• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.327-334
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• 2017

The flood pulse in streams enhances the biodiversity and ecosystem services of the channel-floodplain ecosystems by exchanging water, nutrients, sediments and organisms. However, the lateral connectivity in most streams of Korea has been disrupted by the levee constructions for the purpose of flood control and land use of floodplains. To compare the characteristics of floodplain vegetation according to existence of lateral connectivity in streams, we investigated the geomorphological and soil environmental factors and structures and distribution of vegetation in the floodplains connected and isolated by levee to the channel in Cheongmi Stream, Seom River, Hwangguji Stream, Mangyeong River, Gomakwon Stream, and Boseong River, Korea. In comparison of soil environments, moisture and clay contents were higher in the isolated floodplain than in the connected floodplain. According to the result of principal component analysis (PCA) using environmental data, the environments of the connected floodplain and the isolated floodplain were separated by soil moisture contents, soil texture and distribution altitude of the vegetation. The results of detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) using vegetation data showed that the isolated floodplain was dominated by the hydropythic communities of diverse life form and that the connected floodplain was dominated by the hygrophytic communities that endure disturbance. In conclusion, it is thought that the vegetation of the floodplain changed to the lentic wetland vegetation dominated by diverse hydrophytes as the floodplain was isolated from the channel by artificial levees.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.312-320
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• 2020

Various LIDs with natural water circulation function are applied to reduce urban environmental problems and environmental impact of development projects. However, excessive Infiltration and evaporation of LID facilities dry the LID internal soil, thus reducing plant and microbial activity and reducing environmental re duction ability. The purpose of this study was to develop a real-time measurement system with complex sensors to derive the management plan of LID facilities. The test of measurable sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) application was conducted in artificial wetlands shaped in acrylic boxes. The applied sensors were intended to be built at a low cost considering the distributed LID and were based on Arduino and Raspberry Pi, which are relatively inexpensive and commercialized. In addition, the goal was to develop complex sensor measurements to analyze the current state o f LID facilities and the effects of maintenance and abnormal weather conditions. Sensors are required to measure wind direction, wind speed, rainfall, carbon dioxide, Micro-dust, temperature and humidity, acidity, and location information in real time. Data collection devices, storage server programs, and operation programs for PC and mobile devices were developed to collect, transmit and check the results of measured data from applied sensors. The measurements obtained through each sensor are passed through the Wifi module to the management server and stored on the database server in real time. Analysis of the four-month measurement result values conducted in this study confirmed the stability and applicability of ICT technology application to LID facilities. Real-time measured values are found to be able to utilize big data to evaluate the functions of LID facilities and derive maintenance measures.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.225-238
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• 2020

The agricultural landscape is considered an important space to provide service functions, but the reality is that environmental and ecological problems are being reported in the creation of a facility horticulture complex. Therefore, this study was conducted to contribute to sustainable agriculture by creating a more eco-friendly facility horticultural complex. The elements of planning for eco-friendly development of the facility horticultural complex were derived from literature and expert surveys. The master plan and the bird's-eye view were then applied to the Saemangeum area by applying the planning elements. After analyzing the method of selecting and deploying input elements for improving functions, it was suggested that low-flow areas, wetlands, artificial storage facilities, green spaces, and waterways should be placed in harmony with the landscape and that the building-to-land ratio should be applied at 55%. The final design was prepared by applying the ecological service function improvement plan proposed by experts. The final bird's-eye view also reflected water purification facilities, connection of wetlands to waterways, packing of pitchers, and connection of green areas. The results of the research are expected to be used as basic data for policy and budget allocation for the eco-friendly creation of horticulture facilities and contribute to sustainable agriculture by contributing to national biodiversity and environmental preservation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Environment and Ecology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.105-126
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• 2003

