• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.188-197
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• 2021

This study aimed to obtain fundamental data for demonstrating biodiversity of vegetation of East Asian alder (Alnus japonica) Forest Wetland of Heonilleung Royal Tombs. A total of 166 vascular plants (159 species, three subspecies, three varieties, and one cultivar) belonging to 132 genera and 59 families were found, accounting for 8.3% of 1,996 vascular plant species found in Seoul. Therophyte was the most common life-form of plants in Heonilleung Wetland. As for rare plant species, one Least Concern (LC) species was found. There were 15 floristic regional indicator species in the research area. Three of them belonged to floristic grades III and IV. This indicates that their habitats are discontinuous and isolated to some degree. Nineteen invasive alien plant species were found, most of which were introduced from North America after the year 1964 with a spread rate of V (widespread, WS).

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.29-43
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• 2021

This study analyzed the status of climate-change indicator plants native to the main islands of the Korean peninsula, while elucidating their distribution characteristics. Information on flora from over 129 island locations, comprising more than 100 species of native plants, was collected, compiled into a database, and utilized as raw data. The distribution of 193 climate-change indicator plants was confirmed. The distribution area of broadleaf evergreen trees and ferns, including Mallotus japonicus and Cyrtomium falcatum, was relatively wide. In contrast, the distribution of common northern plants such as Corydalis turtschaninovii and Malus baccata was limited. If global warming persists, northern plant distribution is expected to decrease rapidly in the Korean Peninsula island region, while the northern limit line of the southern plants is expected to migrate further northward. During this process, it is likely that the plant congregation structure and species diversity within the island region will change dynamically. In this study, comparative analyses between species and regions were conducted by assessing the relative frequency of their occurrence, and six types of botanical geographic distribution patterns were noted.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.152-164
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• 2019

In this study, a Benthic Macroinvertebrates Family Index (BMFI) was developed using 100 indicator groups (99 families including Chironomidae with 2 phena). Families were assigned a score between 1 and 10 depending on their sensitivity to organic pollution. The BMFI was composed of the sensitivity and relative abundance of the indicator taxa. Sensitivity values of each group were generally similar to Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP) scores or Walley, Hawkes, Paisley, Trigg (WHPT) scores of UK, Japanese BMWP scores, and the FBI tolerance values of North America. However, sensitivity values of some taxa were significantly different from those of foreign countries, which seemed to have resulted from discrepancy in species composition, difference of taxonomic classification system, or methodological difference for estimation of sensitivity. As an annual average level, BMFI showed significant correlation with concentration of 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) (correlation coefficient r = -0.80, n = 569 sites), total suspended solids (r = -0.68), and total phosphorus (r = -0.79). In addition, BMFI revealed strong correlation with Shannon-Weaver's species diversity (r = 0.85), Margalef's species richness (r = 0.85) and McNaughton's dominance (r = -0.84). Correlation between BMFI and water quality parameters or community indices such as species diversity did not show significant difference compared to that of species-level indices such as BMI (Benthic Macroinvertebrates Index). This means that BMFI is a more useful indicator in terms of easy identification of organisms. BMFI was used to assess the environmental status of 3,017 sites of Stream Ecosystem Survey conducted by the Korean Ministry of Environment between 2016 and 2018. As a result, about half of all sites appeared to be in good condition, and a quarter in poor condition.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.132-144
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• 1994

The relationship of zooplankton communities and distributions of copepods as indicator species to environmental variables, such as temperature, salinity, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) was studied in Pusan Harbor in October 1990 and January, April and July 1991. Zooplankton communities were analysed by using cluster analysis and species diversity index. Four groups of copepods as indicator species were Acrocalanus gacilis, Euchaeta plana, pareuchaeta russell and Pleuromamma gracilis as the oceanic warm water species; Cemtropages abdominalis as the neritic cold water species; Meridian lucens as the oceanic cold water species Acartia omorii as the polluted water species. the offshore waters of Pusan harbor was dominated by the oceanic warm water species in October and by the neritic cold water species in January and April. This area showed the low values of COD and Tin. the inshore waters of Pusan harbor, where the high values of cod And Tin and the low value of diversity were recorder was represented by A.. omorii. Cluster analysis of the zooplankton community revealed two or three regional areas in Pusan harbor. Area I, the offshore area of Pusan harbor, not only was represented high species diversity and low density of A. omorii but also was dominated copepods in zooplankton roups. Areas II and III were grouped horizontally from offshore to inshore of Pusan harbor. Area II was showed intermediate values in diversity, density of A. omorii and percentage composition of copepods. Area III was revealed the lowest diversity,density of A.omorii and percentage composition of Cladocerans.Coperpoda was a dominant zooplankton group in each area during the study periods except two special cases.Area II was dominated by Noctiluca scintillans in April and Area III was occupied by Cladocerans in July.Distribution of Indicator species and areas demarcated based on cluster analysis showed a close relationship with environments.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.285-290
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• 1998

Thermophilic Bacillus species was studied as a microbial indicator to pursue the compost a application history. Thermophilic Bacillus species could be easily determined by the plate culture method within 12 hours in $65^{\circ}C$ incubator. The density of thermophilic Bacillus species in soils was gradually increased with the application rate of rice straw compost, and correlated to the soil organic matter content in $R^2=0.835^{**}$(n=32) coefficient on the 43-year-long term rice paddy fields.

