• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.40-54
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• 2008

Small and large dams are installed in the course of a stream for maintaining the water level of the stream or obtaining agricultural water. Currently about 18,000 of them are installed in Korea to supply water. However, the environmental problems of small dams are well known : the interruption of stream eco-corridors, deterioration of water quality in the upper reaches of the small dam, changes in the habitats of riparian organisms, damages to the stream scenery. In a very few of these small dams artificial eco-corridors like fishways are installed, but the number is very minimal.Accordingly, to efficiently restore stream eco-corridors by removing these small dams, it will be necessary to closely examine physical impacts, such as changes in the riverbed and changes in the shape of the stream caused by the removal, chemical impacts, such as changes in water quality, and transport and accumulation of contaminated sediments and biological impacts, such as changes in the habitats of organisms, and develop related technologies in advance, and have these technologies verified through demonstration application in the sites. In this study, we analyzed the physical, chemical and ecological impacts of the removal of the above-mentioned small dams, and conducted a research on the demonstration small dam removal project for a spot investigation. As a result, the small dam removal will restore the eco-corridor, there by improving the habitat of fishes and crustaceans. The number of major underwater organisms inhabiting the Gokreungcheon, such as Korean spotted sleepers, Chinese minnows, Microphysogobio yaluensis, Abbottina rivularis, stone morokos, striped shinners, long-nosed barbels, and Chinese mitten crabs, is expected to increase, and the food chain in the ecosystem will improve so that species diversity will improve as well.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.18 no.9
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• pp.1001-1010
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• 2009

To investigate the ichthyofauna and habitat type of the fish in Tamjin River system, Korea, fishes were collected with cast net ($5{\times}5\;mm$, $8{\times}8\;mm$) and dip net ($4{\times}4\;mm$) at eight stations seasonally during five years from 2000 to 2004. 56 species belonging to 18 families were collected and 15 Korean endemic species( 26.8%) were investigated. While Coreoperca kawamebari was occurred at every station, the number of individuals and composition were decreased. Anguilla marmorata was not collected and the exotic species didn't appeared. Dominant species were Zacco platypus(34.2%), Squalidus gracilis majimae (9.4%), Microphysogobio yaluensis(8.1%), Zacco temmincki(6.8%) and Acheilognathus lanceolatus(5.1%). The surveyed stations were clustered into 3 groups: up stream, main stream and estuary. With the cluster analysis using the relative abundance of major fishes at each habitat, fishes were separated into 5 habitat types: U (upstream type), UM (up and main stream type), M (main stream), ME (main stream and estuarine type), and E (estuarine type).

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.503-512
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• 2010

This study was conducted to evaluate fish fauna, species composition, and various guilds against stream orders along with analysis of fish community structure and diversity in Geum River watershed from 2005 to 2007. The total number of fish collected was 4,216 representing 12 families with 56 species. Zacco platypus was the most abundant fish species with 26% in relative abundance (RA). Korean endemic species were 24 species including Zacco koreanus, Microphysogobio yaluensis, Gobiobotia nakdongensis, and Iksookimia koreensis, etc. We also collected endangered fish species such as G. nakdongensis, Liobagrus obesus, and Pseudopungtungia nigra, etc., and their new distribution sites were found in the survey, providing some sites of the fish conservation and protection. Fish tolerance and trophic guilds analysis showed that the proportion of sensitive species, intermediate species, and tolerant species were 33.4%, 29.3%, and 37.3%, respectively and omnivores and insectivores were 48.1 % and 38.4%, respectively. Analysis of site-base study indicated that tolerant species and omnivore species were high in some polluted tributary streams (i.e., Gap and Miho stream) and sensitive and insectivore species were low. In the functional relations, expressed as simple linear regression equations, of stream order on fish metric attributes, showed that the number of species and the number of individuals increased as the stream order increases. This phenomenon was explained by greater availability of stable water volume, rich food, and higher physical habitat capacity. Such guild compositions and stream order characteristics of the river influenced the community structures, based on species diversity, dominance and evenness index in the study. This study may be used as important data in the future for comparisons of fish fauna and compositions before and after two weir (dam) constructions in the middle of Geum River by the government.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.263-270
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• 2012

