• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.403-411
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• 2007

The purpose of the study was to evaluate fish community, based on conventional at Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H'), and ecological health, based on the Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) using fish assemblage in the eight sites of Nakdong River during June${\sim}$August 1999. Total number of species sampled was 19 species, and two sensitive species of Zacco temminckii (51%) and Rhynchocypris oxycephalus (28%) dominated the fish community. Also, trophic guild analyses showed that insectivore was 87% of the total and omnivore was rare, indicating that the ecological health is well maintained in the system. The pattern of spatial variation in the diversity index(H') was very similar to patterns of the species number and individual number, whereas the pattern of H' was not matched with the tolerance and trophic guild data. The diversity index (H') showed highest (1.56) in Site 6 where the proportion of sensitive species and tolerant species was minimum and maximum, respectively, and where the insectivore and omnivore were minimum and maximum. In other words, the diversity index was not matched at all with the trophic and tolerant guilds, indicating that the conventional index did not reflect the ecological characteristics of fish community in the system. In the mean time, the ecological health (IBI) averaged 33.5 (n=8), indicating "good${\sim}$fair condition" and the IBI values matched with trophic and tolerance guilds. Maximum IBI occurred in Site 2 where the sensitive and msectivore species were nearly maximum, and the tolerant and omnivore species were almost minima, indicating that IBI values were closely associated with the ecological functions and health conditions. Overall data suggest that the conventional diversity index may not effective for a evaluation of fish community, and that in contrast the IBI approach may be a useful tool for diagnosis of stream community.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.354-374
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• 2016

This study explored spatiotemporal variability of water quality in correspondence with hydrometeorological factors in the five stations of Paldang Reservoir located in the Han River during 4 years from May 2012 to December 2015. Variability of basic water quality factors were largely related with seasonal fluctuations of hydrology. Temperature stratification occurred in the deep dam station, and prolonged hypoxia was observed during the draught year. Nitrogen nutrients were increased with decreasing inflow in which changing pattern of $NH_4$ reversed to $NO_3$ by the effect of treated wastewater effluent. Phosphorus increase was manifest during the period of high inflow or severe drought. Chl-a variation was reversely related with both flow change and AGP(algal growth potential) variations. Our study demonstrated that water quality variability in Paldang Reservoir was largely attributed to both natural and operational changes of inflow and outflow (including water intake) based on major pollution source of the treated wastewater (total amount of $472{\times}10^3m^3d^{-1}$) entering to the water system from watershed. In the process of water quality variability, meteorological (e.g., flood, typhoon, abnormal rainfall, scorching heat of summer) and hydrological factors (inflow and discharge) were likely to work dynamically with nutrients pulse, dilution, absorption, concentration and sedimentation. We underline comprehensive limnological study related to hydro-meteorolology to understand short- and long-term water quality variability in river-type large reservoir and suggest the necessity of P-free wastewater treatment for the effective measure of reducing pollution level of Paldang drinking water resource.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.57-65
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• 2016

Maeul-soop(Village forest) is a key element of Korean traditional village landscape historically and culturally. However, a number of Maeul-soops have been lost or declined due to various influences since the modern age. For this Maeul-soop that has a variety of conservation values including historical, cultural and ecological ones, attention and efforts for a systematic conservation and restoration of Maeul-soop are needed. The purpose of the present study is to provide information on ecological restoration and sustainable use and management of Maeul-soops based on component plant species, habitat and location characteristics of 499 Maeul-soops spread throughout Korea. Major six categories of threat factors to Maeul-soop ecosystem were identified and the influence of each factor was evaluated. For the evaluation of weight by threat factors for the influence on the vulnerability of Maeul-soop ecosystem, more three-dimensional analysis was conducted using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) analysis method. In the results of evaluation using AHP analysis method, reduction of area, among six categories, was spotted as the biggest threat to existence of Maeul-soops. Next, changes in topography and soil environment were considered as a threat factor of qualitative changes in Maeul-soop ecosystem. Influence of vegetation structure and its qualitative changes on the loss or decline of Masul-soop was evaluated to be lower than that of changes in habitat. Based on weight of each factor, the figures were converted with 100 points being the highest score and the evaluation of vulnerability of Maeul-soop was conducted with the converted figures. In the result of evaluation of vulnerability of Maeul-soops, grade III showed the highest frequency and a normal distribution was formed from low grade to high grade. 38 Maeul-soops were evaluated as grade I which showed high naturality and 10 Maeul-soops were evaluated as grade V as their maintenance was threatened. Also in the results of evaluation of vulnerability of each Maeul-soop, restoration of Maeul-soop's own area was found as top priority to guarantee the sustainability of Maeul-soops. It was confirmed that there was a need to prepare a national level ecological response strategy for each vulnerability factor of Maeul-soop, which was important national ecological resources.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.1507-1515
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• 2018

