• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.389-404
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the vegetation recovery status of Mudeungsan National Park Jungmeorijae, Jeungsimsa district restoration site, and the Shimwon Valley ecological landscape restoration site in Jirisan National Park. Compared to the control plots, the Jungmeorijae restoration site was analyzed to have height growth of about 73.5%, the average species diversity index of about 75.2%. and the average similarity index was recovered to 7.75%. In the case of the restoration site in Jeungsimsa district, the height growth compared to the control plots was about 69.2%, the average species diversity index was about 55.0%. and the average similarity index was recovered to 25.65%. In the case of the Shimwon Valley ecological landscape restoration area, the height growth compared to the control plots was about 32.6%, the average species diversity index about 176.7%. and the average similarity index was recovered to 0.85%. The restoration site of the Jeungsimsa district was planted with relatively large trees during restoration work, and it took a relatively long time(20 years). Also, the site had less limiting factors due to the low elevation, allowing the degree of vegetation recovery to be higher than that of other sites.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.156-163
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• 2008

This study was to introduce a methodology of ecological health assessment for efficient management and to provide some diagnostic results of the survey. We evaluated ecological health assessment at five sampling locations of Sikjang Mountainous Stream using the index of biological integrity (IBI) and Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) during May - October 2006. The health condition, based on the IBI model, averaged 32 and varied from 27 to 37 depending on the sampling sites. Thus, the stream health was judged as "good" to "fair" conditions. IBI values showed slight differences between upstream and downstream sites. Whereas, QHEI values varied from 75 (fair condition) to 196 (excellent condition) and QHEI at St. 4~5, indicating the downstream reach had significantly lower than the headwater site (St.1). Regression analyses also showed that QHEI values had a linear decrease from the headwater to downstream. This result indicated that habitat quality was rapidly degradated by human influence. Overall, data of IBI and QHEI suggested that the stream health was maintained well in the present but the habitat and biological quality were partially degradated in the downstream. So, the human interference should be minimized to protect the downstream environment.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.251-270
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to offer the basic data and method for assessing the naturaliness of temple environment by applying the ecological index of plant to quantitatively and objectively assess the flora and to understand the flora distributed in major temple forest. The ecological index of plant was based in the surveyed flora. The whole flora were summarized as 535 taxa including 103 families, 310 genera, 426 species, 5 subspecies, 82 varieties and 22 forms. And, the numbers of taxa in the Beopheungsa were 267 taxa, 314 taxa of the Daeseungsa and 296 taxa of the Seongjusa. The rare plants were 9 taxa including Aristolochia contorta, Viola albida, Arisaema heterophyllumand so forth, and the Korean endemic plants were 11 taxa including Clematis trichotoma, Stewartia pseudocamellia, Vicia chosenensis and so forth. The specific plants by floristic region were 51 taxa including Wistaria floribunda, Celtis aurantiaca, Angelica gigas and so forth, and the pteridophyta were 26 taxa including Osmunda japonica, Polystichum braunii, Onoclea orientalis and so forth. The naturalized plants were 35 taxa including Fallopia dumetorum, Conyza canadensis, Xanthium strumarium and so forth, the invasive alien plants were 3 taxa including Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Aster pilosus and Eupatorium rugosum. In the results of analysing the ecological index of plant in whole temple forests, RI(Rare Index) was 1.7%, 2.1% of EI(Endemic Index), 9.5% of SI(Specific Index), 1.2 of PI(Pteridophyta Index) and 6.5% of NI(Naturalized Index) in narrow sense. In broad sense, FI(Flora Index) was 11.0%, 1.5% of RI, 3.4% of EI, 4.8% of SI, 10.1% of PI, 10.9% of UI(Urbanized Index) and 25.0% of DI(Disturbed Index). The FI of the Daeseungsa was the highest among the three temple forests. In narrow sense, the RI, SI, NI and DI of the Beopheungsa was high, the seongjusa was higher the EI and SI. In broad sense, the RI and SI of the Beopheungsa, the EI, SI and PI of the Seongjusa, the UI is high in the Daeseungsa. In future, if we will analyze ecological index of plant in other temple forests, we will offer the help to establishing the plan of conservation and restoration on ecosystem in whole temple forests.Environmental Specimen Banks (ESBs) are playing pivotal role in monitoring the effect of environmental pollution on the ecosystem based on the retrospective analysis of the representative samples collected regularly and stored in cryogenic condition.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.12-19
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• 1996

