• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.58 no.3
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• pp.1-12
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• 2016

The objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between stream water quality of TN (total nitrogen), TP (total phosphorus), and BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) and TDI (Trophic Diatom Index) score determined by physico-chemical factors, biomass, and standing crops of epilithic diatoms, and to estimate the required amount of ecological streamflow for good water environment of Trophic Diatom. For the main stream of Chungju dam watershed of South Korea, total 100 field data of 3 years (2008~2010) measured in May and September were used to derive the relationship between water quality and TDI. Trophic Diatom had high correlation (0.55 determination coefficient) with TN. Using the relationship, the required streamflow was evaluated by using the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for good Trophic Diatom water environment through T-N water quality maintenance. The SWAT simulated 8 years (2003~2010) stream discharges and T-N water quality along the main stream. From present garde C (score range: 30.0~45.0) to grade A (score above 60.0) of TDI, the May needs additional streamflow of $63.1m^3/sec$ (+36.7 % comparing with the present streamflow of $172.0m^3/sec$) at the watershed outlet.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.155-171
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• 2011

The research assessed water quality using physico-chemical factors, trophic status index and attached diatom index in 10 reservoirs located in Chungcheongnam-do from October 2007 to June 2008. The physico-chemical water quality assessments revealed that Dangjin-gun (St. 1~5), which displayed a high chemical oxygen demand (V and VI) and chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ (Eutrophic-Hypereutrophic), was more polluted than Yesan and Cheongyang-gun. The sample were also hypereutrophic [trophic status index (TSI) 74.6] and ${\beta}$-mesosaprobic [diatom assemblage index to the organic water pollution (DAIpo) 44.47]. Yesan and Cheongyang-gun. Which were mid-level in their pollution status, were eutrophic (TSI 56.9) and ${\alpha}$-oligosaprobic (DAIpo 60.11). TSI correlated strongly with the attached diatom index (of DAIpo 0.60~0.62, and trophic diatom index of 0.72~0.74). Hence, the attached diatom index can be used with the trophic status assessment of lakes using TSI, and lake trophic status index (LTSI).

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.232-241
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• 2010

Epilithic diatom communities and water quality were monitored to evaluate the ecological impact of the inflow of Wonju-stream passing through the urban area in the Seom River Watershed. We selected the 14 sampling stations (5 main stream sites and 9 tributary sites), and collected diatom and water samples between October 2007 and September 2008, on the seasonal basis. The results indicate that most water quality parameters showed the site-specific patterns over the study, except for water temperature and dissolved oxygen. The levels of water quality parameters were highest at the site of Wonju stream, whereas the lowest in the upstream sites, and intermediate or gradually decreased in the downstream sites of the Seom river. One species, Achnanthes convergens, showed the highest biomass and frequency over the sites, while three saprophilous species-Navicula goeppertiana, Navicula subminuscula, Nitzschia palea were appeared only in Wonju Stream and other polluted sites. According to trophic diatom index (TDI) values, which were highly correlated with nutrients and EC, the study sites were classified into three classes: upstream and tributary (Class A and B), Wonju Stream (Class D), and mixed zone and downstream (Class C). A cluster analysis supported the result of TDI classification. Therefore, Wonju-stream located in populated urban area exerted the adverse ecological effects on the epilithic diatom community and water quality of the lower Seom River System, although its severity gradually decreased downstream.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.432-438
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to predict Trophic Diatom Index (TDI) in tributaries of the Han River watershed using the random forest algorithm. The one year (2017) and supplied aquatic ecology health data were used. The data includes water quality(BOD, T-N, $NH_3-N$, T-P, $PO_4-P$, water temperature, DO, pH, conductivity, turbidity), hydraulic factors(water width, average water depth, average velocity of water), and TDI score. Seven factors including water temperature, BOD, T-N, $NH_3-N$, T-P, $PO_4-P$, and average water depth are selected by the Correlation Feature Selection. A TDI prediction model was generated by random forest using the seven factors. To evaluate this model, 2017 data set was used first. As a result of the evaluation, $R^2$, % Difference, NSE(Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency), RMSE(Root Mean Square Error) and accuracy rate show that this model is compatible with predicting TDI. To be more concrete, $R^2$ is 0.93, % Difference is -0.37, NSE is 0.89, RMSE is 8.22 and accuracy rate is 70.4%. Also, additional evaluation using data set more than 17 times the measured point was performed. The results were similar when the 2017 data set were used. The Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test shows there was no statistically significant difference between actual and predicted data for the 2017 data set. These results can specify the elements which probably affect aquatic ecology health. Also, these will provide direction relative to water quality management for a watershed that must be continuously preserved.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.525-538
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to analyze the habitat status and species diversity of benthic diatoms and estimate the applicability of TDI (Trophic Diatom Index) to obtain the basic data for the identification and management of created wetlands in the Nakdong River. We observed a total of 38 families and 173 species of benthic diatom during the survey period, and spring and autumn showed a similar number of species of 156 and 154, respectively. The result of the SOM (Self-Organizing Map) analysis showed that the distribution of benthic diatom was sensitive to environmental factors such as nutrient concentration and rainfall in each wetland. The cluster 1 was characterized by the survey sites of autumn mostly and consisted of points of high TDI, although the nutrients such as total phosphorus and total nitrogen were low, and the species number and abundance of diatoms were low. Conversely, cluster 4 was characterized by the survey sites of spring mostly and consisted of points of low TDI, even though total nitrogen was high. Considering that most of the created wetlands had the reduced inflow and outflow, the increased flow rate in the summer lowers nutrient values in autumn, and the species number and abundance of benthic diatom decreases due to the increase of turbidity, which reduces the light penetrations to the substrates. On the contrary, the TDI value is low in spring because the low water level causes insufficient substrate surface to the benthic diatoms, and it is too early for the establishment and development of saprophilous species. Although various studies have used TDI as an indicator for evaluating the habitat environment and water quality, it is not a good evaluation indicator in this study since the nutrient concentration in the wetlands mostly high as they have a low flow rate and are close to the stagnant area. Nevertheless, additional periodic surveys that comprehensively reflect the fact that the summer rainfall and inflow/outflow regulating function might affect the species diversity and distribution of benthic diatoms are necessary.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.879-885
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• 2009

