• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.681-688
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• 2020

Approximately 6,000 chemicals are transported through the sea, including hazardous and noxious substances (HNS), which cause marine pollution and are harmful to marine life. The HNS discharged into the sea during the maritime transportation process undergoes physical and chemical changes on the sea surface and in seawater, and some types of HNS sink and are deposited on the seabed. The HNS deposited on the seabed adversely affects the benthic ecosystem, and hence, it is desirable to detect, treat, and recover the HNS on the seabed. Therefore, this study was conducted to analyze the performance requirements that should be considered as the top priority when developing a mechanical system for recovering the HNS deposited on the seabed. Various types of existing dredging devices used for collecting and recovering pollutants from river beds and seabeds were investigated, and 10 performance indices for the mechanical devices were selected. The new performance requirements for the development of the seabed-deposited HNS recovery system were proposed using performance indices. By considering the depth of water in domestic seaports, some of the performance requirements of the mechanical system for recovering deposited HNS from the seabed were obtained as follows: production rate (50-300 ㎥/hr), maximum operation depth (50 m), sediment type (most forms), percentage of solids (10 % or higher), horizontal operating accuracy (±10 cm), limiting currents (3-5 knots). These performance requirements are expected to be useful in the conceptual and basic design of mechanical systems for recovering seabed-deposited HNS.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.353-361
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• 2005

In this study, we performed whole effluent toxicity(WET) test and compared the biological component analyses tests for some streams into which wastewater treatment plant effluents are discharged. The test procedures for the WET test and the biological component analysis were conducted according to U.S. EPA guidelines and the Ohio EPA wading method. The WET tests based on the test species of D. manga and S. capricornutum All treatment plants showed a S. capricornutum toxicity, and at 7 sites, except A and J, we could observe a D. magna toxicity. The highest toxicity was observed at site D and this were followed by E and F. The biological component analyses applied to the effluent discharged stream. We found that total species were low at sites C1, D1 and J1 and the low number of total individuals were observed at sites A1, C1, E1, H1, and J1 compared to the controls and other sites. The species richness was low at sites A1, B1, C1, D1, and J1. The species change was evident at site D(D1) and the tolerant species was predominant. The biological analyses and WET tests suggested that the effluents resulted in massive ecosystem impact.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.167-168
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• 2003

The Upo wetland, the largest natural wetland in Korea, is located in Changnyeong-gun, Gyeongsannam Province ($35^{\circ}33'$ N, $128^{\circ}25'$ E), and 70 km upstream from the Nakdong River estuary. Unlike most other Korean wetlands that have been destroyed under the name of economic development, the Upo wetland has been able to preserve its precious ecosystem throughout the years. Thanks to increased public awareness about natural wetlands and environmental conservation, the Korean Ministry of Environment designated the Upo wetland an 'Ecological Conservation Area' on July 26th, 1997. On March 2nd of the following year, the Upo wetland (8.54 $\textrm{km}^2$) was designated a 'Protected Wetland' in accordance with the international Ramsar Treaty. A 4.49m long (from 9.73 to 5.24 m in altitude) UP-1 core ($35^{\circ}33'05"N$, $128^{\circ}25'17"E$), recovered in the marginal part of the Upo wetland, is divided into eight buried paleosol units of different ages on the basis of the abundance of color mottles and vertical color variations (Aslan et al., 1998). Radiocarbon datings suggested that the paleosol profile represent the last 5700 years. The entire section of the core was more or less subjected to pedogenetic processes, and shows very weak to moderate soil profile development. These Holocene paleosols are therefore regarded as synsedimentary soils of deluvium (deposits formed by floods) origin (Sycheva et al., 2003). Unit 1 to 5 paleosols are generally silt-rich and exhibit moderate profile development. The boundaries between the units are somewhat distinguishable, but not so clear cut. This is due to variable repeated combination of accumulation, denudation and soil forming processes within various periods. Mottle textures gradually decrease in abundance with increasing clay content in Unit 6, which results in weak profile development. The lower boundary of Unit 6 lies around about 2000 yrBP, the beginning of Subatlantic in Korea (Kim et al., 2001). Abrupt sediment textural change is detected in Unit 7, which is interpreted to indicate the human activities on the Upo wetland. Unit 8 represents the recent soil forming processes. The preliminary results of this ongoing study imply the primary factor for pedogenetic processes is the water table fluctuations related to the sedimentary textures like grain size distributions, and the geomorphological stability of the Upo wetland.o wetland.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.1-17
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• 2004