In Korea most of annual rainfall is concentrated in several episodic heavy rains during the season of summer monsoon and typhoon. Because of uneven rainfall distribution many dams have been constructed in order to secure water supply in dry seasons. The Han River system has the most dams among Korean rivers, and the river is a series of dams now. Reservoirs need different strategy of water quality control from river water. Autochthonous organic matter and phosphorus should be the major target to be controlled in lakes. In this Paper some problems are discussed that makes efforts of water quality improvement ineffective in lakes of Korea, even after the substantial investment to wastewater treatment facilities.1) Phosphorus is the key factor controlling eutrophication of lakes and the reduction ofphosphors should be the major target of water treatment. However, water quality management strategy in Korea is still stream-oriented, and focused on BOD removal from sewage. Phosphorus removal efficiency remains as low as 10-30%, because biological treatment is adopted for both secondary treatment and advanced treatment. The standard for TP concentration of the sewage treatment plant effluent is 6 mgP/l in most of regions, and 2 mg/l in enforced region near metropolitan water intake point. TP in the effluents of sewage treatment plants are usually 1-2 mg/1, and most of plants meet the effluent regulation without a further phosphorus removal process. The generous TP standard for effluents discourages further efforts to improve phosphorus removal efficiency of sewage treatment. Considering that TP standard for the effluent is below 0.1 mg/l in some countries, it should be amended to below 0.1 mg/l in Korea, especially in the watershed of large lakes.2) Urban runoff and combined sewer overflow are not treated, even though their total loading into lakes can be comparable to municipal sewage discharges on dry days. Chemical coagulation and rapid settling might be the solution to urban runoff in regard of intermittent operation on only rainy days.3) Aggregated precipitation in Korea that is concentrated on several episodic heavyrains per year causes a large amount of nonpoint source pollution loading into lakes. It makes the treatment of nonpoint source discharge by methods of other countries of even rain pattern, such as retention pond or artificial wetland, impractical in Korea.4) The application rate of fertilizers in Korea is ten times as high as the average ofOECD countries. The total manure discharge from animal farming is thought to be over the capacity of soil treatment in Korea. Even though large portion of manure is composted for organic fertilizer, a lot of nutrients and organic matter emanates from organic compost. The reduction of application rate and discharge rate of phosphorus from agricultural fields should be encouraged by incentives and regulations.5) There is a lot of vegetable fields with high slopes in the upstream region of the HanRiver. Soil erosion is severe due to high slopes, and fertilizer is discharged in the form of adsorbed phosphorus on clay surface. The reduction of soil erosion in the upland area should be the major preventive policy for eutrophication. Uplands of high slope must be recovered to forest, and eroded gullies should be reformed into grass-buffered natural streams which are wider and resistant to bank erosion.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.199-206
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• 2019

To understand vegetational characteristics of abandoned paddy terraces (APTs), species composition and plant species richness of APTs were compared with those of other natural- and constructed wetlands (NWs and CWs, respectively). Based on frequency of major vegetational components, Phragmites japonicus was more common in APTs (23.9%) than NWs (10.8%) and CWs (10.8%), whereas P. australis was less frequent in APTs (18.3%) than NWs (43.1%) and CWs (35.4%). Typha orientalis was common only in APTs (19.7%), whereas T. angustifolia was relatively common in NWs (21.5%) and CWs (32.3%). In addition, some wetland obligate species such as Leersia japonica, Oenanthe javanica, and Sium suave were frequently found only in APTs. In particular, APTs showed higher plant species richness ($6.3{\pm}2.2\;species/m^2$) than NWs ($4.9{\pm}1.8\;species/m^2$) and CWs ($3.9{\pm}1.3\;species/m^2$). APTs exhibited not only their distinctive vegetational characteristics but also higher ecological value in terms of plant species richness. Further attention on APTs as valuable biotopes supporting diverse plant species and continuous effort for management and conservation are needed more.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.93-101
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• 2022