The present study was carried out to develop biological criteria for water quality assessment using benthic diatoms. Selecting of the indicator diatoms, three parameters were considered: broad distribution (180 taxa occurred over 3% at upper level), species abundance (158 taxa occurred over $1.5{\times}10^5cells/cm^2$), and sensitivity (184 taxa occurred more than once as 1st and 2nd dominant species). Overall, total 208 taxa were selected, including 38 varieties, 170 species, 34 genera, 9 families, 3 orders, and 1 phylum. The most dominant taxonomic group (family) was Naviculaceae (52%), followed by Diatomaceae (15%), Nitzschiaceae (12%) and Achnantaceae (11%). COD and TP were proposed as new water quality standards (draft) to improve the existing BOD standard and to manage and control efficiently non-biodegradable organic pollutants. With this regard, we used TP standard (draft) in developing biological water quality criteria for diatoms. TP standards (draft) proposed as Ia = 0.02 mg/L or less, Ib = 0.05 mg/L or less, II = 0.1 mg/L or less, III = 0.2 mg/L or less, IV = 0.4 mg/L or less, V = 0.6 mg/L or less and VI = above 0.6 mg/L. Biological assessment system (4 class system) was developed and proposed for diatom using modified Tropic Diatom Index (TDI). Biological assessment of TDI appear B grade (Good).

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.95-106
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• 2009

The Shihwa constructed wetland was established for the treatment of severely poluted water from Banwoul, Donghwa and Samhwa streams. This study was focused on investigating the structure of epiphytic diatom communities on reed (Phragmites communis) planting area at Banwoul high wetland (3 stations) and low wetland (3 stations) from March to October 2005. The concentration of T-N of inlet stations from the streams were decreased by flowed through the wetland, but the concentration of T-P were increased at outflow part. Epiphytic diatoms on the reed were a total 109 taxa which were composed of 103 species, 5 varieties, 1 unidentified species. The standing crops were rapidly decreasing tendency from spring to autumn but chlorophyll-a concentration were showed a very irregulated changes. Dominant species were 6 taxa which were Achnanthes minutissima in the early investigation, and were changed to the genus Navicula and the genus Nitzschia in the summer. DAIpo were ranged the values of $20.2{\sim}51$, which were mesosaprobic states at the high wetland and ranged the values of $12.4{\sim}52$, which were polysaprobic to mesosaprobic states at the low wetland. TDI were ranged the values of $28.8{\sim}94.5$, which were oligotrophic to eutrophic state at the high wetland and ranged the values of $33.3{\sim}89.7$ which were mesotrophic to eutrophic states at the low wetland. The healthy assessment (DAIpo and TDI) of water ecosystem were showed clean-bad from spring to autumn. These epiphytic diatom communities were determinated by the biological factor such as the growth of reed and the physical factors such as water temperature, light penetration and SS and so on.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.204-216
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• 2019

