• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2019

River water quality and organisms have a very close relationship with the human living environment and health, so it is very important to ensure and maintain the ecological integrity of the aquatic ecosystem. In that sense, benthic diatoms have relatively little mobility, can explain the effects of long-term exposed pollution sources, and are very suitable indicator organisms for river ecosystem evaluation. Diatom ecologists have been developed various diatom indices to assess water quality and stream ecosystem over the world. However, they so far have insufficient identification of taxa, are strongly regional, and are difficult to apply as they are domestically. Unfortunately, there has not been developed an independent diatom index suitable for the Korean stream. Therefore, management of water quality and aquatic ecosystem suitable for domestic rivers can be made, and development or improvement of comprehensive multivariate diatom index for the integrated assessment of water quality and aquatic ecosystem is urgently needed.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.345-352
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• 2020

Securing the lead time for evacuation is crucial to minimize flood damage. In this study, downstream water levels for heavy rainfall were predicted using measured water level observation data. Multiple regression analysis and artificial neural networks were applied to the Seom River experimental watershed to predict the water level. Water level observation data for the Seom River experimental watershed from 2002 to 2010 were used to perform the multiple regression analysis and to train the artificial neural networks. The water level was predicted using the trained model. The simulation results for the coefficients of determination of the artificial neural network level prediction ranged from 0.991 to 0.999, while those of the multiple regression analysis ranged from 0.945 to 0.990. The water level prediction model developed using an artificial neural network was better than the multiple-regression analysis model. This technique for forecasting downstream water levels is expected to contribute toward flooding warning systems that secure the lead time for streams.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.85-95
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• 2024

Background: In Korea, riparian zones and some floodplains have been converted into agricultural fields and urban areas. However, there are essential for maintaining biodiversity, as they are important ecological spaces. There are also very important spaces for humanity, as they perform various ecosystem services in a changing environment including climate change. Due to the importance of rivers, river restoration projects have been promoted for a long time, but their achievement has been insignificant. Development should be pursued by thoroughly evaluating the success of the restoration project. Ecological restoration is to accelerate succession, a process that a disturbed ecosystem recovers itself, with human assistance. Ecological restoration can be a test bed for testing ecological theories in the field. In this respect, ecological restoration should go beyond a 'simple landscaping exercise' and apply ecological models and theories in restoration practice. Results: The cross-section of the restored stream is far from natural rivers due to its steep slope and artificial material. The vegetation profiles of the restored streams did not reflect the flooding regime of the river. The species composition of the vegetation in the restored stream showed a significant difference from that of the reference stream, and was also different from that of an unrestored urban stream. Although species richness was high and the proportion of exotic species was low in the restored stream, the effect was offset by the high proportion of gardening and landscaping plants or obligate terrestrial plants. Conclusions: Based on both the morphological and ecological characteristics of the river, the restoration effect in the restored stream was evaluated to be very low. In order to solve the problems, a systematic adaptive management plan is urgently required. Furthermore, it is necessary to institutionalize the evaluation of restoration effects for the development of river restoration projects in the future.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.147-156
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• 2006

This study was conducted to investigate natural distribution of aquatic plane and to find out natural aquatic plants which highly absorb nutrient N and P. We surveyed vegetation within ${\pm}2m$ from streamside in 12 tributaries of the West Nakdong river watershed during May to October in 2003. Hydrophytes surveyed in tributaries of the West Nakdong river watershed were 27 families, 61 genera, 76 species, 3 varieties. Major dominance species of aquatic plants were Z. latifolia, P. communis, P. thunbergii, P. arundinacea, P. japonica, and P. distichum var. indutum. Aquatic plants having high production ability of biomass were Z. latifolia, P. communis, P. arundinacea, P. japonica, and E. crus-galli var. echinata. In the vertical distribution of hydrophytes within streams, dominant species were P. thunbergii and P. japonica in the upper stream, but dominant species in the downstream were P. communis and Z. latifolia. Species diversity or aquatic, plants was reduced, but their biomass and nutrient (T-N and T-P) content per the natural area unit $(m^2)$ were increased in the downsteaam. Nutrient N and P content of aquatic plants per the natural area unit were high at Joman river, Pyeonggangcheon, Bulam drainage canal, and Hogyecheon. Fifty-seven species of aquatic plants having high biomass were grounped into 4 categories $(I{\sim}IV)$ according to their nutrient content per dry weight unit. I group $(T-N,\;\geqq20gkg^{-1}\;&\;P_2O_5,\;\geqq7gkg^{-1})$ was comprised of 3 submerged plants (H. verticillata, P. crispus, and C. demersum), e emergent plants (O. javanica, P. distichum var. indutum, and R. sceleratus), 1 suspended plant (T. japonica), and 1 riparian plant (A. lobatum). Otherwise, in classification of natural hydrophytes according to their nutrient content per natural area unit, Z. latifolia, P. communis, P. longiseta, P. arundinacea, and P. distichum var. indutum possessing great biomass productivity as emergent plants were included in I group $(T-N,\;\geqq1gm^{-2}\;&\;P_2O_5,\;\geqq0.7gm^{-2})$.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.38 no.2 s.112
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• pp.196-206
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• 2005

