• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.52 no.spc2
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• pp.811-822
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• 2019

Environmental flows in the downstream sections of Yongdam Dam, Wonju Stream Dam, and Hongcheon River were estimated with selected target fish species such as Nigra for the site of Yongdam Dam, Splendidus for the site of Wonju Stream Dam, and Signifer for the site of Hongcheon River by considering endangered and domestic species. Physical habitat analysis was performed to estimate environmental flows for the study sites by applying the Physical Habitat Simulation (PHABSIM) and RIVER2D which combined hydraulic and habitat models. Based on the monitored data for ecological environment, the Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) for the target species was estimated by applying the Instream Flow and Aquatic Systems Group (IFASG). In particular, based on the result of fish monitoring, the HSI for each stage of the growth for target species was analyzed. As a result, the Weighted Usable Area (WUA) was maximized at $4.9m^3/s$ of flow discharge during spawning, $5.8m^3/s$ during the period of juvenile, and $8.9m^3/s$ during the adult fish season at the downstream section of Yongdam Dam. The result of the Wonju Stream Dam showed an optimal environmental flow of $0.4m^3/s$, $1.0m^3/s$, and $1.5m^3/s$ during the period of spawning, juvenile, and adult. The habitat analysis for the site of Hongcheon River, which is a non-regulated stream, produced an optimum environmental flow of $5m^3/s$ in the spawning period, $4m^3/s$ in the juvenile stage and $6m^3/s$ in the adult stage.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.37 no.5_1
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• pp.903-916
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• 2021

An area's topography refers to the shape of the earth's surface, described by its elevation, slope, and aspect, among other features. The topographical conditions determine energy flowsthat move water and energy from higher to lower elevations, such as how much solar energy will be received and how much wind or rain will affect it. Another common factor, the topographic wetness index (TWI), is a calculation in digital elevation models of the tendency to accumulate water per slope and unit area, and is one of the most widely referenced hydrologic topographic factors, which helps explain the location of forest vegetation. Analyses of topographical factors can be calculated using a geographic information system (GIS) program based on digital elevation model (DEM) data. Recently, a large number of free open source software (FOSS) GIS programs are available and developed for researchers, industries, and governments. FOSS GIS programs provide opportunitiesfor flexible algorithms customized forspecific user needs. The majority of biodiversity in island areas exists at about 20% higher elevations than in land ecosystems, playing an important role in ecological processes and therefore of high ecological value. However, island areas are vulnerable to disturbances and damage, such as through climate change, environmental pollution, development, and human intervention, and lacks systematic investigation due to geographical limitations (e.g. remoteness; difficulty to access). More than 4,000 of Korea's islands are within a few hours of its coast, and 88% are uninhabited, with 52% of them forested. The forest ecosystems of islands have fewer encounters with human interaction than on land, and therefore most of the topographical conditions are formed naturally and affected more directly by weather conditions or the environment. Therefore, the analysis of forest topography in island areas can be done more precisely than on its land counterparts, and therefore has become a major focus of attention in Korea. This study is focused on calculating the performance of different topographical factors using FOSS GIS programs. The test area is the island forests in Korea's south and the DEM of the target area was processed with GRASS GIS and SAGA GIS. The final slopes and TWI maps were produced as comparisons of the differences between topographic factor calculations of each respective FOSS GIS program. Finally, the merits of each FOSS GIS program used to calculate the topographic factors is discussed.

• 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.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.29-41
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• 2019

