• Mass Spectrometry Letters
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.192-199
• /
• 2021

Alpine glaciers harbor a large quantity of bio-labile dissolved organic matter (DOM), which plays a pivotal role in global carbon cycling as glacial-fed streams are headwaters of numerous large rivers. To understand the complexity, origin, and fate of DOM in glaciers and downstream-linked streams and lakes, we elucidated the molecular composition of DOM in two different Tibetan Plateau glaciers, eight glacial-fed streams and five lakes, using an ultrahigh-resolution 15 Tesla Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometer. The compositional changes of the DOM samples revealed that glacier DOM mostly exhibited sulfur-containing organic compounds (CHOS species). We also found that aliphatic formulae contributed more than 50% of the total abundance of assigned molecules in glacier samples, and those compounds were significantly related to CHOS species. The CHO proportions of glacial-fed streams and lakes samples increased with increasing distance from glacial terminals. The relative contribution of terrestrial-derived organics (i.e., lignins and tannins) declined while microbial-originated organics (aliphatics) increased with increasing elevation. This suggested the gradual input of allochthonous materials from non-glacial environment and the degradation of microbe-derived compounds along lower elevations. Alpine glaciers are retreating as a result of climate change and they nourished numerous streams, rivers, and downstream-linked lakes. Therefore, the interpretations of the detailed molecular changes in glacier ice, glacial-fed streams, and alpine lakes on the Tibetan Plateau could provide broad insights for understanding the biogeochemical cycling of glacial DOM and assessing how the nature of DOM impacts fluvial ecosystems.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.73-87
• /
• 2011

An abnormal mono-specific bloom of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa had developed at a specific location (transitional zone, monitoring station of Hoenam) in Daecheong Reservoir from middle of July to early August, 2001. The maximum cell counts during the peak bloom reached 1,477,500 cells/mL, which was more than 6~10 times greater than those at other monitoring sites. The hypothesis of this study is that the timing and location of the algal bloom was highly correlated with the local environmental niche that was controled by physical processes such as hydrodynamic mixing and pollutant transport in the reservoir. A three-dimensional, coupled hydrodynamic and ecological model, ELCOM-CAEDYM, was applied to the period of development and subsequent decline of the bloom. The model was calibrated against observed water temperature profiles and water quality variables for different locations, and applied to reproduce the algal bloom event and justify the limiting factor that controled the Microcystis bloom at R3. The simulation results supported the hypothesis that the phosphorus loading induced from a contaminated tributary during several runoff events are closely related to the rapid growth of Microcystis during the period of bloom. Also the physical environments of the reservoir such as a strong thermal stratification and weak wind velocity conditions provided competitive advantage to Microcystis given its light adaptation capability. The results show how the ELCOM-CAEDYM captures the complex interactions between the hydrodynamic and biogeochemical processes, and the local environmental niche that is preferable for cyanobacterial species growth.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.36 no.6
• /
• pp.611-620
• /
• 2020

Although process-based models have been a preferred approach for modeling freshwater aquatic systems over extended time intervals, the increasing utility of data-driven models in a big data environment has made the data-driven models increasingly popular in recent decades. In this study, international peer-reviewed journals for the relevant fields were searched in the Web of Science Core Collection, and an extensive literature review, which included total 2,984 articles published during the last two decades (2000-2020), was performed. The review results indicated that the rate of increase in the number of published studies using data-driven models exceeded those using process-based models since 2010. The increase in the use of data-driven models was partly attributable to the increasing availability of data from new data sources, e.g., remotely sensed hyperspectral or multispectral data. Consistently throughout the past two decades, South Korea has been one of the top ten countries in which the greatest number of studies using the data-driven models were published. Among the major data-driven approaches, i.e., artificial neural network, decision tree, and Bayesian model, were illustrated with case studies. Based on the review, this study aimed to inform the current state of knowledge regarding the biogeochemical water quality and ecological models using data-driven approaches, and provide the remaining challenges and future prospects.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.201-219
• /
• 2021

