• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.503-524
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• 2021

A largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) is an ecosystem disturbance fish species at the highest rank in the aquatic ecosystem, causing a serious imbalance in freshwater ecosystems. Although various attempts have been made to eradicate and control largemouth bass, no effective measures were found. Therefore, it is necessary to find an approach to maximize the effective population reduction based on the unique characteristics of largemouth bass. This study used the transcriptome analysis to derive 182,887 unigene contigs and select 12 types of final target sequences for applying the CRISPR/Cas9 system in the genes of IZUMO1 and Zona pellucida sperm-binding protein, which are proteins involved in sperm-egg recognition. After synthesizing 12 types of sgRNA capable of recognizing each target sequence, 12 types of Cas9-sgRNA ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes to be used in subsequent studies were prepared. This study searched the protein-coding gene of sperm-egg through the Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and edited genes through the CRISPR/Cas9 system to induce infertile individuals that produced reproductive cells but could not form fertilized eggs. Through such a series of processes, it successfully established a composition development process for largemouth bass. It is judged that this study contributed to securing the valuable basic data for follow-up studies to verify its effect for the management of ecological disturbances without affecting the habitat of other endemic species in the same water system with the largemouth bass.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.44-58
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• 2022

Bunhwangsa Temple, Baekryulsa Temple and Sambulsa Temple are not famous cultural heritage area, but they are visited by many tourists and are located in Gyeongju National Park and Gyeongju Historic Areas, so environmental and cultural preservations are required. The purpose of this study is to manage the unique environment and landscape of cultural assets by analysing the invasive alien plant of traditional temple of Gyeongju. The whole flora were summarized as 188 taxa including 73 families, 136 genera, 154 species, 3 subspecies, 11 varieties, 4 forms, 5 hybrids and 12 cultivars., and the landscape plants were 163 taxa and 38 taxa of the invasive alien plants. The 13 taxa of invasive alien plants were planted in three temples. The ecosystem disturbance species were 3 taxa including Rumex acetosella, Lactuca seriola and Symphyotrichum pilosum. Invasive alien plants have artificial causes such as landscape planting, but there are also those that are introduced naturally from outside. The parking lot of the temple is expected to be a major propagation path for invasive alien plants due to the large amount of interference and disturbance. Based on the results of this study, the management plans are suggested as follows. First, it is necessary to use native species suitable for the natural environment and traditional landscape of Korea for landscape planting of traditional temples, and development of planting guidelines centered on cultural properties is required. Second, it is necessary to refrain from planting invasive alien plants because traditional temples are located in an important environment and historically. Third, for the preservation of the temple environment, it is necessary to promptly remove the ecosystem disturbance species. Fourth, in order to express the landscape characteristics of traditional temples, a unique planting plan should be established in consideration of the location environment and historicity.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.558-572
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to classify the types of degraded areas of Mt. Jirisan section in Baekdudaegan and survey the actual condition of each damage type to use it as basic data for the direction of the restoration of damaged areas according to damage type based on the vegetation information of reference ecosystem. The analysis of the Mt. Jirisan section's actual degraded conditions showed that the total number of patches of degraded areas was 57, and the number of patches and size of degraded areas was higher at the low average altitude and gentle slope. Grasslands (deserted lands) and cultivated areas accounted for a high portion of the damage types, indicating that agricultural land use was a major damage factor. The survey on the conditions of 14 degraded areas showed that the types of damage were classified into the grassland, cultivated area, restoration area, logged-off land, and bare ground. The analysis of the degree of disturbance (the ratio of annual and biennial herb, urbanized index, and disturbance index) by each type showed that the simple single-layer vegetation structure mostly composed of the herbaceous and the degree of disturbance were high in the grassland and cultivated land. The double-layer vegetation structure appeared in the restoration area where the pine seedlings were planted, and the inflow of naturalized plants was especially high compared to other degraded areas due to disturbances caused by the restoration project and the nearby hiking trails. Although the inflow of naturalized plants was low because of high altitude in bare ground, the proportion of annual and biennial herb was high, indicating that all surveyed degraded areas were in early succession stages. The stand ordination by type of damage showed the restoration area on the I-axis, cultivated area, grassland, logged-off land, and bare ground in that order, indicating the arrangement by the damage type. Moreover, the stand ordination of the degraded areas and reference ecosystem based on floristic variation showed a clear difference in species composition. This study diagnosed the status of each damage type based on the reference ecosystem information according to the ecological restoration procedure and confirmed the difference in species composition between the diagnosis result and the reference ecosystem. These findings can be useful basic data for establishing the restoration goal and direction in the future.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.103-115
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• 2007

