• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.331-339
• /
• 2006

Inhabitant patterns of the legally protected species and the characteristics of fish fauna in the Pyeongchang River, Korea, were studied from April to July 2004 by selecting 6 sites. The number of fish samples in this period were 2,448 in 35 species of 9 families. A total of nineteen endemic species (54.29%) were presented and those were Hemibarbus mylodon and Acheilognathus signifer. The highest frequency was shown in Zacco korean us (34.84%) and Pungtungia herzi (10.25%) and Coreoleuciscus splendidus (6.86%) were the next. In addition, The highest biomass was found in Z. koreanus (5,580.2g) and Coreoperca. herzi (1.241.2g) and C. splendidus (1,207.0g) were the next. When comparing the distribution of the legally protected species in within the Han River system, the highesting distributions were determined in the Pyeongchang and Dong River (6 species). The ratio of individuals in the Pyeongchang River was shown to be higher (10.62%) than that of other lakes and streams. In conclusion, more precise protection and protective plans were needed in order to maintain the lake ecology in good status because the Pyeongchang River is relatively well protected from the anthropogenic disturbance in the legally protected species including the endemic species.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.495-502
• /
• 2007

Species biotic index (SBI), based on a fish assemblage, was applied to a stream assessment using long-term ecological fish data set (1996 to 2001) in Boryong dam area, which is located in the mainstream of Ungchun Stream of Chungnam province, Korea. According to the methods of Hilsenhoff (1988), the scores of tolerance guild assigned 10 classes to each species by its habitat and feeding guild, but modified current 7 criteria to 5 scoring standards due to unclear borderline among species. Relative abundance in the species number of upper stream guilds was only 7% of the total, whereas the abundance in the species number of middle to downstream upper stream guilds was 64%. Mean SBI, based on dataset in Site 1 during 1995-2001 averaged 5.10, which was judged as a "good" condition by the rank criteria of SBI. Before the dam construction, mean SBI in the Site 1 was 4.61, indicating a "good" condition, but after the dam construction, mean SBI was 5.60, indicating a "fair" condition. Trajectory analysis in the Site 1 showed significantly (One-way ANOVA, $F_{6,21}=3.26$, p=0.02) different among years, reflecting the changes of fish composition and population density by the dam construction, whereas Site 2 showed no significant changes ($F_{6,21}=1.00$, P =0.45) difference among years. Mean SBI prior to the dam construction in the Site 3 was 4.52 but after the construction, the value was 6.30, indicating a distinct difference between the pre- and post-dam construction. Trajectory analysis at the Site 3 supported this fact: Values of SBI showed significantly ($F_{6,21}$=14.37, p<0.01) different. Mean SBI was 4.67 in the Site 4, indicating a "good" condition in the health and the health rank was same as the sampling sites 1, 2, and 4. Trajectory in the Site 4 showed no significant ($F_{6,21}=2.35$, p=0.07) difference among the years. Overall, our trajectory analysis indicated that three of four sampling sites (sites 1, 3, 4) showed significant decreases (n=7, p<0.05) and that the proportions of sensitive species declined evidently in the sites 1 and 2 and the tolerant species increased in the dam sites. Our outcomes may be used as a key data for diagnosis of the long-term ecological impact in the future in the watershed.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.100-109
• /
• 2016

Species composition and distribution characteristics of fish were determined by monthly underwater visual census from September. 2013 to August, 2014 at Yeongunri off Tongyeong, Korea. The study area was divided into five habitat types by depth and substrate: (1) sand bottom as depth of 0~2 m, (2) seagrass bed of 2~5 m, (3) rocky outcrop of 0~2 m, (4) rocky bottom of 2~5 m, (5) sandy mud bottom of 5~8 m. A total of 1,673 individuals belonging to 43 species in 26 families were recorded during the study period. The number of species tended to decrease after October, 2013 and increase from March, 2014 showing the highest number in October (autumn), and lowest in January (winter). In terms of the number of species, Gobiidae was the most dominant family (7 species), followed by Scorpaenidae (4 species). Embiotocidae was the most abundant (26.1% in total number of individuals), followed by Scorpaenidae (19.9%) and Gobiidae (19.3%). The dominant species were Sebastes inermis (19.2%), Ditrema temminckii (13.1%), and Neoditrema ransonnetii (12.9%). The number of species and abundance were relatively high at the depth between 2 and 5 m on seagrass bed and rocky bottom, whereas they were lower at the depth between 0 and 2 m on the sand bottom, suggesting that seagrass beds and rocky bottoms provided the diverse habitats for various fish species in this sea.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.23-45
• /
• 2018