Recently, in order to understand the role of the ocean in global problems such as climate change, various researchers have made efforts to integrate and systematically manage the data collected from the world's oceans over the past half century. In Korea, public institutions, research institutes, and universities are carrying out efforts to continuously monitor changes in the marine environment in the waters surrounding Korea. The various types of marine chemical data produced in this way have been independently managed according to the purpose of each institution. Recently, efforts are being made to integrate various data led by the state. In this study, the data quality management method used to systematically manage the data of various types produced by various institutions abroad was explained. In this study, by applying this method, the format of data produced by various domestic institutions is unified, primary quality control of data according to oceanographic characteristics, secondary quality control using reliable data and comparison or standard materials, etc. It aims to provide basic information for carrying out these processes, and ultimately contribute to integrating data collected for various purposes in Korea into a data set that can be compared with each other regardless of the proficiency of producers.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.27 no.spc
• /
• pp.92-98
• /
• 2022

Although various methods have been proposed to assess groundwater vulnerability, most of the models merely consider the mobility of contaminants (i.e., intrinsic vulnerability), and the attenuation capacity of vadose zone is often neglected. This study proposed an evaluation model for the attenuation capacity of vadose zone to supplement the limitations of the existing index method models for assessing groundwater vulnerability. The evaluation equation for quantifying the attenuation capacity was developed from the combined linear regression and weighted scaling methods based on the lab-scale experiments using various vadose zone soils having different physical and biogeochemical properties. The proposed semi-quantifying model is expected to effectively assess the attenuation capacity of vadose zone by identifying the main influencing factors as input parameters together with proper weights derived from the coefficients of the regression results. The subsequent scoring and grading system has great versatility while securing the objectivity by effectively incorporating the experimental results.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.399-410
• /
• 2020

The United Nations project the world population to reach 10 billion by the year 2057. To increase the food of the ever-increasing world population, agrochemicals are indispensable tools to the boon in agriculture production. These agrochemicals are a serious threat to the health of humans, plants, and animals. Agrochemicals are ultimately reached to the main reservoir/sink such as soil and contaminating the groundwater, disturb the soil health and in turn a serious threat to biogeochemical cycling and the entire biosphere. Among agrochemicals, quinalphosis one of the most repeatedly and widely used insecticides in the control of a wide range of pests that attack various crops. Quinalphos is shown to be primarily toxic in organisms by acetylcholinesterase enzyme action. Hydrolysis of quinalphos produces amajor metabolite 2-hydroxyquinoxaline (2-HQ), which has shown secondary toxicity in organisms. 2-HQ is reported to be mutagenic, carcinogenic, growth inhibition and induce oxidative stress in organisms. Quinoline is a heterocyclic compound and structural resemblance of 2-HQ with minor changes, but its degradation studies are enormous compared to the 2-HQ compound. Biotic factors in fate and behavior of 2-HQ in the environment are least studied. 2-HQ interactions with soil enzymes are vary from soil to soil. Based on the toxicity of 2-HQ in our stockpile we need to isolate a handful of microorganisms to treat this persistent metabolite and also other metabolites/compounds.This brief review will be significant from the point of biological and environmental safety.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.65-72
• /
• 2021

In order to evaluate the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM), as indicators of organic matter in the coastal environments, we measured the concentrations of DOC, FDOM, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in saline groundwater (Woljeong, Pyoseon, and Hwasun beaches) and coastal seawater (Haengwon, Gwideok, Pyoseon, and Yeongnak) in Jeju, Korea. The highest concentrations of DOC and COD in groundwater were found in Woljeong and Pyoseon, and those in coastal water were observed in Haengwon and Pyoseon, indicating that the higher concentrations of DOC and COD seem to be associated with saline groundwater-driven dissolved organic matter (DOM) and/or biogeochemical processes. According to origin and optical properties of DOM using FDOM as a tracer, proportion of humic-like FDOM, more refractory DOM, was relatively greater in the groundwater than in the coastal water. With regard to this result, there was no relationship between DOC and COD in groundwater, while DOC showed a good positive correlation (r² = 0.66) with COD in coastal water. This result indicates that COD as an indicator of assessment of DOM has a limitation in which it is difficult to quantify refractory DOM. Although DOC is a potential alternative to COD in the coastal environments, particulate organic carbon cannot be negligible due to relatively higher concentration compared to the open ocean. Therefore, the use of total organic carbon (TOC) as a replacement of COD in the coastal ocean is important, and the evaluation criterion of the TOC is necessary in order to evaluate of organic matter indicator in the various coastal environments.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.46 no.3
• /
• pp.218-242
• /
• 2022

