• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.441-451
• /
• 2009

The major objectives of this study were to evaluate trophic state of reservoirs using major water quality variables and its relations in terms of trophic guilds and tolerance guilds with dominant lentic fishes. For this study, we selected 6 artificial reservoirs such as Namyang Reservoir ($N_yR$), Youngsan Reservoir ($Y_sR$), Daechung Reservoir ($D_cR$), Chungju Reservoir ($Cj_R$), Chungpyung Reservoir ($C_pR$), and Paldang Reservoir ($P_dR$), and collected fish during 2000~2007 along with data analysis of water quality monitored by the ministry of environment, Korea. Biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD), indicators of organic matter pollution, varied depending on types of the reservoirs and the spatial patterns in terms of trophic gradients were similar to patterns of nutrients, Secchi depth and chlorophyll-a. Analysis of trophic state index (TSI) showed that reservoirs of $D_cR$ and $C_jR$ were mesotrophy and other 4 reservoirs were eutrophic state. The relations of trophic relations showedthat TSI (Chl-a) had a positive linear function [TSI (CHL)=0.407 TSI (TP)+28.2, n=138, p<0.05] with TSI (TP) but had a weak relation with TSI (TN). Also, TSI (TP) were negatively correlated ($R^2=0.703$, p<0.05) with TSI (SD), whereas TSI (TN) was not significant (p>0.05) relations with TSI (SD). Tolerance guilds of lentic fishes, based on three types of the reservoirs, reflected the exactly water quality in the TN, TP, BOD, and COD, and similar trends were shown in the fish feeding/trophic guilds.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.468-480
• /
• 2007

The urbanization is altering the hydrology, water quality, channel form of waterway and changing the composition of biological communities in the aquatic ecosystem. Recently, towns grew bigger by the drift of large numbers of people and the medium and small leather and dyeing industries around the Pocheon and Youngpyeong streams. The discharges of sewage were increased by them. The UII (urban intensity index) was 85 (st. P-3) and 91 (st. P-6) in the Pocheon stream and about 20 in the Youngpyeong stream. A total 141 taxa of epilithic diatoms which were composed of 2 order, 8 family, 30 genera. Dominant species were Navicula saprophila, N. subminuscula, Nitzschia palea, Gomphonema pseudoaugur in the Pocheon stream and Achnanthes alteragracillima, A. convergens, A. minutissima, N. minima, N. fonticola, N. frustulum and Cymbella minuta var. silesiaca in the Youngpyeong stream. It Showed the different composition of dominant species by the urbanization near two streams. In the relationships between UII and environmental factors such as EC, BOD, COD, TN, TP and DAIpo, UII showed the high relations $(r^2>0.8)$. It was the difference of organic pollution according to urbanization. It therefore, was higher the relative abundance and more the numbers of saprophilous taxa in the Pocheon stream than the Youngpyeong stream. The water quality of two streams by biological indicators(DAIpo) was polysaprobic state(st. P-3, P-4, P-5) in the Pocheon stream and was oligosaprobic (Y-1), mesosaprobic (Y-2, 3) and polysaprobic state (Y-4) in the Youngpyeong stream during the investigation periods.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.41 no.1
• /
• pp.9-15
• /
• 2022

BACKGROUND: Heavy metals discharged from various sources contaminate the soil and water and the residuals can persistently be accumulated. In this study, the concentration of soil heavy metals was assessed over the whole regions of Korea based on the contamination factor and the geoaccumulation index. METHODS AND RESULTS: The data of averaged concentrations of heavy metals and fluorine were collected from the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) and the research papers published. In order to classify the levels of heavy metal concentration, the contamination index, including the contamination factor and the geoaccumulation index, based on the relative ratio of the actual concentration of heavy metals in the soil to the background concentration was calculated. In addition, the distribution of heavy metals in soils was visualized by using the geographic information system (GIS). As a result, the Cd contamination in the soils was the most concerned. CONCLUSION(S): This study very roughly indicated the outline of heavy metal concentration over the whole regions of Korea. The change in heavy metals' concentration over the time should further be monitored and the larger data of heavy metal contamination are needed for better understanding in the future.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.187-201
• /
• 2019

