• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.245-252
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• 2018

Stable isotope tracers were first applied to evaluate the Microcystis cell assimilation efficiency of bivalves, since the past identification method has been limited to tracking the changes of each chl-a, clearity, and nutrient. The filter-feeders (Sinanodonta woodiana and Unio douglasiae) were assessed under the condition of cyanobacteria (Microcystis aeruginosa) blooms through an in mesocosm experiment using $^{13}C$ and $^{15}N$ dual isotope tracers. chl-a concentration in the treatment mesocosm was dramatically decreased after the beginning of the second day, ranging from 116 to $66{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$. In addition, the incorporated $^{13}C$ and $^{15}N$ atom % in the S. woodiana bivalve showed higher values than U. douglasiae bivalves. The results demonstrate that U. douglasiae has less capacity to assimilate toxic cyanobacteria derived from diet. Our results therefore also indicate that S. woodiana can eliminate the toxin more rapidly than U. douglasiae, having a larger detoxification capacity.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.42-48
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• 2001

A kinetic model was presented to estimate the uptake/release rate constants and thereafter, bioconcentration factor, $k_1$, $k_2$ and BCF (bioconcentration factor), for the uptake of PH by plankton were obtained. Implies that PH(petroleum hydrocarbon) caused no significant influence on the uptake of $N-NO_3$, but significant influence on that of $P-PO_4$. In addition, the application of kinetic model for the bioconcentration of volatile organic toxic compound by organism suggests that the uptake of PH by plankton was an important process for the environmental capacity of PH.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.243-249
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• 2022

Background: Mixed breeding herb Viola collina Besser, which produces both chasmogamous and cleistogamous flower, has limited habitats under closed canopy and short and early flowering timing, making it relatively more vulnerable to climate change. To better understand the effect of light and nutrient on the flower formation and vegetative growth of V. collina, a mesocosm experiment was conducted. Two-by-two factorial treatments of two light conditions (100% and 60% of natural light) and two fertilizer treatment conditions (fertilized and not fertilized) were applied in the mesocosm experiment. Results: The number of flowers, including chamogamous and cleistogamous flowers, was highest (5.65/pot) under 60% light and fertilized condition and lowest (1.41/pot) under 100% light and not-fertilized condition. However, above ground vegetative growth was highest (2.89 g/pot) under 100% light and fertilized condition and lowest (2.38 g/pot) under 60% light and not-fertilized condition. Above ground biomass to belowground biomass ratio was highest (1.50) under 60% light and fertilized condition and lowest (1.26) under 100% light and fertilized condition. Conclusions: This study showed that high light and nutrient are responsible for the vegetative growth, though the effect of fertilizer was reduced due to allocation and retainment of nutrients. In addition, the low light is necessary to make flowers, especially chasmogamous flowers.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.130-141
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• 2017

We evaluated the field application feasibility that biologically derived substances (Naphthoquinone derivate: NQ 2-0) can be used for the eco-friendly mitigation of natural harmful cyanobacterial blooms in freshwater. We conducted a 30 ton scale mesocosm experiment to investigate the effects of NQ 2-0 on biotic and abiotic factors in water collected from Gi-heung reservoir. In the mesocosm experiments, the abundance of Microcystis sp. was continuously increased in the control. However, the Microcystis sp. cell density was sharply decreased on the $10^{th}$ day. In the treatment, NQ 2-0 showed the strong and selective algicidal activity toward the target cyanobacteria (Microcystis sp.). Accordingly, the algicidal activity of NQ 2-0 compound increased gradually until $10^{th}$, $15^{th}$ days and algal biomass was decreased to 99.4 and 100 %, respectively. NQ 2-0 compound was not only selective algicidal activity but also the growth of other phytoplankton and increased the Shannon-Wiener diversity index of phytoplankton. In the mesocosm experiments, the dynamics of biotic (bacteria, heterotrophic nanoflagellate, ciliates, zooplankton) and abiotic (water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, nutrients) factors remained unaffected. These results suggest that NQ 2-0 could be a selective and ecologically safe algicide to mitigate harmful cyanobacterial blooms. In addition, it is believed that NQ 2-0 will play a major role in forming a healthy aquatic ecosystem by facilitating habitat and food supply of aquatic organisms.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.49-67
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• 2006