Risk assessment by living indicator species provides the information about the ecosystem disturbance, disapperance of symbiosis and change of living group. In the initial stage of this kind research, the degree of contamination was reported using the level of simple number, but simple number may not represent the risk itself which can be casued in the living organisms. Risk assessment using various indicator species overcomes these limitations and can be expanded to the DNA level. In many developed counties, the government has supervised the researches about the indicator species for the monitoring and its application to ecosystem restoration. Several living indicator species found in the vicinity of the abandoned Au mines such as fern, earthworm, bacteria, rhizosphere-rhizoplane, salamamdor and DNA change of these species are described in this paper.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.117-129
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• 2010

The vascular plants of the 15 sites of Taeanhaean National Park were identified as 493 taxa; 117 families, 326 genera, 436 species, 49 varieties, 6 form, 2 hybrids. The National Park area includes coastal areas and islands, these islands reflects well the floristic characteristics of coastal area and transition area of the middle province and the southern province. The study revealed that Ficus erecta Thunb., Machilus thunbergii S. et Z., Neolitsea sericea (Bl.) Koidz. and Eurya japonica Thunb. etc. were the mainly distributed species in the southern area while Rosa rugosa Thunb., Carex kobomugi Ohwi and Elymus mollis Trin., etc. were mainly distributed species over the coastal dune area. Deciduous and evergreens broad-leaved trees like Acer palmatum Thunb. ex. Murray, Euonymus japonica Thunb. and Camellia japonica L., etc. were all together distributed in Taeanhaean National Park. There are no any Endangered species designated by The Ministry of Environment were not found. The floristic special plants were recorded to a total of 53 taxa; that is, class I species (41 taxa) were containing as Vitex rotundifolia L. Fil., Arisaema heterophyllum Bl. and Arisaema ringins (Thunb.) Schott, etc, class II species (1 taxon) were Iris ensata var. spontanea (Makino) Nakai, class III species (7 taxa) were containing; Koelreuteria paniculata Laxm., Salsola collina Pall. and Daphniphyllum macropodum Miq., etc, class IV species (1 taxon) were Angelica japonica A. Gray, class V species (1 taxon) were Utricularia vulgaris var. japonica (Makino) Tamura. The naturalized plants were identified a total of 52 taxa; 17 families, 44 genera, 51 species, 1 form; Solanum carolinense L., Phytolacca americana L. and Oenothera odorata Jacq., etc. Among them the ecosystem disturbance wild animals·plants was identified as Solanum carolinense L. Hypochoeris radicata L. and Solidago altissima L. The study suggests that these areas require management such as physical remove of this ecosystem disturbance field plants.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.329-342
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• 2023

Turbid water and suspended sediment (SS) load are having negative consequences such as water quality degradation and ecological damage, thus necessitating the establishment of management guidelines to reduce their impact. The present work investigates the spatio-temporal distribution of fish species and the effects of turbid water from 2011-2016 in the upper reaches of Soyang-Dam. The family Cyprinidae is the largest population in the study area, among which Zacco platypus and Zacco koreanus are the dominant species. The diversity of species is relatively abundant in the upper watershed, while the seasonal effect on the population distribution remains unclear. Using two main common components of the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis, the distribution characteristics of 27 species at five survey sites are revealed. Zacco koreanus is found to be predominant at the upstream A-Naerincheon, while Zacco platypus and Rhinogobius brunneus are found to be predominant at the upstream B-Bukcheon. Disturbance of an aquatic ecosystem has a relatively greater impact in the downstream, as-compared to the upper area-the high proportion of forest area is decreased whereas that of agricultural and urbanized areas is increased. The patterns of representative species are changed according to the mid- to long-term effects of turbid water and SS. Accordingly, the significant correlation between the SS load and fish distribution EOF analysis indicates that it should be considered as a potential alternative that can overcome the limitations of impact assessment on turbid water to the Fish Assessment Index (FAI). A comprehensive study examining the long-term effects of SS load to the fish ecosystems with a systematic statistical analysis of sufficiently accumulated data at the national level is needed as future research.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.603-617
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• 2018

