• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.26-34
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• 2023

Wetlands are very critical for the conservation of aquatic ecosystems, while also serving as the breeding/ nesting/ resting grounds for water birds. Generally, wetlands support both resident and migratory birds, thus serving as connecting dots in the global flyways. The Rajasthan state of India has two Ramsar sites (Keoladeo National Park and Sambhar Lake) and many other water bodies/wetlands. However, most of these areas are segregated in the eastern, southeastern, southern, and northern parts. In the western part of Rajasthan, where lies the Great Indian or Thar desert, there are no such reported prominent wetlands drawing attention towards a substantial number of resident and migratory water birds. The author is an Indian Forest Service officer, who was posted in the Thar Desert region and during that time had identified a hidden wetland in the desert landscape. This study deliberates on the wetland location and its faunal diversity with prospects of developing the area as a proper wetland conservation zone. India is a signatory to the Central Asian Flyway of migratory species and serves as an important member in terms of having significant wetlands and reported migratory birds count. The need of preserving and bring the arid zone's hidden wetlands to the forefront can serve as an important tool to conserve water birds and comply with worldwide bird migration conservation efforts.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.71-81
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• 2019

This study aims to provide basic data for the decision-making process in selecting sites for wetland restoration projects. To this end, the current list of demaged wetlands was identified based on the findings from the nationwide monitoring project in 2016 targeted at wetlands in inland areas. Then, to determine the necessity of restoration for these demaged sites, the cause of demage was investigated, and their conservation value was examined from an ecological and legal perspective. The 2016 monitoring project identified a total of 20 demaged wetlands, of which one site was deemed to have high conservation value through analysis of its ecological and legal values and on-site reviews. The results of this study are expected to support policymakers' decision-making in selecting wetlands for restoration projects since it identifies priority sites among demaged wetlands that require immediate restoration efforts. It should also be pointed out that wetlands in South Korea cannot benefit from legal protection despite their high conservation value unless they have a designated status as protected areas.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.81-86
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• 2007

Human activities have enhanced the influx of heavy metals to aquatic ecosystem and hanged the abiotic environment such as the sediments supporting benthic organisms. The levels of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in the benthic gastropod Oxyloma hirasei and the sediments around their habitat were investigated to examine heavy metal levels and the potential of the gastropod as a bioindicator. We detected different levels of heavy metals in the sediments of two wetland areas, Upo and Mokpo, in the relatively well-conserved Upo wetland, Ramsar Convention Area. Oxyloma hirasei had higher concentrations of heavy metals except Cr and Ni in their soft tissues than in their shells (Cd: $2.10{\sim}3.16$, Cu: $19.73{\sim}28.66$, Pb: $0.67{\sim}1.17$, Zn: $216.1{\sim}285.7\;{\mu}g/g$ dry weight in the soft tissues; Cr: $1.19{\sim}2.58$, Ni: $0.47{\sim}1.16\;{\mu}g/g$ dry weight in the shells). Differences in the Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb concentrations in O. hirasei soft tissues reflected differences in heavy metal concentrations in the sediments at the sampling sites. The coefficients of variation for Cd, Cu and Pb were lower than those for other metals in the soft tissues. Levels of Cd in the tissues of O. hirasei were the highest among the metals examined in this study. Therefore, the soft tissue of O. hirasei appears to be a promising bioindicator particularly for Cd.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.459-472
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• 2016

We assessed the distribution of benthic macroinvertebrate at four surveying sites in Upo Wetland, a Ramsar site and the largest wetland in Korea, from February 2006 to November 2013. A long-term ecological monitoring was done monthly by using quantitative sampling method with dip net for analyzing the community change and correlation between the biodiversity and the environmental factors because environmental factors have a decisive effect on the community structure of the benthic macroinvertebrates. Total samples from the Upo Wetland area were classified into 3 phyla, 6 classes, 17 orders, 68 families, 176 species, and 25,720 individuals. Among the 176 species, 62 of the species had not been previously reported in this area. Asellus sp., Diplonychus esakii, and Gyraulus chinensis were the most common species in Upo Wetland. The change patterns of annual species diversity and species richness were calculated by using the average number of monthly occurring species and individuals. Diversity index increased from March to May and decreased after that showing lower diversity indices in July and August. It increased again in September and in October. Richness index showed similar tendency and fell around February and July, followed by a rising tendency around May and October. Correlation and regression analyses were performed with the change of biodiversity and each environmental factor. We found that water temperature have very significant positive correlation with species diversity in spring, and have significant indices in autumn and winter. On the other hand, precipitation showed a significantly negative correlation value in summer and autumn suggesting it has an effect on the community structure of benthic macroinvertebrates.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.13-24
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• 2014