Background: Promising specific growth regulators are employed in the tissue cultures of various bamboo species. Specific natural hardening mixtures support the acclimatization and adaptation of bamboo under protected cultivation. Results: The growth regulators like 2, 4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D), Naphthaleneacetic Acid (NAA), Thidiazuron (TDZ), 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP), Kinetin, Gelrite, Benzyl Adenine (BA), Indole Butyric Acid (IBA), Coumarin, Putrescine, Gibberellic acid (GA₃), Indole Acetic Acid (IAA) has been widely used for callus induction, root regeneration and imposing plant regeneration in various species of bamboo such as Bambusa spp. and Dendrocalamus spp. Different combinations of growth regulators and phytohormones have been used for regenerating some of the major bamboo species. Natural hardening materials such as cocopeat, vermicompost, perlite, cow dung, farmyard manure, compost, soil, garden soil, and humus soil have been recommended for the acclimatization and adaptation of bamboo species. Standard combinations of growth regulators and hardening mixtures have imposed tissue culture, acclimatization, and adaptation in major bamboo species. Conclusions: Bamboo contributes to soil fertility improvement and stabilization of the environment. Bamboo species are also involved in managing the biogeochemical cycle and have immense potential for carbon sequestration and human use. This paper aims to review the various growth regulators, natural mixtures, and defined media involved in regenerating major bamboo species through in vitro propagation. In addition, the ecological benefits of safeguarding the environment are also briefly discussed.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.56 no.4
• /
• pp.462-472
• /
• 2023

We investigated the physio-chemical and geochemical parameters in the spraying shellfish aquacultures (Yeoja and Gangjin Bay) to establish the systematic strategy for effective environmental management. Spatial variation of each parameter showed partially significant difference (P<0.05) between Yeoja and Ganjin Bay, inferring the discriminative progress (i.e., accumulation and degradation) of the autochthonous organic matter within the aquaculture environments. We additionally integrated various properties (e.g., water/sediment quality, natural hazard, and biological health) which may affect the biological growth within the aquaculture habitats based on the biogeochemical cycles related to environmental components and aquaculture species. We used a screening approach (i.e., one out-all out; OOAO) which can permit the assessment of the health levels of aquaculture species, the scoring for other parameters (seawater, sediment, and natural hazard) as three levels (excellent, moderate and poor) depending on the complex interactive properties occurring in the aquaculture environments. Actual, discriminative scores obtained via our case studies may confirm that these stepwise processes are effectively evaluated for optimal health conditions within the aquaculture habitats. Thus, this approach may provide valuable insights for effective environmental management and sustainable growth of aquaculture operation.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.86-94
• /
• 2023

Climate change is more rapid in the Arctic than elsewhere in the world, and increased precipitation and warming are expected cause changes in biogeochemical processes due to altered microbial communities and activities. It is crucial to investigate microbial responses to climate change to understand changes in carbon and nitrogen dynamics. We investigated the effects of increased temperature and precipitation on microbial biomass and community structure in dry tundra using two depths of soil samples (organic and mineral layers) under four treatments (control, warming, increased precipitation, and warming with increased precipitation) during the growing season (June-September) in Cambridge Bay, Canada (69°N, 105°W). A phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis method was applied to detect active microorganisms and distinguish major functional groups (e.g., fungi and bacteria) with different roles in organic matter decomposition. The soil layers featured different biomass and community structure; ratios of fungal/bacterial and gram-positive/-negative bacteria were higher in the mineral layer, possibly connected to low substrate quality. Increased temperature and precipitation had no effect in either layer, possibly due to the relatively short treatment period (seven years) or the ecosystem type. Mostly, sampling times did not affect PLFAs in the organic layer, but June mineral soil samples showed higher contents of total PLFAs and PLFA biomarkers for bacteria and fungi than those in other months. Despite the lack of response found in this investigation, long-term monitoring of these communities should be maintained because of the slow response times of vegetation and other parameters in high-Arctic ecosystems.