• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.519-529
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• 2008

Recent studies reveal one of the representative endocrine disrupters of nonylphenol affects on the composition of a planktonic community. Since nonylphenol is sometimes discharged into eutrophic waters, we monitored planktonic community composition of a eutrophic pond after receiving nonylphenol when cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa mainly dominated. The experiment was carried out two times using small-scale microcosms in a laboratory. In both two experiments, ciliate abundances significantly decreased when nonylphenol was added. On the seventh day, the ciliate abundances in $10{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$ added treatments decreased by 36.9% in the first experiment and 33.6% in the second, when compared to the control. The response of other planktonic groups was less obvious to nonylphenol addition. In particular, in the first experiment, Chl. b/Chl. $\alpha$ and Chl. c/Chl. $\alpha$ significantly increased with the addition of nonylphenol, while total Chl. $\alpha$ concentration did not change. Indeed, bacillariophyceae and chlorophyceae abundances tended to increase with nonylphenol dosing. From these results, we tentatively hypothesized that nonylphenolloading positively affects on abundances of edible phytoplankton such as Scenedesmus spp. and diatoms by releasing from grazing pressure due to decrease in ciliate abundances. The present study emphasizes that the indirect effect of endocrine disrupters should be paid more attention when freshwater resources are polluted by them.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.449-456
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• 2008

Recent studies reveal that the endocrine disrupter nonylphenol can also influence the growth of planktonic organisms. To clarify the effect of nonylphenol on the whole planktonic community, we monitored planktonic abundances after addition of nonylphenol using small-scale microcosms in a laboratory. Nonylphenol was added at final concentrations of 1.25 and $2.5{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$, close to the EC50 for the growth of the rotifer, Brachionus calyciflorus. Chlorophyll $\alpha$ concentration increased significantly between 2 to 5 days after nonylphenol treatment compared to the control. The abundance of the predominant phytoplankton, Stephanodiscus hantzschii, followed the same pattern as chlorophyll a concentration. While there was no negative effect on the abundance of ciliates and rotifers, crustacean zooplankton abundance was higher in nonylphenol treatments. Although the relationship did not reach significance, the growth rate of rotifers tended to decline with increasing nonylphenol dosing. It is likely that the decreased rotifer grazing on S. hantzschii caused significant increase in their abundance. This study emphasizes the importance of considering indirect effects of environmental pollutants when predicting the response of biological community to toxicant exposure.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.37 no.1 s.106
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• pp.64-69
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• 2004

Growth inhibition of Microcystis aeruginosa was examined with single-or mixed treatment of algicidal bacterium Streptomyces neyagawensis and heterotrich ciliate Stentor roeseli, which isolated from natural freshwater. The harmful Cyanobac-terium, Microcystis aeruginosa density was effectively suppressed by the algicidal bacterium Streptomyces neyagawensis, and the bacterial biomass was few changed. The heterotrich ciliate S, roegeji isolated from the eutrophic Pal'tang riverine, Korea suppressed the algal biomass effectively. But mixed-treatment of both bio-agents was less effective, leading to an increase in algal density.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.37 no.1 s.106
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• pp.96-101
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• 2004

The effects of the ecdysteroid agonist tebufenozide on the larvae of Chironomus flaviplumus and Chironomus riparius were tested in the laboratory. Employing a static exposure setup, chironomids were subjected to various tebufenozide concentrations. In the most treatments it reach-ed a statistically significant difference from the control condition. As the concentration of tebufenozide was increased, a relatively larger proportion of the observed mortality was associated with the metamorphosis and molting process. The larval mortality of C. riparius was high in C. flaviplumus during over 30 ${\mu}g\;L^{-1}$ treatments. In terms of development, the effects of tebufenozide were delayed growth stage in relatively lower concentration such as 10 ${\mu}g\;L^{-1}$ tebufenozide treatments. The rates of succeed adult through the molting process were various in treated concentrations or/and the species.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.149-154
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• 2007

In the present study, we performed the PCR assay using TOX2P/TOX2M primer targeting a specific region within mcyB gene to identify potential microcystin-producing cyanobacteria. TOX2P/TOX2M primer set was effective in amplifying mcy gene in the field samples containing Microcystis spp. of 1,000 cells per mL. Moreover, the results from the PCR assay agreed with those of the ELISA analysis. Consequently, this study demonstrated that TOX2P/TOX2M primer set can be used as a genetic probe for the early detection of cyanobacterial toxigenicity in Korean water bodies.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.352-356
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• 2007

