• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.15-25
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• 1998

A stream plays an important role as the source of drinking water, the ecological space and the living space. But the today's urban stream whose ecosystem is destroyed and water quality become worse in consequence of covering, concrete dyke construction, and the adjustment of high-water-ground[dunchi], is deprived of the function as a stream. Therefore this paper aims to elucidate the role that urban stream plays ecologically and to try to find a improvement to the problem. A stream is the pathway through which several types of the solar radiation energy are transmitted and the place which is always full of life energy. In the periphery of a stream, primary productivity is high and carrying capacity of population is great. Thus ancient cities based on agricultural products grew out of the fertile surroundings of stream. In Korea most cities of the Chosen Dynasty Period based on the agriculture have grown out of the erosional basins where solar energy is concentrated. The role of a stream in this agricultural system is the source of energy and material(water and sediment) and a lifeline. In consequence of the growth of cities and the rapid growing demands of water supply after the Industrial Revolution, a stream has become a more important locational factor of city. However, because cities need the life energy of urban streams no longer, urban streams cannot play role as a lifeline. And As pollutant waste water has poured into urban streams after using external streams' water, urban streams have degraded to the status of a ditch. As the results of the progress of urbanization, the dangerousness of inundation of urban stream increased and its water quality became worse. For the sake of holding back it, local governments constructed concrete dyke, adjusted high-water-ground[dunchi], and covered the channel. But stream ecosystem went to ruin and its water quality became much worse after channelization. These problems of urban stream can be solved by transmitting much energy contained in stream to land ecosystem as like rural stream. We should dissipate most of the energy contained in urban stream by cultivating wetland vegetation from the shore of stream to high-water-ground, and should recover a primitive natural vigorous power by preparation of ecological park.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.311-321
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to investigate effect of stream channel naturalness on ecological health by using environmental factors and Fish Assessment Index (FAI) in the Han River of South Korea. These samples and data have been released from the research project titled Stream/River Ecosystem Survey and Health Assessment, which was conducted in 444 sites in the Han river watershed from 2008 to 2016. All samples were classified into five groups according to a degree of morphological changes of stream. Water chemistry analyses indicated a decline in water quality by decreasing stream channel naturalness, it is assumed that channelized stream was vulnerable to aquatic pollution compared to the natural meandering stream. In the result of frequency of dominant species, sensitive species and insectivore such as Zacco koreanus, Rhynchocypris kumgangensis and Pungtungia herzi were frequently dominated in the natural meandering stream while tolerant species and omnivores such as Carassius auratus and Cyprinus carpio were more dominated in the channelized streams. The FAI in the channelized stream shows decline to average of $46{\pm}25$ compared with that of the natural meandering stream ($80{\pm}20$). The decrease in FAI was highly influenced by changes in matrixes of fish assemblage structure such as number of sensitive species (M3), portion of omnivores (M5) and insectivores (M6). Moreover, annual average FAIs from 2008 to 2016 were significantly correlated with water chemistry, especially TN, TP and BOD ($r^2=0.59$, p<0.0001). Taken together, all the results suggest that the stream channelization could negatively impact on the water quality and fish assemblage structure, leading to degradation in aquatic ecosystem health.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.445-454
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• 2012

The present study aims to investigate the long-term channel morphological changes derived from channelization, embankment and levee construction works in unregulated fluvial channel of the Jiseock River. Analyses of aerial photographs taken past (Year 1966) and recent (Year 2002) showed the temporally remarkable changes in channel planform such as channel shape, bar migration, vegetation encroachment in bar. During the period, the natural single threading changed into braided types together with decreasing sinuosity by 9.2%, increasing vegetation occupied bar ranged 97% of total bars area. Because such channel morphological changes are closely similar to those in dam downstream channels, we assume that both/either flow regime alteration and/or sediment transport discontinuity may be critical for the fixed channel and spread of vegetated bars even in unregulated river without dam reservoir upstream. We found more reduced frequency and magnitude of flooding water level comparing with past, but no significant alteration of inter annual water level variation. Bed material has been coarsened by 4~5 times and the riverbed has been degraded in overall channel but aggraded locally in conjunction reach of tributaries. The results indicates that reduced sediment dynamics in fluvial channel which derived by bed material coarsening, river bed degradation and unbalanced sediment transport capacity between tributary and mainstem can be a causal factor to trigger channel morphological changes even in unregulated rivers.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.564-571
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• 2011

