in Korea and there were only 4 species, they were not enough to represent the species that inhabit the entire Korean water system. It will be necessary to continue evaluating the swimming performance of other freshwater species in Korea.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.59-68
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• 2007

Urban streams have been severely degraded with wastewater and concrete structure over a prolonged period. The Chonggyecheon Restoration Project recovered a stream in the downtown Seoul with landscaping, plantings and bridges after the cover concrete and elevated asphalt road were removed. The project has been criticized partly because it is not an ecological restoration but rather the development of an urban park with an unnaturally straight flowing stream, artificial building structures, and artificial water pumping from the Han River. Nevertheless, the public have praised the project and almost 100,000 visitors per day come to see the reeds, catfish, and ducks. The stream restoration project is attractive to central and regional government decision makers because it increases the public concern of landscape amenity. Several projects such as Sanjichon and Kaeumjungchon are on going and proposed. These projects have a common and different respect in scope and procedure. The Chonggyecheon project in the process of environmental impact assessment (EIA) and prior environmental review system (PERS) reviewed the environmental impacts before development. Kaeumjungchon in the PERS and Sanjichon without EIA and PERS are reviewed. EIA and PERS systems contribute to checking the ecological sustainability of the restoration projects. A stream restoration project is a very complex task, so an integrated approach from plan to project is needed for ecologically sound restoration. Ecological stream restoration requires 1) an assessment of the entire stream ecosystem 2) establishing an ecologically sound management system of the stream reflecting not only benefits for people but also flora and fauna; 3) developing the site-specific design criteria and construction techniques including habitat restoration, flood plains conservation, and fluvial management; 4) considering the stream watershed in land use plan, EIA, PERS, and strategic environmental assessment (SEA). Additionally the process needs to develop the methodologies to enhance stakeholder's participation during planning, construction, and monitoring.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.98-106
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• 2002

This study was designed to present a river model with the aim of restoring the ecosystem and improving the landscape along the urban rivers on the basin of the Namhanl river, a core life channel for the National Capital regin. The revelation of botanical status, transition trend and correlation of plants might lead to providing the urban river restoration projects and ecological river formation projects with basic data for a model of ideal aquatic ecology and landscape. The outcomes of this study could be summed up as follows: 1. The plant communities of river flora found on the basin of the Namhan river could be categorized largely into 39 plant communities 2. Most diverse plants were distributed in the rivers lower reaches such as Unsim-ri where the protected zone of Paldang reservoir for city water borders the body of Jodae swamp where natural streams flow nearby. 3. One of the greatest threats to the biomass of the River Namhan is that the communities of such invasive alien plants as Panicum dichotomiflorum and Ambrosia artemisiifolia var. elatior dominate most parts of the area, a fact that has resulted in a reduced variety of plants and will, sooner or later, be likely to cause an ecological imbalance in the hitherto healthy Aquatic plant life. It is highly advisable to gradually diversify the species of trees and to return the plants bark to their original state since, besides the naturalized plants, plantations afforested with Erigeron canadensis and Erigeron annuus stocks in buckwheat field, Robinia Pseudo-accacia in riverside forest, Pinus rigida in terrestrial forest on the river basin and Larix leptolepis are anticipated to act as interceptors of normal migrations of the fluvial and terrestrial ecosystems. Finally, it seems also desirable to continue to explore the relationship between fluvial and terrestrial ecologies with the purpose of building up a model of natural streams in urban areas based on the surveyed factors for plant life, soil and landscape and, moreover, on the forecasting for overall influences derived from the rotation upon the ecosystem.