• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.86-95
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• 2018

The objective of this study was to describe the development and testing of an initial ecological health assessment model, based on the index of biological integrity (IBI) using fish assemblages, before establishing the final and currently used model for ecological health assessment, conservation and management of freshwater fish in Korea. The initial fish IBI model was developed during 2004~2006 and included 10 metrics, and in 2007 the final IBI 8-metric model was established for application to streams and rivers in four major Korean watersheds. In this paper, we describe how we developed fish sampling methods, determined metric attributes and categorized tolerance guilds and trophic guilds during the development of the multi-metric model. Two of the initial metrics were removed and the initial evaluation categories were reduced from six to four (excellent, good, fair, poor) before establishing the final national fish model. In the development phase, IBI values were compared with chemical parameters (BOD and COD as indicators of organic matter pollution) and physical habitat parameters to identify differences in IBI model values between chemical and physical habitat conditions. These processes undertaken during the development of the IBI model may be helpful in understanding the modifications made and contribute to creating efficient conservation and management strategies for stream environments to be used by limnologists and fish ecologists as well as stream/watershed managers.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.162-163
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• 2003

The Eco-2 Project presents a win-win strategy for the environment and for the economy (ECO-2 is an abbreviation of Ecology and Economy), The project was initiated by the Korean Ministry of the Environment to promote the development of an environmental industry technology as a means of driving national development in this sector. Our project work belongs to the category of integrated environment management technology, and is described as a development and utilization of risk assessment and analysis system for integrated environmental management in municipal and industrial areas. The goal of our project is to develop available system software in health and ecological risk assessment and to offer it as Decision Support System (DSS) to aid the effective management of environmental risk in municipal and industrial areas in Korea.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.300-311
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• 2017

Purpose: There are many forest and outdoor programs being offered but systematic reviews of effects are lacking. This study was done to identify content, format, and strategies of forest therapy programs for elementary school students. Methods: Literature search using keywords in English and Korean was performed using 6 electronic databases in December 2016. Search participants were elementary school students and interventions conducted in the forest. Seventeen forest therapy studies were selected for evaluation. Risk of Bias Assessment tool for non-randomized study was used for quality assessment. Results: All studies were quasi-experimental designs. Forest therapy programs included various activities in forests such as experience of five senses, meditation in the forest, walking in the forest, ecological play, observation of animals and insects. All studies used psychosocial health variables and forest healing programs had positive effects on sociality, depression, anxiety, self-esteem, stress, aggression, anger, and school adjustment. Limitations of these studies were vague reporting of the study, lack of ethical review and rigorous research designs. Conclusion: Forest therapy for elementary school child can be an effective way to improve psychosocial health. Future studies with rigorous study designs are needed to assess long-term effects of forest therapy on physical and psychosocial health.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.41-51
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• 2012

To select 10 representatives for the ecotourism networks around the areas bordering national rivers in Korea, the spatial ranges for ecotourism have been established, the ecotourism potential analyzed, and the ecotourism resources information collected by the Regional Environmental Offices and the Korea National Park Service has undergone reviews, amendments, supplements, and verification processes through familiarization tour previews, and the following main results have been derived. First, the spatial ranges of the eco-tourism networks have been set as the watershed areas that include areas around the four major rivers and the rivers. Second, the areas with high potential value for ecotourism were selected through the analysis of ecotourism potential. Since EGIS was used for the analysis, it was inevitable that insufficient amount of localized information was reflected, and the use of the results as reference for the potential would be feasible. Third, it was possible, by reviewing, amending and complementing the results of ecological resource information collected by the Regional Environmental Offices and the Korea National Park Service, to select 50 representative ecological resources around the national rivers. The selected resources were considered for the adjacency, attractiveness of ecological resources, and uniqueness of the national rivers, and they were derived by screening expert advice, official opinion, and geographical analysis information. Fourth, 10 representative ecotourism networks based on watershed areas were selected, and suitable themes were given based on the resource characteristics. Fifth, the appropriateness for ecotourism has been confirmed, with the familiarization tour previews and survey results, preservation of the future ecotourism resources, and the establishment of the foundation as the basis. In the future, the remaining 9 ecotourism networks would also need to undergo a verification process such as familiarization tours. It is deemed that, through future ecotourism contests, if the programs that select locally-pioneered tourism programs resulting from the capacities of local entities and residents, then it would be more effective in discovering resources that are more localized and of higher regional value.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.205-221
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• 2002

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a tool used in planning development strategies and projects, and its use has been adopted into planning regulations in a number of countries. EIA has progressed from the consideration of pollution assessment, through the wider range of ecological assessment. Now EIA is required to consider the textbook of university students. Students taking lesson on EIA textbook are generally majoring in a variety of subjects, including environmental engineering, environmental health, environmental science, city planning, civil engineering, public policy, economics, and applied earth sciences. However, substantiality program of teaching material on EIA textbook has not been studied at expert society in the meantime, though a number of EIA textbook have been published every year in Korea. In current study, we presented the point at issue and improvement method of teaching material of EIA for student using domestic and foreign teaching materials and papers.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.13-20
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• 1992

