• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.43-49
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• 2016

Fishways are constructed to provide longitudinal connectivity of streams or rivers where their flow has been altered by in-stream structures such as dams or weirs. Nature-like fishways have an additional function of providing fish habitats. In the study, we estimated the role of a nature-like fishway (length: 700 m, slope: 1/100) for fish habitat by using two dominant species in the Sangju Weir, Nakdong River, to calculate the optimal ecological flow rate using Physical HABitat SIMulation (PHABSIM). To identify the dominant species that used the fishway, we conducted trap monitoring from August to November 2012 at the fishway exit. The dominant species were Zacco platypus and Opsariichthys uncirostric amurensis with a relative abundance of 62.1% and 35.9%, respectively. Optimal habitat suitability indices (HSIs) for Z. platypus and O. u. amurensis were calculated as 0.6-0.8 m/s (water velocity) and 0.2-0.4 m (water depth), and 0.5-0.7 m/s (water velocity) and 0.1-0.3 m (water depth), respectively. The optimal ecological flow rates (OEFs) for Z. platypus and O. u. amurensis were 1.6 and 1.7 cubic meter per second (CMS), respectively. The results of the study can be used in a management plan to increase the habitat function of nature-like fishways in the Sangju Weir. This methodology can be utilized as an appropriate tool that can determine the habitat function of all nature-like fishways.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.757-764
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• 2011

This study is performed to clarify the fish fauna and fish habitat of downstream of Singok submerged weir within Han River estuary during April ~ December 2009. It was studied at the nine sites of Han River estuary area. The three of them were located in the mainstream of Han River and six of them were located in three wetlands which as Sannam, Janghang and Dolbangguji. Total fish fauna was identified as 9 order 15 family and 38 species (2,230 individuals). It was divided as 8 order 11 family 28 species from three sites in the mainstream of Han River and as 5 order 8 family 19 species in waterways at mud flats of three wetlands. It was made up the fish fauna as 3 order 4 family 12 species during the survey period at the waterways in the rice paddies. Hemibarbus labeo was dominant species in the whole research sites and waterways at mud flats. Carassius auratus was dominant species in the waterways between rice paddies and Chelon haematocheilus was dominant species in mainstream of Han River estuary.

• The Journal of Fisheries Business Administration
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.19-45
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• 2020

This study is to evaluate economic effect of the creation project of snow crab, Chionoecetes opilio, spawning and habitat ground in Uljin and Youngdeok county. The main results of this study are summarized as follows: first, 14,400 million won was invested in the creation project cost of Chionoecetes opilio spawning and habitat ground of Uljin and Youngdeok County from 2015 to 2020. Second, the creation project of Chionoecetes opilio spawning and habitat ground directly provides fishing benefits, festival benefits, research and development benefits and employment benefits. Third, on the basis of above benefits, the creation project of Chionoecetes opilio spawning and habitat ground has net present value of 29,900.53 million won, internal rate of return 16.9%, and benefit-cost of 2.91 under a 4.5% social discount rate. Also, the creation project creates 195 jobs. This indicates that the creation project of Chionoecetes opilio spawning and habitat ground not only contributes to the increase in the income of coastal fishery and fishing villages but also to the job making. The result of this study provides useful information to policy makers or project managers as it shows that the project to create spawning and habitat ground should be carried out in consideration of the resource and biological characteristics of individual fish and that economic assessment logic should also be developed based on this. Also, it proves that the project to create a snow crab spawning and habitat ground is a national and local infrastructure project that increases the actual fishing income in the region. At the same time, it maintains the reproducibility function of most fish species, along with enhancing the people's benefits such as fishing village tourism and marine product consumption. Moreover, it provides useful information on budgeting for the continuous development of snow crab spawning and habitat ground in the mid to long-term.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2023

Alien species are known to threaten regional biodiversity globally, which has increased global interest regarding introduction of alien species. The Ministry of Environment of Korea designated species that have not yet been introduced into the country with potential threat as alert alien species to prevent damage to the ecosystem. In this study, potential habitats of Esox lucius and Maccullochella peelii, which are predatory and designated as alert alien fish, were predicted on a national basis. Habitat suitability was evaluated using EHSM (Ecological Habitat Suitability Model), and water temperature data were input to calculate Physiological Habitat Suitability (PHS). The prediction results have shown that PHS of the two fishes were mainly controlled by heat or cold stress, which resulted in biased habitat distribution. E. lucius was predicted to prefer the basins at high latitudes (Han and Geum River), while M. peelii preferred metropolitan areas. Through these differences, it was expected that the invasion pattern of each alien fish can be different due to thermal preference. Further studies are required to enhance the model's predictive power, and future predictions under climate change scenarios are required to aid establishing sustainable management plans.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.398-409
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• 2018