Urban parks, as remnant patches, of two older cities and two new towns can be analyzed by a landscape ecological approach. The index of patch shape, the dispersion of patches, the mean edge length, and the mean patch size of parks of each city are ocmpared. The findings of this study are as follows : 1) The mean edge length of urban parks of older cities is longer than that of new towns : Seoul>Suwon>Bundang>Ansan. 2) The mean patch size of urban parks in Seoul is much greater than those of other cities : Seoul> Ansan>Suwon>Bundang. 3) The index of patch shape of urban parks of older cities is greater than that of new towns : Seoul>Suwon>BundangAnsan. 4) The dispersion of patches is in the order of Bundang >Ansan>Seoul>Suwon. The new towns have relatively even distributions of urban parks than older cities. Further research is required to find out the relationship between the index of patch shape and patch interior dynamics.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.796-804
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• 2006

The objective of this research was to develop ecological multi-metric models using natural fish assemblages for a diagnosis of current stream health condition, and apply the model to nationwide lotic ecosystems of the Geum River, the Youngsan River, and the Sumjin River. The ecological stream health model was based on the index of biological integrity (IBI), which was originally developed in North American streams by Karr (1981), and the Rapid Bioassessment Protocol (RBP), which was scientifically established by the US EPA (1999). The metric numbers and metric attributes were partially changed for the regional applications, so the scoring criteria was modified for the assessment. Overall, metric values, based on the IBI calculations, reflected conventional water quality characteristics, based on nutrient regime, and agreed with results of staticeco-toxicity tests. Some stations impaired in terms of stream health were identified by the IBI approach, and also major key stressors affecting the stream health were identified by additional evaluations of physical habitats. Our preliminary results suggested that biological integrity in stream ecosystems was largely disturbed by habitat degradation as well as chemical pollutions. This new approach would be used as a key tool for ecological restorations and species conservations in the degraded aquatic ecosystems in Korea and applied for elucidating major causes of ecological disturbances. Ultimately, this approach provides us an effective management strategy of stream ecosystems through establishments of ecological networks in various watersheds.

• Journal of KIBIM
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.32-41
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• 2019

As population in Sarasota and Manatee Counties, Florida in the United States is projected to increase, land use changes from land development happen continuously. The more land development means the more impervious surfaces and stormwater runoff to Sarasota Bay, which causes critical impact on the resiliency of the ecosystem. In order to decrease its impact on water quality and the ecosystem function of Sarasota Bay, it is important to assess the resilient status of communities that create negative impacts on the ecosystem. Three types of guiding principles of resiliency for Sarasota Bay watershed are suggested. To assess resiliency status, three indexes - vulnerability index, socio-economic index, and ecological index are developed and analyzed by using geographic information system for each census tract in the two counties. Since each indicator for vulnerability index, socio-economic index, and ecological index is measured with different metrics, statistical standardizing method - distance from the best and worst performers is used for this study to directly compare and combine them all to show total resilience score for each census tract. Also, the ten most and the ten least scores for the total resilience index scores are spatially distributed for better understanding which census tracts are most or least resilient. As Sarasota Watershed boundary is also overlaid, it is easy to understand how each census tract attains its resilience and how each census tract impacts to Sarasota Bay ecosystem. Based on results of the resiliency assessment several recommendations, guidelines, or policies for attaining or enhancing resiliency are suggested.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.101 no.3
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• pp.356-364
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• 2012

This study was to estimate the biomass of Mt. Changbai mountain area using the IKONOS imagery and field survey data. Then, we prepared the regression function using the vegetation index derived from the IKONOS and biomass estimated from field measured data of previous studies, respectively. The five vegetation index which used in the regression model was SAVI, NDVI, SR, ARVI, and EVI. As a result, the rank of the R-square from coefficient of correlation was as follow, SAVI(0.84), NDVI(0.73), SR(0.59), ARVI(0.0036), EVI(0.0026). Finally, we estimated the biomass of non-measured area using the Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI). This study can be used as reference methodology for the estimation of carbon sinks of primary forest.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.62-69
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• 2008

