• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.431-438
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• 2021

To prepare more stringent regulations for USCG Phase II ballast water management, this study investigated the staining efficiency of SYBR Green I(SGI) and SYBR Gold(SG) on the virus-like particle (VLP). A dye with high staining efficiency was applied to the treated water that was passed through the ballast water treatment system (BWTS). VLP staining was observed most clearly under the 100-fold and 200-fold dilution of the stock solution when the volume of filtered samples was 0.5 mL to 2 mL. The staining efficiency of SGI and SG did not show a significant difference. On the other hand, the green fluorescence of viruses in the sample stained with SGI was more pronounced than in the samples stained with SG (expressed yellow fluorescence), making it easier to observe. The abundance of VLP in the test water and control water treatments that did not pass through the two types of BWTS (electrolysis type, UV + electrolysis type) was approximately 109 - 1010 VLP 100 mL-1. In contrast, no stained VLP was observed in the treated water treatments. Moreover, SGI was confirmed to be effectively stained under various salinity conditions, including seawater, brackish water, and freshwater. Further verification tests and development of staining methods under various BWTS are required, but the SGI staining method is believed to be a good alternative to the VLP live/dead determination of the USCG Phase II type approval test.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.515-529
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• 2020

Constructed wetlands undergo biological and physical changes such as an increase in the proportion of arid plants due to the natural succession process after formation. It can adversely affect not only the purification function but also the habitat of species. As such, this study aims to identify environmental factors affecting biodiversity and propose management plans based on the monitoring results of physical environmental changes and the emergence of species in seven constructed wetlands selected based on the water depth and surrounding conditions among the lands purchased by the Nakdong River basin. We examined the environmental conditions and emergence of the Odonata, which is a wetland-dependent species, to predict the trend of changes in biodiversity and abundance. The results showed that the open water area decreased as the emergent plants spread to the deep water in 2015 compared to 2012 when they were initially restored to a depth of 0.2 to 1 m. While a total of 54 dragonfly species were observed, the habitat diversity, such as vegetation, water surface, and grassland, remained similar to the initial formation of the wetlands despite the expansion of the emergent plants. On the other hand, the number of Agrionidae species, which prefer areas with fewer aquatic plants, decreased between 2012 and 2015 due to the diminished water surface. The p-values of the differences in the number of species and population between wetlands by year were 2.568e-09 and 1.162e-08, respectively, indicating the statistically significant differences. The decrease in open water surface was found to have the greatest effect on the biodiversity and habitat density of dragonflies. The time-series survey of constructed wetlands confirmed that the spread of Phragmites communis, P. japonica, Typha orientalis, etc., caused a decrease in species diversity. It suggests that environmental management to maintain the open water surface area is necessary.

• Journal of Apiculture
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.139-146
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• 2017

Floral scent emitted from many plants is the critical factors for pollinator attraction and defense for adaptation in environments. The fragrance components of flowers are different in composition by geographical origins, climate factors and the development stages of flowers. In the present study, we investigated the volatile-floral compounds in flowers of Robinia pseudoacacia L. and defined the chemical contribution for flowering periods. The volatile compounds analysis was performed by gas chromatography with mass selective detector after solid phase microextraction (SPME). We reported different compositional features of fragrance compounds according to flowering periods. The abundant compounds identified in stage 1 were ${\alpha}$-pinene (66.80%) and ${\beta}$-pinene (26.53%). Those of the stage 2 were (Z)-${\beta}$-ocimene (37.57%), ${\alpha}$-pinene (15.16%), benzaldehyde (16.63%), linalool (12.13%). The volatiles of stage 3 comprised an abundance of (Z)-${\beta}$-ocimene (64.94%), ${\alpha}$-pinene (9.84%), linalool (8.92%), benzaldehyde (1.71%). Leaf volatiles were distinct from those in the reproductive plant parts by their high relative amount of (E)-${\beta}$-ocimene (23.50%) and (Z)-3-Hexenyl acetate (27.87%). Differences in flower scents of the different stages and leaves are discussed in light of biochemical constraints on volatile chemical synthesis and of the role of flower scent in evolutionary ecology of R. pseudoacacia.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.57-67
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• 2017