To evaluate the biological integrity of aquatic ecosystems, we developed Korean multimetric diatom index (KMDI) using metrics that many researchers have been previously described, and compared to single-metric diatom index such as trophic diatom index (TDI) and diatom assemblage index to organic pollution (DAIpo). For the biological and environmental data, we investigated the epilithic diatoms, water quality and the land-use for 923 sites in Korean streams between 2013-2017, and estuaries between 2010-2017, respectively. Five appropriate metrics were selected according to the following steps; 1) extraction of 300 potential metrics (biological, chemical, physical, and geographical) based on previous references, of these, 2) 46 samples having high separation power were selected, 3) the selected metrics were each tested for variability, redundancy, and sensitivity to the environments, finally 4) construction of multi-metric diatom index comprising single type metrics such as TDI, DAIpo, % motile diatoms, % Achnanthes / (Achnanthes+Navicula), and % number of Gomphonema species. The biological integrity of the 233 sites from the Geum River basin were independently investigated using KMDI. Collectively, the new KMDI showed high sensitivity and explanatory power for environmental factors such as land-use, biochemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen, and electric conductivity. However, it had slightly higher biological integrity for the same sites as compared to single type diatom metrics. Finally, more data accumulation from all over Korea and the development of acceptable diatom metrics were required.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.52 no.spc2
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• pp.777-789
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to evaluate changes in water quality and aquatic ecosystem health by additional dam release of stream maintenance flow from multipurpose dams in Han river basin ($34,148km^2$) using SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool). The period of additional release was spring (April to June) and autumn (August to October) to evaluate the changes with the data of aquatic ecosystem health survey. The amount of additional release was set proportional to the present dam release, and the maximum release amount was controlled not to exceed the officially notified stream maintenance flow from dam. The 10 percent to 50 percent additional releases showed that the stream water quality (T-N, $NH_4$, T-P, and $PO_4-P$) concentrations except $NO_3-N$ decreased in spring while increased in autumn period. Using the stream water quality results and applying with Random Forest algorithm, the grade of aquatic ecosystem health index (FAI, TDI, and BMI) was improved for both periods especially in the downstream of basin. This study showed that the additional release of stream maintenance flow was more effective in spring than autumn period for the improvement of water quality and aquatic ecosystem.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.110-122
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• 2012

This study examined the benthic diatom community distribution, land cover/use and water quality in relation to stream shape complexity (SSC) in the Seom River watershed. SSC showed a significant relation to the riparian land cover/use pattern and also water quality variables of the studied streams. Streams with high stream shape complexity (HSC) appeared to have a high proportion of forest and farmland, while streams having a low stream shape complexity (LSC) appeared to have high proportion of city. Streams with lower SSC showed higher nutrients concentration in the stream waters. Benthic diatom species composition and dominant species appeared to be similar regardless of SSC differences among the studied streams, while the variation of diatom density was manifested with SSC. The relative abundance of dominant benthic diatoms varied with SSC. Saprophilic diatoms were dominant in the streams of LSC, while saproxenic diatoms were dominant in the streams of HSC. During the evaluation of biological water quality using the benthic diatom indices, Trophic Diatom Index (TDI) and Diatom Assemblage Index to organic water pollution (DAIpo), the streams of LSC generally showed poorer water quality than those of MSC (Middle stream shape complexity) and HSC. In particular, BOD, TP, and $PO_4$-P showed significant relationships with DAIpo. In conclusion, shape complexity of streams in the Seom River watershed showed a close relation with benthic diatom distribution. This relation seemed to primarily be resulted from the effect of proximate factors, such as water quality, which might be affected by the land use types determining the degree of SSC.