• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.101-108
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• 2019

This study investigated the impact of abandoned channel restoration on fish habitat using the physical habitat simulation. The study area is a 1.2 km long reach of the Cheongmi-cheon stream. In the study area, the restoration of the abandoned channel was carried out from July 2012 to December 2105. Physical habitat simulations were carried out for both cases before and after the restoration. The River2D model and habitat suitability curve were used for hydraulic and habitat simulations, respectively. Zacco platypus, which is a dominant fish species in the study area, was selected as target fish for the physical habitat simulation. Hydraulic simulations were carried out before and after restoration for various discharges. Then, composite suitability index and weighted usable area were calculated before and after restoration and changes in the physical habitat of Zacco platypus were discussed. Simulation results indicated that the abandoned channel restoration is effective in creating fish habitat and mitigating the degradation of fish habitat from the high flow condition.

• 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.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.61-67
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• 2014

Dam construction changes flow regime and stream morphology in the downstream reach. These affect the ecosystem of downstream reach. This study provides the assessment of the impact of dam construction on the downstream fish habitat. For this, physical habitat simulations are carried out. The quasi-steady model is used for hydraulic simulation, The hydraulic model used in the present study is capable of simulating the morphological change due to sediment transport. The change of the fish habitat condition is investigated using the flow scenarios before and after the dam construction. Simulation results indicate that the habitat suitability decreases frequently due to hydropeaking after dam construction. In addition, erosion is expected to occur in a reach downstream of dam. This is a long term effect due to the shut-down of sediment supply from the upstream reach.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.143-160
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• 2023

This study applied the stream physical habitat assessment system to obtain basic information for river restoration and watershed management in high-gradient and mid-gradient streams in the Naeseongcheon basin. The total length of high-gradient and mid-gradient streams in the Naeseongcheon basin is about 273 km, and as a result of the assessment, it was analyzed that suboptimal reach was about 8.2 km, normal reach was 180.3 km, and marginal reach was 84.7 km. In addition, the physical habitat quality of high-gradient streams was analyzed to be normal condition with an average of 106 points (53%), and in particular, the score of channel/hydraulic category, which is the most important for the habitat of aquatic animals, was analyzed to be normal, close to the limit, with an average of 54 points (45%). The physical habitat quality of mid-gradient streams was found to be in normal condition with an average of 90 points (45%), and the score of channel/hydraulic category was in marginal condition with an average of 39 points (32%). Overall, among 165 reaches of high-gradient and mid-gradient streams in the Naeseongcheon basin, 4 reaches (3%) were evaluated as suboptimal, 119 reaches (72%) were normal, and 42 reaches (25%) were considered marginal. These results showed that the physical habitat of Naeseongcheon was significantly disturbed. Disturbance of stream physical habitat in the Naeseongcheon basin occured due to farmland around stream, urbanization, reservoir construction, and river maintenance.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.73-83
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• 2013

The object of this study was to evaluate lotic ecosystem health using multiple eco-metric approaches such as water chemistry diagnosis, physical habitat health evaluations, and biological integrity modeling at 100 streams of four major watersheds. For the study, eight chemical water quality parameters such as nutrients (N, P) and organic material were measured and 11-metric models of Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) and multiple eco-metric health assessment model (MEHA) were applied to the four major watershed. Nutrient analysis of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in all watersheds indicated a eutrophic state depending on the locations of sampling streams. Physical habitat health, based on the QHEI model, averaged 114 (range: 56 - 194), judging as a "good condition" by the criteria of Plafkin et al. (1989). In addition, primary (H1 - H4), secondary (H5 - H7), and tertiary habitat metric variables (H8 - H11) were analyzed in relation to the physical habitat degradations. The plots of tolerant species ($P_{TS}$) and sensitive species ($P_{SS}$) to water quality showed that the proportions of $P_{TS}$ had positive linear functions with nutrients, and that the $P_{SS}$ had inverse linear relations with the chemical variables. The model of eco-metric health assessment showed that mean MEHA was 20.4, indicating a fair condition. Overall, our data suggest that water chemistry, based on nutrients and organic matter, directly modified the trophic structures in relation to food chain in the aquatic ecosystems, and then these directly influenced the compositions of tolerance/sensitive species, resulting in degradations of overall ecological health.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.179-190
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• 2019

