• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.631-648
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• 2012

The integrative ecological approaches of chemical assessments, physical habitat modelling, and multi-metric biological health modelling were applied to Gwanpyeong Stream within Gap-Stream watersheds to evaluate environmental impacts on the constructions of residential and commercial complex. For the analysis, the surveys conducted from 45 sites of reference streams within the Gap-Stream watershed and 3 regular sites during 2009 - 2010. Physical habitat health, based on the habitat model of Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index(QHEI) declined from the headwaters(good - fair condition) to the downstream(poor condition). Chemical water quality, based turbidity and electric conductivity(EC), was degraded toward to the downstream, and especially showed abrupt increases, compared to the values of control streams(CS). Also, concentrations of chlorophyll-a in the downstreams were greater compared to the control stream(CS), indicating an eutrophication. Biological health conditions, based on the Index of Biological Integrity(IBI) using fish assemblages, averaged 19.3 which is judged as a fair condition by the biological criteria of the Ministry of Environment, Korea. The comparisons of model metric values in sensitive species and riffle-benthic species on the Maximum Species Richness Line(MSRL) of 45 reference streams indicated a massive disturbances in all sampling locations. Also, tolerance guild and trophic guild analyses suggest that dominances of tolerant species and omnivores were evident, indicating a biological degradation by habitat disturbances and organic matter pollutions. There was no distinct longitudinal variations of IBI model values from the headwater to the downstream in spite of slight chemical and habitat health gradients among the sampling sites. Overall, integrative ecological health(IEH) scores, based on the chemical, physical, and biological parameters, were low compared to the 45 reference streams due to physical and chemical disturbances of massive constructions of the residential and commercial complex. This stream, thus showed a tendency of typical urban streams which are disturbed in the chemical water quality, habitat structures, and biological integrity. Effective stream management plans and restoration strategies are required in this urban stream for improving integrative stream health.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.110-119
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• 2024

Background: The Mae Kha Canal is one of Chiang Mai's most important waterways. It supports local agriculture, irrigation, and transportation as well as provides stormwater drainage to prevent floods. Due to the unregulated rapid urbanization of the city and lack of efficient waste and wastewater management systems over the past few decades, the canal has become heavily polluted. This study aimed to evaluate the water quality of Mae Kha canal through assessment of the physico-chemical water quality and coliform bacteria. Moreover, benthic macroinvertebrates were samples and assessed using the Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP^Thai) and Average Score Per Taxon (ASPT^Thai) as biological indices. Results: The physico-chemical showed low dissolved oxygen levels, high levels of ammonia and phosphates, and elevated levels of biochemical oxygen demand, indicating that the water quality had significantly deteriorated. The canal was found to be heavily polluted, with most sites falling into the polluted to very heavily polluted. Coliform bacteria analysis revealed alarmingly high levels of total coliform bacteria and fecal coliform bacteria in the canal. The BMWP^Thai and ASPT^Thai scores indicated poor to very poor water quality. Conclusions: The physico-chemical and coliform bacteria indicated that the water quality of the Mae Kha canal had significantly deteriorated. The biological indices also indicated the poor to very poor water quality. This study underscores the urgent need for comprehensive remediation efforts, emphasizing strategic planning, investment, and community engagement to revive the canal's ecological health and water quality.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.207-216
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• 2017

Several bioassays have been performed for assessment of the impact of polluted sediments. The direct exposure method using sediments is limited by difficulty controlling feeding and its effects on organisms. Furthermore, only macro-organisms and benthic organisms are used. To evaluate the potential application of sediment elutriate as a complementary strategy for impact assessment, copepods, small organisms with a short life cycle, were exposed to sediment elutriates, and several end-points were measured. As a result, sediment elutriates prepared from polluted sites caused growth retardation in marine copepods. In terms of molecular biomarkers, antioxidant-related and chaperone protein gene expression levels were increased in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Thus, we suggest that sediment elutriate tests can provide an effective alternative for toxicity assessment using whole sediment samples. Further studies are required to obtain sufficient data for future applications.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.361-371
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• 2015

This study analyzed the 91 cases of the statements for the Sea Area Utilization Consultation according to the developmental projects of ports and fishery harbors for 2012 2014 and the status of the record of document, and suggested the improvement way to go. The marine environmental timpact assessment items both marine chemistry such as water quality, sediment and marine biology such as benthic animal, plankton, and fisheries show highly rate of site survey. But, the utilization of those data through site survey is too low, and it is necessary to adopt the QA/QC for the reliability of survey data. The items of marine physics such as tide, tidal current analyzed based on references not a site survey. However, the simulation performed actively without calibration and verification compared to the result of site survey. When the projects of port and fishery harbor perform, it is necessary to monitor the physical parameter such as wave, tide and tidal current especially. Based on the scale and the type of project, we need introduce the system of scoping for prediagnosis the key assessment items and checklists.