This study was conducted to analyze the distribution characteristics of abandoned paddy wetlands according to topography and land cover. In Seosan-si, Dangjin-si, Boryeong-si, and Taean-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, abandoned rice wetlands were found through GIS and field surveys, and the distribution status according to slope, elevation and land cover type was analyzed. As a result of the study, a total of 106 abandoned paddy wetlands were identified, and the average elevation of each abandoned paddy wetlands was 38.85m (S.D.32.76), the average slope was 6.27˚ (S.D.5.39), and the total area was 24,200km². 90 sites (84.9%) of abandoned paddy wetlands were distributed on flat land with less than 5˚ slope, 63 sites (12,121.07km²), and 27 sites(9,524.15km²) at 5-10˚ (9,524.15km²) on flat land with less than 10˚. The area is 21,645.22km²(89.5%) of the total area of abandoned paddy wetlands. 48 sites(12,326km²) in the lowlands with an altitude of less than 25 m, 29 sites(4,909.4km²) below 50m. It accounts for 71.2% of the total area of abandoned paddy wetlands. Among environmental factors of abandoned paddy wetlands, there was no statistically significant correlation between slope and altitude. According to the land cover classification, it was widely distributed in artificial grasslands (38), paddy fields (33), and fields (22).

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.315-325
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• 2023

This study analyzed the disturbance process of river wetlands based on modern and contemporary maps and aerial photographs, and analyzed land cover and NDVI changes in the hydro-ecological impact zone around the Wangjin District. A stable sandbar was formed near Wangjinnaru and was naturally connected to the agricultural land within inland, but after the sandbar and river wetland were destroyed due to heavy floods, embankment construction, land readjustment, and comprehensive river management, artificial replaced wetlands and ecological parks were created, and sandbars in the form of river island were restored again. The change in land cover in the hydro-ecological impact zone showed that rice paddies and fields in agricultural areas decreased from 36.3% in 2013 to 22.9% in 2022, with the largest change in area to 814,476m². It was confirmed that the land cover was undergoing vegetation over time. Since the vegetation condition is good, a healthy food chain is formed in the waterfront ecosystem, which can be expected to be biodiversity-positive. Summarizing seasonal changes in the vegetation index, the overall change in the vegetation index was the largest in spring (March), followed by summer (June), and the change in autumn (September) was the smallest except for water. By land use, the overall vegetation index (NDVI) increased, including 39.1% improvement in alternative wetlands, 38.2% improvement in load, 44.3% improvement in ecological parks, 35.6% improvement in agricultural areas, and -8.1% decrease in water.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.44-54
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• 2010

In this study, a comprehensive exploration and evaluation of washland candidate locations by means of field monitoring as well as spatial analysis in six major river system (Han, Nakdong, Nam, Geum, Youngsan, and Seomjin Rivers). Washland(in other words, river detention basin) is an artificial wetland system which is connected to streams or rivers likely to riverine wetlands. Major purpose of washland creation is to control floodings, water supply and purification, providence of eco-cultural space to human and natural populations. Characteristics and functions of riverine wetlands can be expected as well, thus it is believed to be an efficient multi-purpose water body that is artificially created, in terms of hydrology and ecology. Geographical information and field monitoring results for the washland candidate locations were evaluated in 2009, with respect to optimal location exploration, ecosystem connectivity and educational-cultural circumstances. A total of $269\;km^2$ washland candidate locations were found from spatial analysis (main channel of Rivers South Han, 71.5; Nakdong 54.1; Nam, 2.3; Geum, 79.0; Youngsan 46.4; Seomjin 15.7), and they tended to be distributed in mid- to lower part of the rivers to which tributaries are confluent. Field monitoring at 106 sites revealed that some sites located in the Rivers Nam and Geum is appropriate for restoration or artificial creation as riverine wetlands. Several sites in the Nakdong and Seomjin Rivers were close to riverine wetlands (e.g., Upo), habitats of endangered species (e.g., otters), or adjacent to educational facility (e.g., museums) or cultural heritages (e.g., temples). Those sites can be utilized in hydrological, ecological, educational, and cultural ways when evidence of detailed hydrological evaluation is provided. In conclusion, determination of washland locations in the major river basins has to consider habitat expansion as well as hydrological function (i.e. flood control) basically, and further utility (e.g. educational function) will increase the values of washland establishment.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.455-469
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• 2010