The fish community in the mid-upper region of Gam Stream was examined seasonally from 2001 to 2003 in order to perform an environmental impact assessment prior to a construction of Gamcheon Multipurpose Dam. Additional investigation was conducted in August 2004 to confirm the fish fauna reported and to examine the ecological characteristics of Zacco temminckii population. The total number of fish caught from the study sites was 1,081 fish representing 5 families 14 species. There were 6 Korean endemic species including Coreoleuciscus splendidus, Squalidus gracilis majimae, Microphysogobio yaluensis, Liobagrus mediadiposalis, Coreoperca herzi and Odontobutis platycephala, but no endangered or vulnerable species were found. Length-weight relation, condition factor (K) and relative condition factor (Kn) of Zacco temminckii were compared by the study sites and stream. The equations based on length-weight relation in Buhang and Gam Streams were TW\;=\;0.000004TL^{3.2357}$ and TW\;=\;0.000002TL^{3.3566}$, respectively indicating the fish in Gam Stream became more rotund as length increases. The condition factor (K) and relative condition factor (Kn) against total length of Zacco temminckii at two streams indicated that the fish (>70 mm) in Cam Stream (mean K and Kn= 1.116, 1.21 respectively) had better nutritional condition than those in Buhang Stream (mean K and Ln = 1.046, 1.14 respectively). The results were corresponded with natural disturbances such as drought and intensive rainfall from 2001 to 2003 followed by human activities such as stream repair works. Therefore, it is considered to perform environmental impact assessment with not only confirmation of fish composition but also examination of ecological characteristics in population- level.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.3-17
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• 1998

The purposes of this study is to investigate the possibility of planting trees at space land in the riverside. The space land is for the green space. Calculating the plantable space in the representation section and the flood flowing stability of the existing banks based on the hydrological and meteorological data of the Kap-Chon riverbasin located in Tae-jon, the following results are drawn. (1) The flood discharges in each flow section are $698.7m^3/s$ in section 1, $654.6m^3/s$ in section 2, and $1353.3m^3/s$ in section 3 during 100 years recurrence interval. Because the designed-flood discharges in those sections are $1719.9m^3/s$, $2119.7m^3/s$, and $1512.8m^3/s$ respectively, safety for flood flowing is sufficient in existing banks. (2) The possible clearance for planting trees is 1.80m in section 1, 3.90m in section 2, and 0.01m in section 3. Planting clearance is enough in section 1 and 2. However, planting should be planned after estimating a rise-height due to the bridge piers, because many piers under riverine-highway are now on the construction in section 2. The section 3 does not have sufficient clearance for planting trees, but the planting is possible after getting enough flow area with slope by cutting the terrace land on the river artificially heightened. (3) In case of planting a tree 70cm diameter in $1m^2$ in section 1, the water level increases by 0.60m. Planting a tree in a $48m^2$ area increases the water level by 0.90m. Considering that plantable clearance is 1.8m in section 1, it is sufficient to flow safely. But if the trees are planted so compactly from the upper stream, expected heavy resistance is expected due to caught materials on the trees. So, trees have to be planted widely in upper streams but compactedly in lower streams. (4) The river width without changing, Kap-Chon's flow channel can be snaked in accordance with the nature law the wide terrace land in the riverside. Decreased flow area due to planting trees will be compensated by the inclination of terrace land. And, it is theoretically proved that the flood discharge is safe even though the terrace land on the river is parked similar to the nature. Planting trees in the terrace land of the Kap-chon river to the extent that flood flowing is not adversely affected, we can get the enjoyable park to citizens not spending expensive cost. It also contributes to the recovery of ecosystem, which gives the natural beauty of river and shade to citizens and becomes good natural-educational places for children.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.191-199
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• 2010