The pond wetlands in agricultural landscape are important natural resources that carry out the function of bio-diversity conservation. However, recently, those have been gradually embedded as their utility value were disappeared. And, the assessment methods used for pond wetlands are insufficient. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the conservation value of pond wetlands by using the modified RAM, and present the improvement of assesment methods. The study sites, a total of 32 pond of 4 types by land use, were selected on the basis of Ramsar Convention. Through the analysis of precedent studies, the weighted 8 functions were adjusted. According to the assessment results, pond wetlands made the largest contribution to Fishery and Herpetile Habitat function. In addition, it also made large contribution to Floral Diversity, Wildlife Habitat, and Water Quality Protection function. On the other hand, it made a small contribution to Aesthetics and Recreation, Runoff Attenuation, Shoreline /Stream Bank Protection, and Flood/Storm Water Storage function due to the characteristics of small-scale pond wetlands. In the assessment of 8 functions, house type showed the worst assessment result, and mountain type showed the best assessment result. It is thought that those are due to land use type in terms of vicinity. 10 items among 52 of the modified RAM showed the same assessment results in all land use types. Accordingly, it is required to be deleted and modified the assessment method. On the other hand, it is required to add age, interference, and water use to the assessment method. It is thought that these results can be utilized for the development and modification of assessment methods focused on pond wetlands in rural area.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.327-336
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• 2023

This study aimed to propose an effective method for surveying wild birds by comparing the results of bioacoustic detection with those obtained through a field survey. The study sites were located at Dongbaek-dongsan and a 1100-altitude wetland in Jeju-do, South Korea. The bioacoustic detection was conducted over the course of 12 months in 2020. For the bioacoustic detection, a Song-meter SM4 device was installed at each study site, recording bird songs in 1-min per hour, .wav, and 44,100 Hz format. The findings of the field survey were taken from the 「Long-term trends of Bird Community at Dongbaekdongsan and 1100-Highland Wetland of Jeju Island, South Korea.」 by Banjade et al. (2019). The results of this study are as follows. First, the avifauna identified using bioacoustic detection comprised 29 families and 46 species in Dongbaek-dongsan, and 16 families and 25 species in the 1100-altitude wetland. Second, based on the song frequency, the dominant species in Dongbaek-dongsan were Hypsipetes amaurotis (Brown-eared Bulbul, 33.62%), Horornis diphone (Japanese Bush Warbler, 12.13%), and Zosterops japonicus (Warbling White-eye, 9.77%). In the 1100-altitude wetland the dominant species were Corvus macrorhynchos (Large-billed Crow, 27.34%), H. diphone (19.43%), and H. amaurotis (16.56%). Third, in the field survey conducted at Dongbaek-dongsan, the number of detected bird species was 39 in 2009, 51 in 2012, 35 in 2015, and 45 in 2018, while the bioacoustic detection identified 46 species. In the field survey conducted in the 1100-altitude wetland, the number of detected bird species was 37 in 2009, 42 in 2012, 34 in 2015, and 38 in 2018, while the bioacoustics detection identified 25 species. Overall, 43.6% of the 78 species detected in the field survey in Dongbaek-dongsan (34 species) were identified using bioacoustic detection, and 38.3% of the 47 species detected in the field survey in the 1100-altitude wetland (18 species) were identified using bioacoustic detection. Fourth, the bioacoustic detection identified 9 families and 12 species of birds in Dongbaek-dongsan, and 3 families and 7 species of birds in the 1100-altitude wetland. No results from field survey were available for these species. The identified birds were predominantly nocturnal, including Otus sunia (Oriental Scops Owl) and Ninox japonica (Northern Boobook), passage migrants, including Larvivora cyane (Siberian Blue Robin), L. sibilans (Rufous-tailed Robin), and winter visitors with a relatively small number of visiting individuals, such as Bombycilla garrulus (Bohemian Waxwing) and Loxia curvirostra (Red Crossbill). Fifth, the birds detected in the field survey but not through bioacoustic detection included 18 families and 48 species in Dongbaek-dongsan and 14 families and 27 species in the 1100-altitude wetland; the most representative families were Ardeidae, Accipitridae, and Muscicapidae. This study is significant as it provides essential data supporting the possibility of an effective survey combining bioacoustic detection with field studies, given the increasing use of bioacoustic devices in ornithological studies in South Korea.