This study examined the physicochemical water quality and evaluated the ecological health in 14 sites of Geum River (upstream, mid-stream, and downstream) using the fish community distribution and guilds and eight multi-variable matrices of FAI (Fish Assessment Index) during June 2008-May 2009. The analysis of the water quality variables showed no significant variation in the upstream and mid-stream but a sharp variation due to the accumulation of organic matter from the point where the treated water of Gap and Miho streams flew. The analysis of physicochemical water properties showed that BOD, COD, TN, TP, Cond, and Chl-a tended to increase while DO decreased to cause eutrophication and algae development from the downstream where Miho and Gap stream merged. The analysis of fish community showed that the species richness index and species diversity index increased in the mid-stream area but decreased in the downstream area, indicating the stable ecosystem in the upper stream and the relatively unstable ecosystem in the downstream. The analysis of the species distribution showed that the dominant species were Zacco platypus that accounted for 20.9% of all fish species and Zacco koreanus that accounted for 13.1%. The analysis of the fish tolerance and feeding guild characteristics showed that the sensitive species, the insectivore species, and the aquatic species were dominant in the mid-stream point. On the other hand, contaminants from the sewage water treatment plant of Miho stream had a profound effect in the downstream to show the dominance of tolerant species, omnivorous species, and lentic species. Therefore, it is necessary to improve water quality by reducing the load of urban pollutants and to pay attention to the conservation and restoration of aquatic ecosystems.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.52 no.4
• /
• pp.385-393
• /
• 2019

Chironomid communities are indicators of water pollution because of their ability to thrive under freshwater conditions. However, it is difficult to distinguish between chironomid larvae based on morphology. DNA barcoding, based on nucleotide sequences of marker genes, can be used to identify chironomid larvae. Samples of chironomid larvae were collected from Gwangju Stream and Pungyeongjeong Stream, tributaries of the Yeongsan River in South Korea. We identified 3 subfamilies, 13 genera, 16 species, and 1 cryptic species. There were 7 genera and 10 species from the subfamily Chironominae, 5 genera and 5 species from subfamily Orthocladiinae, 1 genus and 1 species from subfamily Tanipodinae, and the cryptic chironomid species of the family Chironomidae. There were 21 individuals from, 7 species and 1 cryptic species from the Gwangju Stream and 24 individuals, belonging to 10 species from the Pungyeongjeong Stream. The only species detected in both streams was Cricotopus bicinctus. The relationship between water quality and the species detected was difficult to explain, but the number of species showed a tendency to increase at sites where water quality was poor. Additional investigations and studies are needed to understand the relationship between water quality and the chironomid species occurring in these two streams.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.31 no.6
• /
• pp.693-699
• /
• 2015

It has been known that torrential rainfall events have been occurring worldwide due to climate change. The accelerated soil erosion has caused negative impacts on water quality and ecosystem of receiving waterbodies. Since soil security issues have been arising in various areas of the world, intensive interests have been given to topsoil management in Korea. Thus in this study, Web GIS-based computing system of physical, chemical, and biological topsoil quality indices were developed. In this study, five soil quality maps at national scale and top soil erosion potential were prepared for evaluation of soil quality based on soil erosion potential. For this system, the open source Web GIS engine, OpenGeo, was used as core engine of the system. With this system, decision makers or related personnel in areas of soil erosion Best Management Practices (BMPs) would be able to find the most appropriate soil erosion BMPs based on soil erosion potential and soil quality at the area of interest. The Web GIS system would be efficiently used in decision making processes because of ease-of-use interface and scientific data used in this system. This Web GIS system would be efficiently used because this system could provide scientific knowledge to decision makers or stakeholders. Currently various BMP database are being built to be used as a decision support system in topsoil management and topsoil quality areas.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
• /
• 2005.04a
• /
• pp.397-401
• /
• 2005