Introduction of Technology-Based Effluent Limitations (TBELs) concepts into Korea requires extensive and through analyses on the expected pollutants reduction effects and the cost factor for the industry side. In addition, the TEBLs should be optimized for the regulatory environments of Korea and be applied in a progressive manner to minimize the undesirable effects. It is also necessary to assess the contribution of each industrial categories's to the pollution of natural water bodies to find the priority of TEBLs application. For these purposes, the pollution loads of various industrial categories were analyzed using risk assessment indicator based on Toxic Weighting Factors (TWFs). First, the TWFs were calculated for the pollutants regulated using the method adopted by USEPA. And the effluent characteristics of the eighty two categories of industry in Korea were investigated. Although the analytical data on the wastewater from different industrial categories are relatively limited, the results from two previous studies were used. The first study, conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Research in 2001~2004, investigated the wastewater characteristics from 255 industrial sources covering the major 20 industrial categories. The second study includes more recent analytical data for the wastewater from 500 industrial sources, covering all the 82 industrial categories. In the result of the pollution loads analyses, the category of 'Synthetic and Chemical manufacture' was found to show the highest raw pollution load. On the other hand the category of 'Ion & Steel manufacture' was found to show the highest effluent pollution loads, which can be considered as the real impacts on natural water streams. The top five categories occupied 62.2% of the total effluent pollution loads. Through the analyses, the relative importances of each industrial categories and the priorities of TEBL-based pollution reduction were determined.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.265-281
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• 1992

The materials of this study consist of both specimens and survey records of the mollusks and crustaceans which were obtained from 30 collection sites in the Naktong Estuary during Aug.-Nov., 1991. The mollusks and crustaceans collected and identified in this study are 31 and 50 species, respectively. Of these two species of mollusks and six species of crustaceans were newly recored in this area. Including the previous records, the occurrence and distribution of 63 molluscan species and 138 crustacean species were compared in eight zones, before and after the construction of the Naktong Estuary Barrage. During this investigation, only a few species of mollusks occurred in the northern freshwaters off the Barrage. The habitats for the intertidal species were greatly destructed along the eastern part of the UIsuk Is. and the riverside of Tadaep'o where the bank was recently constructed. The commercial bivalves including Corbicula fluminea and Ruditapes Philkippinarum were greatly decreased in number in all the eatuarine waters. A freshwater crab, Eriocheir japonicus, seems to be extinguished in the Naktong River and its neighbouring streams.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.440-443
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• 2015

The widespread emergence of antibiotic resistant microorganisms in clinics and natural environments has attracted public concern. Especially, microorganisms inhabiting natural environment is considered as a source responsible for increasing the abundance of antibiotic resistant genes in ecosystem. In this study, the diversity of culturable bacteria resistant to ampicillin was investigated with water samples collected from seven locations in Korea. The genera belonging to Aeromonas and Acidovorax were dominant among the isolated 498 strains. The 66% of isolates showed multi-drug resistance against more than six antibiotics among tested fourteen ones and isolates resistant to seven antibiotics were the most prevalent with 19.7% abundance. Using the antibiotics susceptibility results, the intrinsic resistance profile was suggested for the most dominant genera, Aeromonas, Acidovorax, Pseudomonas, and Elizabethkingia.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.237-242
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• 2012

In order to determine the ecological characteristics of Quercus serrata and Q. aliena, which are potential natural vegetation of riverine in Korea, we cultivated the seedlings of two oak species under light, soil moisture and nutrient gradients from April to October in glasshouse. Then, we measured aboveground, belowground and total plant biomass and analyzed the differences in growth between two oak species. The two oak species showed decreasing growth with lower light intensity, but reduction in growth of Q. aliena was greater than that of Q. serrata. Q. serrata and Q. aliena had a constant growth state under soil moisture gradients, but Q. aliena grew well more than Q. serrata in lower soil moisture gradient. As soil nutrient availability decreased, the growth of Q. aliena was greater than Q. serrata. These results mean that the growth of two oak species is not affected by soil moisture, but the part of growth in Q. serrata may be positively affected in lower soil moisture condition. Also, Q. serrata has strong shade tolerance and the ability to adapt high nutrient condition relative to Q. aliena. Thus, Q. serrata and Q. aliena will be advantageous for the growth in stream ecosystem due to high light availability, but Q. serrata will be distributed near the lowlands by the water environment. Also, because the two oak species need high soil nutrient, it is important to preserve herbaceous vegetation to prevent nutrients that flowed in the streams.