• 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.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.200-206
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• 2017

The damage and fragmentation of habitat due to urbanization pose a great threat to amphibians worldwide. To understand the effect of urbanization on the distribution and abundance of Hyla japonica, we measured their population sizes by listening frog calling and investigated the habitat their population sizes and land use in the 18 rice paddy fields located in Incheon and its surroundings. Abundance of H. japonica was 0 - 17 male adults / habitat or 0 - 41 male adults / ha in Incheon. The number of the frog was increased as the distance between the habitat and the road became longer or the ratio of circumstance / area of the habitat increased. Unlike the general prediction, the density of H. japonica showed a negative correlation with the size of the habitat and a positive correlation with the surrounding land use intensity. Our results suggested that H. japonica could be concentrated in a narrow habitat due to the habitat size decrease and the periphery development according to the urbanizaion.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.337-341
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• 2003

Habitat heterogeneity can enhance biological diversity by providing variation in structural diversity. This paper reviewed heterogeneous habitat serves as a population stability and superior demographic performance (e.g., high density, survivorship, reproductive rate) can be observed compared with organisms with inferior demographic performance. The idea of habitat variation has been further developed in modelling. Furthermore the size and configuration (distribution) of a patch (of a particular habitat type) become effective for the stability of population through hiding places and food resources. Species diversity is related to habitat complexity that provides structural diversity to ground -dwelling organisms. Finally coarse woody debris can enhance habitat complexity thus stabilizing population fluctuation and increasing survivorship.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.415-420
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• 2022

It is essential that continual assessments of the impact of mine-derived water as a long-lasting burden on freshwater environments. Abundance-based evaluations of benthic macroinvertebrates have been conducted to evaluate anthropogenic disturbances and devise policies to reduce their impact. In this study, the status of a stream habitat was evaluated based on the body length and biomass weight of benthic macroinvertebrates of the family Baetidae. Following the renewal of the mining water treatment plant, the abundance of Baetidae assemblages recovered to a level comparable to that of a reference site. However, relatively low values were found for both body length and biomass weight in Baetidae species inhabiting the reddened streambed area, suggesting that the habitat has not yet been completely recovered despite the recovery of the abundance of the Baetidae assemblages. Therefore, continuous investigation and evaluation of this disturbed stream are necessary until their growth conditions of the habitat have functionally recovered.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.35-39
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• 2012

In the current study, several carabid beetle species were proposed as potential biological indicators for different habitat types (levee, upland dike, hillock, and streamside) of agricultural landscapes focusing on agrobiont species. Synuchus arcuaticollis and Synuchus orbicollis were found in all habitat types, indicating that they are general species for all habitat types. Harpalus eous and Synuchus cycloderus are potential bioindicator species for the paddy levee and hillock habitats, respectively. Amara pseudosimplicidens, Anisodactylus punctatipennis, and Chlaenius ocreatus, which occurred widely, and Bembidion morawitzi, which occurred only in the streamside habitat, are potential bioindicators for the streamside habitat.

• Journal of KIBIM
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.72-79
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• 2018

Rapid developments around the world have resulted in urban expansion, habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation, and pollution problems, which are the main reasons for the decline in biological diversity. The United Nations warns that many animals and plants will die out in the near future if this continues. This study was performed to propose a map of eco-corridor suitability analysis of Korean water deer(Hydropotes Inermis) to enhance biodiversity in Chuncheon city. Eight factors affecting habitat suitability were elevation, aspect, slope, forest type, distance to the road, distance to the stream, land use and green connectivity. Previous study analysis on the mobility behaviour of the Korean water deer(Hydropotes Inermis) produced a habitat suitability map by determining the threshold and assigning a value between 0 and 1 depending on the habitat suitability using the fuzzy function. A method of analysis was proposed for a number of eco-corridor through comparative analysis of the data from the produced habitat suitability map and the road-kill point. The previous studies were focused on Backdudaegan region and national parks except for urban cities. The potential habitat map of Korean water deer could be helpful as a way to prevent habitat disconnection and increase species diversity in urban areas.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.73-83
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• 2013