The objectives of the study were to determine fish fauna and compositions during 2010~2011 in Walpyung Conservation Park along with analysis of fish community structures and trophic and tolerance guilds. Total number of species and individuals sampled were 31 and 2667, respectively and dominant species was Zacco platypus (46.6%) and subdominant species was Acheilognathus lanceolatus (8.7%), which were composed of >50% of the total. Total number of Korean endemic species including Microphysogobio yaluensis was 10 and the proportion of the individuals was 8.7%. Also, natural monument No. 454 of Iksookimia choii, which is endangered species and legal protected species, was sampled and the total number of individuals was only three. According to the analysis of fish community structures, species richness index in the mid-stream reach ($M_r$) was 3.145, which is higher than any other stream reaches ($U_r$ and $D_r$). In contrast, the richness index was 2.180 in the up-stream reach ($U_r$), which is minimum among the sampling sites. Species diversity index was 1.785 and 1.975, respectively in the headwater ($U_r$) and mid-stream reach ($M_r$) and the low values in the down-stream reach ($D_r$, 1.660) were due to the influences of pointsource (i.e., road construction) and non-point sources (sporadic agricultural spots). According to analysis of tolerance guilds, the proportion of tolerant species (TS), based on the number of individuals, was composed of 64.2% and sensitive species (SS) was only 3.3%, indicating a predominance of tolerant fishes in the compositions. The proportion of omnivore species (OS), however, was composed of 64.0% and insectivore species (IS) was 29.3%, indicating a predominance of omnivore fishes in the stream. The high proportions of tolerant and omnivore species in this stream indicates that the water quality and physical habitat environments were degradated in this system. For these reasons, especially natural monument and endemic fish species in this region should be protected from the massive constructions and required to provide efficient stream management strategies.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.874-887
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• 2016

We surveyed bimonthly from April to October 2015 to understand the fish fauna and community structure in Wangpicheon. The collected species during the survey period were 40 species belonging to 15 families. Dominant species by number were Zacco koreanus (31.3%) and Rhynchocypris oxycephalus (14.7%). In biomass, the dominant species were Z. koreanus (29.2%) and Coreoperca herzi (8.6%). Also, nine endemic species (22.5%) including Squalidus multimaculatus and two endangered species (Lethenteron reissneri, Cottus koreanus) were identified. It was identified one introduced species (Oncorhynchus mykiss) from foreign countries for aquaculture. Compared with previous data, nine species were newly identified including L. reissneri, S. gracilis majimae, Pseudobagrus fulvidraco, O. mykiss, Chelon haematocheilus, Siniperca scherzeri, Acanthogobius lactipes, Luciogobius guttatus and Channa argus. Seven species (Rhodeus ocellatus, S. gracilis majimae, Hemibarbus longirostris, Pseudogobio esocinus, Microphysogobio yaluensis, Hemiculter eigenmanni and Cobitis hankugensis) introduced from other native waters in Korea were estimated. According to the analysis of the habitat characteristics of major migratory species (Tribolodon hakonensis, O. keta and Plecoglossus altivelis), O. keta was observed at station 11 and T. hakonensis at station 7, 10 and 11. These fishes have been mainly identified in the downstream. However P. altivelis was widely distributed from station 3 to 11. In the comparison of average standard length of P. altivelis at each station during the same period, populations collected from station 3 and 5 which are mid-upper area of the stream were $125.8{\pm}34.2mm$. Their growth was good compared with those collected from station 8 and 11 (mid-lower area): $80.2{\pm}16.6mm$. This difference in length comes from the artificial structures including weir, thus it is necessary to create a fishway that enables P. altivelis to pass around barriers for free movement and resource management.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.266-279
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• 2019

