• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.47 no.spc
• /
• pp.100-115
• /
• 2014

For this study, we collected fishes of seven times at the 51 sites by stream orders (2-6) from November 2007 to September 2010. In the results, 55 species belonging 12 families were collected. And there were one species (1.8%) of Natural monument, 6 species (10.9%) of endangered and 22 species (40.0%) of Korea endemic. Dominant species was Zacco koreanus and subdominant species was Zacco platypus in whole. Stream orders (2-6) increased with increasing species, diversity (H'), evenness (EI), richness (RI), tolerant (TS), omnivore (OS) and decreasing individual, dominance (DI), sensitive (SS) insectivore (IS), total IBI score. Principal component analysis results showed location of variable (species, individual, community index, relative abundance of tolerant, sensitive, omnivore, insectivore species) and each site changes in upstream and down-stream changes in their distribution. Correlation analysis showed significant differences between stream orders (2-6) and variable (species: Sp, diversity index: H', omnivore species: OS, stream depth: SD, stream width: SW and water temperature: WT).

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.172-182
• /
• 2009

This study was to analyze characteristics based on tolerance and trophic guilds and to determine the level of total mercury in tissues of sentinel species, Zacco platypus at 3 sampling sites of the Mangyeong River in 2007. Total sampled fishes were 26 species and the most dominant species was Zacco temminckii (47%). Fish community analysis was resulted that eveness index and diversity index showed low value at S1. However, diversity index and richness index at other sites showed high. According to various guilds analysis, relative abundance of sensitive species was 70% and 42% at S1 and S2, respectively. While sensitive species were decreased (1%) and tolerant species were increased (60%) at S3. It was mainly carried to the impacts of wastewater treatment plants near the location. Relative abundance of insectivore species was decreased from up (S1) to midstream area (S3). In addition, chemical water quality, based on analyses of BOD, COD, TP, TN, EC, MPN and SS concentration showed similar trends. Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) was averaged 164, judged as "good" habitat condition. Average concentrations of total [Hg] was 146.9 ${\mu}g$ $kg^{-1}$. In the muscles of total [Hg] was the highest, and then followed by kidney, vertebrae, liver, and gills. According to FDA standards (500 ${\mu}g$ $kg^{-1}$) of Korea, total [Hg] has not affected to the individual fish health.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.8-18
• /
• 2019

The objectives of this study were to analyze the influence of chemical water quality on fish guilds, pollution tolerance and the multi-metric ecological health, based on the Fish Assessment Index (FAI) in the main stream of Mangyeong River between 2009-2016. The quality of water with specific conductivity, TP, and $NH_4-N$ got worse dramatically in the down region. During the study, a total of 50 species were collected and the most dominant species was Zacco platypus. Also known as tolerant species, accounted 22.9% of the total abundances, thus indicating a trophic degradation. The downstream region (S5) had the highest number of fish external abnormalities, indicating a degradation of ecological health, based on the fish assemblages. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that relative abundance of tolerant fish species and omnivore fish species had a significant positive correlation(r>0.30, p<0.05) with values of BOD, conductivity and $NH_4-N$. Whereas, the relative abundance of the sensitive species and insectivore species had a significant negative relations (r<-0.30, p<0.001) with the parameters. The mean obtained from the multi-metric fish model, based on the FAI of all sites was 47 (n=40). This indicated a "fair condition" in the ecological health, and the downstream regions (S3-S5) were judged as "bad condition", indicating an influence of the chemical degradation on the ecological health.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.490-498
• /
• 2008

This study was to analyze fish composition and ecological indicator characteristics from eight sampling sites of Geum River, October 2007. Total number of family and species sampled were 9 and 40. The most dominant family was Cyprinidae (27 species, 85%), and then followed by Cobitidae, Odomtobutidae, and Gobiidae. Constancy values of Zacco platypus and Zacco temminckii were 1.00 and 0.30, respectively, and the relative abundance of Acheilognathus koreensis and Pseudogobio esocinus were greater than 5% of the total. The number of Korean endemic species sampled in this Geum River study was 7 family 19 species, which is 47.5% of total 40 species, and endangered species of Pseudopungtungia nigra and Gobiobotia brevibarba were only 0.5% of the total and these species were only distributed within the upstream regions. Exotic species, Micropterus salmoides, which is known as large-mouth bass, were observed in two sites of G3 and G7. Analytical results of fish community showed that community dominance index was 0.19, which is low, and the species evenness index (0.74), diversity index (2.03), and richness index (3.00) appeared high. These results indicate that structure of fish community is stable in the Geum River. According to various guilds analysis, the relative abundance of tolerant and omnivores at all sites were 40% and 47% of the total, respectively. This monitoring data may contribute changes of fish fauna and compositions in relation to habitat modifications and chemical water quality degradations in the future.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.99-110
• /
• 2016

