• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.64-78
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• 2021

This study was conducted to find out the effect of the construction and operation of river-crossing structures on the habitat landscape characteristics in the Geum-gang River, South Korea. A total of three study reaches were selected in the downstream of the Daecheong Dam: the Buyong-ri reach, which is a control that is not affected by the construction and operation of the weir of the Four Rivers Project and Sejong-bo Weir reach and Gongju-bo Weir reach of the upper and lower sections of each weir that are affected by the weir construction and operation. The habitat type was classified, and then the structural characteristics of the landscape were analyzed using aerial photographs taken before and after the construction of the Daecheong Dam, before and after the construction of the weir, and before and after the weir gate operation. After the construction of Daecheong Dam in Geum River, the area of the bare land greatly decreased, and the area of grassland and woodland increased in the downstream of the dam. In addition, the patch number in the river landscape increased, the patch size decreased, and the landscape shape index and the habitat diversity increased. Therefore, after the construction of the dam, the bare land habitat was changed to a vegetated habitat, and the habitat was fragmented and diversified in the downstream of the dam. After the construction of the weirs, the area of open water increased by 18% in the Sejong-bo reach and by 90% in the Gongju-bo reach, and the landscape shape index of the open water decreased by 32% in the Sejong-bo reach and by 35% in the Gongju-bo reach, and the habitat diversity index decreased to 25% in the Sejong-bo reach and to 24% in the Gongju-bo reach. Therefore, the open water habitat was expanded, the shape of the habitat was simplified, and the habitat diversity decreased according to the construction of the weirs. After water-gate opening of the weir, the bare land that disappeared after the construction of the weir reappeared, and the landscape shape index and habitat diversity index increased in both terrestrial and open water habitats. Therefore, it was found that the landscape characteristics of the river habitats were restored to the pre-construction of the weir by the operation of the weir gate. The effect of weir gate opening was delayed in the downstream than in the upstream of the weir. Although the characteristics of the landscape structure in the river habitat changed due to the construction of the river-crossing structures, it is thought that proper technology development for the ecological operation of the structures is necessary as the habitat environments can be restored by the operation of these structures.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.111-125
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• 2001

An estuary is semi-inclosed inlets, located between terrestrial and marine environment. Since many estuaries along south-western coasts of Korean peninsula were affected by human settlements and activities, significant changes in sedimentation environments have been observed. The research area is divided into three distinct morpho-stratigraphic units: fluvial dominated area(Area1), mixed area(Area 2), tide-dominated area(Area3). The landform of this area has been changed by reclamation and river channel change. Temporal variations affected by dam construction, periodic freshet was iterrupted. Sediments began to continuously accmulate on estuary banks by tide. Meanwhile, because of the continuous but reduced discharge of fresh water, the salinity of estuarine sediments was declined. That processes made vegetated area( Phregmites lonivalvis and Suaeda japonica) to be expanded. It indicates that the magnitude and frequency of geomorphic processes has been significantly changed.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.382-394
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• 2008

The objective of this study was to analyze temporal trends of water chemistry and spatial heterogeneity between the dam site (Daecheong Reservoir, S1) and the downstream (S2$\sim$S4) using water quality dataset (obtained from the Ministry of Environment, Korea) during 2000$\sim$2007. Water quality, based on eight physical and chemical parameters, varied largely depending on the years, sampling sites, and the discharge volume. Conductivity and nutrients (TN and TP) showed a decreasing trend in the downstream (S4) rather than the dam site during the monsoon. Spatial variation increased toward downstream (S4) from Daecheong Reservoir (S1). Also, BOD and COD increased toward downstream. Because of input of nutrient and pollutant nearby S1, lentic ecosystem in monsoon, BOD and COD were slightly increased. whereas relatively decreased in S4, lotic ecosystem in monsoon, by dilution effect of nutrient and pollutant by discharge from upper dam, S1. Spatial variation of SS increased toward downstream (S4) by the side of Daecheong Reservoir (S1). Based on the dataset, efficient water quality management in the point source tributary streams is required for better water quality of downstream. Monthly characteristics of DO showed the lowest value in the monsoon that tend to increase water temperature. DO was lowest in October at S1 because turbid water, input to the Daecheong Reservoir in the monsoon affect to the postmonsoon period. In contrast, water temperature increased toward summer monsoon, in spite of some differences showed between S1 and S4 environment. Overall, the characteristics of water quality in downstream region have close correlation with discharge amount of Daecheong Reservoir. Thus, those characteristics can explain that discharge control of upper dam mainly affect to the water quality variation in downstream reach.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.40 no.8
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• pp.601-615
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• 2007