We investigated the characteristics of fish communities and habitat status of endangered species Rhodeus pseudosericeus in Heuk Stream, a tributary of the Han River, from April to October 2018. During this period, we collected 47 species of 14 families from 10 survey stations using kick nets, cast nets, and long bag set nets. The dominant and subdominant species were Zacco platypus (37.6%) and Z. koreanus (13.8%), respectively. The next most abundant species were Squalidus gracilis majimae (11.1%), Pungtungia herzi (7.7%), Rhodeus pseudosericeus (5.0%), Microphysogobio yaluensis (4.3%), and Hemibarbus longirostris (3.0%). Among the fish collected, 19 species (40.4%) were Korean endemic species. Endangered species were R. pseudosericeus and Acheilognathus signifer while exotic species were Micropterus salmoides and Oncorhynchus mykiss, and land-locked species were Plecoglossus altivelis and Rhinogobius brunneus. The community analysis showed that the dominance and evenness indexes were mostly low and that the diversity and richness indexes were high. Moreover, the river health (index of biological integrity) was mostly excllent (1 site is good, 9 sites are very good). R. pseudosericeus inhabited widely from St. 3 to St. 9 in Heuk Stream, and its population size was large. Age groups for R. pseudosericeus estimated by the frequency distribution of total length in spawning season (April) indicated the 32~45 mm group as 1-year old, the 46~59 mm group as 2-years old, 60~69 mm group as 3-years old, and the 70~89 mm group as 4-years or older. Total length range of male and female was similar, and the sex ratio of female (426) to male (394) was 1 : 0.95. A. signifer, which had been released in Heuk Stream, inhabited from St. 4 to St. 5, but its population size was small. Lastly, this paper discusses a conservation plan for fish in Heuk Stream.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.151-162
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• 2023

This study investigated the characteristics of fish communities and inhabiting status of the endangered species, Rhodeus pseudosericeus, in the Geumdang Stream in Korea from March to October 2021. A total of 1,698 fish in 5 families and 25 species were collected from 7 survey stations during the survey period. The dominant species was Zacco platypus (relative abundance, 46.5%), and the subdominant species was Squalidus gracilis majimae (16.7%), followed by Rhynchocypris oxycephalus (12.0%), Z. koreanus (5.7%), Pungtungia herzi (3.2%), R. pseudosericeus (2.0%), R. notatus (1.9%), and Acheilognathus rhombeus (1.8%). Nine Korean endemic species (36.0%) were collected, including R. pseudosericeus, R. uyekii, Sarcocheilichthys variegatus wakiyae, Microphysogobio yaluensis, S. gracilis majimae, Z. koreanus, Cobitis nalbanti, Iksookimia koreensis, and Odontobutis interrupta. An exotic species, Micropterus salmoides, designated as an invasive alien species (IAS), was collected downstream. The investigation of the habitat patterns of the endangered species (class II), Rhodeus pseudosericeus, showed a habitat range of about 6 to 7 km in the middle of Geumdang Stream (RP-1 to RP-4), and this species inhabited the edge with water depths of 0.3 through 1.0 m with slow water flow and many aquatic plants. According to the community analysis results, the overall dominance and evenness indexes were low, while diversity and richness indexes were high, and the cluster structure was largely divided into upstream and middle-downstream areas. The river health (fish assessment index) evaluated using fish was assessed as good (3 stations), normal (3 stations), and bad (1 station), and water quality was evaluated as good both upstream and downstream. Compared to previous studies, the number of species was relatively similar, and among the species that appeared in the past, 13 species did not appear in this survey, while 6 species appeared for the first time in this survey. Disturbance factors included river construction, many weirs, and the appearance of the ecosystem-disturbing species, M. salmoides. Since Geumdang Strem has high conservation value because it is home to many species in the Acheilognathinae subfamily, including the endangered species R. pseudosericeus, continuous attention and systematic conservation measures are required.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.34-43
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• 2017