The object of this study was to evaluate lotic ecosystem health using multiple eco-metric approaches such as water chemistry diagnosis, physical habitat health evaluations, and biological integrity modeling at 100 streams of four major watersheds. For the study, eight chemical water quality parameters such as nutrients (N, P) and organic material were measured and 11-metric models of Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) and multiple eco-metric health assessment model (MEHA) were applied to the four major watershed. Nutrient analysis of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in all watersheds indicated a eutrophic state depending on the locations of sampling streams. Physical habitat health, based on the QHEI model, averaged 114 (range: 56 - 194), judging as a "good condition" by the criteria of Plafkin et al. (1989). In addition, primary (H1 - H4), secondary (H5 - H7), and tertiary habitat metric variables (H8 - H11) were analyzed in relation to the physical habitat degradations. The plots of tolerant species ($P_{TS}$) and sensitive species ($P_{SS}$) to water quality showed that the proportions of $P_{TS}$ had positive linear functions with nutrients, and that the $P_{SS}$ had inverse linear relations with the chemical variables. The model of eco-metric health assessment showed that mean MEHA was 20.4, indicating a fair condition. Overall, our data suggest that water chemistry, based on nutrients and organic matter, directly modified the trophic structures in relation to food chain in the aquatic ecosystems, and then these directly influenced the compositions of tolerance/sensitive species, resulting in degradations of overall ecological health.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.343-352
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• 2015

The landscape setting of a habitat strongly influences the distribution, abundance, and species composition of waterfowl. Thus, habitat assessment is very important to understand the habitat characteristics that sustain waterfowl assemblages. In this study, we hypothesized that the excessive use of artificial materials when new wetlands are constructed negatively influences wintering waterfowl. To test this hypothesis, we measured environmental factors, assessed habitat, and investigated waterfowl at 13 artificial wetlands in the Nakdong River Basin. There were greater numbers of waterfowl species and individuals in artificial wetlands with high habitat assessment scores. In contrast, environmental factors did not affect waterfowl distribution. In particular, features of natural habitats, such as macrophytes and sandbars, and the surrounding land-use patterns were important factors for sustaining waterfowl assemblages in each created wetland. Our results show that promoting naturalness in wetlands and surrounding areas would increase the species diversity and abundance of waterfowl. Further, complex habitats, such as wetlands and some terrestrial habitats, support both aquatic and terrestrial species because mixed habitats feature a larger array of food sources than more limited habitats do.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.269-278
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• 2011

Carabid beetle community changes in paddy fields, abandoned paddy fields, and mountains were investigated to understand differences in species diversity and composition of different habitat types in small agricultural landscapes in South Korea. A total of 2,938 individuals from 37 species were identified and classified from the studied habitats. Diversity in the mountains was higher than that in abandoned paddy fields. As the number of years since abandonment increased, the diversity and stability of the carabid beetle community also increased. Abandoned paddy fields in some paddy field areas and adjoining mountainous areas, left with preconditions for management and control, have provided the opportunity to improve the diversity and habitat of small agricultural landscapes. Species composition changed continuously from the paddy fields to the mountains, in accordance with individual species habitat preferences. Abandoned paddy fields in small agricultural landscapes are believed to play an important role as transitional buffer zones between paddy fields and the adjacent mountainous areas.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.127-140
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• 2010

This study investigates the relation between the location of a habitat and the ecological connections according to the habitat type in the riparian zone at the Nonsan Stream and Yanghwa Stream. Stream habitat is classified into nine types for the aquatic insects and fish. For vegetation and birds, habitat is classified into two types of medium-scale streams, including both physical and chemical streams are analyzed accordingly. Nowadays, The fundamental goal of the river environment restoration enterprise is the rehabilitation or the restoration of the characteristic the river scenic or environment. For instance, The Channel habitats which has physical nature environment such as flat, speedy rapids, or closed-channel wetland, pool are constructed by artificial, Consequently, make them autogenesis smoothy eco-environment. However, the river environment are controlled not only physical environment, but it also need reasonable the quality of the water to compose smoothly. Finally, understanding what influence are effecting on physical habitat environment which are made by natural factors to water quality are very important factor for the river environment restoration enterprise Therefore, In this research, we are targeting to a basin to investigate the environment of the physical channel habitat and evaluate the changing of the water quality. This results will be a important characteristic that can judge the physical habitat and reciprocality connected to the water quality or adequacy of restoration technology. Therefore in this study, as a step to quantify functions and values of habitats and definite factors to perform habitat, we selected a representative stream of sand-stream, gravel-stream to classify habitat characteristics and quantified the physical, chemical, biological characteristics.