We live in an age of information. We also live in an era of rising environmental awareness. As a result, efficient and judicious use of environmental information has become a prerequisite to planning and management of environmental affairs in contemporary societies. During the past few decades, we have recorded a phenomenal rate of growth. and experienced an array of environmental problems such as pollution, destruction of natural environment, and ecological disturbances. In response to these problems we has embarked on a study of Environmental Information System(EIS). This study has four major components. First, it describes the current status of EIS in Korea. Second, it provides a survey of EIS in other countries, specifically USA and Japan. Third, the study also presents an application of GIS(Geographic Information System)in Korea, USA, and Japan. Finally, the study outlines strategies to develop EIS in Korea.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.307-321
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• 2018

Fish fauna and lentic ecosystem health assessment in freshwater were analyzed in the two reservoirs (Uirim Reservoir(Ur) and Solbangjuk Reservoir(Sr)) of the Jecheon City during May-September 2017. Total numbers of the species and genus (7 family) sampled were 21 and 16, respectively. Cyprinidae was most dominant taxa, which accounted for 11 species (52.4%) of the total species, and the relative abundance, based on the number of individuals, was 318 individuals (46.2%). Subdominant families were taxa of Centrachidae (2 species; 264 ind. (38.4%). The dominant species, based on the relative abundance, were Squalidus chankaensistsuchigae(22.7%). Subdominant species were Lepomis macrochirus(19.5%, 134 ind.) and Micropterus salmoides(18.9%, 134 ind.). Trophic state index of Korea ($TSI_{KO}$), based on chemical oxygen demand (COD), total phosphorus (TP) and chlorophyll-a (CHL),ranged mesotrophic state. The purpose of this study was to apply a multi-metric model of Lentic Ecosystem Health Assessments (LEHA) for environmental impact assessments of two reservoirs and assessed the ecological health model values. Trophic composition's metrics showed that tolerant species (56.8%, 98.3%) and omnivore species (43.9%, 65.6%) dominated the fish fauna in the two reservoirs (Ur and Sr) of Jecheon City, indicating a biological degradation in the aquatic ecosystem. The relative proportions of Micropterus salmoides, also showed greater than 16.3% (Ur), 31.1% (Sr) of the total, indicating a ecological disturbance. The average value of LEHA model was 22 (Ur) and 12 (Sr) in the reservoirs, indicating a "poor condition (Ur)" and "very poor condition (Sr)" by the criteria of MOE (2014).

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.440-447
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• 2013

The ecological health, based on the Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) and Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) was evaluated in 10 stream sites of Southern Han River. Eleven parameters of 12 parameters (Karr 1981) were modified for the application of regional Korean circumstance. The ecological health, based on IBI grade, was in "good condition" and the IBI score ranged from 33 to 47. Nine parameters of the original 12-parameter metrics in QHEI model (Plafkin et al. 1989) were applied in the habitat assessment. The mean QHEI model values were judged as "partially supporting" and ranged from 75 (non-supporting) to 109 (supporting). Comparative analyses revealed that values of IBI and QHEI models were greater in Gj stream than Ig- and Dn streams. The analysis of fish compositions showed that the proportions of insectivore, omnivore, and carnivore were 61.9%, 19%, and 9.5%, respectively. According to tolerance guild analysis, sensitive species and tolerant species were 76.1% and 4.7%, respectively, indicating a healthy trophic state in terms of food chain. The analysis by habitat guild type indicated that riffle benthic species dominated (57.1%) when compared to water column species (28.5%). The introduced species and individuals with diseases or external abnormality were not observed. Overall, the model values of IBI and QHEI suggested that the ecological health was maintained well in this upstream region.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.85-88
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• 2013

Bioassessment is the use of biosurvey data, most commonly for benthic macroinvertebrates and fish, to obtain information about the health of waters in a region. In rivers, bioassessment results are used to evaluate biological condition and trends, to establish relationships between stressors and impairments, and to guide and evaluate management actions.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.9-18
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• 2024

Small streams, despite their rich ecosystems, face challenges in vegetation assessment due to the limitations of traditional, time-consuming methods. This study presents a groundbreaking approach, combining unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs), convolutional neural networks(CNNs), and the vegetation differential vegetation index (VDVI), to revolutionize both assessment and management of stream vegetation. Focusing on Idong Stream in South Korea (2.7 km long, 2.34 km² basin area)with eight diverse revetment methods, we leveraged high-resolution RGB images captured by UAVs across five dates (July-December). These images trained a ResNeXt101 CNN model, achieving an impressive 89% accuracy in classifying vegetation cover(soil,water, and vegetation). This enabled detailed spatial and temporal analysis of vegetation distribution. Further, VDVI calculations on classified vegetation areas allowed assessment of vegetation vitality. Our key findings showcase the power of this approach:(a) TheCNN model generated highly accurate cover maps, facilitating precise monitoring of vegetation changes overtime and space. (b) August displayed the highest average VDVI(0.24), indicating peak vegetation growth crucial for stabilizing streambanks and resisting flow. (c) Different revetment methods impacted vegetation vitality. Fieldstone sections exhibited initial high vitality followed by decline due to leaf browning. Block-type sections and the control group showed a gradual decline after peak growth. Interestingly, the "H environment block" exhibited minimal change, suggesting potential benefits for specific ecological functions.(d) Despite initial differences, all sections converged in vegetation distribution trends after 15 years due to the influence of surrounding vegetation. This study demonstrates the immense potential of UAV-based remote sensing and CNNs for revolutionizing small-stream vegetation assessment and management. By providing high-resolution, temporally detailed data, this approach offers distinct advantages over traditional methods, ultimately benefiting both the environment and surrounding communities through informed decision-making for improved stream health and ecological conservation.