• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.644-658
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• 2021

Understanding the functional traits of dominant species in urban ecosystems provides insight into species' trait adaptation and ecosystem function in response to fragmented and isolated urban vegetation and reduced biological interactions. This study compared means and variances of environmental factors (geographic, meteorological, and soil attributes) and 4 leaf traits (leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf dry mass content, and leaf shape index) and 7 reproductive traits (fruit width, fruit length, fruit shape, fruit dry weight, fruit dry matter content, seed weight, and seed ratio) measured of 40 Sorbus alnifolia individuals in four mountainous areas south of Seoul downtown, South Korea. We then performed the multivariate analysis of trait combinations. While the measured environmental factors indicated the individuality of the survey sites, the urban vegetation was drier and had a longer growth period. The leaves of S. alnifolia in the urban areas were smaller and heavier, and the fruits produced longer and lighter seeds, showing the traits affected by long urbanization. The study confirmed changes in the growth and reproduction mechanism of the S. alnifolia population under the urban environment, indicating reduced biological interaction due to vegetation fragmentation and isolation. This study provides limited but distinct ecological information about the function and persistence of key species in cities with a reduced scale of biological interactions and many negative environmental factors such as air pollution.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.393-402
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• 2023

Drought, which has been increasing in frequency and magnitude due to recent abnormal weather events, poses severe challenges in various sectors. To address this issue, it is important to develop technologies for drought monitoring, forecasting, and response in order to implement effective measures and safeguard the ecological health of aquatic systems during water scarcity caused by drought. This study aimed to predict water quality fluctuations during drought periods by integrating the watershed model HSPF and the water quality model QUAL-MEV. The researchers examined the SPI and RCP 4.5 scenarios, and analyzed water quality changes based on flow rates by simulating them using the HSPF and QUAL-MEV models. The study found a strong correlation between water flow and water quality during the low flow. However, the relationship between precipitation and water quality was deemed insignificant. Moreover, the flow rate and SPI6 exhibited different trends. It was observed that the relationship with the mid- to long-term drought index was not significant when predicting changes in water quality influenced by drought. Therefore, to accurately assess the impact of drought on water quality, it is necessary to employ a short-term drought index and develop an evaluation method that considers fluctuations in flow.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.613-630
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• 2009

This thesis, which involves honest life stories of members of the ìtraditionalî Korean generation that lived through the turbulent times of the first half of the twentieth century, assesses the meaning and import of Korean cuisine during an individual Korean's lifetime, as well as the relevant properties of the culinary culture of the traditional generation and how those properties continue to influence the present generation of Koreans. Thus, traditional Korean culinary culture was subdivided into the following four aspects, each of which were exemplified by representative examples. The first of these is slow-food dietary life, which is exemplified by fermented foods. The development of side dishes (panchan) based on fermentation - kimchi, different types of soy and bean paste, salted seafoods, dishes of dried radish or cucumber slices seasoned with soy sauce, and so on - made the quantitative and qualitative supplementation of food possible for traditional Koreans. The second of these aspects, referred to as friendly dietary life, is exemplified by self-sufficiently produced foods. The system of many species and small production suitable with the season made it possible to produce food from sustainable ecological systems and to maintain locally grown food-cultures, each of which was distinguished from others by a local specialty product. The third aspect of the traditional Korean culinary culture involves the same use of medicinal roots and plant materials for foodstuff, and this is exemplified by the use of foods to cure and prevent diseases. The notion, for example, that 'boiled rice is an invigorant' is characteristic of the notion that diet can function in a preventative medical context, and other similar Korean notions illustrate the importance, also, of the curative properties of food. The fourth and final aspect of traditional Korean culinary culture identified herein is creative dietary life, which can be viewed essentially as a Korean adaptation to the turbulence of life during the early $20^{th}$ century in Korea. This trend is exemplified by many Korean foods that were created in response to foreign influences, such as onions, cabbages, curry, etc. which found their place in overall Korean culture through the age of Japanese settlement, as well as the Korean war.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.56 no.11
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• pp.815-822
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• 2023

Organic pollution is one of the most common forms of water contamination. Under the Water Quality Conservation Act, indicators for measuring organic substances include BOD, COD, and TOC. Analysis of BOD and COD is labor-intensive, and in the case of organic substances where biological decomposition is not feasible or toxic substances are present, the accuracy is often low. Therefore, the Ministry of Environment is shifting towards TOC-centric management. With advancements in sensor technology today, various parameters can be monitored using sensors. In this study, digital monitoring of river TOC using a spectrophotometer called Spectro::lyser V3 was conducted. Initially, experiments were carried out at the Andong River Experiment Center to assess the applicability of the measurement equipment. Subsequently, data collected at the confluence of the Nakdong River was analyzed for the spatial distribution of TOC using the Kriging technique. This research proposes the utilization of sensors for river TOC monitoring and spatial distribution analysis. Real-time monitoring of changes in river TOC concentration can serve as fundamental data for pollution monitoring and response. Sensor-based river monitoring offers advantages in terms of temporal resolution and real-time data acquisition. When various spatial information interpretation methods are applied, it is expected to contribute to diverse studies such as aquatic ecological health, river water source selection, and stratification analysis in the future.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.113 no.2
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• pp.198-209
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• 2024

