• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.483-501
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to apply a multi-metric model of Lentic Ecosystem Health Assessments(LEHA) for environmental impact assessments of Cheongpyung Reservoir during 2005 - 2006 and assessed the ecological model values. The ecosystem model of LEHA was composed of eleven metrics such as biological parameters($B_p$), physical parameters($P_p$), and chemical parameters($C_p$), and determined the rank of ecological health by the criteria. The variables of $B_p$ were metrics of % sensitive species($M_2$, NMS) and insectivore species($M_5$, % $I_n$), which decrease as the water quality degradates, and these metric values were low as 1.5% and 32.4%, respectively. In contrast, the proportions of tolerant species and omnivore species as the other $B_p$ parameters were 43% and 62%, respectively, which indicate a degradation and disturbance of the ecosystem. Riparian vegetation coverage($M_9$, % $V_c$) as a variable of $P_p$, were higher in the 2nd than 1st survey, and decreased toward the dam site from the headwaters. This was due to a habitat simplification(modifications) by frequent bottom dredging of sand and rocks. The variables of $C_p$ were two metrics of specific conductivity($M_{10}$, $C_I$) as an indicator of ionic contents(cations and anions) and the Trophic State Index(TSI) based on chlorophyll-a($M_{11}$, $TSI_{CHL}$) as an indicator of trophic state. These metric values of $C_p$ had high temporal variations, but low spatial variations on the main axis of the reservoir along with the ecological health of a good condition. The environmental impact assessments using the LEHA multi-metric model indicated that the model values of LEHA averaged 30.7 in 1st survey(fair - poor condition) vs. 28 in 2nd survey(poor condition), indicating a temporal variation of the ecological health. The model values of LEHA showed a minimum(28) in the lacustrine zone(S5) and ranged from 29 to 30 in the other locations sampled, indicating a low longitudinal variation. Overall, environmental impact assessments, based on LEHA model, suggest that chemical water quality conditions were in good, but biological conditions were disturbed due to habitat modifications by frequent dredgings in the system.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.109 no.2
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• pp.124-135
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• 2020

Alder (Alnus japonica) forests are representative of the wetland in East Asia, including Korea. In the past, alder forests were relatively common in various habitats such as mountains, riversides, back marshes, and alluvial plains. However, this plant community has recently become rare due to increasingly arid habitats and the influence of various land uses. In this study, we identify the synecological characteristics of alder (A. japonica) forests distributed naturally in the mountainous wetlands of Korea and provide basic data for their systematic conservation and management in the future. Based on vegetation survey data collected from 66 alder forests, community types were classified using the methods of the Zürich-Montpellier School of Phytosociology and two-way indicator species analysis. There were eight community types: Styrax obassia, Weigela subsessilis-Fraxinus mandschurica, Spiraea fritschiana, Viola verecunda, Impatiens textori-Spiraea salicifolia, Glyceria leptolepis, Molinia japonica, and Lindera obtusiloba-Quercus acutissima. These community types constituted a vegetation unit hierarchy of two communities, four subcommunities, and eight variants. In addition, the ecological characteristics of each community type were compared (including total coverage per 100 square meter, importance value index, constancy class, life-form composition, diversity indices, community similarity coefficient, and indicator species).

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.722-733
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• 2019

This study was carried out to provide basic information for the ecological preservation management of temple forest (Donghaksa, Gapsa, Sinwonsa) by investigating the ecological characteristics of vegetation structure of the Cultural Heritage Site in Mt. Gyeryongsan National Park based on the Braun-Blanquet vegetation survey method from September 2018 to May 2019. As a result of hierarchical cluster analysis, the forest vegetation was classified into 3 vegetation units (Zelkova serrata - Akebia quinata - Kerria japonica community, VU1; Quercus serrata - Callicarpa japonica - Carpinus cordata community, VU2; and Pinus densiflora - Prunus sargentii - Fraxinus sieboldiana community, VU3). The indicator species of each vegetation unit were 12 taxa, 8 taxa, and 6 taxa, respectively. The result of the importance value analysis showed that Z. serrata had the highest importance value in all vegetation units, and the result of the species diversity analysis showed that the species diversity of VU3 was 0.939, which was relatively higher than other vegetation units. The result of the CCA of correlation between vegetation units and abiotic environmental factors showed that VU2 had a negative correlation with altitude, and biotic environmental factors had no significant correlation with vegetation units.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.49-57
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• 2014