Changes of geomorphology in alluvial river and vegetation recruitment on its floodplain downstream from dams are investigated both qualitatively and quantitatively focusing on the downstream of Andong dam and Imha dam on the Nakdong River. Results of the analyses of river morphology and bed material in the study site show a general trend of riverbed degradation with a max scour of 3 m and bed material coarsening from pre-dam value of 1.5 mm in D50 to post-dam value of 2.5 mm. Decrease in bed shear stress due to the decrease in flood discharge have caused vegetation recruitment on the once-naked sandbars. As result, the ratio of area of vegetated bars over total area of bars has drastically changed from only 7% in 1971 before the Andong dam (constructed in 1976) to 25% after it, and increased to 43% only three year after the Imha dam (constructed in 1992) and eventually to 74% by 2005. Analysis of the vegetation succession at Wicjeol subreach, one of the three subreaches selected in this study for detailed investigation, has clearly shown a succession of vegetation on once-naked sand bars to a pioneering stage, reed and grass stage, willow shrub and eventually to willow tree stages. At the second subreach selected, two large point bars in front of Hahoe Village seem to have maintained their sand surfaces without a signifiant vegetation recruitment until 2005. The sand bars, however, seem to have been invaded by vegetation recently, which warns river managers to have a countermeasure to protect the sand bars from vegetation invasion in order to conserve them for the historical village of Hahoe. On the other hand, recruitment and establishment of vegetation on the sand bars by artificial disturbance of the river, such as damming, can create an unique habitat of backmarsh in the sandy river, as shown in the case of Gudam Wetland, and may increase the biodiversity as compared with relatively monotonous sand bars. Last, the premise in this study that decrease in flood discharge due to upstream dams and decrease in bed shear stress can induce vegetation recruitment on the naked sand bars in the river has been verified with the analyses of the distribution of dimensionless bed shear stress along the selected cross section in each subreach.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.14-28
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• 2017

Mt. Seunghak's Miscanthus sinensis community is not only a landscape resource in terms of cultural services within the Ecosystem Services but also a site that is visited by many mountaineers in autumn. As the current Miscanthus sinensis community has been experiencing a rapid decline due to Korean forest succession characteristics, ongoing artificial management is thought to be needed for landscape resource use. The purpose of this study was to determine growth environment characteristics and the cause of the rapid decline of the Miscanthus sinensis community in Mt. Seunghak, which is located inside a large city with a large scale and outstanding accessibility. As the Miscanthus sinensis community is the representative early vegetation that appears temporarily in dry, barren soil, the Miscanthus sinensis community in Korean forest succession tends to be unsustainable. As the current soil on Mt. Seunghak is inappropriately fertile for the Miscanthus sinensis community, other wetland woody plant communities are anticipated to succeed it. If Miscanthus sinensis community maintenance is needed for Miscanthus sinensis landscape scenery, various alternatives apart from overall Miscanthus sinensis community maintenance should be determined for cost-effective management. For example, while many byways toward the inside of the Miscanthus sinensis community have affected the Miscanthus sinensis community growth environment, the installation of wooden fences and ropes has been a control in approach. As a result of this positive effect, many byways toward the inside of Miscanthus sinensis community have been restored naturally. Through viewable range analysis, as good scenery sites on the observatory have a good viewable range on the main trail as well, if these scenery sites are intensively managed, effective Miscanthus sinensis ccommunity management will be done despite maintenance budget cutbacks. This study is expected to be used as a basic material regarding the alternatives for a sustained Miscanthus sinensis community and the possibility of cultivating other growth in poor soils of fallow fields and unused land.