In order to establish fundamental data for stream restoration and environmental flow, we investigated fish fauna, community and physical habitat conditions in the Dal Stream of Han River Basin. Field monitoring including fish sampling was conducted from September 2008 to October 2009. A total number of fish caught in the 5 sites was 2,080 representing 9 families 35 species, and 19 species (54.3%) including Acheilognathus koreensis and Iksookimia koreensis were Korean endemic species during the study period. The most frequently found species in number was pale chub (Zacco platypus, 25.7%, n = 632) followed by Coreoleuciscus splendidus (18.0%, n = 375) and Z. koreanus (13.0%, n = 272). The lower reach of Dal Stream was more abundance of species, high diversity, evenness and richness, and lower dominance index than those of the upper reach. According to the dendrogram established at 0.63 level of similarity rate, sampling stations were divided into 2 groups. Most of upper streams in Korea consist of riffles and runs that are repeatedly followed by another one. However, stream channelization and leveling have caused reduction of habitat diversity. Therefore, it is necessary to make an effort on stream rehabilitation with evaluation of physical habitat condition by indicator species in order to maintain biodiversity and perform ecological restoration.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.167-176
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• 2015

The water quality of the Gulpo Stream flowing through Incheon, Bucheon, Seoul, and Kimpo is getting worse due to a slow flow rate and bank constructions by stream channelization as well as an inflow of pollutants from living-sewages and factory-sewages. Besides, a dry stream phenomenon caused by a lack of maintenance water upstream makes a self-purification system worse, and the water quality of the Gulpo Stream is currently at its lowest level. The accumulated sludge of the streambed is mostly formed by the deposition of particle pollutants due to the slow flow rate and an artificially straightened stream channel. This accumulated sludge adsorbs a great quantity of organic materials and heavy metals. Because of the internal contamination possibility by a re-gushing, even after the pollution source is removed, it can cause future water pollution. Without a total examination as previously recommended, it is considered difficult to accomplish practical efficiency. In conclusion, the management of periodic sediment management such as dredging would be necessary in the Gulpo Stream because sediment could be an internal pollution source of stream water under anaerobic conditions.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.137-146
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• 2015

Lateral connectivity between a main channel and a former channel plays an integral role in maintaining ecological functions of stream-floodplain ecosystems. This study virtually restored the connectivity of the former channel, which is currently isolated by channelization, in the Mangyeong River, Korea. Fish habitat improvement after the connectivity restoration was evaluated using River2D, two-dimensional depth-averaged hydraulic modeling, depending on normal and flood flow conditions. Target fish species were crucian carp (Carassius auratus), which are known as lentic species, and pale chub (Zacco platypus), known as lotic species. The weighted usable area (WUA) of the two species was increased after the connectivity restoration: the two-way connection between the main and formal channels was more effective than the one-way connection. The result of the physical habitat simulation at a flood flow condition demonstrated an increased rate of the WUA than during a normal flow condition. In particular, the WUA of pale chub increased about four times on the two-way connectivity restoration. This result suggests that habitat availability of both lentic and lotic fish species will increase after a connectivity restoration, and a two-way connectivity restoration may be more effective. In addition, the restored formal channel would function as a shelter for fish during the flood season.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.291-303
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• 2016

The number of traffic accidents at intersections has been increased over the past decade, and in 2014, accounted for 44% of the total traffic accidents. In addition, since most of road accident black spots include signalized intersections, the improvement of safety on signalized intersection is top priority for national road safety program in Korea. For the decision of most effective action plan for the safety of signalized intersection, this study conducted meta-analyses to assess the effects of various road safety facilities at signalized intersection on traffic accidents. We selected 19 articles regarding the prediction of traffic accidents at signalized intersection and calculated 34 individual effect sizes on 8 variables included in the articles. The results found that there was a statistically significant negative relationship between the occurrence of traffic accident and the presence of all of road safety facilities except an exclusive left turn bay. It shows that most of the road safety facilities could prevent traffic accidents, and intersection channelization has the most effective on the reduction of traffic accidents followed by left-turn acceleration lane, lightning, crosswalk, exclusive right-turn lane and median barrier.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.154-162
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• 2019

Lateral connectivity between the channel and the floodplains has been damaged by the levee construction and channelization in most streams of South Korea. The purpose of this study was to develop a technique for easily and remotely assessing lateral connectivity using GIS in the streams and to evaluate the effectiveness of the assessment method by applying it to Cheongmi-cheon Stream, a representative stream in the central Korean Peninsula. The metrics of the lateral connectivity assessment are composed of (1) existence of remaining wetlands and (2) land use property as a habitat quality of the former floodplain outside the levee and (3) existence of levee barrier, (4) connectivity to the stream and (5) connectivity to the upland natural habitats as a connectivity from the channel through floodplain to the upland forest. According to the result of applying the assessment method to Cheongmi-cheon Stream, the lateral connectivity was severely damaged due to the levee construction and land use change in the former floodplain. The GIS-based assessment of the lateral connectivity developed in this study is expected to be used as a useful tool for identifying limitations of current connectivity in various attempts to restore lateral connectivity in riparian ecosystems.