• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.15.1-15.14
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• 2020

Background: Large rivers are ecological treasures with high human value, but most have experienced decades of degradation from industrial and municipal sewage, row-crop agricultural practices, and hydrologic alteration. We reviewed published analyses of long-term fish diversity publications from three intensively managed large river ecosystems to demonstrate the conservation potential of large river ecosystems. Results: We show how the incorporation of recent advances in river concepts will allow a better understanding of river ecosystem functioning and conservation. Lastly, we focus on the Wabash River ecosystem based on high conservation value and provide a list of actions to maintain and support the ecosystem. In the Wabash River, there were originally 66 species of freshwater mussels, but now only 30 species with reproducing populations remain. Although there were multiple stressors over the last century, the largest change in Wabash River fish biodiversity was associated with rapid increases in municipal nutrient loading and invasive bigheaded carps. Conclusions: Like similarly neglected large river systems worldwide, the Wabash River has a surprising amount of ecological resilience and recovery. For instance, of the 151 native fish species found in the 1800s, only three species have experienced local extinctions, making the modern assemblage more intact than many comparable rivers in the Mississippi River basin. However, not all the changes are positive or support the idea of recovery. Primary production underpins the productivity of these ecosystems, and the Wabash River phytoplankton assemblages shifted from high-quality green algae in the 1970s to lower less nutritional blue-green algae as nutrient and invasive species have recently increased. Our recommendations for the Wabash River and other altered rivers include the restoration of natural hydrology for the mainstem and tributaries, nutrient reductions, mechanisms to restore historical hydrologic patterns, additional sediment controls, and improved local hydraulics.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.130-141
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• 2016

This study was conducted to elucidate the structure of river ecosystem in the watershed of the Seom River and Hoengseong Reservoir located in Hoengseong of Kangwon Province from February to October 2007. Topics of the survey were mainly rainfall, discharge, water quality in abiotic factors and attached algae, benthic macroinvertebrates, fish, birds and mammals of flora and fauna in a biotic factors, respectively. Specifically, the Seom River could be seen as a typical flow rate of the stream is controlled to the effect of the dam. Basic water qualities were great to seasonal effects, it was relatively clean. Diatom Achnanthes, Cymbella, Gomphonema, and Navicula were distributed predominantly in the periphytic algae. Benthic macroinvertebrates were mostly aquatic insects and freshwater shellfish, the aquatic insects were abundant Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera. Freshwater fish was the dominant Zacco platypus, fish species varied toward the downstream. Birds were mainly observed in four species, and species Egretta garzetta, which was distributed in a wide area of the Seom River. In mammals, Lutra lutra of Mustelidae was identified that the number of inhabit widely. In aspects of the ecological trophic level, the Seom River was maintained at a relatively stable state in the producer and the consumer relationship. The results of this study will expected to be utilized as a useful data for understanding the structure and function of the lotic and lentic ecosystems.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.251-257
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• 2022

Monitoring and assessing aquatic ecosystems using the behavior of organisms is essential for sustainable ecosystem management. Oligochaetes, which inhabit various freshwater ecosystems, are frequently used to evaluate the environmental conditions of freshwater ecosystems. Tubifex tubifex (Müller, 1774) (Oligochaeta, Tubificidae) is tolerant to organic pollution and has been used to evaluate the toxicity of toxicants, including heavy metals. We studied the behavioral responses of T. tubifex to three different copper concentrations (0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 mg L^-1). The specimens were exposed to copper in an observation cage containing 150 mL of dechlorinated water. Movement behavior (diameter, speed, acceleration, meander, and turning rate) was continuously observed for two hours before and after the copper treatments. After the treatments, the diameter shrank and showed rapid twisting movement under all the copper conditions. The turning rate had a positive correlation with meander and acceleration both before and after treatment at all three concentrations, whereas speed and meander had a negative correlation. Length and turning rate also showed a negative correlation. The correlation coefficient between speed and acceleration in the highest copper concentration changed from positive before treatment (r=0.64) to negative (r= -0.52) after treatment. Our results present the possibility of using behavioral parameters to detect copper contamination in freshwater ecosystems.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.215-226
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• 2017

A study on indigenous diatoms was carried out at 10 sites from May 2014 to December 2016 in marine and freshwater in Korea. Seventeen species of diatoms are new to Korea and they are divided into 3 classes, 4 subclasses, 10 orders, 14 families, and 16 genera. The nomenclatures, references, dimensions, specimens examined, local habitat, distribution in Korea, and photograph are reported here. Seventeen species found in marine, freshwater, and brackish water showed species-specific habitats.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.279-288
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• 2016

Aquatic oligochaete plays an important role in freshwater ecosystem. These worms, therefore, have already been extensively studied around the world. But compared to other countries with East Asia, only 48 species of aquatic oligochaetes have been recorded in Korea. This is because taxonomic study of aquatic oligochaete is in just beginning stages. Our specimens of this study had been collected from eighteen locations in Korean peninsula. Analyzing them we identified twenty unrecorded species including one species of aelosomatid: Paranais orientalis, Pristina breviseta, P. notopora, P. foreli, P. synclites, Bratislavia prosetosa, Allonais gwaliorensis, Aulodrilus pluriseta, Limnodrilus neotropicus, L. maumeensis, L. amblysetus, Tubifex ignotus, Potamothrix cf. bedoti, P. bavaricus, Peipsidrilus cf. pusillus, Psammoryctides albicola, Varichaetadrilus vestibulatus, Tasserkidrilus cf. acapillatus, Propappus volki, Aeolosoma japonicum.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.242-248
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• 2021