In this study, a fish survey was conducted to investigate the habitat status of black shinner (Pseudopungtungia nigra) designated as endangered species level from the lower part of Yongdam Dam to the upper part of Daecheong Dam. Biodiversity analysis was performed on the basis of the number of fish emerged, and biological health and physical habitat environment were quantitatively analyzed using collected P. nigra. According to the survey, the habitat range of P. nigra was found from Banguri-myeon, Buri-myeon, Geumsan-gun, downstream of Yongdam Dam. The biodiversity analysis results of all species appeared to be low in overall dominance index and relatively high in species diversity and uniformity index. In addition, P. nigra collected in this study was confirmed to have normal growth and nutritional status by the full-length-weighted relativities and condition factor. The physical habitat environment of P. nigra was 0.3 - 0.6 m in depth, 0.3 - 0.7 m/s in flow rate, and bed materials showed high frequency of occurrence in the range of cobbles (64.0 - 256.0 mm) to boulders (>256.0 mm). These results are expected to be used as data for habitat restoration and management in the future as basic data on the spatial range and preferred physical habitat environment of P. nigra in Geumgang.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.516-527
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• 2009

We assessed fish fauna and habitat suitability indexes in the Geum river basin. Field monitoring was conducted for ecological and habitat condition assessment at 23 sites from October 2007 to March 2009. The habitat suitability indexes established for dominant fish species using the monitoring data were employed to assess riverine health conditions such as composition ratio of fish species, richness and dominance indexes, bio-diversity(dominance index, diversity, evenness and richness), and water depth, velocity and substrate size. Twenty-one species(42%) including Rhodeus uyekii and Pseudopungtungia nigra were found endemic out of the 50 species in 11 families sampled during this study period. The most frequently found one was Zacco platypus(34.3%) followed by Z. koreanus(10.2%) and Coreoleuciscus splendidus(8.4%). For Z. platypus, the dominant fish species in the basin, the favored habitat conditions were estimated to be 0.1~0.9 m for water depth, 0~0.9m/s for flow velocity and silt(<0.1mm)~cobbles(100.0~300.0mm) for substrate size, respectively. Overall, it was concluded that the Geum river basin has been relatively well protected from the anthropogenic disturbance for the legally protected species including the endemic species studied in this study.

• 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 Environmental Science International
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.1421-1431
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• 2013

This study was conducted for clarifying distribution and characteristics of marshy Ericaceae plants on Mt. Changbai in China. The marshy Ericaceae plants in wetland of Mt. Changbai were investigated on about 1400 m altitude. This region is various developmental wetlands and vegetation mixture of needle-leaf trees and broad-leaf trees. This region also is start point of the coniferous forest zone in Mt. Changbai. As results of these researches, L. palustre var. diversipilosum and L. palustre var. decumbens populations were investigated in Larix olgensis var. amurensis community. R. lapponicum subsp. parvifolium var. parvifolium community appeared as a typical community. Environmental conditions of L. palustre var. diversipilosum and L. palustre var. decumbens populations' habitats are more soil humidity and shade condition. R. lapponicum subsp. parvifolium var. parvifolium community habitat, however, has more deposits and humidity condition. Therefore when the plants were cultivated, we should recognize the growth condition such as maintenance of humidity and control deposits. The flora of marshy Ericaceae species habitats was investigated as 28 families, 49 genera, 45 species, 14 variety, 1 forma, 1 sub-species, and total 61 taxa.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.113-120
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• 2016

We examined whether an artificial levee constructed on prime amphibian habitat influences fragmentation. Four different sites on both sides of a levee in the Civilian Control Zone(CCZ) were probed. Sites 1 and 2 are rice paddies on one side of the levee, and Site 3 is the stream that locates in the same side. All the three sites have water conditions of seasonal variance. On the other side, Site 4 consists of rice paddies with a stable condition of water supply, irrigated through a canal. The research sites were frequented and the frog populations were closely monitored. The investigation identified five species. Pelophylax nigromaculatus was the most frequent (n=295), followed by Hyla japonica (n=220) and Glandirana rugosa (n=124). Three Bufo gargarizans and eight Rana coreana were also found. The amphibians, however, were found to relocate themselves according to water condition to rice paddies or stream only within one side of the levee. Despite having ample sources of water and foods, Site 4 lacked large populations of frogs, even when droughts came. Both the species dominance index and the richness index indicated a more favorable living condition of the one side of the levee (Sites 1 and 2) over the other.