A selective withdrawal method has been widely used to control the quality of water released from a stratified reservoir and to improve downstream ecosystem habitats. Recently, several existing reservoir withdrawal facilities have been modified to accommodate multi-level water intake capabilities in order to adapt the impact of long-term discharge of high turbidity flow. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of selective withdrawal method on the control of downstream turbidity and its impact on water quality in Daecheong Reservoir. A laterally integrated two-dimensional hydrodynamic and eutrophication model, which was calibrated and validated in the previous studies, was applied to simulate the temporal variations of outflow turbidity with various hypothetical selective withdrawal scenarios. In addition, their impacts on the algal growth as well as water quality constituents were analyzed in three different spatial domains of the reservoir The results showed that the costly selective withdrawal method would provide very limited benefits for downstream turbidity control during two years of consecutive simulations for 2004-2005. In particular, an excessive withdrawal from the epilimnion zone for supplying upper layer clean water resulted in movement of turbidity plume that contained high phosphorus concentrations upward photic zone, and in turn increased algal growth in the lacustrine zone.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.360-366
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• 2008

The spatial and temporal variations of the high turbid water by a single event of heavy rain (total 299.1 mm and daily maximum 99.4 mm) were studied in Andong Reservoir, which has hypolimnetic discharges. Turbid water entered into the reservoir, was isolated from the bottom at the midreservoir and then passed through the metalimnion as an interflow current in the lacustrine zone. Maximum turbidity was 290 NTU at 16 m depth of the midreservoir, but the initial turbidity showed about 10 NTU in the reservoir before the rainfall. Turbid water in the reservoir affected to increase the withdrawal turbidity from the 3rd day after the rainfall, the maximum turbidity was 129 NTU at 5th day after the rainfall. Turbid water that flew towards the downreservoir distributed within 5 m above the outlet gate of the intake tower, showing the maximum turbidity, and that was decreased in its thickness and concentration by discharging through the intake tower. It has taken 38 days until the turbidity in the withdrawal reduced to 30 NTU, and 87 days to reduce the turbidity to the way when it was before the rainfall, with the correlation coefficient of 0.96 and 0.97, respectively. Turbid water was withdrawn from the reservoir by entraining into the intake tower as a form of the interflow, and not be settled down to the bottom of the reservoir. Therefore, we assessed that the depth of the withdrawal was appropriately positioned in Andong Reservoir, so as to withdraw the turbid water effectively from the reservoir.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.81-93
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• 2019

Phytoplankton is one of the important primary producers providing organic matter through photosynthesis in aquatic environments. In order to determine a temporal and spatial variation in primary productivity after weir construction in the Nakdong River, we investigated carbon uptake rates using in-situ $^{13}C$ labeling experiments and identified algal communities contributing to primary productivity using HPLC-CHEMTAX analysis from October to December, 2017. The primary productivity gradually decreased from fall to early winter season ($249{\sim}933mgC\;m^{-2}d^{-1}$ in October, $64{\sim}536mgC\;m^{-2}d^{-1}$ in November and $60{\sim}274mgC\;m^{-2}d^{-1}$ in December, respectively). This is attributed to the temporally declining light intensity and the decreasing biomass and physiological activity of phytoplankton in winter. The contribution of diatoms to the phytoplankton community in the Nakdong River was approximately 63% at all the sampling sites and seasons, while the contribution of cryptophytes increased from 9% in October to 32% in November and December. The temporal changes in the primary productivity and the dominant phytoplankton species in the mid and downstream weirs of the Nakdong River was investigated for the first time, after construction of the weirs, and major environmental factors controlling the temporal variation in primary productivity and phytoplankton communities were identified in this study. We suggest that seasonal field investigations will provide further information on the major environmental factors which affect the annual variation of primary productivity and phytoplankton communities.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.379-385
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• 2023

EDue to climate change and urbanization, the localized heavy rainfall frequently exceeded a design storm rainfall and flood damage has occurred in South Korea. The concept of addressing sustainable river management and environmental and social issues through Nature-based Solutions (NbS) is gaining attention as it seeks to resolve these issues through ecosystem services. Therefore, in this study, the flood reduction effect by river management using NbS was quantitatively analyzed for the Hwang River, which is directly downstream of Hapcheon Dam, South Korea. Floodplain excavation and dyke relocation, which are methods of the NbS, were applied to the flood risk area of the Hwang River. As a result of analyzing the flood level of the river through the unsteady flow analysis of HEC-RAS, we obtained flood level reduction by 8 cm at the confluence of the Nakdong River. The results of this study can be expected to be sufficiently utilized as a basis for use as a management plan through NbS rather than the river management with grey infrastructure.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.136-141
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• 2010