Organic farming practices including loach based ecosystem-farming have been demonstrated to be effective in conjunction with rice farming to increase yield and quality. This new form of farming combines agriculture and fishery and is quickly developing into a new industry. The current study investigated the effect of rice-fish mixed farming system on the vegetation-diversity function. Vegetation within the four study sites was surveyed and analyzed based on plant taxonomy. The vegetation survey demonstrated that 127 taxa of 38 families, 100 genera, 107 species, and 20 varieties occurred within the study sites. A total of 15 plant species taxa occurred in the rice-fish mixed paddy fields with a fish habitat and did not occur in the conventional paddy field lacking fish habitat. This difference is thought to arise from differences in moisture requirements for vegetation. Life form analysis demonstrated differences in hemicryptophytes, therophytes, and hydrophytes according to fish habitat. The naturalized plants identified were also determined to be species widely distributed throughout Korea. Frequency analysis demonstrated that the rice-fish mixed paddy fields with a fish habitat had a high ratio of both obligate and facultative wetland plants relative to the conventional paddy field. Based on the study results, it is likely that vegetation-diversity will increase with environment diversity. However, no statistical significance was observed according to paddy types. Future research should aim to identify additional environmental factors, including the existence of fish habitat, habitat area, depth of fish habitat, hydrological parameters, water quality, and paddy soil environment, to enhance vegetation-diversity and biocultural diversity.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.150-157
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• 2012

Fish communities in river networks provide significant ecosystem services that will likely decline under future land use and climate change. We developed a model that simulates the consequences to multiple populations of one or more fish species-a meta-community-from multiple stressors across a river network. The model is spatially-explicit and age-structured, with three components: habitat suitability; population dynamics, including species interactions; and movement across a spatial network. Although this model is simple, it can form the basis of fisheries assessments and may be incorporated into an integrated modeling system for watershed management and prediction.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.282-293
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• 2023

Nile perch and Nile tilapia are major commercial species in Uganda, and thus require continuous production. However, their production is impacted by anthropogenic activities such as fishing in breeding habitats. The aim of this study was to identify and characterize Nile perch and Nile tilapia fish breeding habitats on Lake Kyoga. Water quality, lake bottom, fish and vegetation type samples were collected from 20 sites in April of 2021 and 2022. Key informant interviews were conducted with experienced fishermen at five fish landing sites. The water quality parameters indicated significant difference within the sites using analysis of variance. Sandy and muddy bottom types were equally spread at 40% each by use of a pie chart. Fish gonads showed no significant difference among the 20 sites. Bivariate correlation analysis of the vegetation types indicated a strong negative correlation with Nile perch while Nile tilapia had a positive correlation. Principal component analysis of the water quality, fish gonads and habitat vegetation components cumulatively contributed 82.5% in characterizing a fish breeding habitat. Four sites for Nile perch and four sites for Nile tilapia were characterized as breeding sites on Lake Kyoga and are recommended for mapping and gazettement as breeding habitats for sustainable fisheries management.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.137-146
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• 2015

Lateral connectivity between a main channel and a former channel plays an integral role in maintaining ecological functions of stream-floodplain ecosystems. This study virtually restored the connectivity of the former channel, which is currently isolated by channelization, in the Mangyeong River, Korea. Fish habitat improvement after the connectivity restoration was evaluated using River2D, two-dimensional depth-averaged hydraulic modeling, depending on normal and flood flow conditions. Target fish species were crucian carp (Carassius auratus), which are known as lentic species, and pale chub (Zacco platypus), known as lotic species. The weighted usable area (WUA) of the two species was increased after the connectivity restoration: the two-way connection between the main and formal channels was more effective than the one-way connection. The result of the physical habitat simulation at a flood flow condition demonstrated an increased rate of the WUA than during a normal flow condition. In particular, the WUA of pale chub increased about four times on the two-way connectivity restoration. This result suggests that habitat availability of both lentic and lotic fish species will increase after a connectivity restoration, and a two-way connectivity restoration may be more effective. In addition, the restored formal channel would function as a shelter for fish during the flood season.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.339-347
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• 2017

The objectives of this study were to analyze ecological characteristics of fish compositions and estimate the optimal ecological flow using the physical habitat simulation system (PHABSIM) in Wonju stream and Boseong river. We sampled fishes using two gears such as casting net and kicknet to determine fish distribution and also measured flow velocity, water depth, bed material at the point where fish collected. Total number of species and individuals sampled were 20 and 2,104, respectively and dominant species was Zacco platypus (39.7%) and subdominant species was Z. koreanus (RA: 15.8%) in Wonju stream. In Boseong river, collected fishes were 1,638 individuals, 28 species. Dominant and sub-dominant species was Z. platypus (RA: 22.0%) and Microphysogobio yaluensis (RA: 17.2%), respectively. For calculating habitat suitability index (HSI), we selected Z. platypus as representative fish species and analyzed water depth and flow velocity. Water depth and flow velocity were 0.2-0.6 m, 0.1-0.3 m/s, respectively in Wonju stream and 0.3-0.6 m, 0-0.3 m/s, respectively in Boseong river. According to the analysis of ecological flow simulation, optimal flow was 1.1 cms and 0.3 cms in Wonju stream and 0.4cms, 2.2cms in Boseong river at up and down stream respectively. WUA (Weighted Usable Area) was 9.5%, 26.6% in Wonju stream and 34.8%, 53.3% in Boseong river at up and down stream respectively.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.267-276
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• 2013

An Improvement of channel structure for sound fish habitat suitability enhancement is investigated. The restoration target species of Zacco Koreanus which is represented a sound aquatic ecosystem is selected by investigating results of the fish fauna and the river environments. The changes of lower channel width for enhancing suitability indices for water velocity and depth result in habitat suitability enhancement in general by PHABSIM simulation. The habitat suitability enhancement is not guaranteed consistently by the changes of lower channel is confirmed. The optimal lower channel widths at each reach are presented by genetic algorithm of optimization which is considering the enhancement of suitability indices for water velocity and depth with given instream flows. The suggested plan of the lower channel modification will contribute to the various projects for the environmental improvement of aquatic system.