The objective of this study was to analyze chemical water quality, ecological characteristics of fish compositions, and ecosystem health before- (B_wc; 2008-2009) and after-the weir construction (A_wc; 2011-2012) at Juksan Weir and Seungchon Weir of Yeongsan River watershed. Suspended solids (SS) and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) in Juksan Weir increased, whereas nutrients such as total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) decreased in the epilimnetic water. In Juksan and Seungchon weirs, fish species distribution analysis in the periods of B_wc and A_wc showed that sensitive species were rare and tolerant species were dominant in the community. In the analysis of trophic guild, relative abundance of carnivore species are increased to 22% and 12%, respectively, after the constructions of Seungchon Weir and Juksan Weir. Mann-Whitney U-tests of nonparametric statistical analysis indicated that omnivore and carnivore species had significant differences (p < 0.05) between the B_wc and A_wc. The massive population growth of an exotic species, Micropterus salmoides, was evident in Seungchon Weir to influence on the structures of fish communities. The model values of mean Index of Biological Integrity (IBI), based on fish assemblages, were < 15, which indicates "poor" condition in the river health, and the significant difference of IBI values was not found between the B_wc and A_wc.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.195-211
• /
• 2015

The objectives of this research were to determine mean and maximum tolerance ranges of Carassius auratus ($C_a$) and Cyprinus carpio ($C_c$) populations on various physico-chemical parameters and ecological indicator metrics. Little is known about chemical tolerance ranges of the two species, even though these species are widely distributed species in aquatic ecosystems. Maximum tolerance ranges of $C_a$-population to total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were $20.3mgL^{-1}$ and $2.0mgL^{-1}$, respectively. Optimal ranges of TN and TP in the $C_a$-population were $1.7-5.0mgL^{-1}$ and $0.06-0.30mgL^{-1}$, respectively. Such nutrient regimes of the $C_a$-population were evaluated as hypereutrophy, indicating high tolerance limits. The $C_c$-population had similar ecological characteristics to $C_a$-population, but the mean tolerance ranges of TN, TP, BOD, and COD were significantly (p < 0.05) greater than the $C_a$-population. Ecological patterns of trophic composition and tolerance guilds in the $C_a$-population were similar to those of the $C_c$-population. The model value of Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) of the habitat where C. auratus and C. carpio co-occurred averaged $15.0{\pm}4.3$ and $12.9{\pm}3.6$, respectively. Based on the modified criteria of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (Klemm et al. 1993), it indicated poor ecological health of both species. These results suggest that both species are highly tolerant to chemical and physical habitat conditions of waterbodies, and that the chemical tolerance range of $C_c$-population was higher than $C_a$-population.

• Ocean Science Journal
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.127-143
• /
• 2005

The taxonomic sufficiency approach has been proposed as a surrogate for the typical analysis of species-abundance data, especially in conditions involving prominent pollution gradients. Here, we evaluate the use of taxonomic sufficiency with infralittoral macrobenthic data derived from samples taken in a moderate polluted subtropical environment in southeastern Brazil, analysing five taxonomic levels and including two functional levels throughout polychaete feeding guilds and trophic groups. The data were collected seasonally at nine stations and studied for two abundance data series (0.5 and 1.0 mm sieve mesh-size). The results showed a similar ordination pattern between the two sieve mesh-size, but with the 0.5 mm sieve data a different pattern was observed during austral summer. A slight loss of information was detected using genus, family, polychaete species and their feeding guilds as taxonomic/functional units. These results together with those of the cost! benefit ratio, suggested that the family level seemed to be sufficient to detect the impact caused by moderate pollution in this shallow-water, subtropical environment. In additional, through the use of feeding guilds, similar patterns are obtained. Correlation analysis showed that chlorophyll a, total organic matter, zinc, and chromium sediment content were the variables that best explained the biological pattern observed and not always the best correlation coefficient occurring at the species level. The feeding guild approach seems to be useful and generates interpretable results similar to those obtained with the species level of the whole macroinfauna. The results showed an important cost reduction in the sample processing, suggesting that it is possible to adopt a coarser taxonomic level monitoring program even in species-rich communities.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.288-297
• /
• 2010