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is characterized by prostatic hypertrophy mainly in the elderly. Corni Fructus is reportedly effective in the prevention and treatment of various diseases, but its efficacy on BPH has not been previously studied. In the present study, we investigated whether or not a Corni Fructus water extract (CF) could prevent testosterone-induced prostatic hyperplasia in rats. To induce BPH, castrated rats were subcutaneously injected with testosterone propionate (TP). CF was administered daily by oral gavage, along with the TP injections, and finasteride, a selective inhibitor of $5{\alpha}$-reductase type 2, was used as a positive control. The results show that CF significantly reduces prostate weight and histopathologic changes while also decreasing levels of serum dihydrotestosterone, similar to the finasteride-treated group. CF also suppresses TP-induced $5{\alpha}$-reductase expression and concentration in prostate tissue and serum, respectively. Furthermore, CF markedly inhibited TP-induced expression of the androgen receptor (AR) and the steroid receptor coactivator 1, an AR coactivator, which was associated with a decrease in prostate-specific antigen levels in both serum and prostate tissue. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that CF weakens BPH status by inactivation of $5{\alpha}$-reductase and AR.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.195-215
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• 2019

Geopark is a new system for development of the local economy through conservation, education, and tourism that is an area of scientific importance for the earth sciences and that has outstanding scenic values. The Hwaseong Geopark, the candidate for Korean National Geopark is composed of 10 geosites: Gojeongri dinosaur egg fossils, Ueumdo, Eoseom, Ddakseom, Goryeom, Jebudo, Baengmiri Coast, Gungpyeonhang, Ippado and Gukwado geosites. In this study, geosites, geoheritages, and geotrails of the Hwaseong Geopark were described in detail, and the value and significane as a geopark were also discussed. The geology of the Hwaseong Geopark area belonging to the Gyeonggi Massif consists of the Precambrian metamorphic and meta-sedimentary rocks, Paleozoic sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, Mesozoic igneous and sedimentary rocks, and Quaternary deposits, indicating high geodiversity. The Gojeongri Dinosaur Egg Fossils geosite, designated as a natural monument, has a geotrail including dinosaur egg nest fossils, burrows, tafoni, fault and drag fold, cross-bedding. Furthermore, a variety of infrastructures such as eco-trail deck, visitor center are well-established in the geosite. In the Ueumdo geosite, there are various metamorphic rocks (gneiss, schist, and phyllite) and geological structures (fold, fault, joint, dike, and vein), thus it has a high educational value. The Eoseom geosite has high academic value because of the orbicular texture found in metamorphic rocks. Also, various volcanic and sedimentary rocks belonging to the Cretaceous Tando Basin can be observed in the Ddakseom and Goryeom geosites. In the Jebudo, Baengmiri Coast, and Gungpyeonghang geosites, a variety of coastal landforms (tidal flat, seastacks, sand and gravel beach, and coastal dunes), metamorphic rocks and geological structures, such as clastic dikes and quartz veins can be observed, and they also provide various programs including mudflat experience to visitors. Ippado and Gukwado geosites have typical large-scale fold structures, and unique coastal erosional features and various Paleozoic schists can be observed. The Hwaseong Geopark consists of outstanding geosites with high geodiversity and academic values, and it also has geotrails that combine geology, geomorphology, landscape and ecology with infrastructures and various education and experience programs. Therefore, the Hwaseong Geopark is expected to serve as a great National Geopark representing the western Gyeonggi Province, Korea.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.331-344
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• 2018