Orb-web spiders can be considered as an effective bio-indicative animal to monitor the ecological air pollution of certain habitat since they have limited shifting ability during their life spans. In this study we revealed the fine structural characteristics of booklung in the orb-web spider Nephila clavata, and its bio-indicative significance in the monitoring environmental asbestos exposure. The high resolution scanning electron microscopy results suggest that the cuticular spikes near the atrium could be act as an effective filtering structure for dust materials. Furthermore, inner cuticular spikes which protruded across the air sacs, have the functions not only sustaining appropriate respiratory volume of each air sac but also help to enhance respiratory capacity by maximizing the gross surface area for gas exchange. Interestingly, in spite of short exposure, the asbestose fibrils were effectively captured on the surface of the atrial cuticular spikes. Furthermore, histologic damages were observed due to penetration of asbestos fibrils through air sacs and fixed on the hemolymph space. In addition, although accumulated mass of hemocytes were observed near the fibrils, there were no asbestos bodies or coagulated hemocytes were found on the surface of the fibrils, This could be mainly due to the short exposure period towards asbestos. Briefly, these results indicate the spider's booklung could be valuable tool in the detection ecological air pollutants.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.49-99
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• 2021

Gwangdeoksan Mountain (699.3 m) is the highest border mountain between the two cities of Chungcheongnamdo Province, Cheonan and Asan, Korea. In this study, we investigated the flora of Gwangdeoksan Mt. from April of 2015 to October of 2017. Through 20 independent field investigations, we identified and tallied a total of 428 species, 9 subspecies, 30 varieties, and a forma in 287 genera and 97 families. Of a total of 468 taxa, 128 taxa in 112 genera and 58 families were found to be Korean endemic species (7 taxa), floristic regional indicator species (45 taxa), rare or endangered species (3 taxa), species subject to the approval of outbound transfer (73 taxa), and alien or ecosystem disturbing species (32 taxa). The flora of Gwangdeoksan Mt. can be divided into four distinct floristic subregions, with higher diversity in the north-facing subregion. The complex flora of Gwangdeoksan Mt., emerging at the edge of two floristic regions of the Korean peninsula, may represent a significant conservation priority and a topic for future ecological and geographical studies.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.245-256
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• 2021

Background and objective: The vitalization of urban agriculture has increased various forms of experience-based education using school gardens, which raised the importance of school gardens in terms of value as well as the need to develop an implementation system for education-based agricultural experience service using school gardens. Thus, we reset the evaluation indicators from the previous study to establish objective evaluation indicators that enable quantitative comparison of school garden education services. Methods: Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and direct question (DQ) surveys were conducted on 20 experts from October 12 to 19, 2020 after establishing the purpose and subjects of evaluation, and then the weights were calculated using the Expert Choice 2010 program. Results: First, we analyzed the problems of the previous indicators by categorizing the performance indicators and comparing and verifying them with six requirements of valuation. Then, we added 'welfare values' and established sub-indicators accordingly. The importance of value indicator in AHP was in the order of education values (0.544), health values (0.182), welfare values (0.164), environmental values (0.062), and economic values (0.049). The importance of environmental and economic values was relatively low, less than 0.1. The importance of sub-indicators was highest in cultivating character (0.144), followed by enhancing ecological sensitivity (0.141) > promoting mental health (0.134) > cultivating agricultural literacy (0.120) > improving social skills (0.104). And mitigating climate change in environmental values was lowest (0.009). Increase in income was the lowest (0.036). This can be regarded as the expression of change to increase the educational effect based on collective life and the connotative meaning of 'school'. In the case of DQ, the AHP weight and order were the same, but the environmental and economic values were relatively low, and the result was different from AHP weight. For sub-indicators, the importance in DQ was highest in promoting mental health (0.136), followed by promoting physical health (0.085), ]cultivating character (0.082), social integration (0.072), and enhancing ecological sensitivity (0.071). After reviewing related experts, we came up with 5 evaluation indicators and 16 sub-indicators for school garden education service, which are objective evaluation indicators that enable quantitative comparison. Conclusion: In the future, we will validate the socioeconomic values of school garden education services and contribute to revitalizing school gardens by establishing policy alternatives for effective operation and management of school gardens.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.62-68
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• 2012