This study was conducted in order to recommend forest-based wildlife protection areas in Chung-nam Province using several basic habitat conditions. The conditions used in this study were the forest patch size with the potential to keep wildlife animals safe, the distance from water sources, and the availability of food for wildlife. The fractal dimension index was also used to find the edge line dynamics, which can influence on habitat conditions for edge species. The natural conservation management indices including a forest map (indicating the level of forest age), a slope map, and an elevation map were used to find the forest patches with enough space for wildlife to live on. Water resources and their buffer areas were considered as factors to protect the space as an ecological corridor. Deciduous trees and trees mixed with deciduous trees and conifers were chosen to provide wildlife animals their food. In total, 525 forest patches were chosen and recommended for the wildlife protection area. Five of these forest patches were recommended as wildlife protection areas managed by the provincial government. The other 520 forest patches were recommended to protect local wildlife animals and be managed by each county or city. These forest patches were located around the Geum-buk and Geum-nam mountains, and the forest patches are important resources as habitats to keep wildlife in the area. An ecological network consists of these separate forest patches with the ecological integration. A fractal dimension index was used to divide forest patches into several categories in order to find how patches are shaped. The forest patches with longer edges or more irregular shapes have a much higher possibility of being inhabited by various types of edge species. Through comparison of the wildlife protection areas recommended in this study to the current wildlife protection areas, we recognized that the current wildlife protection areas need boundary adjustments in order for wildlife animals to survive by themselves with water sources and food.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.243-257
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• 2024

Although lakes are an important part of freshwater, research on biological methods for assessing ecological integrity of Korean lakes is insufficient. Therefore, this study aimed to develop Lakes Benthic Macroinvertebrates Multi-Metric Index (LBMMI) to assess the ecological integrity of lakes in Korea to further understand Korean lake's ecosystem. We used biological data from 388 sampling units of national lake monitoring programs from 2022 to 2023 and water quality data from Water Environment Information System (WEIS). As a result, firstly, reference points and disturbed points were selected through Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Secondly, six core metric elements (Pielou's Evenness index (J), Total number of taxa (To.t), Percent of taxa in insecta (% I.t), Percent of individuals in Oligochaeta and chironomidae(tuble) (% OliCht.i), Percent of taxa in Predator (% Pe.t), and Percent of taxa in Clingers (% CL.t) were selected through discriminant analysis and relationship-test. Lastly, LBMMI was calculated for each sampling point by scoring using core metric elements and five grades were assigned for LBMMI scores using a Beta probability distribution model, with the suitability of LBMMI reviewed by comparing it with TSI_KO. LBMMI developed in this study is expected to appropriately assess ecological integrity of Korean lakes and provide a basis for further research on lake environment conservation.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.329-336
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• 2012

This study evaluated ecological health, using various biomarkers and bioindicators, of pale chub (Zacco platypus) as a sentinel species, in Daejeon Stream, South Korea, during AprilMay 2011. The biomarkers and bioindicators were compared among three sites of control: Reference ($C_z$), transition ($T_z$), and the urban zones ($U_z$); and the 7-Ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity, DNA damage, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, and vitellogenin (VTG) concentrations were more significantly increased in the $U_z$ than in the $C_z$. Also, physiological markers such as condition factor, liver somatic index, visceral somatic index, and gonad somatic index were significantly increased in the $U_z$ than in the $C_z$. For the health assessments, three categorized parameters of blood chemistry, molecular biomarkers, and physiological bioindicators were standardized and calculated as a star-plot, representing values of Integrated Health Response (IHR). Values of IHR had more significant (P<0.05) increases in the $U_z$ than any other zones, indicating an impairment of ecological health by organic matter, nutrients (N, P), and toxic chemicals. This study is based on low levels of biological organization approach of molecular and physiological biomarkers and bioindicators, so further study of high-levels of biological organization approach such as community and population is required for overall range of health assessments. The approach of IHR values, however, may be useful in providing early warning of future impacts on ecological health.