We conducted this study to investigate vegetation structure and soil conditions of six Viburnum erosum Thunb.(V. erosum) populations which showed high dominance. A total of 68 woody plants were observed to distribute: 13 in tree layer; 38 in subtree layer; and 48 in shrub layer. Based on the Mean Importance Value(MIV), the dominant tree species in the V. erosum populations were as follows in order of: Acer pseudosieboldianum(Pax) Kom., Callicarpa japonica Thunb., Indigofera kirilowii Maxim. ex Palib., Lindera obtusiloba Blume, Prunus sargentii Rehder, Quercus variabilis Blume, Rhododendron mucronulatum Turcz. and Vaccinium oldhamii Miq. In paticular, the species observed in all of the study sites were Quercus serrata Murray and Styrax japonicus Siebold & Zucc. It was found that the presence of V. erosum was positively correlated with that of Albizia julibrissin Durazz. and Symplocos chinensis f. pilosa (Nakai) Ohwi, while negatively correlated with that of Platycarya strobilacea Siebold & Zucc. According to the result, means of species diversity(H'), maxim species diversity(H' max), evenness(J') and dominance(1-J') were measured at 0.887, 1.102, 0.803, and 0.196, respectively. The soil conditions properties of pH value, organic matter content, total nitrogen content, and the amount of available phosphorous indices in the study sites were 4.3, 10.6%, 0.34% and $0.68mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}$, respectively. Meanwhile, the total amount of exchangeable cations of $Ca^{2+}$, $K^+$, and $Mg^{2+}$ were $16.84cmol_c{\cdot}kg^{-1}$, $6.41cmol_c{\cdot}kg^{-1}$, and $4.26cmol_c{\cdot}kg^{-1}$, respectively. Overall, Viburnum erosum Thunb. populations tend to grow in the strongly acid soil, which has great abundance of soil organic matters, a lot of exchangeable cations, and has higher amount available phosphorous than that of nitrogen.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.195-206
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• 2021

In 2020, South Korea initiated research and development of a longitudinal connectivity evaluation between upstream and downstream based on stream ecosystem health. This study analyzed the migration of upstream and downstream migratory fish species, fish distribution characteristics, trophic guilds, tolerance guilds, and species composition changes from 2015 to 2020 at Songrim weir in Yeongok stream, where the cross-structure of an ice harbor-type fishway for fish movement was recently improved. A total of 5,136 fish, including 36 species, were collected and three major migratory fishes were identified, namely, Tribolodon hakonensis, Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis, and Oncorhynchus keta. According to the comparative analysis before (Pre-I) and after (Post-I) improvement of the fishway, the relative abundance of primary freshwater fish increased in the upstream section, while the number of migratory fishes decreased. The fish species that used the fishway in the Songrim weir were Tribolodon hakonensis (58.4%) and Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis(11.8%). According to the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test migratory fish showed a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) in the upstream and downstream, showing a biological improvement effect of the crossstructure. On the other hand, the annual change of migratory fish based on the MannKendall trend test did not significantly increase or decrease (p>0.05). Therefore, in the fish passage improvement project, it is necessary not only for physical, hydrological, and structural tests, but also for pre- and post-biological tests on the use and improvement effect of fishway.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.177-201
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• 2022