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

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.17-32
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• 2018

The need for seawater desalination is increasing in terms of securing various water resources, but few studies are available as for the environmental impact of hypersaline concentrated water (brine) discharged from desalination plants. Domestic studies are concentrated mainly on toxicity evaluation that phytoplankton, zooplankton larvae and green algae (Ulva pertusa) are negatively affected by concentrated water. The mortality of Paralichthys olivaceus showed a linear relationship with increasing salinity, and Oryzias latipes died 100% at concentrations above 60 psu. Foreign studies included monitoring cases as well as toxicity evaluations. The number of species decreased around the area where the concentrated water discharged. The hypersaline concentrated water affects the pelagic and benthic organisms. However, the fishes escaped when exposed to salinity, and the pelagic and benthic organisms resistant to salinity survived the hypersaline environment. The salinity limit and distance from the outlet was presented as the regulatory standard for bine discharge. There were differences in regulatory standards among country and seawater desalination plants, and these regulatory standards have been strengthened recently. In particular, California Water Boards were revised to ensure that the maximum daily salinity concentration does not exceed 2 psu above the ambient salinity level within 100 m of the outlet.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.76-83
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• 2022

We attempted to estimate potential habitats of Clithon retropictus and to determine the community structure of benthic macroinvertebrates by presence of C. retropictus. 2016 to 2018 database of "Survey and Assessment of Estuary Ecosystem Health" by the Ministry of Environment were used to identify the distribution site of C. retropictus. The occupancy model was applied to estimate the potential habitat of C. retropictus. Four diversity indices were used to confirm the community structure of benthic macroinvertebrates. C. retropictus was found in the southern coast area and part of the east coast, and this pattern was consistent with previous studies. Additionally, the occupancy model predicted that a potential habitat of C. retropictus could appear in the west coast area. The community structure of benthic macroinvertebrates was relatively high at the site with C. retropictus than the site without C. retropictus. Therefore, the occupancy model can be considered when conserving C. retropictus inhabiting a limited area. Additionally, C. retropictus can be used to the indicator species that can represent the brackish water environment.

• 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.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.457-464
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• 2002

Distribution and stock assessment of mega-benthos living in the shallow hard bottom around Dokdo were studied in July,2000. Depth and topographical conditions have affected to the densities and biomass of benthic animals. In shallow area, less than 10 m depth, turbo shell Batillus cornutus, mussel, Mytilus corusucs were dominated and showed distinct patterns in vertical distribution. On the other hand, the area over 10m depth, it showed diverse pattern depending on topography. Turbo shell, mussel and sea cucumber Stichopus japonicus were dominated in terms of fishery resources, but abalones were rarely sampled. Stock assessment were estimated to be 6.54 M/T, 3.89 M/T and 8.92 M/T, respectively. Some parts of coastal hard bottom around Dokdo, such as the area between Dongdo and Seodo, seemed to play an Important role as nursery ground. Therefore, it is necessary to the environmental monitoring for coastal fishery managements aspects.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.31-45
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• 2020

The biological indices based on the community structure with species richness and/or abundance are commonly used to assess aquatic ecosystem health. Meanwhile, recently functional traits-based approach is considered in ecosystem health assessment to reflect ecosystem functioning. In this study, we developed a database of biological traits for 136 taxa consisting of major stream insects (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera, Coleoptera, and Odonata) collected at Korean streams on the nationwide scale. In addition, we obtained environmental variables in five categories (geography, climate, land use, hydrology and physicochemistry) measured at each sampling site. We evaluated the relationships between community indices based on taxonomic diversity and functional diversity estimated from biological traits. We classified sampling sites based on similarities of their environmental variables and evaluated relations between clusters of sampling sites and diversity indices and biological traits. Our results showed that functional diversity was highly correlated with Shannon diversity index and species richness. The six clusters of sampling sites defined by a hierarchical cluster analysis reflected differences of their environmental variables. Samples in cluster 1 were mostly from high altitude areas, whereas samples in cluster 6 were from lowland areas. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) displayed similar patterns with cluster analysis and presented variation of taxonomic diversity and functional diversity. Based on NMDS and community-weighted mean trait value matrix, species in clusters 1-3 displayed the resistance strategy in the life history strategy to the environmental variables whereas species in clusters 4-6 presented the resilience strategy. These results suggest that functional diversity can complement the biological monitoring assessment based on taxonomic diversity and can be used as biological monitoring assessment tool reflecting changes of ecosystem functioning responding to environmental changes.