Moderately diverse, but very abundant trace fossils are found from the Late Pleistocene deposits of Jeju Island, Korea. Vertical I-, Y- and U-shaped domichnia of annelids or decapods are, over 2500, extremely abundant, 3D network domichnia of callianassids are, over 200, very abundant, and small sinuous trails of nematode repichnia are, over 50, abundant in number. Horizontal trails attributable to polychaete or worm-like animals are, less than 50, common, but horizontal spreiten burrows, fish traces and crab trackways are, less than 10, rare in occurrence. Of these trace fossils, Taenidium barretti, Undichna britannica and Undichna unisulca represent the first record from the Pleistocene in Asia. Psilonichnus upsilon is the second record in Asia. Crab trackways probably produced by underwater punting gait of sideway walking crabs may represent the first record in the world. In addition, diverse and very abundant footprints of more than 500 hominids, more than 200 birds and more than 1000 mammals are closely associated with these invertebrate trace fossils. Trace fossil assemblage integrated with sedimentary facies is interpreted to have been formed in the marginal marine foreshore to backshore environment corresponding to the Psilonichnus and Skolithos ichnofacies.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.39 no.2 s.116
• /
• pp.167-177
• /
• 2006

Both fish community and water quality in Lake Doam were investigated from September 2004 to August 2005. The turbidity of Lake Doam located in the upper region of the Songchun River in the South River system, Korea was high whole year due to the effects of distributed non point source pollutions in the watersheds. During the experimental periods, mean concentration of chlorophyll-a in epilimnetic layer (0 ${\sim}$ 5 m) was 18.5 ${\mu}g\;L^{-1}$ and transparency ranged from 0.3 m to 2.4 m. Average TP and TN concentrations were 111 ${\mu}g\;L^{-1}$ and 4.1 $mg\;L^{-1}$, respectively. Lake was classified as eutrophic state based on the nutrient concentrations suggested by U.S.EPA (1976). Total number of fish collected in Lake Doam was 9,600 individuals in 26 species of 6 family. Both dominant and subdominant species in the lake were P. herzi (34.9%) and Z. platypus (22.5%), respectively. Occurrence of water column species was high at upper region of the lake, whereas benthic type of species highly ,appeared in downstream area. The different fish assemblage between upper and lower area would be considered as the difference of bottom substrate and concentrations of suspended solids. In addition high appearance of Comat type of fish that is hybrid between gold fish (C, auratus) and C. auratus was found in the lake. It was unclear the reasons that high proportion of mutant species appeared in the lake. More researches are required in this area in future.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.255-262
• /
• 2010

This study was conducted at 5 sites of Bocheong Stream basin in May and September 2009 for the evaluate of fish assemblage and chemical water quality. For the study, the models of Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) and Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) were modified as 8 and 11 metric attributes, respectively. We also analyzed patterns of chemical water quality at the sampling site over the period of 2005~2009, using the water chemistry dataset, obtained from the Ministry of Environment, Korea. The survey showed that total sampled fishes were 34 species and the most dominant species was Zacco platypus (24.3%). In Bocheong Stream basin, values of IBI averaged 28 (n=5), which is judged as a "Good". IBI score at B1, B4 and B5 indicating a "Good" condition whereas, B2 and B3 were as 21 and 22, indicating "Fair" condition, respectively. QHEI was 152 (n=5), judged as "Fair" habitat condition. Values of BOD and COD averaged 1.0 $mgL^{-1}$ (scope: 0.3~4.0 $mgL^{-1}$) and 2.3 $mgL^{-1}$ (scope: 0.3~18.7 $mgL^{-1}$), respectively. Total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and suspended solid (SS) were distinct spatial variation. Based on the IBI, QHEI and chemical water quality dataset, ecological health of Bocheong Stream basin was evaluated that generally good.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.403-411
• /
• 2007