Lobohalacarus weberi (Romijn and Viets, 1924) is added to the halacarid fauna of Korea as the third member of freshwater halacarid species. Both the genus and species are newly recorded from Korea. Halacarid mites were collected from two hillside wells and a streamside hyporheic zone in the southeastern region of South Korea. Lobohalacarus weberi is characterized by a well-developed frontal spine-like process, seven dorsal setae, the fourth segment of palp with a short distal and three long proximal setae, and tibiae of legs II to IV with two, one, two pectinate setae, respectively. A few minor individual variabilities were observed in the number of perigenital seta and genital acetabula, the setal armature on genua of legs, and the shape of spinule row on lateral claws.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.73-84
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• 2023

The objective of this study was to evaluate biodiversity and natural habitat environment of freshwater ecosystem. Our aim was therefore to produce a set of biodiversity and habitat indicators based on multi-parameters of water quality and biodiversity by analyzing the characteristics of the results by indicators. We selected four indicators a) anthropogenic disturbance, b) habitat diversity, c) biodiversity, d) ecosystem structure. The fishes cohabiting with Brachymystax lenok tsinlingensis were Rhynchocypris kumgangensis and Zacco koreanus. As a result of the anthropogenic disturbance evaluation, it was analyzed that vegetation embankment showed a more stable environment in the tributary than the main stream, and other disturbance was not confirmed As a result of the habitat diversity evaluation, it was analyzed that habitat evaluation index showed a high score of 200 more on average, showing an optimal habitat condition. As a result of the biodiversity evaluation, it was analyzed as a clean habitat condition with a high proportion of sensitive species, abundant dissolved oxygen, and little pollutants. As a results of the ecosystem structure, the ecological health condition metrics and appearance of endangered species showed large score deviation, but it was analyzed that the stream ecosystem health was generally excellent. There was a slight correlation between the habitat environment and the results of the nature habitat evaluation according to the appearance of the B. lenok tsinlingensis.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.170-189
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• 2021

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a genetic material derived from organisms in various environments (water, soil, and air). eDNA has many advantages, such as high sensitivity, short investigation time, investigation safety, and accurate species identification. For this reason, it is used in various fields, such as biological monitoring and searching for harmful and endangered organisms. To collect eDNA from a freshwater ecosystem, it is necessary to consider the target organism and gene and a wide variety of items, such as on-site filtration and eDNA preservation methods. In particular, the method of collecting eDNA from the environment is directly related to the eDNA concentration, and when collecting eDNA using an appropriate collection method, accurate (good quality) analysis results can be obtained. In addition, in preserving and extracting eDNA collected from the freshwater ecosystem, when an accurate method is used, the concentration of eDNA distributed in the field can be accurately analyzed. Therefore, for researchers at the initial stage of eDNA research, the eDNA technology poses a difficult barrier to overcome. Thus, basic knowledge of eDNA surveys is necessary. In this study, we introduced sampling of eDNA and transport of sampled eDNA in aquatic ecosystems and extraction methods for eDNA in the laboratory. In addition, we introduced simpler and more efficient eDNA collection tools. On this basis, we hope that the eDNA technique could be more widely used to study aquatic ecosystems and help researchers who are starting to use the eDNA technique.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.461-468
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• 2012

In general, long-term changes of ecological factors take a pulse form in which they interact with other factors and go through a repeated increasing and decreasing cycle. The coupling of the two approaches the grid model and the box model in ecological modeling can lead to an in-depth understanding of the environment. The study analyzes temporal variations of major storages with an energy system model that formulizes effectively the relationships among nutrients, phytoplankton, and zooplankton in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea. An increase of light intensity and standing stock of nutrient increase the magnitude and frequency of pulsing. Also, an immense reduction of nutrient concentration can cause extinction of the pulsing and bring about a steady state. It is concluded that the nutrient loads in freshwater discharge from the Yangtze affect the cycles of major ecological components as well as water quality variables and play an important role in the marine ecosystem.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.42-50
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• 2017

Coccoid green algae collected from March to November 2015 from 79 freshwater ecosystem sites throughout South Korea, including lakes, ponds, swamps, streams, and rivers, were identified using light microscopy. A total of 218 taxa were identified, among which 11 were new species records in Korea; these 11 species were found at four sites (Hanagang River, Chukdong reservoir, Chukdong fishery, and Deokjin reservoir). The new species recorded were Fotterella tetrachlorelloides, Trochiscia naumannii, Keriochlamys styriaca, Placosphaera opaca, Siderocystopsis fusca, Siderocelis oblonga, Siderocelis estheriana, Pachycladella umbrina, Pachycladella zatoriensis, Crucigenia mucronata and Scenedesmus sempervirens.