The focus of this study is the promotion of green area volumes and their naturalness, water circulation system, decline of entropy, creation of biological habitats and linkage of separated urban green space. Re-presentative urban biotope survey sites were categorized as urban biotope, semi-natural biotope, and natural forest. In the urban biotope, a residential biotope was constructed near the Han river and in mountain areas. The green-area ratio at the housing complex was about 25%. GVZ(Grunvolumenzahl) was 0.35m$^3$/m$^2$ at the 5∼10-story housing complex, and 1.53m$^3$/m$^2$ over the 11-story. As for the green-area structure of the housing complex, canopy layer, understory layer, and shrub layer were not differentiated and the green-area volume was not high enough. The green-area ratio of school areas as a public area biotope was 5∼20%. GVZ was 1.12m$^3$/m$^2$ at Myungduk High School, and 1.78m$^3$/m$^2$ at Jeonggok Elementary School. In order to convert the urban biotope into an ecological area, green areas around the buildings should be connected to urban buffer green areas, and multi-layer structures should be established with natural plant species. In the semi-natural biotope, neighbor parks were created park in the vicinity of the natural forests. GVZ was 0.28m$^3$/m$^2$, and plantation was established with single layer structure and was definitely insufficient for the area. The urban buffer green areas have been established in strip corridors with the width of 20∼123m. In those areas, GVZ was 0.16∼0.27m$^3$/m$^2$ and had a deficient canopy layer, understory layer, and shrub layer. Soil conditions were not favorable for tree growth. In the natural biotope, GVZ of the plantation was 1.03∼1.5m$^3$/m$^2$ but the high crown closure of this area reduces the chance of species change and succession. GVZ of natural forest was 2.53∼2.57m$^3$/m$^2$. It is desirable to plant diverse plants and the natural forest should be succeeded by broad-leaf deciduous tree species. To improve the value of biotope at Kangseo-Gu, building height needs to be limited to reduce the environmental deterioration in the city. In order to maintain the water circulation system, water-permeable material is recommened when the urban surface areas are paved. The establishment of a water circulation system will improve ground water levels, soil moisture, water quality, and habitats. In order to improve biological diversity, it is desirable to have multi-layer structures in urban green areas with native species.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.82-90
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• 2014

To assess the adverse effects of suspended solids on fishes, the hatching rate of embryo, and survival and growth of larvae were measured with common fish species of river such as crusian carp (Carassius auratus), common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and medaka (Oryzias latipes). Bioassay on hatching rate of embryo was conducted with a range of turbidity as 10 levels from 0.2 to 8,080 NTU. Another bioassay on 4-day larval survival and 21-day larval growth were also conducted with a range of turbidity as 8 levels from 0.1 to 8,260 NTU, and 6 levels from 0.7 to 2,030 NTU, respectively. The hatching rate of C. auratus was not significantly different from that of control at turbidity below 4,040 NTU, whereas it decreased when turbidity was 8,080 NTU (p<0.05). The hatching rate of C. carpio was not affected by concentration of suspended solids. For O. latipes, the hatching rate significantly decreased from 254 NTU (p<0.001) and it was zero when turbidity was 8,080 NTU. The 4-day survival of larvae of all 3 species was not affected by turbidity, while the larval growth of all 3 species was significantly affected. The turbidity effect on the growth of C. auratus and C. carpio was observed from 7 days after the exposure at turbidity level of 145, 143 NTU, respectively. The turbidity effect on the growth of O. latipes was observed from 14 days after the exposure at turbidity level of 254 NTU. The results of this study will provide the basic information for the derivation of water quality criteria on suspended solids for the protection of aquatic ecosystem and the quantitative ecological risk assessment of freshwater environment.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.38 no.4 s.114
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• pp.445-453
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• 2005

Relative importance between bottom-up and top-down controls on phytoplankton dynamics was investigated in the Juam Reservoir, Chonnam based on the results from statistical analyses including regression and artificial neural network (ANN) modeling. Effects of nutrients on size-structured phytoplankton dynamics were explored by simple linear regression analysis and relative importance between bottom-up and top-down controls was estimated based on results from the artificial neural network analyses. Although there is a limitation in determining direct grazing effects since chlorophyll a : pheopigments ratios, indirect index for grazing activity rather than grazing rates or herbivores biomass were used, the results from regression analysis showed that nutrients especially orthophosphates were positively correlated with the phytoplankton biomass and chlorophyll a : pheopigments ratios were also positively correlated with the phytoplankton biomass at lower coefficient of determination ($r^2$) compared to orthophosphates. The simulation results from ANN suggested that the bottom-up mechanisms including water temperature and availability of nutrients, especially orthophosphates were more important than top-down mechanisms such as grazing in the phytoplankton dynamics.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.180-188
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• 2018

