• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.66-77
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• 2009

This study aims at classifying and interpreting on the forest vegetation located in the whole area of Mt. Boryeonsan in Noeunmyeon, Chungju city, Chungcheongbuk Province, Korea using the methodology of the ZM school of phytosociology. The forest vegetation was classified into one Larix leptolepis afforestation, five secondary communities including Qurecus acutissima community, Pinus densiflora community, Quercus aliena community, Quercus serrata community, Quercus variabilis community and one association, Ainsliaeo-Quercetum mongolicae Song et al. 1999(Rhododendro schlippenbachii-Quercion mongolicae, Aceri pseudosieboldiani-Quercetalia mongolicae, Quercetea mongolicae). The research expatiated on the relationship between species composition of the forest communities and the environmental conditions, such as human interference, altitude, slope, topography and chemical properties of soil, and also analyzed the life form by each community. As a result, the Ainsliaeo-Quercetum mongolicae was judged as the most stable community among the forest communities identified here. On the other hand, a division of cluster analysis based on the dominance of the component species, appeared similar to the community units classified phytosociologically. Thus, it is inferred that the survey area will be dominated by the potential natural vegetation, Ainsliaeo-Quercetum mongolicae finally, if progressive succession is advanced continuously.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.140-146
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• 2018

Wild boars have expanded their habitats in Korea in recent years and caused serious social problems such as crop damage and appearance in urban areas. This study was carried out from May to October 2012 to investigate the environmental factors that affect crop damage based on actual cases reported in Geochang County of Gyeongnam Province, Korea. The analysis showed that the damages by wild boars occurred mainly between August and September, and rice was damaged most often while sweet potatoes were damaged most intensely. The results indicated that the damages were related to the wild boars' preference of crop and the seasonal availability of crops. Other factors that affected the crop damage included the slope, the topographic relief, and the distances from forest, stream, road, and residential area. There was no significant difference of environmental factor according to damage intensity, suggesting that the wild boars tended to attack the same cropland repeatedly and thus accumulating the damage. Our study suggests that reducing crop damages by wild boars will require cultivating crops less preferred by wild boars, installing electric fences, and controlling wild boar population with hunting and trapping.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.62-65
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• 2010

Arowana (Scleropages formosus) is the most valuable group of ornamental fishes and very much in demand in the ornamental fish trade and commands high price ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars per fish. In this paper, we described a case of mortality of arowana from a private aquarium in Korea. A bacterial pathogen from fish organs (brain, kidney, liver) was cultured, identified and confirmed using Vitek System 2, API 20E test, multiplex PCR and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The morphological and biochemical properties of the bacterium isolated from the brain, kidney and liver of the fish were similar to Aeromonas sobria. Positive amplification products using the multiplex PCR assay for detection of A. sobria were obtained from these organs. The 16S rRNA gene of the isolates from fish was identical and exhibited 100% sequence similarity with A. sobria (AY987762.1) strain available from GenBank. This bacterium contained hemolysin gene, a virulence factor that plays an important role in outbreaks of disease and is pathogenic to humans as well as in fish. Although this opportunistic bacterium was isolated from a fish without any external symptoms, this pathogen may act as a reservoir and enhance chances of zoonosis to human such as during handling.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.618-621
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• 2010

A giant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus) that was reared for public exhibition in a private commercial aquarium in Seoul, Korea, was recently found dead. The fish had evidenced symptoms including anorexia, lethargy, and depression persisting for two weeks. A bacterial pathogen from fish organs (kidney, liver, spleen) was cultured, identified and confirmed as Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae, using a Vitek System 2, API 20E test, multiplex PCR, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. In this paper, we have described the isolation and identification of Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae from a giant grouper reared in a private aquarium in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.488-498
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• 2008

Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model have been widely used in simulating hydrology and water quality analysis at watershed scale. The SWAT model extracts topographic feature using the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for hydrology and pollutant generation and transportation within watershed. Use of various DEM cell size in the SWAT leads to different results in extracting topographic feature for each subwatershed. So, it is recommended that model users use very detailed spatial resolution DEM for accurate hydrology analysis and water quality simulation. However, use of high resolution DEM is sometimes difficult to obtain and not efficient because of computer processing capacity and model execution time. Thus, the SWAT Topographic Feature Extraction Error (STOPFEE) Fix module, which can extract topographic feature of high resolution DEM from low resolution and updates SWAT topographic feature automatically, was developed and evaluated in this study. The analysis of average slope vs. DEM cell size revealed that average slope of watershed increases with decrease in DEM cell size, finer resolution of DEM. This falsification of topographic feature with low resolution DEM affects soil erosion and sediment behaviors in the watershed. The annual average sediment for Soyanggang-dam watershed with DEM cell size of 20 m was compared with DEM cell size of 100 m. There was 83.8% difference in simulated sediment without STOPFEE module and 4.4% difference with STOPFEE module applied although the same model input data were used in SWAT run. For Imha-dam watershed, there was 43.4% differences without STOPFEE module and 0.3% difference with STOPFEE module. Thus, the STOPFEE topographic database for Soyanggang-dam watershed was applied for Chungju-dam watershed because its topographic features are similar to Soyanggang-dam watershed. Without the STOPFEE module, there was 98.7% difference in simulated sediment for Chungju-dam watershed for DEM cell size of both 20 m and 100 m. However there was 20.7% difference in simulated sediment with STOPFEE topographic database for Soyanggang-dam watershed. The application results of STOPFEE for three watersheds showed that the STOPFEE module developed in this study is an effective tool to extract topographic feature of high resolution DEM from low resolution DEM. With the STOPFEE module, low-capacity computer can be also used for accurate hydrology and sediment modeling for bigger size watershed with the SWAT. It is deemed that the STOPFEE module database needs to be extended for various watersheds in Korea for wide application and accurate SWAT runs with lower resolution DEM.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.251-259
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• 2014