A mesocosm, an artificial tidal flat ecosystem, was constructed outdoors to simulate in situ physical and biochemical environmental conditions of natural tidal flat as much as possible. During the experiment from February to August 2004, the study was focused on the biogeochemical variations of superficial water and porewater after introduction of freshwater into the mesocosm. The mesocosm has three experimental conditions; SW-M-T: maintaining the saline water of approximately 20 psu; FW-M-T: complete exchange of freshwater ul the mesocosm with continuous mixing of water column: FW-NM-T: complete exchange of saline water to freshwater in the mesocosm without mixing of water column. Mass extinction of benthic macrofauna appeared due to drastic decrease of porewater salinity from 20 psu to less than 10 psu between the 63th and 91st day of freshwater introduction in FW-M-T and FW-NM-T. Throughout the periods, 7/8 of bivalves and 2/3 of polychaete populations have been extinguished in the sediment. In FW-NM-T, as temperature rises, both evident decrease of DO in water column and active release of DIP from sediment were observed. ${NO_3}^-$ was removed from water column into sediment throughout the periods. Therefore extremely low ${NO_3}^-$ was found during late spring and summer. Whereas ${NH_4}^+$ exhibited only $1/2{\sim}1/8$ of ${NO_3}^-$ concentration. Unexpectedly even after mass extinction of benthic macrofauna, we were not able to find high ${NH_4}^+$. This mesocosm study suggests that when fresh water introduce to natural tidal flat, its sediment activity functions as a potential source of DIP, but a sink of ${NO_3}^-$.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.88-99
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• 2021

In this study, a land-based marine closed mesocosm (LMCM) experiment was performed to objectively assess the initial stability of an artificial ecosystem experiment against biological and non-biological factors when evaluating ecosystem risk assessment. Changes in the CV (coefficient of value) amplitude were used as data to analyze the stability of the experimental system. The CV of the experimental variables in the LMCM groups (200, 400, 600, and 1,000 L) was maintained within the range of 20-30% for the abiotic variables in this study. However, the difference in CV amplitude in biological factors such as chlorophyll-a, phytoplankton, and zooplankton was high in the 600 L and 1,000 L LMCM groups. This result was interpreted as occurring due to the lack of control over biological variables at the beginning of the experiment. In addition, according to the ANOVA results, significant differences were found in biological contents such as COD (chemical oxygen demand), chlorophyll-a, phosphate, and zooplankton in the CV values between the LMCM groups(p<0.05). In this study, the stabilization of biological variables was necessary to to control and maintain the rate of changes in initial biological variables except for controllable water quality and nutrients. However, given the complexity of the eco-physiological activities of large-scale LMCMs and organisms in the experimental group, it was difficult to do. In conclusion, artificial ecosystem experiments as a scientific tool can distinguish biological and non-biological factors and compare and analyze clear endpoints. Therefore, it is deemed necessary to establish research objectives, select content that can maintain stability, and introduce standardized analysis techniques that can objectively interpret the experimental results.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.291-299
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• 2012

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of the addition of wintering waterfowl's feces prior to planting rice on nutrient dynamics, rice growth, and decomposition of rice straws in a controlled mesocosm. Waterfowl's feces and rice straws were placed on paddy soils in a mesocosm and the water level maintained at 5 cm. The amounts of supplied feces were 0 (control), 222, and 444 g/$m^2$. While the addition of feces showed no immediate effects, nutrients in the surface water increased in the month following treatment. Nutrients increased to a greater degree in the treatments with more feces added. Simultaneously, the decomposition of rice straws was promoted, indicating that more nutrients would be made available over time. The rice showed high productivity in the period during which nutrient level was increased, when rice needs more nutrients for the tillering stage. Therefore, the wintering waterfowl's feces could be associated with increased productivity during the growing season of rice through promoting nutrient supply and rapid decomposition of rice residue.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.113-123
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• 2023