The effects of food concentration (Chlorella vulgaris) and predator (Pseudorasbora parva) density on the distributional pattern of Daphnia pulex was evaluated in observation chambers. It was found that in the chamber with higher food concentration, Daphnia began to aggregate and formed tighter swarms. The close distance between each individual and distance from the center of swarm were observed in higher food conditions however, this distributional pattern was not seen in the chamber without food. Thus it suggests that the food is necessary for the swarming behavior of Boptnia in natural habitat. The swarming developed regardless of predator existence and the predator density did not affect swarming pattern of Daphnia.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.453-458
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• 2012

The golden apple snail, Pomacea canaliculata, is a freshwater snail native to tropical and subtropical South America. The species was introduced into Korea as a human food source in 1983 and was first applied as a weed control agent for the paddy fields in 1992. As the snail is well known as an environmentally friendly biological control agent for weeds, the area of cultivation in which the golden apple snail is used for biological control has been enlarged substantially each year. Currently, the species is observed in open water courses. It is possible that the snail may overwinter in these open water courses and may become a serious pest, as is already the case in many Asian countries. In this study, we determined the status of the overwintering golden apple snail based on a literature survey and investigated the potential distribution area of the snail, as a result from global warming in Korea. The potential distribution area of the overwintering golden apple snail would be enlarged under the influence of global warming; ranging from 45.5% of South Korea's land area in the 2020s to 88.4% in the 2080s.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.420-443
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• 2012

An Individual-Based Model (IBM) was developed by employing natural and toxic survival rates of individuals to elucidate the community responses of benthic macroin-vertebrates to anthropogenic disturbance in the streams. Experimental models (dose-response and relative sensitivity) and mathematical models (power law and negative exponential distribution) were applied to determinate the individual survival rates due to acute toxicity in stressful conditions. A power law was additionally used to present the natural survival rate. Life events, covering movement, exposure to contaminants, death and reproduction, were simulated in the IBM at the individual level in small (1 m) and short (1 week) scales to produce species abundance distributions (SADs) at the community level in large (5 km) and long (1~2 years) scales. Consequently, the SADs, such as geometric series, log-series, and log-normal distribution, were accordingly observed at severely (Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP<10), intermediately (BMWP<40) and weakly (BMWP${\geq}50$) polluted sites. The results from a power law and negative exponential distribution were suitably fitted to the field data across the different levels of pollution, according to the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The IBMs incorporating natural and toxic survival rates in individuals were useful for presenting community responses to disturbances and could be utilized as an integrative tool to elucidate community establishment processes in benthic macroin-vertebrates in the streams.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.346-351
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• 2007

Change of carabid beelte (Coleoptera, Carabidae) diversity and population structures in Woopo Wetlands (Changneung-Gun, Gyeungsangnam-Do, S. Korea) were investigated after flooding events. During the investigation period, 11 species belonging to five genera were identified. Dolichus halensis halensis(Schaller), Chlaenius (Ch.) pallipes Gebler, Ch. (Ilaenchus) naeviger Morawitz, and Pheropsophus (Stenaptinus) jessoensis Morawitz were the predominant species in Woopo Wetlands. Floods occurred twice, August and September in 2004. After the flooding events, species diversity decreased and species assemblage structures changed dramatically. Changes of the diversity and species assemblage structures were more evident in August then in September, because water level was much higher and inundation period was longer than September. A non-linear patterning algorithm of the Self-Organizing Map (SOM) was applied to discover the relationship between flooding events and carabid beetles community dynamics. Although abundance of the majority species decreased after the flooding events, that of the predominant species increased. Further detailed studies on species distribution and emigration patterns will likely bring a new insight in understanding of the adaptation mechanism of carabid beetles in wetlands.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.340-347
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• 2019

The red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkia) originated from the North America distribute widely as invasive species throughout the world including Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and South America. The red swamp crayfish is also an invasive species in South Korea. We aimed to characterize the occurrence and distribution pattern of the red swamp crayfish, and evaluate the potential distribution of this species in South Korea. In South Korea, the red swamp crayfish was firstly reported in Seoul in 1996, and recently its occurrence is frequently reported at streams or reservoirs at different regions, showing the expansion of its distribution area. The red swamp crayfish has high potential to occur in the nationwide scale in South Korea because of their biological adaptation, effects of climate change, changes of their habitat condition, and various types of human activities. Finally, our results revealed the necessary to conduct an extensive field survey, to keep up a monitoring program for the occurrence of alien species, and to implement a strategy to prevent the dispersal of alien species in the natural ecosystems.