Biopolymer based on microbial ${\beta}$-glucan and xanthan gum is a rising geotechnical material that can enhance the cohesion between soil particles and consequently reduce soil erosion. Recently, biopolymer is proposed to utilize for the riverbank strengthening. As an effort of the ecological assessment of biopolymer application in civil engineering, this study examined the effects of biopolymer on seed germination and growth of nine plant species inhabiting in the Korean riverside. Responses of above-ground growth to the biopolymer differed among plant species. One species grew less but others maintained their growth when plants were grown in the soil with biopolymer. In contrast, root grew more vigorously and root/shoot ratio decreased in the biopolymer across testing plant species. These results indicate that biopolymer application on the river bank likely stimulate root growth of native plant species, which, in turn, possibly reinforces riverbank. Species specific responses of above-ground growth implies that ecological effects of biopolymer application would depend on the species composition of the ecosystem.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.426-435
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• 1995

In order to assess the significance of ciliate grazing on bacterial population in carbon flow of the estuarine pelagic ecosystem of the Mankyung and Dongjin river (MD estuary), abundance and biomass of ciliates and grazing rate on bacteria of small (<40 um) ciliates were measured. Saplings were carried out four times from October 1993 to March 1995 in the estuarine system. Ciliates smaller than 40 um occupied more than 49.5% of total ciliates abundance. Clearance rate of small ciliates ranged from 18.0 to 16.3 nl cell/SUP -1/ h/SUP -1/. As bacterial abundance increased, ciliate's clearance rate decreased, suggesting that bacterial abundance effects on ciliate's grazing rate. Ciliate grazing rate was equal to 0.1 to 12.2% of bacterial productivity, and the ratio of ciliate ingestion over bacterial production increased exponentially with the increase of bacterial abundance (r$^2$=0.62, p$\leq$0.001). It seems that the effect of ciliate grazing on bacteria would be small in coastal waters and large in more eutrophic waters of high bacterial abundance. Carbon supplied by ciliate grazing on bacteria was avg. 3.1% of carbon amount required for the ciliate maximum productivity. Thus, the ecological role of ciliate in microbial loop was probably more important as a final consumer than as a direct consumer of bacteria.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.21-31
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• 2007

Estuarine wetland, where freshwater meets saltwater, is a transitional ecosystem that is valuable ecologically for a variety of reasons, such as feeding and breeding sites for birds, fish, and wildlife. However, research on the spatial distribution and temporal dynamics of estuarine wetlands in Korea is rare. As a fundamental basis for wetland conservation, this study quantified the wetlands in three major estuaries, and evaluated the temporal dynamics of the wetlands since the 1910s. In particular, this study classified the wetland types into mud flat, sand, and emergent-plant types, and estimated the change of each wetland type, using topographic maps produced in the 1910s, 1970s, and 2000s. The wetlands in both the Han and Youngsan River estuaries have declined since the 1910s, but the rate of wetland decline was relatively low before the 1970s, compared to that since the 1970s. The impact of human activities, such as the Youngsan Watershed Comprehensive Development Project and the construction of estuary barrages, has disrupted the estuary cycles and destroyed huge amounts of wetland in the Youngsan estuary. By contrast, estuarine wetlands have been preserved in the small Gahwa estuary, and provide a variety of habitats for plants and wildlife. A special management strategy for wetlands should be established as soon as possible.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.432-440
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• 2017

Compound specific isotope analysis of amino acids (CSIA-AAs) is being highlighted as an alternative approach for overcoming some restrictions in application of stable isotope analysis of bulk tissue (SIA) for trophic position (TP) estimation. However, this approach has rarely been applied in Korea. The present study determines TP of two Polychaeta (Nephtyidae and Glyceridae) and two fish species(Platycephalus indicus and Lophius litulon) collected from the Geum River estuary using nitrogen isotope ratio of amino acid and compared with the TP values estimated by SIA. The Polychaeta species, sampled in two sites, showed similar TP between SIA(2.7 and 3.1) and CSIA-AAs (2.6 and 3.1). However, for both fish species, TP values displayed a large difference between SIA (3.1 and 2.3) and CSIA-AAs (3.8 and 3.7). In this study TP values estimated by CSIA-AAs showed more similar to the previously reported gut content analysis of both fishes compared with the results of SIA. Current study suggests the applicability of nitrogen isotope ratio of amino acid to understand coastal ecosystem structure and trophic ecology.