Humic substances are refractory organic compounds that are relatively low in biological activity but known to stimulate phytoplankton growth in estuarine and marine environments. The effect of humic substances on phytoplankton growth was investigated in the seawater zone of the Yeongsan River estuary where an episodic anthropogenic freshwater is discharged, affecting its water properties directly. Water samples and data of water properties were collected at three stations (Sts. A-C) along the channel of the seawater zone in February, May, August and November, 2009. The collected water samples were incubated after humic acids (HA) were added in mesocosm experiments. Phytoplankton (chlorophyll-a) were fractionated into net- (> 20 ㎛) and nano-size (< 20 ㎛) to examine the response of phytoplankton according to size. Their response to HA treatment was assessed by repeated measures analysis of variance (RM-ANOVA). The experiments showed that phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll-a) significantly increased after HA were added at the stations near the sea dike. Especially, nano-sized chlorophyll-a concentrations increased significantly throughout the seasons. This indicates that understanding the behavior of refractory organic matters such as humic substances is required to better manage altered estuarine ecosystems including the Yeongsan River estuary which are affected by episodic discharge of freshwater from sea dikes.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 2003

To evaluate the effects of slow release fertilizer and chemical dispersant on oil biodegradation, mesocosm studies were conducted on sand seashore. The rapid removal rates (85%) of aliphatic hydrocarbons and the simultaneous decreases of n-$C_{17}$/pristane (69%) and $n-C_{18}/phytane$ (61%) ratios by the addition of slow-release fertilizer (SRF) within 37 days of experiment indicated that SRF could enhance the oil degrading activity of indigenous microorganisms in sand mesocosm. Although the growth of heterotrophic bacteria and petroleumdegrading bacteria in the mesocosm treated with $Corexit 9527^{R}$ was stimulated, the biological oil removal based on the ratios of $Corexit 9527^{R}$ and $n-C_{18}/phytane$ was inhibited. Removal rates of aliphatic hydrocarbons (56%), and n-$C_{17}$/pristane (27%) and $n-C_{18}/phytane$ (17%) ratios by the addition of chemical dispersant $Corexit 9527^{R}$ were similar or lower than those values of control (50, 60, 46%), respectively. The biodegradation activity, however, when simultaneously treated with SRF and $Corexit 9527^{R}$, was not highly inhibited and even recovered after the elimination of chemical dispersant. From these results it could be concluded that the addition of SRF enhanced the oil removal rate in oligotrophic sand seashore and chemical dispersant possibly inhibit the oil biodegradation. Hence, in order to prevent the unrestrained usage of chemical dispersant in natural environments contaminated with oil, the National Contingency Plan of Oil Spill Response should be carefully revised in consideration of the application for bioremedaition techniques.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.358-368
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• 2011

Responses of plankton populations to nutrient enrichment in mesocosm experiments in Shihwa lake were simulated using FVCOM. Dissoloved oxygen module was added to the FVCOM to simulate impacts of its decreased levels. The ecological model included the major components of the pelagic ecosystem including nutrients, phytoplankton (pico-, nano-, micro-), zooplankton (two groups of protozoa, mesozooplankton), particulate organic matter, dissolved organic matter and bacteria, and was calibrated using trophodynamic data collected from Gyeonggi Bay and Shihwa Lake. The model was able to reproduce major responses of plankton populations to nutrient enrichment, including phytoplankton of different size groups, change of dominance of protozoa from < 20 ${\mu}m$ oligotrichs to scuticociliates, and reponses to bacteria and low levels of dissolved oxygen in water column of the mesocosms.