This study was to evaluate the ecological stream health through the Multimetric Fish Assessment Index (MFAI) along with fish fauna analysis based on the tolerance and trophic guilds at Miho stream in 2008 and 2009. Also, we analysed total mercury concentration in fish tissues to examine heavy metal contamination. Total sampled fish were 40 species and 2,557 individuals and Zacco platypus was the most dominant with 35% relative abundance. It was sampled with 11.4% RA for Korean endemic species (10 species 291 individuals) less than average RA 39.3% for the Geum river watersheds. According to the tolarance guild analysis, tolerant species was more dominant with 58.9% RA (15 species, 1,507 individuals) than sensitive species with 6.6% RA. Trophic guild analysis also suggested that omnivores were more dominant (60.5% RA) than insectivores (31.5% RA). Riffle-benthic species was also sampled with 7.7% RA. Ecological stream health based on the MFAI were averaged 25.3 (n=3) with fair-poor condition in 2008 and also 26.3 (n=3) with fair condition in 2009, just slightly increased than 2008. Qualitative habitat evaluation index was averaged 134 (n=3) with fair condition but most of sites had sediment accumulation that reflected substrate degradations proceeding. From the result of total mercury accumulation in fish tissues, kidney and liver tissues showed the highest but the lowest for gill tissues. Overall mercury concentration were not exceed the national standards by Korean Federation of Drug and Administration (KFDA). Consequently, our result could correspond with the characteristics of Miho stream where point sources such industrial complexes and wastewater treatment plant widely distributed around the stream along the gradient of up and downstream.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.41 no.spc
• /
• pp.42-49
• /
• 2008

For this study, we collected fishes of four times at the four site during June 2006 ${\sim}$ September 2007. In the result, the tolerance and omnivore species like a Carassius auratus and Pseudorasbora parva were largely dominated over all, and the sensitive species was not appeared at all except S4 in Shingu reservoir. This reservoir was appeared the simplified of trophic guild was shown in Shingu reservoir. Demonstrating that the omnivore species was occupied 78% of whole. According to the water chemistry data set obtained from the Korea Rural community & Agriculture corporation during $2002{\sim}2005$, the Shingu reservoir showed severe eutrophication and water pollution, therefore the increase of primary production and frequent algal blooms had been occurred. On the other hand, ecosystem health of reservoir was appeared "Fair${\sim}$Poor", and we judged that eutrophication and water pollution were due to this. Consequently, we thought that interception of nutrients and organic matters from the farmland and village and management of reservoir would be need, after this.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.419-428
• /
• 2013

The objectives of this research were to determine ecological characteristics and chemical gradients in two different loach populations-Misgurnus anguillicaudatus ($M_a$) and Koreocobitis rotundicaudata ($K_r$). Eight chemical parameters were compared to test the chemical preferences between the two species. The population of Kr occurred more in better water quality, compared to the $M_a$-population. The $M_a$-population co-occurred more with tolerant species (TS) and omnivores, whereas the $K_r$-population co-occurred more with sensitive species (SS) and insectivores. The differences in the tolerance and trophic composition matched well with the result of stream health assessment, based on the multi-metric model of Index of Biological Integrity (IBI). The IBI value in habitat with the $M_a$-population was "19.6" (range: 8~40) indicating a fair condition, and the IBI values of $K_r$-population was 29.4 (range: 12~40) indicating good condition. Similar results were found in physical habitat health analysis (QHEI). Overall, data analysis showed that the $M_a$-population belong to the tolerant species and $K_r$-population belong to sensitive species in the tolerance classification.