• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.213-223
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• 2021

To understand the sedimentary environment of Scirpus planiculmis habitat (Myeongji and Eulsuk tidal flats) in the Nakdong Estuary, this study analyzed the statistical parameters (sorting, skewness, and kurtosis) of grain size data and the major (Al, Fe, Mn, Mg, Ca, Na, K, Ti, and P), minor (Li, Sc, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Zr, Cs, Pb, Th, and U), and rare earth elements (REEs) in sediment cores. For Myeongji, the sediment structure of the upper part of the cores was poorly sorted, more finely skewed, and more leptokurtic due to construction of the West gate. By contrast, the Eulsuk cores all differed due to the contrasting floodgate operation patterns of the West and East gates. The linear discriminate function (LDF) results corresponded to the statistical parameters for grain size. At the Eulsuk tidal flat (sites ES05 and ES11), elemental distributions were representative of Al-, Fe- and Ca-associated profiles, in which the elements are largely controlled by the accumulation of their host minerals (such as Na- and K-aluminosilicate and ferromagnesium silicate) and heavy detrital minerals at the sites. Detrital minerals including the aluminosilicates are major factors in the elemental compositions at ES05, diluting the REE contents. However, clay minerals and Fe-oxyhydroxides, as well as REE-enriched heavy minerals, appeared to be controlling factors of the elemental composition at ES11. Therefore, the mineral fractionation process is important in determining the elemental composition during sedimentation, which reflects the depositional condition of riverine-saline water mixing at both sites.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.258-269
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to establish a system to evaluate the ecological soundness of the Geum river basin. The study target area is 14 sub-watersheds of the Geum river basin. For the selection of indicators to ensure transparency and consistency of the evaluation indicators, the ecological soundness indicators were secured by using the indicator adjustment method derived in consideration of the intrinsic weight change characteristics between indicators. The index with the greatest impact on the final composite index was identified as the index of the aquatic ecology among the water quantity, water quality, aquatic ecology, and habitat-riparian environment dimensions. As a result of analyzing the ecological health index of the river, the watershed upstream of the dam (based on the Daecheong -dam) was evaluated to be in relatively good condition until 2014 compared to the base year(2008), and the watershed downstream of the dam was evaluated to be in a poor condition. The annual trend of changes in the ecological soundness index on an annual basis is as follows. In the case of Yongdamdam, Yongdamdamdownstream, Bocheong-chun, Daechungdam, Daechungdamdownstream, and Nonsancheon, although there are differences by time period, the soundness index is in declining. On the other hand, Mujunamdaecheon, Yeongdongcheon, and Gapcheon were evaluated to have improved soundness, while Chogang, Daechungdamupstream, Mihocheon, Gongjugeumgang, and Geumgangestuary were evaluated to deteriorate again after soundness was improved.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.106-116
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• 2021

To secure basic data by monitoring the growth of salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) released to the Taehwa River. After discharge, the characteristics of the young salmon distribution and migration rate habitat were investigated for two years. A total of 4 points [Sunbawi bridge (St.1), Guyeong bridge (St.2), Samho bridge (St.3), and Myeongchon bridge (St.4)] were investigated. The survey of 2017 indicating an increase of 10 mm in average length and 0.8 g in average weight, and the survey of 2018 indicating an increase of 10 mm in average length and 0.5 g in average weight. Among 39 species, 10 insectivorous and 12 omnivorous, are believed to compete with young salmon for food. 6, 5, 6 and 8 predatory fish species has emerged at each site, respectively. According to this study, it is believed that St.1 and St.2 points are more proper as discharge location of young salmon because these two points have less varied in depth, flow rate, salt concentration etc. In addition, it is thought that the night or dawn time in early January is the best discharge time of young salmon fish because predatory fish such as Korean piscivorous chub and bass etc. does not eat food actively at that time.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.601-608
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• 2021

