• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.35-41
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• 2015

This study focuses on whether a physical habitat model, River2D, is useful to assess and design stream restoration. To achieve the aim, the habitat suitability for Zacco Platypus was analyzed using River2D at midstream of the Anyang-Cheon through modifying the low flow channel and changing the flow discharge. The River2D simulation results show that the inhabited environment for Zacco Platypus is improved by increasing the sinuosity of the low flow channel, and vice versa. Also the inhabited environment for Zacco Platypus gets worse when there is no additional flow for maintenance water supply at the stream flowing through cities. In this respect, the physical habitat simulation study based on the River2D model is useful because it provides a practical guidance in designing stream restoration.

• Spatial Information Research
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.85-99
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• 2000

Accurate information on habitat distribution of protected fauna is essential for the habitat management of Korea, a country with very high development pressure. The objectives of this study were to develop a habitat suitability model of wild boar based on GIS and logistic regression, and to create habitat distribution map, and to prepare the basis for habitat management of our country s endangered and protected species. The modeling process of this restudyarch had following three steps. First, GIS database of environmental factors related to use and availability of wild boar habitat were built. Wild boar locations were collected by Radio-Telemetry and GPS. Second, environmental factors affecting the habitat use and availability of wild boars were identified through chi-square test. Third, habitat suitability model based on logistic regression were developed, and the validity of the model was tested. Finally , habitat assessment map was created by utilizing a rule-based approach. The results of the study were as folos. First , distinct difference in wild boar habitat use by season and habitat types were found, however, no difference in wild boar habiat use by season and habitat types were found , however, ho difference by sex and activity types were found. Second, it was found, through habitat availability analysis, that elevation , aspect , forest type, and forest age were significant natural environmental factors affecting wild boar hatibate selection, but the effects of slope, ridge/valley, water, and solar radiation could not be identified, Finally, the habitat at cutoff value of 0.5. The model validation showed that inside validation site had the classification accuracy of 73.07% for total habitat and 80.00% for cover habitat , and outside validation site had the classification accuracy of 75.00% for total habitat.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.54-61
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• 2022

Background: In South Korea, African swine fever virus (ASFV) has spread among wild boars through Gangwon-do to Dangyang-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do on the southern border of Gangwon-do. To prevent the spread of ASFV to African swine fever (ASF)-free areas, it is necessary to identify areas with a high probability of finding ASFV-infected carcasses and to reduce the density of wild boars in those areas. In this study, we described the propagation trend of ASFV among wild boars, constructed the habitat suitability maps for ASFV-infected carcasses, and suggested areas with a high probability of finding ASFV-infected carcasses and an important route of ASFV transmission. Results: Despite the active quarantine policies in Korea to prevent the spread of ASFV through wild boars, there was no significant difference in the monthly average of number of ASFV-infected carcasses observed between 2020 and 2021. The ASFV-infected carcasses were found more in winter and spring (January to April). Since the first ASF outbreak in wild boars on October 2, 2019, the maximum width of ASFV-infected carcass distribution area was 222.7 km for about 26 months till November 20, 2021. The habitat suitability map, based on GPS coordinates of ASFV-infected wild boar carcasses, shows that highly detectable areas of ASFV-infected carcasses were sporadically dispersed in western and southwestern parts of Gangwon-do, and ranged from north to south of the province along the Baekdudaegan Mountains, whereas poorly detectable areas ranged along the north to the south in the middle parts of the province. Conclusions: Our suitability model, based on the GPS coordinates of ASFV-infected carcasses, identifies potential habitats where ASFV-infected carcasses are likely to be found and ponential routes where ASFV is likely to spread. Among ASF-free areas, the areas with high suitability predicted in this study should be given priority as survey areas to find ASFV-infected carcasses and hunting areas to reduce wild boar populations.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.19-32
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• 2015