This study evaluated the screening level assessment of ecological health using four biomarkers and four bioindicators of Misgurnus anguillicaudatus as a indicator species in agricultural area of South Korea during May-June 2011. The endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) indicators, such as vitellogenin (VTG) and gonado-somatic index (GSI), were not significantly changed in the agricultural site (p>0.05), indicating no effects. The biomarkers and bioindicators were compared between two sites of reference site (RS) and the agricultural site (AS) for screening assessment of ecological health. The ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, and DNA damage were significantly changed in the AS compared with the RS (p<0.05). But the individual level bioindicators such as condition factor (CF), hepato-somatic index (HSI), and gonado-somatic index (GSI) were not significantly different from reference site (RS). These results may indicate impairments of ecological health by toxic chemicals and environmental conditions. Current this study is based on screening assessment of biochemical and individual level biomarkers and bioindicators, so further study is required additional biomarkers and population or community level bioindicators for more specific health assessments in agricultural areas.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.65-71
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• 2004

The most significant effect of excess water in wetlands is the isolation of the soil from the atmosphere and the prevention of O2 from diffusing into soil. The blockage of atmospheric O2 induces biological and chemical processes that change soil from oxidized into reduced state. When dry soil develop into hydric soil, redox potential is dropping. The redox potential is a indicator of hydric soil and affect chemical function of wetlands. To reveal characteristics of wetland soil, redox potential was measured in Jinkwannaedong ecological conservation area from May in 2003 to March in 2004. Redox potentials in May ranged from 5 mV at 25 cm depth to 200 mV at 10 cm depth. It decreased to about -200 m V at all depths and continued until October. In winter, redox potential was slowly increased; it was the highest at 5 cm depth and lowest at 20 cm depth. Annual variations of redox potential in 20 cm depth showed the same pattern at 5 sites; low in growing season and high in non-growing season. This results indicates that soils of study sites are in hydric state and methanogenesis is occurring in Jinkwannaedong ecological conservation area.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.79-92
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• 2006

Environmental capacity assessment of Busan city was conducted to provide basis for planning on sustainable development and growth of the city. Using Onish model, assessment was carried out on amenities and service facilities for the citizens of Busan city. Ecological Footprint model was used to judge if the city exceeds the its environmental capacity and to estimate the extent of the excess if it exists. The analysis using Onish model revealed that the citizens of Busan city are generally well supported by the infrastructure and service facilities of the city. Water treatment and supply facilities have enough capabilities to support the city, whereas the relatively low rate of sanitary sewer supply (78%) suggests the need for further improvement in the wastewater area. The capacities of sanitary landfills are found sufficient enough to support the city for the next 10 years. The high value for the line length served per capita in the subway sector hints on certain inconvenience of commuters. All the air quality indicators meet the Korean and WHO standards except for $NO_2$. The ecological footprint model analysis produced EF indicators for Busan city of 3.04 ha/person and 2.54 ha/person for the years of 1993 and 2003, respectively. The decrease of the indicator from 1993 to 2003 is mainly due to the incorporation of Gijang area by Busan city in 1995, suggesting the importance of the ecologically productive area in the evaluation using this model. The analysis on the ecological deficit that is based on ecologically productive land shows that the consumption by Busan city exceeds its ecologically available production by 19,600% as of 2003. The area needed to support the consumption of Busan city in 2003 is 123 times as large as the present area of Busan city, which is substantially lower than the multiplier (742) obtained for Seoul city in 1997 but is higher than those observed for Chongju city (71 in 1999) and Ulsan city (39 in 2001).

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.591-602
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• 2018

Clithon retropictus has been designated as an endangered wildlife Class II due to its high value as a biological indicator species capable of judging environmental quality such as salinity, water flow, and ground conditions. However, basic research on its physiological and ecological characteristics is still lacking. As such, this study intended to examine the impact of environmental conditions such as salinity and soil particle size on the size and density of Clithon retropictus at the Yeoncho river estuary. The investigation of the salinity, which is a key variable that affects the distribution of organisms in the estuary, showed that Clithon retropictus could grow at a salinity ranging from 0#x2030; (freshwater) to 25‰ (brackish water). The coarse gravel (19-75mm) tended to increase nearer the upper stream (under the Yeoncho weir), while the proportion of particles smaller than sand (less than 19mm) increased toward the downstream. The population and the size of the individuals decreased rapidly in the downstream where water stagnated near the Yeoncho weir, and the salt water joined. The results indicated that Clithon retropictus had a high tolerance to salinity, but the adaptability was weaker toward the extremes since the population, and the size tended to decrease as the salinity increased. The correlation analysis revealed that both salinity and soil particle size affected the population and individual size. The correlation between the individual size and salinity was -0.242 (P <0.01), indicating that the size decreased with increasing salinity. The correlation between individual size and coarse gravel having a particle size of 19mm or more was 0.420 (P <0.01), indicating that the size increased with increasing the particle size.