Lotic organisms in streams are affected by natural and anthropogenic disturbances such as increase of heavy rainfall event caused by climate change and flow regime change caused by weir constructions. Based on domestic and foreign literature, 157 Korean benthic macroinvertebrate taxa were selected species as potential lotic candidates. Three shoreline sites (total 54 samples) were surveyed consecutively before ('08~'09), during ('10~'12) and after ('13~'16) the construction of the weirs (Gangcheon, Yeoju and Ipo weir) in the Namhan-River for tracing changes of lotic communities. As a result, water flow of the Ipo-wier and water quality variables such as T-N, T-P, BOD5, etc. of the weir section revealed no significant changes. Physical habitat conditions such as the flow velocity and streambed substrate evidently changed. Particulary, flow velocity measured at sampling points along with each microhabitat drastically decreased and particle size of streambed substrate steadily decreased after weir constructions. Lotic organisms also decreased after construction, especially Hydropsychidae (insecta: Trichoptera) acutely decreased from $3,526ind.\;m^{-2}$ to $2ind.\;m^{-2}$ As a result of CCA, lotic species such as Hydropsyche valvata, Hydropsyche kozhantschikovi, Cheumatopsyche brevilineata, Cheumatopsyche KUa, Macrostemum radiatum, etc. correlated with the flow velocity, streambed substrate. Therefore, the decrease of the flow velocity and substrate size after weir construction seemed to be closely related to the decrease of the individual abundances of the lotic organisms independently of water quality. In order to evaluate the influence of the ecosystem on the flow regime change more accurately, it is necessary to study the indicator species based on the resistance or preference of the flow.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.245-265
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• 2019

Biotope, which represents the characteristic habitats of living organisms, need to be identified as essential for the efficient creation and sustainable management of urban ecosystems. This study was carried out to provide the basic information for ecological urban planning by analyzing types and attributes of the biotop established throughout the whole area of the Pohang city, a representative industrial city in Korea. The biotop established in Pohang city is composed of 12 types including forests (coniferous, deciduous, and mixed forests), agricultural fields (rice paddy and upland field), green facilities, river, reservoir, bare ground, residential area, public facilities, commercial area, industrial area, roads, and schools. As a result of analyzing the properties according to biotop types, industrial, commercial and residential areas, which represent urban areas, was dominated by introduced vegetation. Moreover the introduced vegetation is usually composed of exotic plants or modified forms for landscape architecture and horticulture rather than native plants, which reflects ecological property of both region and site. As the distance from the urban center increases, the agricultural field showed a form of typical farmland, whereas the closer it is, the more form of greenhouse farming. Natural green spaces were divided into riparian vegetation established along the stream and forest vegetation. Forest vegetation is consisted of secondary forests (seven communities) and plantations (three communities). The urban landscape of Pohang city is dominated by the industrial area. Among them, the steel industry, which occurs large amounts of heat pollution and carbon dioxide, occupies a large proportion. On the other hand, green space is very insufficient in quantity and inferior in quality. This study proposed several restoration plans and further, a green network, which ties the existing green spaces and the green space to be restored as a strategy to improve the environmental quality in this area.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.112-117
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• 2019