Terrestrial Gross Primary Production (GPP) is the largest global carbon flux, and forest ecosystems are important because of the ability to store much more significant amounts of carbon than other terrestrial ecosystems. There have been several attempts to estimate GPP using mechanism-based models. However, mechanism-based models including biological, chemical, and physical processes are limited due to a lack of flexibility in predicting non-stationary ecological processes, which are caused by a local and global change. Instead mechanism-free methods are strongly recommended to estimate nonlinear dynamics that occur in nature like GPP. Therefore, we used the mechanism-free machine learning techniques to estimate the daily GPP. In this study, support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF) and artificial neural network (ANN) were used and compared with the traditional multiple linear regression model (LM). MODIS products and meteorological parameters from eddy covariance data were employed to train the machine learning and LM models from 2006 to 2013. GPP prediction models were compared with daily GPP from eddy covariance measurement in a deciduous forest in South Korea in 2014 and 2015. Statistical analysis including correlation coefficient (R), root mean square error (RMSE) and mean squared error (MSE) were used to evaluate the performance of models. In general, the models from machine-learning algorithms (R = 0.85 - 0.93, MSE = 1.00 - 2.05, p < 0.001) showed better performance than linear regression model (R = 0.82 - 0.92, MSE = 1.24 - 2.45, p < 0.001). These results provide insight into high predictability and the possibility of expansion through the use of the mechanism-free machine-learning models and remote sensing for predicting non-stationary ecological processes such as seasonal GPP.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.525-538
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to analyze the habitat status and species diversity of benthic diatoms and estimate the applicability of TDI (Trophic Diatom Index) to obtain the basic data for the identification and management of created wetlands in the Nakdong River. We observed a total of 38 families and 173 species of benthic diatom during the survey period, and spring and autumn showed a similar number of species of 156 and 154, respectively. The result of the SOM (Self-Organizing Map) analysis showed that the distribution of benthic diatom was sensitive to environmental factors such as nutrient concentration and rainfall in each wetland. The cluster 1 was characterized by the survey sites of autumn mostly and consisted of points of high TDI, although the nutrients such as total phosphorus and total nitrogen were low, and the species number and abundance of diatoms were low. Conversely, cluster 4 was characterized by the survey sites of spring mostly and consisted of points of low TDI, even though total nitrogen was high. Considering that most of the created wetlands had the reduced inflow and outflow, the increased flow rate in the summer lowers nutrient values in autumn, and the species number and abundance of benthic diatom decreases due to the increase of turbidity, which reduces the light penetrations to the substrates. On the contrary, the TDI value is low in spring because the low water level causes insufficient substrate surface to the benthic diatoms, and it is too early for the establishment and development of saprophilous species. Although various studies have used TDI as an indicator for evaluating the habitat environment and water quality, it is not a good evaluation indicator in this study since the nutrient concentration in the wetlands mostly high as they have a low flow rate and are close to the stagnant area. Nevertheless, additional periodic surveys that comprehensively reflect the fact that the summer rainfall and inflow/outflow regulating function might affect the species diversity and distribution of benthic diatoms are necessary.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.609-620
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• 2021

This study surveyed six national parks that included a wide range of afforestation among national parks in Korea to analyze the vegetation structure of Larix kaempferi, which occupies the highest ratio among planted areas. Plots were established considering the dominant ratio, diameter at breast height and afforestation area of Larix kaempferi. The purpose of the study was to provide basic data for ecological management to promote diversity. A total of 51 plots were selected based on 400 m² quadrates. TWINSPAN was used for community classification, and each classified community was analyzed of importance percentage, species diversity, number of species, and populations. The community classification identified7 communities, all dominated by Larix kaempferi in the tree layer and classified by the appearance species of the subtree layer and shrub layer. In communities I, II, and VII that are located in the valley, Zelkova serrata, Morus bombycis, and Fraxinus rhynchophylla appeared, while dominated by Larix kaempferi were in the tree layer. Wetland deciduous broad-leaved species such as Fraxinus rhynchophylla and Morus bombycis frequently appeared in the subtree layer. In community III through VI is located on the slope, Quercus spp., such as Quercus mongolica and Quercus acutissima, mainly appeared while dominated by Larix kaempferi in the tree layer, and Quercus and wetland broad-leaved species frequently appeared in the subtree layer and shrub layer. The average species diversity of Larix kaempferi in the surveyed six national parks was 1.2090, with community III the highest at 1.5413 and community VI the lowest at 0.7042. The average number of species was 9.35±2.90, and the average population was 226.05±89.98.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.220-256
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• 2022

The most important thing for conserving plant diversity in an area is to make an overall inventory of the plant species inhabiting the area. In particular, limestone areas are known for their high plant diversity and distribution of specific plants. Despite that, only a few have been designated as protected areas. This study investigated the vascular plants distributed in Goyangsan Mtn. and Munraesan Mtn., located in limestone areas of the central part of the Korean Peninsula. A field survey was conducted eight times from April to October 2021. As a result, we identified a total of 654 taxa comprising 113 families, 357 genera, 592 species, 15 subspecies, 44 varieties, and 3 formulas. They included four endangered wild plant species: Astilboides tabularis, Eleutherococcus senticosus, Cypripedium macranthos, and Epilobium hirsutum. Endemic plants in Korea were identified as 32 taxa. Floristic target plants were identified as 168 taxa, specifically 5 taxa of grade V, 41 taxa of grade IV, and 36 taxa of grade III. The red data plants included 2 taxa as "Endangered (EN)", 7 taxa as "Vulnerable (VU)", and 7 taxa as "Near threatened (NT)". A total of 41 taxa of naturalized plants were identified, and 4 of them were invasive alien plants. The surveyed vicinity of Goyangsan Mtn. and Munraesan Mtn. showed high plant diversity and contained core habitats for distribution of an endangered wild plant, Astilboides tabularis,in the limestone area. Moreover, both mountains contained a small population of Cotoneaster integerrimus. These findings confirm that the area has conservation values. Therefore, we propose to identify areas with high plant diversity and designate them as special protected areas.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.91-109
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• 2022

