• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.390-401
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• 2022

This study investigated the characteristics of fish communities and inhabiting status of endangered species in the Bukcheon (Stream) of Seoraksan National Park, Korea from April to September 2020. A total of 4,356 fish of 7 families and 22 species were collected from 17 survey stations during the survey period. The dominant species was Zacco koreanus (relative abundance, 41.8%), and subdominant species was Rhynchocypris kumgangensis (relative abundance, 15.1%), followed by Pungtungia herzi (10.1%), Pseudopungtungia tenuicorpa (5.0%), Coreoleuciscus splendidus (4.1%), Zacco platypus (3.8%), Microphysogobio longidorsalis (3.5%), and Hemibarbus mylodon (2.2%). Among the fish species collected, 14 species (63.6%) were identified as Korean endemic species. There was one natural monument species (Hemibarbus mylodon), and four species of class II endangered wildlife that were designated by the Ministry of Environment (Acheilognathus signifer, Pseudopungtungi tenuicorpa, Gobiobotia brevibarba, and Brachymystax lenok tsinlingensis). Among the four species of class II endangered wildlife, B. lenok tsinlingensis inhabited in the upper stream, and A. signifer, P. tenuicorpa and G. brevibarba inhabited mainly in the middle-lower stream. Also, P. tenuicorpa, H. mylodon, and B. lenok tsinlingensis were inhabited in large numbers. Additionally, two cold-water fish species (R. kumgangensis and B. lenok tsinlingensis) and one landlocked species (B. lenok tsinlingensis) were collected. According to the results of cluster analysis, the dominance index decreased from upstream to downstream, but the diversity, evenness, and richness index increased; the cluster structure was divided into the uppermost, upstream, midstream, and downstream. The water quality of Bukcheon was evaluated as good overall since the river health (index of biological integrity) evaluated using fish was evaluated as very good (11 stations), good (2 stations), and normal (4 stations). However, river repair work was being carried out in some areas and some wastewater was flowing in from the midstream, therefore, supplementary measures to preserve fish habitats are required.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.82-90
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• 2014

To assess the adverse effects of suspended solids on fishes, the hatching rate of embryo, and survival and growth of larvae were measured with common fish species of river such as crusian carp (Carassius auratus), common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and medaka (Oryzias latipes). Bioassay on hatching rate of embryo was conducted with a range of turbidity as 10 levels from 0.2 to 8,080 NTU. Another bioassay on 4-day larval survival and 21-day larval growth were also conducted with a range of turbidity as 8 levels from 0.1 to 8,260 NTU, and 6 levels from 0.7 to 2,030 NTU, respectively. The hatching rate of C. auratus was not significantly different from that of control at turbidity below 4,040 NTU, whereas it decreased when turbidity was 8,080 NTU (p<0.05). The hatching rate of C. carpio was not affected by concentration of suspended solids. For O. latipes, the hatching rate significantly decreased from 254 NTU (p<0.001) and it was zero when turbidity was 8,080 NTU. The 4-day survival of larvae of all 3 species was not affected by turbidity, while the larval growth of all 3 species was significantly affected. The turbidity effect on the growth of C. auratus and C. carpio was observed from 7 days after the exposure at turbidity level of 145, 143 NTU, respectively. The turbidity effect on the growth of O. latipes was observed from 14 days after the exposure at turbidity level of 254 NTU. The results of this study will provide the basic information for the derivation of water quality criteria on suspended solids for the protection of aquatic ecosystem and the quantitative ecological risk assessment of freshwater environment.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.173-183
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• 2006

Purpose of this study was to estimate of soil erosion, which is related with crop productivity and water quality in watershed, in Seonakdong river watershed using USLE. The data set for USLE estimation were derived from detailed digital map(K factor), satellite imagery(C and P factors) and DEM(LS factor). The R factor was calculated by AWS data from Kimhae agricultural technology center. The soil loss from arable land was equivalent of 31.5% of total soil loss in Seonakdong river watershed. The soil loss amount of paddy field and upland were 2.8% and 97.2% of arable land, respectively, even in the area where paddy field was occupied much largely as 76.3%. The reason of large amount of soil loss from upland was that 30.4% of upland was distributed at "severe" and "very severe" soil erosion grade in watershed. The distribution of soil erosion grade during cropping season(May-Sept.) was similar to the annual soil loss. Soil erosion of non-cropping season(Oct.-Apr.) was small due to a low R factor. But, soil erosion grade of near mountain footslope areas showed severe and very severe even in non-cropping season.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.201-205
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• 2000

Eleven runoff $plots(3{\times}15\;m)$ were built on a sloping field of a high plateau in Kangwon Province, Korea. The plots were treated with different tillage, residue covers and fertilizers, corn and potato were cultivated, and sediment discharge was measured from the plots for 3 years. Agricultural management practices were monitored around the plots to develop adequate best management practices. The least sediment occurred from the plots with no-till and 100% residue cover $(corn,\;0.1{\sim}2.2\;t/ha/year)$ and with contour tillage and vinyl sheet cover plots $(potato,\;0.1{\sim}0.2\;t/ha/year)$. The largest sediment was measured from the plots with up-and-down till and no cover ($11{\sim}33$ and $16{\sim}31\;t/ha/year$ from corn and potato plots, respectively). The type of organic and commercial fertilizers seemed not to affect sediment discharge. Sediment discharge from contour plots were largely dependent on the collapse of ridges due to the flush of water stored in furrows. The sediment discharge from contour corn and potato plots with no residue cover was $10{\sim}27$ and $16{\sim}24\;t/ha/year$, respectively. No-till with residue cover, vinyl cover for tuber crops, construction of furrow dam, frost heave research, furrow and ridge tillage with furrow dam after tuber crop harvest, limited stalk harvest of row crops, use of winter cover crops, and other common best management practices were recommended to minimize the sediment discharge from a high plateau sloping land culture.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.297-316
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• 2018