In Korea, significant riparian areas have been developed due to river maintenance projects. Introduction of new riparian facilities can negatively affect wildlife in the riparian areas. This study focuses on selecting core conservation areas for Eurasian Otter(Lutra lutra) to support decision making process for development of riparian areas. For the study, first of all, field data of study site were collected by field surveys. Secondly, stream naturalness was assessed to understand physical environments of the study sites. Thirdly, habitat suitability was assessed using occurrence data of Eurasian Otter and environmental data. Lastly, core areas for conservation was selected by comparing and synthesizing stream naturalness map and habitat suitability map. The selected core areas showed several characteristics. The number of artificial facilities is low in the core areas. Rocks which are preferred by Eurasian Otter to eat and excrete are plentiful in the core areas. Also, the ratio of adjacent farmland is high. Based on the analyses, it is expected that this study can contribute to decision making process for environmental spatial plans to better conserve habitats of Eurasian Otter.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.316-323
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• 2022

Background: We developed a habitat suitability index (HSI) model for Pedicularis hallaisanensis, a Grade II Endangered Species in South Korea. To determine the habitat variables, we conducted a literature review on P. hallaisanensis with a specific focus on the associated spatial factors, climate, topography, threats, and soil factors to derive five environmental factors that influence P. hallaisanensis habitats. The specific variables were defined based on the collected data and consultations with experts in the field, with the validity of each variable tested through field studies. Results: Mt. Seorak had a suitable habitat area of 2.48 km² for sites with a score of 1 (0.62% of total area) and 0.01 km² for sites with a score of 0.9. Mt. Bangtae had a suitable habitat area of 0.03 km² for sites with a score of 1 (0.02% of total area) and 0 km² for sites with a score of 0.9. Mt. Gaya showed 0.13 km² of suitable habitat for sites with a score of 1 (0.17% of total area) and 0 km² for sites with a score of 0.9. Lastly, Mt. Halla showed 3.12 km² of suitable habitat related to sites with a score of 1 (2.04% of total area) and 4.08 km² of sites with a score of 0.9 (2.66% of total area). Mt. Halla accounts for 73.1% of the total core habitat area. Considering the climatic, soil, and forest conditions together with standardized collection sites, our results indicate that Mt. Halla should be viewed as a core habitat of P. hallaisanensis. Conclusions: The findings in this study provide useful data for the identification of core habitat areas and potential alternative habitats to prevent the extinction of the endangered species, P. hallaisanensis. Furthermore, the developed HSI model allows for the prediction of suitable habitats based on the ecological niche of a given species to identify its unique distribution and causal factors.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.61-67
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• 2014

Dam construction changes flow regime and stream morphology in the downstream reach. These affect the ecosystem of downstream reach. This study provides the assessment of the impact of dam construction on the downstream fish habitat. For this, physical habitat simulations are carried out. The quasi-steady model is used for hydraulic simulation, The hydraulic model used in the present study is capable of simulating the morphological change due to sediment transport. The change of the fish habitat condition is investigated using the flow scenarios before and after the dam construction. Simulation results indicate that the habitat suitability decreases frequently due to hydropeaking after dam construction. In addition, erosion is expected to occur in a reach downstream of dam. This is a long term effect due to the shut-down of sediment supply from the upstream reach.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.300-307
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• 2020

This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of weir gate operation in aquatic fish habitats through a physical habitat simulation of Geum River, Korea. The target species was Zacco platypus, which is a dominant species in the study area. The River2D model was used to compute the flow, and the habitat suitability index model was used to estimate the quality and quantity of the habitat using a habitat suitability curve. An unopened case and a partially opened case were investigated to assess the impact of weir gate operation on the aquatic fish habitat. The simulation results showed that the aquatic habitats of the target species in the partially opened case improved significantly, compared to the case without a gate opening. Furthermore, the weighted usable area increased by a factor of approximately 13, owing to weir gate operation in the study area.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.307-315
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• 2022