Herbal medicines are widely used as therapeutic products in many countries. Corni fructus (CF), the dried ripe sarcocarp of Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc (Cornaceae), has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine and has been reported to be effective for the prevention and treatment of various diseases, such as kidney diseases and diabetes. Recent research on CF has documented a wide spectrum of therapeutic properties, which include anti-inflammatory, ant-oxidative, immunomodulatory, and anti-cancer effects. However, there is no information on its safety. Therefore, in this study, the toxicity of water extract of CF to ICR mice was investigated. The mice received a single dose of water extract of CF (1,000, 2,000, and 5,000 mg/kg of body weight) via the oral route. Mortality, clinical signs, body weight changes, gross findings, and weights of the principal organs after 14 d were then assessed. The results revealed no adverse effects of CF as determined by clinical signs, body weights, or organ weights and no gross pathological findings in any of the treatment groups. These results suggest that the 50% lethal dose and approximated lethal dose of CF extract is over 5,000 mg/kg. The findings provide scientific evidence for the safety of CFs.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.100 no.2
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• pp.226-231
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• 2011

Ulmus davidiana var. japonica is a deciduous tree species used for traditional medicine. This study was conducted to investigate the variation of samara, seed, germination and growth characteristics among populations and among individuals within five natural populations of U. davidiana var. japonica distributed in Korea. The ten characteristics of samara and seed, the three germination behaviors as well as the two growth traits were studied in samaras collected from total 32 trees. Statistical analysis of all characteristics showed that there were significant differences among populations as well as among individuals within populations. In this study, the mean characteristics of this species were 13.0 mm in samara length, 9.7 mm in samara width, 1.37 in samara index, 0.015 g in samara weight, 3.07 mm in samara stalk length, 3.85 seed length, 2.66 mm in seed width, 1.46 in seed index, 1.29 mm seed thickness, 0.0062 g in seed weigh, 34.8% in germination percentage, 8.6 days in mean germination time, 3.5 ea./day in gemination rate, 37.7 cm in height and 4.90 mm in root collar diameter. Especially, coefficients of variations in samara weight, germination percentage, germination rate, height and root collar diameter were relatively high (${\geq}30.0%$) compared to other traits. There was no significant relationship between population association and geographical distribution. The results of principal component analysis for 15 characteristics showed that primary four principal components (PC's) explained 100% of the total variation. The first PC accounted for 41.8% of the variability which correlated with morphological traits, the second PC accounted for 32.9% of the variability which correlated with germination behaviors and the third PC accounted for 16.3% of the variability which correlated with growth traits.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.733-743
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• 2020

We estimated the carbon storage of coal mines reclaimed using Betula platyphylla (BP), Pinus koraiensis (PK), and Pinus spp. (PS, Pinus densiflora, Pinus rigida, and Pinus thunbergii). The carbon storage of tree biomass (TB), forest floor(FF), mineral soil (MS), and the total forest were quantified. Reclaimed sites were located in Gangwon-do, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and Jeollanam-do; reclamation was conducted at various times in each region. The carbon storage (ton C ha^-1) in FF (BP: 3.31±0.59, PK: 3.60±0.93, PS: 4.65±0.92), MS (BP: 28.62±2.86, PK: 22.26±5.72, PS: 19.95±3.90), and the total forest(BP: 54.81±7.22, PK: 47.29±8.97, PS: 45.50±6.31) were lower than that of natural forests (NF). The carbon storage in TB was lower in BP (22.57±6.18) compared to NF, while those in PK(21.17±8.76) and PS (20.80±6.40) were higher than in NF. While there were no significant differences in the carbon storage of TB, FF, and the total forest among tree species, results from MS showed a significant difference among species. TB and the total forest carbon storages in all sites increased after reclamation. Soil pH and cation exchange capacity values in BP and PS were lower than in NF. Amounts of labile carbon, available phosphate, and microbial biomass carbon in reclaimed sites were less than half of NF. There are a number of methods that could increase the reclamation efficiency. Applications of lime or organic fertilizers, as well as tillage operations, may improve soil properties in reclaimed coal mines. Additionally, pruning and thinning would increase tree growth thereby increasing carbon storage.