• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.383-399
• /
• 2018

In the present study, the community distribution, functional feeding groups, and habitat groups of the benthic macroinvertebrates from Gayasan National Park were investigated at eight different sites from 2015 to 2016. The correlation between habitat altitude and each group type was analyzed statistically. Biodiversity indices, including dominance, diversity, richness, and evenness indices, were calculated. The results showed a total of 4,216 individual benthic macroinvertebrates were collected, including 4 phyla, 6 classes, 16 orders, 40 families, and 100 species. Gammarus sobaegensis was dominant with 0.141% dominance, and the subdominant species was Epeorus nipponicus with 0.088% dominance. The EPT group(Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Tricoptera) accounted for 71.00% of the total species and 67.69% of the total individuals. The number of scraper species was highest, and the number of gathering collector individuals was highest among functional feeding groups. The individual number of scrapers(r=-0.358, p < 0.05) and gathering collectors(r=-0.343, p < 0.05) decreased with increasing altitude. The numbers of species and individuals of clingers and sprawlers were highest among the habitat groups. The individual number of clingers(r=-0.547, p < 0.01) and burrowers(r=-0.331, p < 0.05) significantly decreased with increasing altitude. The diversity and richness indices were higher in St. 3 than in the other sites. The dominance index was highest in St. 2, and the evenness index was highest in St. 7. We evaluated the biological water quality with several known methods, and concluded that ESB(Ecological score of benthic macrovertebrates community) and GPI(Group polution index) were more suitable than KSI(Korean saprobic index) and BMI (Benthic macrovertebrate index) to assess the biological water quality of Gayasan mountain stream water.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.309-318
• /
• 2013

This study was conducted for determining the influence of artificial structures on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in stream. Sampling was taken at upper(pool), down(riffle) and control(riffle) from two check dams, two weirs, one agricultural reservoir, and one multipurpose dam in northern part of Gyeongsangbuk-do. The benthic macroinvertebrate communities of these structures were surveyed during 2009 to 2011. The simple habitat of benthic macroinvertebrates occurred at the upper sites due to pooling effects from artificial structures. Specifically, Check dam1, Jusanji, Imha dam showed very low biological attribute values compared to the down and control sites, which have greater difference in substrate characteristics. However, in the upper sites of Check dam2, Weir1 and Weir2, the difference of values of biological attributes was relatively smaller. Also, proportion of functional feeding groups and functional habit groups were relatively simpler at upper stream and the degree of community differences was greater between upper and down, control sites. Spearman's correlation between biological attributes and substrate characteristics, water quality parameters had significant correlations; particularly, the substrate characteristics were more significantly related. In conclusion, the pool caused by artificial structures had negative effects on benthic macroinvertebrate communities thus leading to simplified stream habitats at upper stream ecosystems.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.34 no.5
• /
• pp.514-536
• /
• 2018

GPI (Group Pollution Index) using 29 indicator groups of Korean benthic macroinvertebrates was proposed in 1992, a higher category taxa-level index developed for rapid field assessment of organic water pollution. This study was performed to revise the assessment scheme of GPI based on taxonomic performance and ecological information accumulated since 1992. The original GPI was renamed SBMI (Simple Benthic Macroinvertebrates Index), and SBMI was based on saprobic valency of 26 indicator groups composed of higher category taxa (mainly family ~ phylum) excluding some genus or species-level taxa. SBMI revealed highly significant correlation with concentration of 5-day biochemical oxygen demand ($BOD_5$) (correlation coefficient r = 0.78, n = 569 sites), total suspended solids (r = 0.69), and total phosphorus (r = 0.77). Also, SBMI revealed strong correlation with Shannon-Weaver's species diversity (r = -0.85), Margalef's species richness (r = -0.85), and McNaughton's dominance (r = 0.83). Determination coefficient of SBMI to concentration of water quality items and values of community indices such as species diversity was 3 ~ 8 % and approximately 11 ~ 14 % higher than that of GPI, respectively. Correlation between SBMI and water quality factors or community indices such as species diversity did not reveal much difference compared to that of species-level indices, such as BMI (Benthic Macroinvertebrates Index) and ESB (Ecological Score of Benthic Macroinvertebrates). SMBI is a simple-qualitative index with higher category taxa easily identified, and is applicable for rapid field assessment of water environment impairment.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.23 no.5
• /
• pp.807-817
• /
• 2014