This study surveyed the ecological characteristics of Squalidus multimacultus at Taehwa River tributary Cheokgwa Stream from January to December 2020. The species inhabited the riverbed that was mostly covered with sand. The water depth was 25-164 cm, and the average was rather deep at 68 cm. The stream velocity was slow at 0.21±0.26 (0.16-0.43) m/sec. The gender ratio of females to males was 1:0.99. The age according to the total length-frequency distribution indicated that the group with less than 50 mm (29.4 - 49 mm) in total length was one year old, the group with 50 - 69 mm was two years old, the group with 70 - 89 mm was three years old, and the group over 90 mm was four years old. The total length of sexually mature fishes was 40 mm for both males and females. The spawning season was from July to August, and the water temperatures was 23.8 - 25.4℃ during the period. The prosperous spawning season was August. The average number of eggs in the ovaries was 1,395 (648 - 2,201) per matured female, and the matured eggs were yellowish and spherical with a mean diameter of 0.67±0.24 (0.62 - 0.83) mm. The live foods were of S. multimacultus attached algae, zooplankton, aquatic insects, and Mollusca. The feeding habits of S. multimacultus were omnivorous, but more than 95% of the stomach content was plant-attached algae. The larger the size of this species, the greater the amount and frequency of eating aquatic insects, which were animal feeds. The population that ate aquatic insects did not eat vegetable food.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.83-92
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• 2022

The 2020 summer extreme flood severely disturbed the riparian ecosystem of the Seomjin River. Some trees were killed by the flood impact, whereas others have recovered through epicormic regeneration after the disturbance. At the same time, several tree individuals newly germinated. This research aimed to explain the recovery of the riparian ecosystem by spatial proximity between each tree individual of different characteristics, such as "dead", "recovered", and "newly germinated". A spatial point pattern analysis based on K and g-functions revealed that the newly germinated trees and the existing trees were distributed in the spatially clumping patterns. However, further detailed analysis revealed that the new trees were statistically less attracted to the recovered trees than the dead trees, implying competitive interactions hidden in the facilitative interactions. Habitat amelioration by the existing trees positively affected the growth of the new trees, while "living" existing trees were competing with the new trees for resources. This research is expected to provide new knowledge in this era of rapid climate change, which likely induces stronger and more frequent natural disturbance than before. Environmental factors have been widely used for ecosystem modeling, but species interactions, represented by the relative spatial distribution of plant individuals, are also valuable factors explaining ecosystem dynamics.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.714-720
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• 2022

A dietary comparison of yellow goosefish Lophius litulon in the South Sea and Yellow Sea was performed by analyzing stomach contents. Using a bottom trawl net from fisheries resources survey vessels of the National Institute of Fisheries Science, 326 individuals were collected from the South Sea and 166 individuals were collected from the Yellow Sea. The total length range of L. litulon was 5.3-68.4 cm for individuals collected from the South Sea and 7.5-55.1 cm for individuals collected from the Yellow Sea. Based on the index of relative importance and the variation in stomach contents by fish size, L. litulon was found to be a piscevore and a spatiotemporally opportunistic feeder fish that fed mainly on pisces. There were differences in the composition of the stomach contents by season, location, and the interaction between the season and the location. Thus, the diet of L. litulon is affected by the prey abundance and prey spectrum of the habitat.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.277-286
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• 2021

Background: As trade increases, the influx of various alien species and their spread to new regions are prevalent and no longer a special problem. Anthropogenic activities and climate changes have made the distribution of alien species out of their native range common. As a result, alien species can be easily found anywhere, and they have nothing but only a few differences in intensity. The prevalent distribution of alien species adversely affects the ecosystem, and a strategic management plan must be established to control them effectively. To this end, hot spots and cold spots were analyzed according to the degree of distribution of invasive alien plants, and major environmental factors related to hot spots were found. We analyzed the 10,287 distribution points of 126 species of alien plants collected through the national survey of alien species by the hierarchical model of species communities (HMSC) framework. Results: The explanatory and fourfold cross-validation predictive power of the model were 0.91 and 0.75 as AUC values, respectively. The hot spots of invasive plants were found in the Seoul metropolitan area, Daegu metropolitan city, Chungcheongbuk-do Province, southwest shore, and Jeju island. Generally, the hot spots were found where the higher maximum temperature of summer, precipitation of winter, and road density are observed, but temperature seasonality, annual temperature range, precipitation of the summer, and distance to river and sea were negatively related to the hot spots. According to the model, the functional traits accounted for 55% of the variance explained by the environmental factors. The species with higher specific leaf areas were more found where temperature seasonality was low. Taller species preferred the bigger annual temperature range. The heavier seed mass was only preferred when the max temperature of summer exceeded 29 ℃. Conclusions: In this study, hot spots were places where 2.1 times more alien plants were distributed on average than non-hot spots (33.5 vs 15.7 species). The hot spots of invasive plants were expected to appear in less stressful climate conditions, such as low fluctuation of temperature and precipitation. Also, the disturbance by anthropogenic factors or water flow had positive influences on the hot spots. These results were consistent with the previous reports about the ruderal or competitive strategies of invasive plants instead of the stress-tolerant strategy. The functional traits are closely related to the ecological strategies of plants by shaping the response of species to various environmental filters, and our result confirmed this. Therefore, in order to effectively control alien plants, it is judged that the occurrence of disturbed sites in which alien plants can grow in large quantities is minimized, and the river management of waterfronts is required.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.15-23
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• 2022