Following the adoption of the global plant conservation strategies at the Conference of the Parties for Biodiversity Conservation, diligent actions to achieve each targets are actively carried out. In particular, the need for ecological conservation research to achieve targets 2 and 7 of GSPC-2020 has increased. The priority taxa to accomplish the objectives of GSPC-2020 are rare and endemic plants. In particular, endemic plants with limited distribution in specific regions are evaluated to face a high risk of extinction. To address the necessity to preserve endemic plants, we investigated the distribution of Prunus choreiana H. T. Im, a Korean endemic plant. After that, we examined the vegetational environment of the habitat of P. choreiana and evaluated its population structure. The productivity of its fruits and the effects of pollinators on fruit production were evaluated as well. The fruiting ratio was calculated based on the number of flowers produced. Lastly, we observed the annual growth characteristics of P. choreiana. The habitats of P. choreiana did not show a specific type of vegetation. All of them were located in a limestone area of Gangwon-do in the central Korean Peninsula and occupied a site where the coverage of the tree layer and the sub-tree layer was not high or did not exist. The population structure of P. choreiana contained a high proportion of mature plants capable of producing fruits and a low proportion of seedlings and Juvenile plants. We found that the production of fruits required pollinators and was affected by the performance of each plant. Although P. choreiana produces many flowers, only a maximum of 20% and only 2-6% on average bear fruits. These flowering characteristics may be due to pollinators' low abundance and activity during the flowering season (between mid-March and early April), suggesting that many flowers are needed to attract more pollinators. We rarely observed the re-establishment of seedlings in the population of P. choreiana. Despite that, we predict the population to persist owing to its long lifespan and periodic production of numerous fruits. However, if the tree layer and sub-tree layer in competing status with P. choreiana increase their crown density, they are expected to inhibit the growth of P. choreiana and affect the risk of its extinction. Therefore, the current changes in the vegetational environment of the habitats are expected to decrease the number and extent of P. choreiana in the long term. The results of this study may serve as primary and important data necessary for the achievement of GSPC-2020 objectives.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.853-865
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• 2022

In this study, from August to October 2019, we conducted a survey of the spatial distribution and dominant species of macrobenthos on the rocky intertidal zones of 38 specified islands distributed along the southern coast of Korea. On the basis of observation made using 50 × 50 cm quadrats, we identified a total of 80 species, among which, Mollusca were the most abundant fauna, with 54 species that accounted for 67.4% of the total, followed by Crustacea with 15 species (18.7%). The recorded numbers of Cnidaria, Porifera, and Echinodermata species ranged from 1 to 6. In terms of the regional patterns of species richness, specified islands in Yeosu were found to be the most species rich, supporting 61 species, whereas islands in Hadong, Namhae, and Chujado were found to have a similar level of species richness, ranging from 42 to 46 species. Islands in Boseong and Goheung were home to the fewest species, with only 29 species being recorded. At the sampling station scale, we noted a considerable difference in faunal richness, ranging from 6 (St. 6) to 33 (St. 20) species. Among the recorded species, Echinolittorina radiata was identified as the dominant species on 15 specified islands, with the next most abundant species being Tetraclita japonica, considered an indicator species of climate change, which was recorded on 11 islands. In terms of frequency, E. radiata, found on 36 islands, was identified as the most frequently occurring species, followed by Reishia clavigera (30 islands), Mytilisepta virgata (29), Nerita japonica (28), Ligia. exotica (27), and Littorina brevicula (26). Of the 80 species identified, 9, 4, and 2 species of Mollusca, Crustacea, and Cnidaria, respectively, are classified as Marine fauna of accepted foreign export, whereas 50 are Red List species, 44 are species of Least Concern, 3 are Data Deficient species, and 1 species was not evaluated. However, during the survey, we found no Near Threatened or Not Applicable species. On the basis of the findings of this survey, it would appear that the abundance and richness of macrobenthic fauna inhabiting the rocky intertidal zones of specified islands along the southern coast of Korea differ according to different habitat conditions, particularly with respect to the duration of exposure and the extent and properties of the substrata. The findings of this study will provide baseline data for future monitoring and management of specified islands in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.346-362
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• 2021