• Ocean Science Journal
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.209-222
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• 2008

To understand physical structures in the Korean waters, we investigated the spatio-temporal distribution of Pontella species known as indicator species of water mass using a David-Hempel neuston net from April 2002 to March 2003. Five Pontella species (P. chierchiae Giesbrecht, P. fera Dana, P. latifurca Chen and Zhang, P. securifer Brady and P. sinica Chen and Zhang) were found. Their abundance increased from May to October with increasing the surface water temperature. Pontella chierchiae predominantly appeared in the whole areas while P. latifurca scarcely occurred in coastal waters. The other three species (P. fera, P. securifer and P. sinica) were rarely found in the South Sea of Korea on August to September. We suggest that P. securifer and P. fera as oceanic species can play a role in an indicator species of the Tsushima Warm Current while P. sinica as Chinese coastal species is affected by the diluted waters of the Yantze River. We also provide re-description of the three species (P. chierchiae, P. fera and P. latifurca) insufficiently described and discuss their zoogeography.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.103-115
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• 2007

Risk assessment by living indicator species provides the information about the ecosystem disturbance, disapperance of symbiosis and change of living group. In the initial stage of this kind research, the degree of contamination was reported using the level of simple number, but simple number may not represent the risk itself which can be casued in the living organisms. Risk assessment using various indicator species overcomes these limitations and can be expanded to the DNA level. In many developed counties, the government has supervised the researches about the indicator species for the monitoring and its application to ecosystem restoration. Several living indicator species found in the vicinity of the abandoned Au mines such as fern, earthworm, bacteria, rhizosphere-rhizoplane, salamamdor and DNA change of these species are described in this paper.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.183-194
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• 2014

As part of a study to understand the current status of Korean plant species propagated in foreign countries, we conducted extensive surveys on Korean living collections in the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, the oldest public arboretum in North America. Specifically, we collected and identified the voucher specimens of the living collections and further examined the collection databases to understand the history of how Korean plants were introduced to the Arboretum. We found that a total of 154 Korean taxa (belonging to 49 families and 81 genera) have been planted in the arboretum. Most plants originated from seeds that were directly collected in Korea or obtained via seed exchanges with botanical gardens in Asia, Europe, and U.S.A. Of the 154 taxa, 16 are Korean endemic species, and three are listed as endangered species. In addition, 62 taxa are as floristic regional indicator species of Korea used by the Ministry of Environment.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.212-220
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• 2009

In this study, we analyzed fish compositions and ecological characteristics such as trophic guilds and tolerance guilds in association with water quality characteristics in Masan Reservoir during November 2008. Total number of species were 12 species (6 families) and the dominant species were Zacco platypus, Hemiculter eigenmanni, and Pseudorasbora parva. We found three Korean endemic species and one exotic species, Carassius cuvieri. According to the analysis of ecological indicator characteristics, relative proportion of tolerant and omnivore species was 98% of the total indicating that probably, the fauna was influenced by physical habitat disturbance and physicochemical degradations. Fish distribution analysis along with littoral zone showed that the most fishes (${\sim}$95%) were observed in the littoral zone where emerged macrophytes were well developed. Also, substrate analysis indicated that the most species were found near silt area (11 species, 91.7%), so that the significant differences were found between the substrate types. Analysis of water quality indicated that concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) and chlorophyll-a (ChI-a) as a lake trophic indicator were judged as eutrophic states, respectively and COD as an indicator of organic matter pollution averaged 10.9 mg $L^{-1}$. Based on the water quality, this system were influenced by the nutrient enrichments and organic matter. The degradations of water quality in Masan Reservoir resulted in trophic compositions of fish (increase of omnivore species) and the dominance of tolerant fish. This Monitoring data may contribute changes of fish fauna and compositions in relation to habitat modifications and chemical water quality degradations in the future.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.377-386
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• 2021

This study was conducted to provide basic data for habitat management and preservation of Jeongmaek. A total of 18 priority research areas were selected with consideration to terrain and habitat environment, and 54 fixed plots were selected for three types of habits: development, valley, and forest road and ridge. The survey was conducted in each season (May, August, and October), excluding the winter season, from 2016 to 2018. The distribution analysis of birds observed in each habitat type using a self-organizing map (SOM) classified them into a total of four groups (MRPP, A=0.12, and p <0.005). The comparative analysis of the number of species, the number of individuals, and the species diversity index for each SOM group showed that they were all the highest in group III (Kruskal-Wallis, the number species: x² = 13.436, P <0.005; the number of individuals: x² = 8.229, P <0.05; the species diversity index: x² = 17.115, P <0.005). Moreover, the analysis by applying the land cover map to the random forest model to examine the index species of each group and identify the characteristics of the habitat environment showed a difference in the ratio of the habitat environment and the indicator species among the four groups. The index species analysis identified a total of 18 bird species as the indicator species in three groups except for group II. When applying the random forest model and indicator species analysis to the results of classification into four groups using the SOM, the composition of the indicator species by the group showed a correlation with the habitat characteristics of each group. Moreover, the distribution patterns and densities of observed species were clearly distinguished according to the dominant habitat for each group. The results of the analysis that applied the SOM, indicator species, and random forest model together can derive useful results for the characterization of bird habitats according to the habitat environment.