The purpose of the study was to evaluate fish community, based on conventional at Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H'), and ecological health, based on the Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) using fish assemblage in the eight sites of Nakdong River during June${\sim}$August 1999. Total number of species sampled was 19 species, and two sensitive species of Zacco temminckii (51%) and Rhynchocypris oxycephalus (28%) dominated the fish community. Also, trophic guild analyses showed that insectivore was 87% of the total and omnivore was rare, indicating that the ecological health is well maintained in the system. The pattern of spatial variation in the diversity index(H') was very similar to patterns of the species number and individual number, whereas the pattern of H' was not matched with the tolerance and trophic guild data. The diversity index (H') showed highest (1.56) in Site 6 where the proportion of sensitive species and tolerant species was minimum and maximum, respectively, and where the insectivore and omnivore were minimum and maximum. In other words, the diversity index was not matched at all with the trophic and tolerant guilds, indicating that the conventional index did not reflect the ecological characteristics of fish community in the system. In the mean time, the ecological health (IBI) averaged 33.5 (n=8), indicating "good${\sim}$fair condition" and the IBI values matched with trophic and tolerance guilds. Maximum IBI occurred in Site 2 where the sensitive and msectivore species were nearly maximum, and the tolerant and omnivore species were almost minima, indicating that IBI values were closely associated with the ecological functions and health conditions. Overall data suggest that the conventional diversity index may not effective for a evaluation of fish community, and that in contrast the IBI approach may be a useful tool for diagnosis of stream community.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.44 no.5
• /
• pp.499-505
• /
• 2011

The fishing grounds of Korean large-pair trawlers have shifted since exclusive economic zones (EEZs) were established in a fisheries agreement involving countries neighboring Korean waters. The distributions of marine ecosystems and fisheries resources have been changing with environmental changes such as global warming and with the shift in species targeted as a result of changes in fishing technology and fishing gear. This study analyzed variation in the species assemblages caught in Korean waters by large-pair trawlers as a result of these geopolitical and environmental changes. The data used in this study were obtained from the Fishery Production Statistics of Korea and the Port Sample Survey of the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) from 1990 to 2007. Hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) and correspondence analysis (CA) were used to explore the characteristics of the catch-species composition. The overall variation in the species composition of the catch of Korean large-pair trawlers showed that the proportions of croaker Johnius grypotus, small yellow croaker Larimichthys polyactis, eel Anguilla japonica, and blue crab Portunus trituberculatus decreased, whereas those of hairtail Trichiurus lepturus, Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus niphonius, anchovy Engraulis japonicus, and common squid Todarodes pacificus increased in Korean waters over the 18-year period. The results of the HCA of the annual catch data by species showed four different distributions of fish species according to year. Results of the CA showed that the species assemblages differed between the 1990s and 2000s.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.52 no.3
• /
• pp.231-244
• /
• 2019

Zooplankton is essential biological assemblage in understanding the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems, since it plays as a linkage between primary producers and higher trophic level organisms such as fish. Although zooplankton has planktonic characteristics, the sampling and treatment methods for its community analyses are more complicated and variable compared with phytoplankton due to its high diversity in body size and species-specific depth selection behaviors. In the present paper, we reviewed representative classical methods for field sampling and treatments of freshwater zooplankton in relation with quantification of its community structure, and suggested appropriate methods depending on various research objectives.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.39 no.2 s.116
• /
• pp.145-156
• /
• 2006

The objective of this study was to evaluate biological health conditions and physicochemical status using multi-metric models at five sites of the Keum-Ho River during August 2004 and June 2005. The research approach was based on a qualitative habitat evaluation index (QHEI), index of biological integrity (IBI) using fish assemblage, and long-term chemical data (1995 ${\sim}$ 2004), which was obtained from the Ministry of Environment, Korea. For the biological health assessments, regional model of the IBI in Korea (An,2003), was applied for this study. Mean IBI in the river was 30 and varied from 23 to 48 depending on the sampling sites. The river health was judged to be "fair condition", according to the stream health criteria of US EPA (1993) and Barbour et al. (1999). According to the analysis of the chemical water quality data of the river, BOD, COD, conductivity, TP, TN, and TSS largely varied epending on the sampling sites, seasons and years. Variabilities of some parameters including BOD, COD, TP, TN, and conductivity were greater in the downstream than in the upstream reach. This phenomenon was evident in the dilution by the rain during the monsoon. This indicates that precipitation is a very important factor of the chemical variations of water quality. Community analyses showed that species diversity index was highest (H=0.78) in the site 1, while community dominance index was highest in the site 3, where Opsariichthys uncirostris largely dominated. In contrast, the proportions of omnivore and tolerant species were greater in the downstream reach, than in the upstream reach. Overall, this study suggests that some sites in the downstream reach may need to restore the aquatic ecosystem for better biological health.