Recently, wetland and paddy wetland are being highlighted as the international environmental issues. However, research system which can assess paddy wetland is lacking. Thus, the purpose of this study is to assess the value of paddy wetland by applying RAM to paddy wetland. In addition, we would like to use this study as the data to establish assessment method for paddy wetland. 16 sites were selected as research targets based on altitude and soil. As the results of wetland assessment, 16 research target sites had total score of 212~227 and the average of 2.17~2.50. It was similar to those of Lacustrine Wetlands, Palustrine Wetland and Riverine Wetland which were sites in previous studies. The value could be recognized as the wetland. However, there was no difference in assessment results based on altitude and soil. It was found that all conservation values were the same. The factor the most closely affecting conservation value was the area. However, there was limitation to apply existing wetland assessment system to paddy wetland. In order to assess paddy wetland, factors such as rice farming methods, topography, vegetation, growth environment and biodiversity should be added. It was thought to supplement wetland assessment system through various further studies.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.403-409
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• 2014

Assessment of pollutant loads for livestock manure based on total organic carbon (TOC) is being required to apply TOC as an indicator in management of total maximum daily loads. In this study, TOC based unit loads of pig manure known as highly contributing to water pollution assessed. The concentration of pig manure, amount of manure production including cleaning water, and unit loads were investigated targeting 52 farms according to 4 major river basins, rearing form, farm scale, and piggery form. The manure production was highly generated in scraper type of piggery, in small scaled farm rearing sow, and in Han River basin and Nakdong River basin. The averaged manure production was 7.4 L/head/d in total river basins. Averaged concentrations were investigated as TOC 16,037 mg/L, BOD 10,559 mg/L, TN 4,145 mg/L, and TP 503 mg/L. Corresponding unit loads were assessed as TOC 117.1 g/head/d, BOD 77.1 g/head/d, TN 34.7 g/head/d, and TP 3.67 g/head/d.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.355-362
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• 2014

Changes of soil properties due to sedimentation and erosion in the river estuary may lead changes in environmental factors that affect plant growth and distribution, Then habitats in the river estuary that provide various ecological functions can also be influenced. Topsoil samples were analyzed in order to understand the soil properties of important barrier islands and habitat types in the Nakdong river estuary. The samples were obtained from Phragmites communis and Scirpus planiculmis habitats, the tidal flats in the southern area of Eulsukdo, and in Mangeummerydeung, Baekhapdeung, and Doyodeung. Analyses results showed that bulk density, pH, organic matter content and total nitrogen concentration which were directly or indirectly affected by vegetation showed significant difference (p<0.05) with habitat types but no differences in water content and oxidation reduction potential which could be affected by soil texture and showed significant difference among barrier islands. Results suggested that soil properties on barrier islands in the Nakdong river estuary were influenced first by geomorphic changes due to sedimentation and erosion, and then by the presence or type of vegetation. A range of physical and chemical properties were analyzed; soil water content and bulk density (physical properties), and organic content and pH (chemical properties) were correlated with seven other soil properties, at a level of significance higher than 90%. These aspects played an important role in determining overall soil properties in the studied area.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.35-42
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• 2007

The paved areas such as parking lots and roads are stormwater intensive landuses since they are impervious and have high pollutant mass emissions from vehicular activity. Vehicle emissions include different pollutants such as heavy metals, oil and grease, particulates from sources such as fuels, brake pad wear and tire wear. Especially, the released heavy metals can be easily absorbed on the surface area of small particulate materials because of its ionic strength. Therefore, by constructing the sedimental tank in structural BMPs as a pre-treatment facility, the particles and heavy metals both can be removed from the runoff at an instant. To understand the physico-chemical characteristics of sediments from sedimentation tank, one-year study at an infiltration trench and filtration system was conducted to quantify the metal mass absorbed on sediments with various particle sizes. The structural BMPs for this study are located in Yongin City, Kyunggido. The research results show that Cu, Zn and Pb are dominant metal compounds in the sediments. Also the metal concentrations are highest at the ranges of $425-850{\mu}m$ particle sizes. The results will provide the basic physico-chemical information of sediments to treat it as solid wastes and to determine the design criteria of sedimentation tank in structural BMPs.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.43-49
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• 2007

A ditch is a facility for managing washed-off runoff from parking lot area. Washed-off runoff inflows into ditches where it is retained for a short period of time. At this point, it is assumed that a ditch is a preliminary unit for runoff treatment. This research carries out the distribution of particle size and chemical compound for sediment in parking lot ditch. This work is important to understand the amount of generated sediment from this area to be able to determine different particle size ranges for treatment. Metal concentrations for sediment according to particle size are analyzed. From the distribution of particle size, the weight ratio with the range of $425-850{\mu}m$ is the highest. Considering its weight ratio, the metal concentration of coarser particles is high, otherwise metal concentration increases as particle size decreases. Metal load of the range is higher and the ratio of total metal load in the case of Cu, Pb, Zn is nearly 30%. Moreover metal concentration associated with particle size depends on particle ratio. To manage non-point source pollution for parking lot area, these results can be used with this ditch unit.