Benthic macroinvertebrates were seasonally sampled from upstream and downstream of the Gunwi Dam construction site from 2006 to 2012. Totally 148 and 165 species were collected at the upstream and downstream sampling sites, respectively. At the upstream area after dam construction, there was no significant change of the numbers of non-insect taxa, but at the downstream area, the non-insect taxon numbers were increased gradually. The individual ratio of Ephemeroptera and Diptera had higher value than the other taxa in both of up and downstream. The trichopteran individual ratios were increased in upstream sites, but decreased in downstream sites from 2010. Also, non-insects and coleopteran individual ratios were decreased in upstream, but increased in downstream after completion of dam construction. The annual range of fluctuation in community indices narrowed after construction. According to a functional feeding group analysis, the individual ratios of FC (Filtering Collector) were increased, and GC (Gathering Collector) and SC (Scraper) were decreased in upstream sites annually. In contrast, the annual individual ratios of FC were decreased, and GC and SC were increased in the downstream sites.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
• /
• v.24 no.6
• /
• pp.920-933
• /
• 2012

Marine algal flora and community structure were investigated seasonally at four stations in Busan, in which coastal area and estuary affected by Nakdong river are involved, from February 2011 to October 2011. Total 78 species including 9 of cholophyta, 17 of phaeophyta and 52 of rhodophyta were found during the study period. Maximum and minimum species number were recorded at station 1(57 species) and at 3(32 species). As based on the cluster analysis, grouping pattern between the four stations was significantly affected by season and Nakdong river run off. At station 3 directly exposured on Nakdong river run off, species diversity was relatively low and dominant species were similar throughout four seasons. However, coverage at the station was relatively high because of Ulva bloom. This difference results from salinity and nitrates concentrations closely related with river runoff controlled according to precipitation. Marine algal coverage was high at lower salinity and higher nitrate concentration. In conclusion, the spatio-temporal distribution of benthic marine algae in estuary of Nakdong river was mainly determined by the precipitation and river run off with the seasons, whereas that in coastal area was seasonally affected by general physical, chemical, biological and dynamic factors.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.157-177
• /
• 1995

Monthly changes in communities of benthic macroinvertebrates collected in the Suyong and Soktae stream of the Suyong river were investigated from September 1993 to August 1994. The total number of species collected during the study period ranged from seven to seventy six species according to pollution levels at the study sites. Monthly changes in species richness appeared differently in different taxonomic assemblages. In chironomids differences in species richness responding to different levels of saprobity were shown consistently as time proceeded. In Ephemeroptera species richness at the relatively clean sites responded sensitively to slight enrichment. In connection with species richness the monthly changes in densities in taxonomic assemblages also appeared to effectively represent environmental impacts. Species diversity generally represented the pollution status also, however the monthly variations at the study sites appeared to be relatively high. The clustering analysis showed that the communities collected at polluted sites were grouped closely, and the communities collected at the relatively clean sites were clustered to the same stream although the degree of community association was low, Through the Principal Component Analysis, the impact of Pollution was reflected in a great degree in overall community variations.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.44 no.6
• /
• pp.581-590
• /
• 2018

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the species composition of fish and benthic macroinvertebrates in the Namgang Dam reservoir and assess the reservoir's ecological quality. Methods: Fish and benthic macroinvertebrates were seasonally sampled around the Namgang Dam reservoir from October 2013 to September 2014. Results: A total of 970 fish specimens were collected for this survey, including 4 orders, 14 families, and 25 species. Fourteen endemic species were observed, including Coreoleuciscus splendidus. The most observed among the endemic species caught was Zacco koreanus (14.4%). A total of 9,093 benthic macroinvertebrates, including 51 families and 92 species, were also found. The predominant species in the study area was Chironomidae sp. 1. Diplonychus esakii, whose habitat is distribution-specific as designated by the Korean National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER), were also observed. A total of 386 specimens were collected of the invasive alien species Lepomis macrochirus, and the percentage of Lepomis macrochirus and Micropterus salmoides made up 42.0% of all specimens collected in the area. Conclusion: The mean ecological score of the benthic macroinvertebrate community (ESB) ranged between 24 and 40, which indicates that the environmental condition of the target sites is somewhat poor. Based on the results of this research, building habitats for benthic macroinvertebrates should be considered, and extermination plans for invasive alien fish species should be prepared.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.3 no.4
• /
• pp.261-270
• /
• 1998