This study was conducted to investigate in relation to characteristic of macroinvertebrates in conventional and organic paddy fields. The investigation was conducted five times a year for Suwon, Ansung, Boeun, Gunsan, Gimje, Hamyang, divide into conventional paddy fields and organic paddy fields from 2009 to 2011. The macroinvertebrates collected from the surveyed between conventional and organic paddy fields belonged to 84 species, 47 families, 16 orders, and 6 classes in 3 phyla. In the habitat orientied groups, climbers, swimmers and sprawlers were considerably occupied in conventional and organic paddy fields. In relation to the functional feeding groups, predators such as Odonata, Coleoptera, and Hemiptera were only the highest in paddy field ecosystem, regardless of cultivation method. As a result of community stability analysis, orgainc paddy fields has been identified much as species high resistance and resilience to environmental change in paddy field ecosystem. Species belonging to the I groups is considered to be important in organic paddy field such as Sternolophus rufipes, Hydrochara affinis, Helochares nipponicus, which has high mobility. In conclusion, it was found that the introduction of coleoptera as a food source was higher than that of conventional paddy fields in organic paddy field where primary consumers were abundant such as Chironomidae spp. and Dixidae sp..

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.843-852
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• 2022

To determine the composition of benthic species on the southwest coast, a macrobenthos study was conducted at 18 sites on the islands of Wando and Jodo for seven summers (2014-2021) from June to September. Two hundred and twenty species(645 ind./m²) were collected on the rocky shores of Wando and Jodo. A similar number of species was observed in Wando (165 species) and Jodo (167 species). The mean density was higher in Wando (726 ind./m²) than in Jodo (564 ind./m²). The number of species was the highest at Site 15 (116 species), and the density was highest at Site 7 (1,664 ind/m²). The dominant species were Nodilittorina radiata with 175 ind./m² (27.1%), Littorina brevicula with 97 ind./m² (15.1%), and Heminerita japonica with 41 ind./m² (6.3%). The climate change indicator species, Tetraclita japonca, appeared in 15 sites, and the endemic species, Ptilohyale bisaeta, appeared in some sites. Fusinus spectrum, which appears on the Red List as a Near Threatened (NT) species, the lowest level of extinction risk, appeared in Jodo. The macrobenthos of Wando and Jodo demonstrated the general characteristics of rocky shores in Korea. Based on the tides and substrate, the rocky shores revealed a vertical distribution trend where Nodilittorina radiata, Littorina brevicula, Chthamalus challengeri, and Reishia clavigera were dominant. Wando and Jodo exhibited similar habitat distribution patterns.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.359-368
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• 2022

It is essential to increase the implementation rate in order to increase the effectiveness of mitigation measures that can mitigate the negative impact of development projects. In the case of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA),research on the implementation evaluation of development projects is insufficient, even though the effectiveness of mitigation measures has been steadily raised. Therefore, this study evaluated the implementation rate of the mitigation measures and identified the cause of the difference in the implementation rate for each mitigation measures in order to understand the current status of the ecological mitigation measures. The implementation rate of urban and road development projects mitigation measures was 56.0% and 64.4%, respectively. the implementation rate of 'Monitoring' mitigation measures was the highest in all development project. But, 'Habitat creation' and 'Accident prevention measures' were low. In addition, it was found that the implementation rate of the mitigation measures were high when the contents of the mitigation measure described in the report were specific. Through this study, it was found that in order to increase the implementation rate of the EIA ecological environment animal mitigation measures, it is necessary to reflect the environmental and geographical characteristics of the target site in detail. Furthermore, it is judged that this study can be used as a basic basis for enhancing the effectiveness of the EIA system introduced to mitigate the negative impact on the environment.