This study surveyed the diversity and community characteristics of benthic macroinvertebrates and freshwater fish, which are the main animal classifications in a hydro ecosystem, from May to September 2017 in the western plains of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The results showed a total of 125 species of benthic macroinvertebrates belonging to 66 families, 19 orders, and four phyla in the streams and wetlands. Among benthic macroinvertebrates, Coleoptera (27 spp.: 21.60%) was the largest group in terms of species richness followed by Odonata (26 spp.: 20.80%), non-Insecta (22 spp.: 17.60%), and Hemiptera (11 spp.: 8.80%) occupying in the lentic area. Of the feeding function groups (FFGs), predators (51 spp.: 56.67%) showed a relatively larger presence, indicating the dominance of hygrophilous invertebrates that usually inhabit the freshwater wetlands or ponds. Of the habitat oriented groups (HOGs), climbers (33 spp.: 24.44%) and burrowers (17 spp.: 12.59%) were the dominant groups. This observation is typical in a slow flowing habitat and can lead to the disturbance of the ecosystem due to cannibalism among predators. Cannibalism can be caused by stress induced by various population and environmental factors. For the ecosystem services benchmark (ESB) value, site 13 appeared to be the highest with 82 marks while other sites showed relatively lower rates and indices (III water quality class with ${\alpha}$-mesosaprobic). The analysis result of stability factors showed that almost all sites were evaluated to be the I characteristic group with high resilience and resistance or the III characteristic group that was sensitive to environmental disturbance and formed uneven and unstable communities. Of the freshwater fishes, 46 species (3,405 individuals) belonging to 39 families and 18 orders were identified in all the investigated sites. Among them, Cyprinidae (30 spp.: 65.2%) was the largest group, and Zacco koreanus was identified as the dominant species (728 individuals, 21.4%). The survey of freshwater fish communities found both stable communities (sites 7 and 13) with low dominant index (0.39) and high diversity index (2.29) and unstable communities (sites 2, 3, 8, and 10) in opposite tendency. This survey found five Korean endemic species, 17 species belonging to the export controlled species, two endangered species level II (Lethocerus deyrollei and Cybister chinensis), and rare species (Dytiscus marginalis czerskii) among benthic macroinvertebrates. The survey also found an invasive species, Ampullarius insularus, which was distributed throughout the whole area and thus can continuously disturb the ecosystem in the western plain area in the DMZ. Of freshwater fish, one natural monument (Hemibarbus mylodon) and three endangered species level II (Acheilognathus signifer, Gobiobotia macrocephalus, and G. brevibarba) were observed. The survey also found four introduced species (Pomacea canaliculate, Carassius cuvieri, Lepomis macrochirus, Micropterus salmoides) in the western DMZ area, indicating the need for the protection and conservation measures.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.85-95
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• 2015

Recent years, nationwide projects for ecological restoration are implemented with emerging issues on the stream ecosystem. In order to enhance effectiveness of the ecosystem restoration and reduce negative impact, the appraisal of effectiveness through the follow-up monitoring and the adaptive management process are executed in consecutive phase. In this study, planning phase, monitoring and adaptive management in Hakui stream which is part of An Yang stream restoration project is introduced as representative ongoing case of effective adaptive management. The aim of this study is to verify the adaptive management process and suggest direction of effective restoration. Restoration project of Hakui stream resulted in increasing number and diversity of species (vegetation, fish, bird, invertbrates, amphibian and reptilia) according to monitoring from 2004 to 2013, and enhancing natural river landscape by evaluation of river naturalness among 2001(before restoration), 2007 (after), 2015 (recent). However, excessive vegetation expansion or sediment deposition on channel over time caused unexpected results such as terrestrialization or degradation of habitats. Adaptive management action such as removing disturbance species (Humulus japonicus)(2007), coppicing willow (2007), release of march snail (2007), creation of wetland (2014) were implemented based on monitoring results. And then appraisal of management action was discussed.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.181-189
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• 2018

This study was performed to analyze the dynamics and distributional condition of biological community and to support the basic information about the estuarine ecosystem management by using the intensively surveyed results by each taxon experts around Tamjin river. We analyzed the biological diversity, abundance, correlation among species, and ecological characteristics about 11 taxa groups including vegetation, fish, birds, mammals, etc. in the Tamjin river estuarine ecosystem. We classified vegetation types into 7 physiognomic types and 18 communities according to habitat conditions with the physical environments and salinity. In total, 1125 species including 9 species of endangered species were identified in research area. The species composition and distributional characteristics of each taxon were corresponded to the environmental characteristics of the estuarine ecosystem. Especially, the species diversity and distribution were clearly distinguished in the river according to the difference of the environmental factors such as flow rate, salinity, and soil. Despite the disturbance factors such as barrage and levees, the biodiversity and its distribution were evaluated to be high level under the current environmental conditions. However, loss or reduction of wildlife habitat due to reclamation, embankment, barrage installation and expansion of farmland has been identified as a major threat to the diversity and health of the local ecosystem. The results of this study can be used as a basic data to cope with various development pressure and damage crisis of the whole estuaries including Tamjin river.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 2015

In this study, an optimal improvement method of stream channel structure is presented for the enhancement of fish habitat suitability by genetic algorithm. The correlation between fish habitat suitability and physical disturbance in stream is analyzed according to the changes of hydraulic characteristics by channel structure rehabilitation. Zacco koreanus which is an indicator fish of the soundness of aquatic ecosystem was selected as a restoration target species by investigating the community characteristics of fish fauna and river environments in Wonju stream. The habitat suitability is investigated by PHABSIM with the habitat suitability index of Zacco koreanus. Hydraulic analysis by HEC-RAS and physical disturbance evaluation in stream are carried out. The optimal channel width modified for the enhancement of fish habitat suitability is provided. The correlation analysis between habitat suitability and physical disturbance with the change of hydraulic characteristics by channel modification showed that the proper channel modification enhanced fish habitat suitability and mitigated physical disturbance in the stream. The improvement of physical disturbance score by the channel structure rehabilitation for the enhancement of fish habitat suitability was confirmed in this study.