This study aimed to investigate the impact of light intensity, manipulated through different shading levels, on the growth and physiological responses of Thermopsis lupinoides. To assess the effects of shading treatments, we examined leaf mass per area, chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence response, and photosynthetic characteristics. T. lupinoidesexhibited adaptive responses under low light conditions (50% shading), showing increased leaf area and decreased leaf mass per area as shading levels increased. These changes indicate morpho-physiological adaptations to reduced light availability. At 50% shading, the physiological and ecological responses were favorable, with optimal photosynthetic functions including chlorophyll content, photosynthesis saturation point, photosynthetic rate, carbon fixation efficiency, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, and water use efficiency. However, at 95% shading, the essential light conditions for growth were not met, significantly impairing photosynthetic functions. Consequently, 50% shading was determined to be the most optimal condition for T. lupinoides growth. These findings provide valuable insights for effective ex-situconservation practices and site selection for T. lupinoides, serving as foundational data for habitat restoration efforts.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.273-284
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• 1994

The primary objective of this study was to examine the toxic effects of PCP on activated sludge and to analyze its metabolic responses while treating wastewater containing pentachlorophenol (PCP) in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) system operating under different control strategies. This study was conducted in two phases 1 and 2 (8-hr and 12-hr cycles). Each phase was operated with two control strategies I and II. Strategy I (reactor 1) involved rapid addition (5 minutes to complete) of substrate to the reactor with continuous mixing but no aeration for 2 hours. Strategy ll (reactor 2) involved adding the feed continuously during the first 2 hours of the cycle when the system was mixed but not aerated. During both phases each reactor was operated at a sludge age of 15 days. The synthetic wastewater was used as a feed. The COD of the feed solution was about 380 mg/l. After the reference response for both reactors was established, the steady state response of each system was established for PCP feed concentrations of 0.1 mg/l, 1.0 mg/l, and 5.0 mg/l in SBR systems operating on both 8-hr and 12-hr cycles. Soluble COD removal was not inhibited at any feed PCP concentrations used. At 5.0 mg/l fined PCP concentration and in SBR systems operating on phase 2, the concentrations of MLVSS were decreased; selective pressure on the mixed biomass might be increased, narrowing the range of possible ecological responses; the settleability of activated sludge was poor; the SOURS were increased, showing that the systems were shocked. Nitrification was made to some extent at all concentrations of feed PCP in SBR systems operating on phase 2 whereas in SBR systems operating on phase 1 little nitrification was observed. Then, nitrification will be delayed as much as soluble COD removal is retarded due to PCP inhibition effects. Enhanced biological phosphorus removal occurring in the system operating with control strategy I during phase 1 of this work and in the presence of low concentrations of PCP was unreliable and might cease at anytime, whereas enhanced biological phosphorus removal occurring in the system operating with either control strategy I or II during phase 2 of this work and in the Presence of feed PCP concentrations up to 1.0 mg/l was reliable. When, however, such processes were exposed to 5.0 mg/l PCP dose, enhanced phosphorus removal ceased and never returned.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.67-77
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• 1987

To obtain basic information concerning the soybean cultivar differences of physiological and ecological responses to soil pH to select and breed stably higher yielding cultivars, and to improve cultural management of soil differing in pH, the responses of soybean plants in growth, grain yield, nodule formation and its activity, and major chemical compositions of soybean plants were investigated using six cultivars and two levels of soil pH 5 and 7 of the pot and field experimental soil in Suwon, 1985. Acidic soil condition suppressed overall vegetative growth of soybean plants and thereby decreased stem length, number of nodes, leaf area, dry weight of the plants, root activity, nodulation and nodule activity, the content of allantoin nitrogen, total nitrogen, phosphorous, calcium, and magnesium of the plants. Due to the such responses of soybean plants to the acid soil, grain yield also decreased along with less grains per plant. However, the little difference in growth and yield of the cultivar Janbaeglcong in response to soil pH is considered to be a good source of breeding materials tolerant to acidic soil condition. In this regard Bongeui and Oialkong also were relatively stable in the growth and grain yield under the different soil acidity conditions.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.348-359
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• 2008