The Naeseong Stream as a tributary of Nakdong River has conserved the unique structure and function of a typical sand-bed stream ecosystem. However, it is expected to change the stream bed environments and then the fish fauna in the downstream of the dam after the operation of the Yeongju Dam from 2016. We collected fishes and investigated their habitat environments from 2014 to 2016 in the downstream of the Yeongju Dam under construction in order to monitor changes in habitat environment, fauna and community structure of fishes in the Naeseong Stream. The size of the bed materials increased immediately downstream of the Yeongju Dam under construction. Before the operation of the Yeongju Dam, Zacco platypus was dominated and Opsarichthys uncirostris amurensis, Coreoleuciscus splendidus, Hemibarbus longirostris and Pseudogobio esocinus were sub-dominated according to the different sampling sites. Hemibarbus labeo, H. longirostris, Pseudogobio esocinus, Gobiobotia nakdongensis, Cobitis hankugensis and Leiocassis ussuriensis were found as a psammophilous fish specific to sand stream in the Naeseong Stream. At the downstream of the dam, the fish community was classified into a group of gravel-bed fishes such as Microphysogobio yaluensis, Coreoleuciscus splendidus and Coreoperca herzi and a group of sand-bed fishes such as Hemibarbus labeo, Cobitis hankugensis and Gobiobotia nakdongensis. These fish communities gradually tended to change from sand-bed fish community to gravel-bed fish community during the construction of the Yeongju Dam. Therefore, it is necessary to collect the baseline data for the stream ecosystem conservation in the sandy stream by continuously monitoring changes in the environment and fish in the downstream of the Youngju Dam.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.195-204
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• 2005

The population ecology of Rhinogobius brunneus was investigated on, tributaries of the Bukhan River from May 2003 to June 2005. The habitat was mostly a rapids area with pebbles and cobles in the lower part of the stream. The cohabitation fishes were Zacco platypus, Zacco temmincki, Microphysogobio yaluensis and Iksookimia koreensis. The males and females become sexually mature after one year. Spawning season was from May to June with water temperatures in the range $22{\sim}25^{\circ}C$. The prosperous period was from late May to early June. The average number of eggs in the ovary was $989{\pm}511$ (range, 151~2,209). The year-round sex ratio of female to male was 1 : 0.90. The total length in this population indicated that the below-40 mm group is one year old, 40~52 mm group is two years old, 52~65 mm group is three years old, and the longer-than-65 mm group is over four years old. There were no differences in total length distribution between the males and females. Nests were built up at a water depth of $13.7{\pm}5.8$ (5~31) cm and a current velocity of $9.6{\pm}4.8$ (10~19) cm/sec. Brood size (egg number) of the parental male was $1,974{\pm}1810$ (egg number = $95.022_{TL}-3507$, $r^2=0.3591$, N = 33). Newly hatched larvae that drifted downstream to the lake returned to the stream during late June to August; the smallest size in this population was 20 mm in total length.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.31 no.2B
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• pp.193-203
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• 2011

With the recent growth of environmental and ecological interests, various river restoration and habitat environment creation projects are being carried out. For this, the estimation of the habitat flow discharge is important. In U.S. and Europe nations, The instream flow incremental methodology (IFIM) has been used to estimate the habitat discharge. IFIM is the method that can be applied to evaluate the flow discharge for the suitable habitat. To use the IFIM in river, a habitat suitability index(HSI) for the target organism is needed. However, HSIs for only two species of Zacco platypus and Zacco temminckii were proposed from the field monitoring. Thus, for the estimation of the ecological flow rate for a group of fish, the development of the HSIs for various fish are necessary. In this study, physical data such as water level and flow rate, chemical data such as acidity and dissolved oxygen, and life data such as fish types and population are collected in Keum river watershed. Based on the 2,736 field data, HSIs for the following 6 fish are developed: Zacco platypus, Zacco temminckii, Microphysogobio yaluensis, Coreoleuciscus splendidus, Pungtungia herzi, Pseudogobio esocinus. Through the comparison with HSIs in the literature, the developed HSIs are modified. Also, the limits of Froude number, pH, and DO for 6 fish are proposed. The HSIs developed in this study can be utilized as a essential data for performing river project evaluations.