In situ experiments of Nutrient Enrichment Bioassays (NEBs) were conducted in the field along with in the laboratory to determine which nutrient limited phytoplankton growth as a indicator of primary productivity. For the NEBs, the water was sampled using a polyethylene-lined container and dispensed into 6 L water tank in the laboratory. The control (C, no nutrient spike) and six treatments of phosphorus (P), 2-fold phosphorus (2P), 4-fold phosphorus (4P), nitrate nitrogen ($NO_3$-N), 2-fold nitrate nitrogen ($2NO_3$-N), and phosphorus and nitrate nitrogen (P+$NO_3$-N) were set up in the lacustrine zone near the dam site, Daechung Reservoir in September, 2009 and analyzed the diel changes of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and chlorophyll-$\alpha$ (Chl-$\alpha$) in the cubitainers. The short-term NEBs showed that algal response in the treatments spiked phosphorus (P, 2P, and 4P) were significantly (p < 0.05) greater than the response in the control (C), and nitrogen-spike. Also, the response in 4P-treatment was greater than those in the P- and 2P-treatments. In contrast, there was no significant differences (p > 0.20) between the $NO_3$-N and $2NO_3$-N treatment. The outcomes of the NEBs suggest that phosphorus limited the phytoplankton growth and nitrogen was not limited in this system. Furthermore, in the N + P treatments, the response was minimum, compared to all other treatments and the control, indicating that even if the system is evidently P-limited system, when added the nitrogen, the response showed the inhibition. Also, > 95% of observed long-term TN:TP ratios in the ambient water showed > 17, which is the criteria of P-limitation, supporting the P-limitation in the system. Overall, these results suggest that phytoplankton biomass near the dam is a direct linear function of P-loading near the watershed, if the phosphorus pool is mainly dissolved fraction.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.187-195
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• 2023

Almost all of the water from agricultural dams located to the upper of the Yeongsan river is supplied as irrigation water for farmland and thus is not discharged to the main stream of the river. Also, most of the irrigation water does not return to the river after use, adding to the lack of flow in the main stream. As a result, the water quality and aquatic health of the river have become the poorest among the four major rivers in Korea. Therefore, in this study, several strategies for water quality improvement of the river were developed considering pollution reduction and flow rate increase, and their effect analysis was performed using a water quality model. The results of this study showed that the target water quality of the Yeongsan river could be achieved if flow increase strategies (FISs) are intensively pursued in parallel with pollution reduction. The reason is because the water quality of the river has been steadily improved through pollution reduction but this method is now nearing the limit. In addition, rainfall-related FISs such as dam construction and water distribution adjustment may be less effective or lost if a megadrought continues due to climate change and then rainfall does not occur for a long time. Therefore, in the future, if the application conditions for the FISs are similar, the seawater desalination facility, which is independent of rainfall, should be considered as the priority installation target among the FISs. The reason is that seawater desalination facilities can replace the water supply function of dams, which are difficult to newly build in Korea, and can be useful as a climate change adaptation facility by preventing water-related disasters in the event of a long-term megadrought.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.75-82
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• 2015

To overcome the stream fragmentation and blockage of migration of fishes by dams and weirs, fishways are commonly installed. However, limited studies were conducted for effectiveness and suitability of fishways installed in Korean streams. In this study, we investigated fish usages (by time periods, locations and months) of the Ice Harbor type fishway installed in the Gongju weir using traps. The monitoring were monthly conducted from June to October, 2012. The number of individuals which used fishway in September and October decreased than in June to August. Although no statistical significance was identified, many numbers of species and individuals were occurred at the trap installed at the left end of fishway than others. Fishes of more diverse size classes occurred at this trap as well. The number of collected individuals and water level of weir were positively correlated though they showed low correlation coefficient. Conversely, occurrence rate of fishes smaller than 70 mm of total length decreased with increasing water level of weir. fishway usage time of fish were different depends on ecological characteristics of each species. Various sizes of fishes can use fishway for their upstream migration. These results are useful for establishing management and evaluation plans of Ice Harbor type fishway in S. Korea.