This study was carried out in order to investigate the distribution and species composition of benthic polychaetous community in northern Kyeonggi Bay in September 1995. Mean density of benthic animals was 557 indiv./$m^2$. Benthic polychaetes were the most dominant faunal group, comprising 60 species with a mean density of 488 indiv./$m^2$. Benthic polychaetes were most abundant in Yumha Channel centering on Incheon Harbor, whereas relatively poor in the intertidal zones fringing Yongjong Island and Songdo area, and in the offshore main channel. The most dominant polychaete was Heteromastus filiformis (47.3% of polychaetous community), followed by Nephtys palybranchia, Tharyx sp., Sternaspis scutata and so on. Kyeonggi Bay could be divided into 4 regions from cluster analysis based on the dominant species composition: offsea/channel region, Incheon Harbor, intertidal zone of Yongjong Island, and intertidal zone of Songdo area. Highest species number and diversity index (H') were recorded at offsea/channel region, whereas highest faunal density at Incheon Harbor. Incheon Harbor was characterized by high abundance of H. filiformis. Compared with the previous studies carried out in Kyeonggi Bay, faunal density and species number have little changed for the recent 10 years. Dominant species was different between each study, but has been among opportunistic species of small-sized polychaetes belonging to capitellids, cirratulids or spionids. These results indicate that Kyeonggi Bay has been organically polluted steadily; specifically, this study reveals that Incheon Harbor has been the center of pollution and that the benthic community in the outer sea off Sihwa dike has become unstable.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.95-107
• /
• 2015

Because an ecological community consists of diverse species that vary nonlinearly with environmental variability, its dynamics are complex and difficult to analyze. To investigate temporal variations of benthic macroinvertebrate community, we used the community data that were collected at the sampling site in Baenae Stream near Busan, Korea, which is a clean stream with minimum pollution, from July 2006 to July 2013. First, we used a self-organizing map (SOM) to heuristically derive the states that characterizes the biotic condition of the benthic macroinvertebrate communities in forms of time series data. Next, we applied the hidden Markov model (HMM) to fine-tune the states objectively and to obtain the transition probabilities between the states and the emission probabilities that show the connection of the states with observable events such as the number of species, the diversity measured by Shannon entropy, and the biological water quality index (BMWP). While the number of species apparently addressed the state of the community, the diversity reflected the state changes after the HMM training along with seasonal variations in cyclic manners. The BMWP showed clear characterization of events that correspond to the different states based on the emission probabilities. The environmental factors such as temperature and precipitation also indicated the seasonal and cyclic changes according to the HMM. Though the usage of the HMM alone can guarantee the convergence of the training or the precision of the derived states based on field data in this study, the derivation of the states by the SOM that followed the fine-tuning by the HMM well elucidated the states of the community and could serve as an alternative reference system to reveal the ecological structures in stream communities.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.135-148
• /
• 2005

Macrobeilthic fauna were collected using a van Veen grab $(0.1m^2)$ to investigate the spatial characteristics of the macrobenthos community at 28 stations near the Nakdong River estuary, Southeast Korea, in September 2001. A total of 203 species were sampled with a mean density of $1,554 ind./m^2$ and a biomass of $252.3 gWWt/m^2$. Annelids were the dominant faunal group in terms of species and density, with 68 species and a mean density of $1,031ind./m^2$, which comprised 33.5% and 66.3% of the total benthic animals, respectively. Based on density, three Polychaetes were dominant Tharyx sp· $(420ind./m^2)$, Lumbrineris longifolia $(143ind./m^2)$, and Sternaspis scutata $(118ind./m^2)$, along with a bivalve Theora fragilis $(129 ind./m^2)$. On cluster analysis, the benthic community was classified into four groups based on the species composition: Group-1 occurred in disturbed areas, Group-II in coastal regions, Group-III in central mariculture grounds, and Group-IV offshore. Environmental factors (mean gain size, organic carbon, and depth) were primarily correlated with the macrobenthos community structure. A benthic pollution assessment based on the macrobenthos community structure showed that Group-I and Group-II were located in a coastal area that had been severely disturbed by construction of Busan new port and various pollutants, Group-III was gradually polluted, while offshore Group-IV was the most stable.