In terms of habitat conservation, it is essential to develop a habitat assessment system that can evaluate not only the suitability of the current habitat, but also the health and stability of the habitat. This study aimed to develop a methodology of habitat quality assessment for endangered species by analyzing various existing habitat assessment methods. The habitat quality assessment consisted of selecting targeted species, planning of assessment, selecting targeted sites, assessing performance, calculating grade, and expert verification. Target sites were selected separately from core and potential habitats using a species distribution model or habitat suitability index. Habitat assessment factors were classified into ecological characteristic, landscape characteristic, and species-habitat characteristic. Ecological characteristic consisted of thirteen factors related to health of tree, vegetation, and soil. Landscape characteristic consisted of five factors related to fragment and connectivity of habitat. Species-habitat characteristic consisted of factors for evaluating habitat suitability depending on target species. Since meanings are different depending on characteristics, habitat quality assessment of this study could be used by classifying results for each characteristic according to various assessment purposes, such as designation of alternative habitats, assessment of restoration project, and protected area valuation for endangered species. Forest habitat quality assessment is expected to play an important role in conservation acts of endangered species in the future through continuous supplementation of this system in regard to quantitative assessment criteria and weighting for each factor with an influence.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.475-490
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• 2023

Chemical water quality suitability for species (Ephemera strigata, Ephemera separigata, and Ephemera orientalis-sachalinensis group) of the mayfly genus Ephemera (Order Ephemeroptera) was analyzed with probability distribution models (Exponential, Normal, Lognormal, Logistic, Weibull, Gamma, Beta, Gumbel). Data was collected from 23,957 sampling units of 6,664 sites in Korea from 2010 to 2021. E. orientalis-sachalinensis occurred at the range of BOD₅ 0.3~11.1 mg/L (the best-fit Lognormal model); T-P 0.007~0.769 mg/L (the Gumbel model); TSS 0.4~142.2 mg/L (the Lognormal model). E. strigata occurred at the range of BOD₅ 0.4~7.4 mg/L (the Gumbel model); T-P 0.007~0.254 mg/L (the Lognormal model); TSS 0.4~17.1 mg/L (the Lognormal model). E. separigata occurred at the range of BOD₅ 0.4~2.6 mg/L (the R-Weibull model); T-P 0.007~0.134 mg/L (the Lognormal model); TSS 0.7~10.0 mg/L (the Lognormal model). Habitat suitability range of E. orientalis-sachalinensis was estimated to be 0.4~1.9 mg/L (BOD₅), 0.024~0.086 mg/L (T-P), 2.5~22.4 mg/L (TSS); that of E. strigata was 0.4~0.7 mg/L (BOD₅), 0.007~0.018 mg/L (T-P), 0.0~1.7 mg/L (TSS); that of E. separigata was 0.0~0.4 mg/L (BOD₅), 0.000~0.015 mg/L (T-P), 0.5~3.1 mg/L (TSS). In a relative comparision, E. orientalis-sachalinensis was estimated to be eurysaprobic, and narrowly adapted in high levels of T-P and TSS, E. strigata was estimated to be oligosaprobic and adapted in low levels of T-P and TSS, and E. separigata was estimated to be stenooligosaprobic and widely adapted in low level of T-P and TSS.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.626-639
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• 2017

Based on an ecological monitoring in a Korean stream (Gapyeong), Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) of nine fish species was developed for three physical habitat factors : current velocity, water depth and substrate. The species were chosen based on their abundance and frequency in the fish community of the Gapyeong stream. The Weibull model was used as the probability density function to analyze the distribution and number of each fish species according to the three identified physical factors, which showed good results. This HSI equation has advantages because it statistically expresses habitat preferences of fish species simply and clearly. From that, we can quantitatively deduce the central tendency and variation of environmental factors for fish distribution. The selected fish species showed different preferences for each habitat factor respectively. Although there are some exceptions, the distribution and abundance of individual species of nektonic fish (Zacco koreanus, Zacco platypus, Microphysogobio longidorsalis and Pungtungia herzi) were positively skewed to deep water and fine substrate while riffle-benthic fish (Koreocobitis rotundicaudata and Coreoleuciscus splendidus) were normally distributed at the shallow and coarse substrate zone. It seems that the species showing the positively skewed distribution to the current, Z. koreanus, Z. platypus, M. longidorsalis and P. herzi have adapted themselves to the fast current and have expanded their niche.