A sediment control dam is an artificial structure built to prolong sedimentation in the main dam by reducing the inflow of suspended solids. These dams can affect changes in dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the water body by changing the river flow regime. The main DOM component for Yeongju Dam sediment control of the Naeseongcheon River was analyzed through 3D excitation-emission matrix (EEM) and parallel factor (PARAFAC) analyses. As a result, four humic-like components (C1~C3, C5), and three proteins, tryptophan-like components (C2, C6~C7) were detected. Among DOM components, humic-like components (autochthonous: C1, allochthonous: C2~C3) were found to be dominant during the sampling period. The total amount of DOM components and the composition ratio of each component did not show a difference for each depth according to the amount of available light (100%, 12%, and 1%). Throughout the study period, the allochthonous organic matter was continuously decomposing and converting into autochthonous organic matter; the DOM indices (fluorescence index, humification index, and freshness index) indicated the dominance of autochthonous organic matter in the river. Considering the relative abundance of cyanobacteria and that the number of bacteria cells and rotifers increased as autochthonous organic matter increased, it was suggested that the algal bloom and consequent activation of the microbial food web was affected by the composition of DOM in the water body. Research on DOM characteristics is important not only for water quality management but also for understanding the cycling of matter through microbial food web activity.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.55 no.12
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• pp.1041-1052
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• 2022

This study is to estimate the optimal ecological flow and analysis the spatial distribution of fish habitat for Andong dam downstream reach (4,565.7 km²) using PHABSIM (Physical Habiat Simulation System) and River2D. To establish habitat models, the cross-section informations and hydraulic input data were collected uisng the Nakdong river basic plan report. The establishment range of PHABSIM was set up about 410.0 m from Gudam streamflow gauging station (GD) and about 6.0 km including GD for River2D. To select representative fish species and construct HSI (Habitat Suitability Index), the fish survey was performed at Pungji bridge where showed well the physical characteristics of target stream located downstream of GD. As a result of the fish survey, Zacco platypus was showed highly relative abundance resulting in selecting as the representative fish species, and HSI was constructed using physical habitat characteristics of the Zacco platypus. The optimal range of HSI was 0.3~0.5 m/s at the velocity suitability index, 0.4~0.6 m at the depth suitability index, and the substrate was sand to fine gravel. As a result of estimating the optimal ecological flow by applying HSI to PHABSIM, the optimal ecological flow for target stream was 20.0 m³/sec. As a result of analysis two-dimensional spatial analysis of fish habitat using River2D, WUA (Weighted Usable Area) was estimated 107,392.0 m²/1000 m under the ecological flow condition and it showed the fish habitat was secured throughout the target stream compared with Q₃₅₅ condition.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.109-125
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• 2023

This study was conducted to select target fish species as baseline research for accumulation analysis of major hazardous chemicals entering the aquatic ecosystem in Korea and to analyze the impact on fish community. The test bed was selected from a sewage treatment plant, which could directly confirm the impact of the inflow of harmful chemicals, and the Geum River estuary where harmful chemicals introduced into the water system were concentrated. A multivariable metric model was developed to select target candidate fish species for hazardous chemical analysis. Details consisted of seven metrics: (1) commercially useful metric, (2) top-carnivorous species metric, (3) pollution fish indicator metric, (4) tolerance fish metric, (5) common abundant metric, (6) sampling availability (collectability) metric, and (7) widely distributed fish metric. Based on seven metric models for candidate fish species, eight species were selected as target candidates. The co-occurring dominant fish with target candidates was tolerant (50%), indicating that the highest abundance of tolerant species could be used as a water pollution indicator. A multi-metric fish-based model analysis for aquatic ecosystem health evaluation showed that the ecosystem health was diagnosed as "bad conditions". Physicochemical water quality variables also influenced fish feeding and tolerance guild in the testbed. Eight water quality parameters appeared high at the T1 site, indicating a large impact of discharging water from the sewage treatment plant. T2 site showed massive algal bloom, with chlorophyll concentration about 15 times higher compared to the reference site.