• Mycobiology
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.343-353
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• 2023

Lichens play crucial roles in the ecosystems, contributing to soil formation and nutrient cycling, and being used in biomonitoring efforts to assess the sustainability of ecosystems including air quality. Previous studies on heavy metal accumulation in lichens have mostly relied on manipulated environments, such as transplanted lichens, leaving us with a dearth of research on how lichens physiologically respond to heavy metal exposure in their natural habitats. To fill this knowledge gap, we investigated lichens from two of South Korea's geographically distant regions, Gangwon Province and Jeju Island, and examined whether difference in ambient heavy metal concentrations could be detected through physiological variables, including chlorophyll damage, lipid oxidation, and protein content. The physiological variables of lichens in response to heavy metals differed according to the collection area: Arsenic exerted a significant impact on chlorophyll degradation and protein content. The degree of fatty acid oxidation in lichens was associated with increased Cu concentrations. Our research highlights the value of lichens as a bioindicator, as we found that even small variations in ambient heavy metal concentrations can be detected in natural lichens. Furthermore, our study sheds light on which physiology variables that can be used as indicators of specific heavy metals, underscoring the potential of lichens for future ecology studies.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.82 no.4
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• pp.347-353
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• 1993

Accumulation of air pollutants such as $SO_2$ and HF, chlorophyll contents, wax concentrations in needle tissue and needle growth of Pinus thunbergii were studied to verify possibilities of bioindicators of air pollution in Yochon Industrial Complex from July to October, 1991. The concentrations of water-soluble sulfur and fluorine increased nearer to the pollution sources regardless of sampling time, but water-soluble sulfur varied little during investigation and fluorine accumulated more with the passage of time. Total chlorophyll contents decreased a little in the slightly polluted site but sharply in the heavily polluted site. The higher the pollution level was, the more decreased chloroform-extractable wax. Air pollution exposure inhibited needle growth of Pinus tbunbergii during the latter part of growth period. Water soluble sulfur, fluorine and wax concentrations in needle of Pinus thunbergii were rather wood sensitive indicators of susceptibility to ambient air pollution from early July to early October. Chlorophyll contents seemed to be able to be used as a bioindicator of air pollution in early stage of needle development and in the severely polluted area. In the meanwhile needle length must be used as a bioindicator in latter part of growing season.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.264-270
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• 2003

A quantitative survey of the protozoa microfauna at bioreactor of advanced sewage treatment plant was carried out during a period of 11 months. In this study, 32 genera were identified, including 17 ciliates. The abundance of the important protozoa were compared with the operating parameters and water quality of the effluent of the plant using statistical procedure. Statistical analysis revealed a relationship between the abundance of some genera and removal rate. In particular, correlation analysis on the quality of effluent and protozoa indicated that Lepadella may be used as the bioindicator of TP removal and Trochilia, Entosiphon, Colepus may be used as the bioindicator of TN removal when water temperature was below $20^{\circ}C$.

• Mycobiology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.162-170
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• 2016

In this paper, we demonstrate the ability of Arabidopsis thaliana to detect different mixtures of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by the common indoor fungus, Aspergillus versicolor, and demonstrate the potential usage of the plant as a bioindicator to monitor fungal VOCs in indoor air. We evaluated the volatile production of Aspergillus versicolor strains SRRC 108 (NRRL 3449) and SRRC 2559 (ATCC 32662) grown on nutrient rich fungal medium, and grown under conditions to mimic the substrate encountered in the built environment where fungi would typically grow indoors (moist wallboard and ceiling tiles). Using headspace solid phase microextraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we analyzed VOC profiles of the two strains. The most abundant compound produced by both strains on all three media was 1-octen-3-ol. Strain SRRC 2559 made several terpenes not detected from strain SRRC 108. Using a split-plate bioassay, we grew Arabidopsis thaliana in a shared atmosphere with VOCs from the two strains of Aspergillus versicolor grown on yeast extract sucrose medium. The VOCs emitted by SRRC 2559 had an adverse impact on seed germination and plant growth. Chemical standards of individual VOCs from the Aspergillus versicolor mixture (2-methyl-1-butanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 1-octen-3-ol, limonene, and ${\beta}-farnesene$), and ${\beta}-caryophyllene$ were tested one by one in seed germination and vegetative plant growth assays. The most inhibitory compound to both seed germination and plant growth was 1-octen-3-ol. Our data suggest that Arabidopsis is a useful model for monitoring indoor air quality as it is sensitive to naturally emitted fungal volatile mixtures as well as to chemical standards of individual compounds, and it exhibits relatively quick concentration- and duration-dependent responses.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.768-783
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• 2006