Acid mine drainage and waste of abandoned mine area have caused serious water pollution and destruction of an ecosystem because of exposing to environment without an appropriate treatment. Gwang-yang mine area also has a serious problem in the nearby residential area and waterway ecosystems. The objectives of this research are to develop the most suitable remediation system for acid mine drainage by using waste materials, and to diagnose stream environments impacted by acid mine drainage through the new ecological health assessment methodology, and thus ultimately providing a restoring methodology to mining regions. In the water system health assessment, the result of ESHI model, RBP and Karr suggested by US EPA is revised by ecological features of our country, come to ESHI score 13; 'Very poor' at some points. Together with pH value and heavy metal concentration, it's the aggravation of ecological health index caused by chemical disturbances. In the acid mine drainage treatment, we apply marine shells and slags to this system. Slags had the best removal ability for heavy metals, but pH value was more than 10 exceeding the standard for drain water. In case of marine shells, pH of treated water maintained 7 to 8, and concentrations of Fe and Zn decreased significantly after treatment.

• 한국해양학회지
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.31-41
• /
• 1978

The planktonic algal communities of the Han River with a particular emphasis on water pollution was studied over a twelve month of period. Results of observing many algal communities from 7 stations of the Han River have shown that these communities are generally composed of many species, most of which have relatively small populations with a few exceptional dominant species. The distribution of the total standing crop of phytoplankton in the studid area is characteristic, summer in the polluted zone. Diversity indices of all samples were computed and have shown that the H values of 7 stations are relatively low. However, a detailed examination of these H values reveals that the seasonal fluctuations of the species diversity remarkably coincide with those fo phytoplankton standing crop.No reduction in the species diversity at stations 4, 5, 6, and 7 where the water is heavily polluted indicates that a great number of species capable of invading stations, 4, 5, and 6 from the various tributaries, and the station 7 from the contaminated with sea water are probably more important in the functional changes of the communities than the size of sampling area. It is evident that the diversity index in a lotic environment does not indicate water quality as far as phytoplankton communities are concerned.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.409-422
• /
• 2018

The purpose of this study is to find the characteristics of organic matters based on the distribution and oxidation rates, as noted according to the spatial and temporal variations from 2008 to 2016. Generally speaking, the Han River system is separated into one lower course and two upper courses which are the Namhan River and Bukhan River. The seasonal factor is one of the most important causes of water quality changing in both of the upper courses as a result of a few pollution sources. The concentration of organic matter was measured as higher in the lower course into which great streams with point and non-point sources were identified. According to seasonal variations, however, the change of the organic matter in the lower course is comparatively slighter than that of organic matters in the upper courses. The oxidation rates related to the BOD were 15 %, 17 % and 26 % in the Bukhan River, Namhan River and the lower course, respectively. These results could be explained that more biodegradable organic matter were seen to have existed in the lower courses comparing to the activity in the upper course. The oxidation rates of the BOD were noted as relatively higher in the eutrophicated places with phytoplankton. Therefore the BOD is one of the good index models to find the characteristic of the eutrophicated water. On the other hand BOD would not be enough to estimate concentration of refractory organic matters in the Bukhan and Namhan river. Consequently, both of the TOC and BOD are necessary indices to understand the identified refractory and/or biodegradable characteristics of organic matter.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.21-28
• /
• 2022

Benthic animals are important indicators in benthic environmental quality assessment. This study investigated the environmental characteristics and the distribution pattern of benthic animals, and assessed the benthic ecosystem using AMBI (AZTI's marine biotic index) and WQI (water quality index) in the subtidal zone of Muan bay. Samplings were collected from 10 stations in the subtidal zone of Muan bay on summer. In the upper area of Muan bay, grain size was finer and organic content was higher than those of in the lower area. The pollution indicator organism such as Musculista senhousia, Theora fragilis and Lumbrineris longifolia were dominant at some stations. The benthic community was distinguished into three groups of upper, center and lower area of Muan bay, and which were coincided with the results by correlation analysis between organic matter content and benthic health assessment (WQI and AMBI). As a result of this study, the health condition of the subtidal zone in Muan bay were good. However, from the results that benthic animals were not evenly distributed, and also the opportunistic species appeared, the load of organic matter in Muan bay seems to be increasing.