The golden apple snail (GAS, Pomacea canaliculata) is an invasive freshwater snail. The GAS was introduced in Korea without prior studies on the possibility of crop damage or its impact on the natural ecosystem. The freshwater apple snails can be found typically in ponds, rice paddies, irrigation canals, roadside ditches or slower portions of streams. In this study, we were carried out to investigate the assessment of physiological and ecological characteristics, environmental characteristics inhabited area in winter season and cause of massive death at one time of golden apple snails used for weed control in wet rice paddies. The GAS was introduced from Japan to Korea for commercial production as a dietary protein supplement. The golden apple snail was also used a recently for weed control in wet rice cultivation. The species of freshwater Pomacea snails is belonging to the genus Pomacea, family ampulariidae, order mesogastropoda, subclass pulmonata, class gastropoda, phylum mollusca. The GAS spread into irrigation ditches and natural waterways. It is now distributed in ponds and canals near rice fields of southern parts of the country and has overwintered. It increases its cold hardiness before winter. However, the physiological mechanism of cold hardiness in molluscs is poorly understood, especially in freshwater molluscs. Our results on physio-ecological characteristics of the Pomacea apple snail showed that the ratio of males to females was 1: 1.99~2.33. The daily growth was 87.7 mg in weight, 0.31 mm in height and 0.33 mm in width of the their shell. On the other hand, the golden apple snails were very high to resistance on drying condition and survived rate about 80% up to 3 months. The inhabitation of GAS was no statistical significant impacts on the water quality. An important property of aqueous solutions is agricultural water quality because it affects chemical and biochemical properties such as chemical reactions, equilibrium conditions, and biological toxicity. The death rate of weed control apple snails by Ostracoda (Stenocypris hislopi) was only 2.86% and 5.71% depending on the density. Therefore, GAS was not a direct death caused by Ostracoda (Stenocypris hislopi).

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.228-236
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• 2015

Urbanization causes many environmental, hydrological and ecological problems such as distortion of the natural water circulation system, increase in nonpoint source pollutants in stormwater runoff, degradation of surface water quality, and damage to the ecosystem. Due to the increase in impervious surface by urbanization, developed countries apply low impact development (LID) techniques as important alternatives to reduce the impacts of urbanization. In Korea, LID techniques were employed since 2012 in order to manage nonpoint source pollutants. LID technology is a technique for removing pollutants using a variety of physical, chemical and biological mechanisms in plants, microorganisms and filter media with the reduced effluence of stormwater runoff by mimicking natural water circulation system. These LID facilities are used in a variety of filter media, but an assessment has not been carried out for the comprehensive comparison evaluation of adsorption and desorption characteristics for the pollutant removal capacity. Therefore, this study was conducted to analyze the adsorption and desorption characteristics of various filter media used in the LID facilities such as sand, gravel, bioceramic, wood chips and bottom ash etc. in reducing heavy metals(Pb, Cu). In this study, the adsorption affinity for Pb in all filter media was higher than Cu. Pseudo second order equation and Langmuir-3 isotherm are more applicable in the adsorption kinetic model and adsorption isotherm model, respectively. As a result of the desorption experiment, the filter media does not exceed KSLT which is the hazardous substance leaching limit, showing the capability of the filter media in LID. The bioceramic and woodchip as filter medias were evaluated and exhibited excellent adsorption capacity for Pb.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.185-195
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• 2022

This study conducted a survey over spring and autumn from 2014 to 2020 to confirm the ecological characteristics of the size of streams and habitats, centering on the ecological landscape conservation area, and a total 256 species of benthic macroinvertebrates in 105 families, 25 orders, 8 classes, and 5 phyla appeared. In terms of appearance species, by region, the rate of appearance of Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera was high in regions consisting of lotic area and the rate of appearance of Coleoptera and Odonata was high in regions consisting of lentic areas. When comparing the population of Ephemeroptera-Plecoptera-Trichoptera (EPT) groups by region, they were classified into three groups: upstream area, mainstream area, and lentic areas, and it was confirmed that the population ratio of EPT changed as it moved from upstream to downstream. As the stream order increased, the number of species and populations increased. The Shredder group (SH) tended to decrease as the size of stream increased(r=0.9925), and the Collector-Filtering (CF) tended to increase as the size of stream increased(r=0.9319). It was confirmed that the Scraper (SC) replaced each other between species with the same ecological status as it went downstream from upstream, and it is thought that the SC did not differ significantly by stream order. In order to maintain a healthy ecosystem in the designation and management of ecological landscape conservation areas, it is necessary to consider ecological factors such as competition and physico-chemistry factors such as water quality and substrate conditions. Therefore, if the competent authority designated survey areas including buffer areas that include streams and physical habitats of various sizes, it will be advantageous to the conservative area and securing more biological resources.