Biological stream environment assessment has been an essential trend of aquatic ecosystems among advanced countries, because the chemical water quality assessment has limitations that only represent temporal water environmental status. Benthic macroinvertebrates are the most popular bioindicator group useful to biological water quality assessment for a long time. In addition, a number of indices using benthic macroinvertebrates have recently been developed not only for water quality assessment but also for ecological health assessment. In this paper Korean Saprobic Index (KSI) based on Zelinka-Marvan's saprobic valency concept is developed by applying DIN 38410 in Germany. The KSI value was widely applicable to most Korean streams with the exception of sand-based large streams, for example main stream of Nakdong River. But as a result of non-linear regression analysis the correlation between KSI and $BOD_5$ concentration was high and KSI reflected water quality alteration for mid and long-term period. In spite of applicability of KSI, it should be supplemented and developed to make it strong by accumulating field data as well as to manage integrated water environment in general through continuous biomonitoring.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.79-83
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• 2005

We investigated the species richness of macrolepidoptera (including pyralid moths) in the evergreen broad-leaved forests of southwestern coast of Korea. The studied site was Mt. Duryunsan and its neighboring area, Haenam-gun, Jollanam-do and moths were identified and analyzed after collecting them with UV light traps from 2001 to 2004. A total number of species comprised 18 families and 489 species. We expected that the number of species would be increased when the species of microlepidoptera and butterflies were included. The family Noctuidae with 181 species was dominant in the area followed by Geometridae with 129 species and Pyralidae with 72 species. Based on number of collected individuals, Geometridae was the highest and followed by Noctuidae, Pyralidae and Drepanidae. Fifty-one percent of the total species consisted of less than two specimens in the collected sample. Monthly changes of numbers of species and individuals were examined and indices of Simpson's heterogeneity and evenness were also drawn. We briefly discussed the possibility of moth species or group of species as bioindicator for assessing the condition of forest after disturbance.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2002.09a
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• pp.129-133
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• 2002

본 고에서는 지하 대수층 생태계 및 그에 대한 외국의 연구사례를 개괄하여 소개하고, 지속가능한 지하수 개발에 있어서 대수층 생물이 갖는 의미에 대하여 고찰하였다. 아울러 국내에서 발견된 대수층 생물을 소개하고 향후 연구방향을 설정하였다. 지하 대수층은 다양한 생물로 구성된 독특한 생태계를 가지고 있다. 생물학적 평형상태를 유지하는 경우 이 생태계는 대수층이 장기간 양호한 수질을 유지할 수 있는 기능을 가진다. Parabathynellidae, Parastenocaris 및 선충류의 발견을 통해서 고령군 다산면 대수층이 지하수 생태계 연구를 위한 적합한 대상임이 확인되었다. 향후 연구방향으로서 1) 지하수 동물상 조사, 2) 생태계 구성원에 대한 Autecology 및 Synecology적 접근, 3) Bioremediation 및 Bioindicator 관련 연구 등이 제시되었다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.44.1-44.1
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• 2008

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2019

During a recent study to understand an interaction of Collembola community and their environmental factors, two species in the genus Folsomia, F. quadrioculata Tullberg 1871 and F. octoculata Handschin 1925, were found in the forest of South Korea. From 2013 to 2015, these two species were sampled from six mountains and F. quadrioculata or F. octoculata was the dominant species in 5 sampling sites among 6 sampling sites. F. quadriocualta and F. octoculata were found in litter of deciduous and pine forest, respectively. Therefore, the major tree species seems to be one of the important factors determining their habitat. F. quadiroculata is newly recorded from the Korean Peninsula and F. octoculata is redescribed based on new materials from South Korea.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 2024

Chironomus is a large genus of Diptera comprising about 400 species and occurs worldwide except for Antarctica. The strong morphological cross-taxon similarity of chironomid larvae renders identification at the species level difficult. Here, we analyzed the morphology of larvae of Chironomus flaviplumus, an easily cultured species employed as a bioindicator in polluted environments, to determine identifying morphological characteristics at the first through fourth instar. Observed differences appearing at each instar include the presence or absence of setae on the body and tubules on the 10^th and 11^th body segment, the number of seta interna in the mandible, and the presence or absence of ring organs in the antennae. Some specific morphological characteristics did not change after hatching. Our findings provide a reliable method for identifying C. flaviplumus larvae.