The ocean is a significant sink for atmospheric anthropogenic CO₂, absorbing one-third of the total CO₂ emitted by human activities. In return, oceans have experienced significant declines in seawater pH and the aragonite saturation state also called ocean acidification. This study evaluates the distribution of aragonite saturation state, an indicator to assess the potential threat from ocean acidification, by combining newly obtained data from the west coast of South Korea with previous datasets covering the Yellow Sea, East Sea, northern South China Sea, and southeast coast of South Korea. In general, offshore waters absorb atmospheric CO₂; however, most of the collected water samples show aragonite oversaturation. On the southeast coast, the aragonite saturation state was significantly affected by river discharge and associated variables, such as freshwater input with nutrients, seasonal stratification, biological carbon fixation, and bacterial remineralization. In summer, hypoxia and mixing with relatively acidic freshwater made the Jinhae and Gwangyang Bays undersaturated with respect to aragonite, possibly threatening marine organisms with CaCO₃ shells. However, widespread aragonite undersaturation was not observed on the west coast, which receives considerable river water discharge. In addition, occasional upwelling events may have worsened the ocean acidification in the southwestern part of the East Sea. These results highlight the importance of investigating site-specific ocean acidification processes in coastal waters. Along with the above-mentioned seasonal factors, the dissolution of atmospheric CO₂ and the deposition of atmospheric acidic substances will continue to reduce the aragonite saturation state in Korean waters. To protect marine ecosystems and resources, an ocean acidification monitoring program should be established for Korean waters.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.289-301
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• 2023

Forests within watersheds are essential in maintaining ecosystems and are the central infrastructure for constructing an ecological network system. However, due to indiscriminate development projects carried out over past decades, forest fragmentation and land use changes have accelerated, and their original functions have been lost. Since a forest's structural pattern directly impacts ecological processes and functions in understanding forest ecosystems, identifying and analyzing change patterns is essential. Therefore, this study analyzed structural changes in the forest landscape according to the time-series land cover changes using the FRAGSTATS model for the dam watershed of the Geum River upstream. Land cover changes in the dam watershed of the Geum River upstream through land cover change detection showed an increase of 33.12 square kilometers (0.62%) of forests and 67.26 square kilometers (1.26%) of urbanized dry areas and a decrease of 148.25 square kilometers (2.79%) in agricultural areas from the 1980s to the 2010s. The results of no-sampling forest landscape analysis within the watershed indicated landscape percentage (PLAND), area-weighted proximity index (CONTIG_AM), average central area (CORE_MN), and adjacency index (PLADJ) increased, and the number of patches (NP), landscape shape index (LSI), and cohesion index (COHESION) decreased. Identification of structural change patterns through a moving window analysis showed the forest landscape in Sangju City, Gyeongsangbuk Province, Boeun County in Chungcheongbuk Province, and Jinan Province in Jeollabuk Province was relatively well preserved, but fragmentation was ongoing at the border between Okcheon County in Chungcheongbuk Province, Yeongdong and Geumsan Counties in Chungcheongnam Province, and the forest landscape in areas adjacent to Muju and Jangsu Counties in Jeollabuk Province. The results indicate that it is necessary to establish afforestation projects for fragmented areas when preparing a future regional forest management strategy. This study derived areas where fragmentation of forest landscapes is expected and the results may be used as basic data for assessing the health of watershed forests and establishing management plans.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.84-98
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• 2022

Estuary is important in terms of biodiversity because it has the characteristics of transition waters, created by the mixing of fresh- and seawater. The estuarine water circulation provides a variety of habitats with different environments by inducing gradients in the chemical and physical environment, such as water quality and river bed structure, which are ultimately the main factors influencing biological community composition. If the water circulation is interrupted, the loss of brackish areas and the interception of migration of biological communities will lead to changes in the spatial distribution of biodiversity. In this study, among the sites covered by the Estuary Aquatic Ecosystem Health Assessment, we selected study sites where changes in biodiversity can be assessed by spatial gradient from the upper reaches of the river to the lower estuarine area. The α-, γ- and β-diversity of diatom, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish communities were calculated, and they were divided into open and closed estuary data and compared to determine the trends in biodiversity variation due to estuarine circulation. As results, all communities showed higher γ-diversity at open estuary sites. The benthic macroinvertebrate community showed a clear difference between open and closed estuaries in β-diversity, consequently the estuarine transects were considered as a factor that decreases spatial heterogeneity of their diversity among sites. The biodiversity trends analyzed in this study will be used to identify estuaries with low γ- and β-diversity by community, providing a useful resource for further mornitoring and management to maintain estuarine health.