The objectives of the study were to elucidate functional modifications in relation to hydrological, physico-chemical and ecological aspects in Daechung Reservoir by the upper dam constructions of Youngdam Reservoir and analyze temporal and spatial dynamic patterns using trophic parameters of TN, TP, chlorophyll (CHL), and Secchi depth (SD). Hydrological data such as inflow, precipitation, and water levels before (BDC, 1995$\sim$2000) and after (ADC, 2001$\sim$2006) the dam construction showed that precipitation had greater correlations with inflow volume in the BDC (r=0.964, p=0.002) than in the ADC (r=0.857, p=0.029). This outcome indicates that the upper dam construction influenced the inflow and water level of Daechung Reservoir. One of the greatest changes after the dam construction was decreases of nutrient contents (TN, TP) and increases of algal biomass (as CHL) as the water residence time increases. Values of CHL had greater relations with TP in the ADC (r=0.412, p<0.001) than the BDC (r=0.249, p<0.001), indicating that CHL had greater response at a given phosphorus in the ADC. Thus, algal yield at a given TP (CHL : TP ratios) increased in the ADC, resulting in a greater CHL-TP relations. Long-term interannual TP, TN, SD, and CHL showed greater variations in the riverine zone (RZ) than any other transition (TZ) and lacustrine zones (LZ). This phenomenon was mainly attributed to rapid hydrological response in the riverine zone (RZ) to flow reductions (short water residence time) from the upper dam, resulting in ambient contents of nutrients and light regime along with functional relations of CHL-TP.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2000

To analyze the relationship between climatic factors (monthly temperatures and precipitations) and the radial growths or Pinus densiflora with different topographical settings in Worak National Park, Korea, 20 stands were chosen and 10 trees were selected from each stand. After crossdating, each ring-width series was double detrended (standardized) by fitting first a negative exponential or straight regression line and secondly a 60-year cubic spline. The growth patterns coud be categorized by four groups using cluster analysis. Cluster Ⅰ stand has north aspect, but others have south or southwest aspects. Cluster Ⅰ (one), cluster Ⅱ (ten), and cluster Ⅲ (two) stands are located in lower. elevation (305∼580 m), however, cluster Ⅳ (seven) stands are located in higher elevation, mostly in 560～870 m. Cluster Ⅱ and Ⅲ stands are located at similar elevation with the same aspect, however, cluster Ⅱ stands are located on more rocky and stiff slope with shallow soil depth. The response functions were used to examine the difference in the relationships between climatic factors and tree growths among the 4 cluster chronologies. The climatic factors are not limiting the growth in the cluster Ⅰ stand as highly as in other cluster plots because of rather mesic conditions in the north slope. The precipitation in the spring appears to be the main limiting factor in the cluster Ⅱ stands. The topographical characteristics of the sites of cluster Ⅱ, shallow soil depths on the rocky slope in the south aspect at lower elevation, may enhance the sensitivity of growth to moisture stress. In cluster Ⅲ and cluster Ⅳ, winter and spring temperature prior to the growth become more important than for cluster Ⅱ. This pattern is com-mon for Pinus densiflora trees growing in higher. elevation (equation omitted 800 m) in South Korea. It nay be re-lated with preconditioning effects of temperature as the temperature decreases with increasing elevation (cluster Ⅳ) or in the valley (cluster Ⅲ). The results obtained by tree-ring analysis were digitalized by GIS and spatio-temporal information on tree-ring data and topographic setting were analyzed and displayed simultaneously. The results of this study can be used to predict the future change of Pinus densiflora ecosystem to climate change expected in central Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.10-15
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• 2010

Most pesticides are poorly soluble in water and must be dissolved in a solvent carrier before being added to the test medium on aquatic toxicity test. The concentration of solvent is critical to the success of a test. This study were conducted to recommend possible organic solvents which have good solubility for pesticides and low toxicity to Korean native water flea to establish new standard toxicity test methods using Korean native water flea for ecological risk assessment of pesticide. Four Korean freshwater cladocerans, Daphnia obtusa, Daphnia sp., Moina macrocopa and Simocephalus vetulus were exposed to 10 different organic solvents during 48 hours to evaluate their toxic response to solvents. Ethyl acetate was the most toxic to cladocerans tested. Although ethyl ether was the least toxic to cladocerans tested, it may not adequate as possible solvent in aquatic toxicity test due to high volatility and low water solubility. In conclusion, acetone, methanol, ethanol and acetonitrile which has low toxicity as well as good water solubility are recommended as optimal organic solvent to use in aquatic toxicity tests with Korean native cladocerans tested.