• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.105-116
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• 2021

Background: The creation of the National Institute of Ecology began as a national alternative project to preserve mudflats instead of constructing the industrial complexes by reclamation, and achieve regional development. On the other hand, at the national level, the research institute for ecology was needed to cope with the worsening conditions for maintaining biodiversity due to accelerated climate change such as global warming and increased demand for development. In order to meet these needs, the National Institute of Ecology has the following objectives: (1) carries out studies for ecosystem change due to climate change and biodiversity conservation, (2) performs ecological education to the public through exhibition of various ecosystem models, and (3) promotes regional development through the ecological industry. Furthermore, to achieve these objectives, the National Institute of Ecology thoroughly followed the basic principles of ecology, especially restoration ecology, in the process of its construction. We introduce the principles and cases of ecological restoration applied in the process. Results: We minimized the impact on the ecosystem in order to harmonize with the surrounding environment in all the processes of construction. We pursued passive restoration following the principle of ecological restoration as a process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem degraded for all the space except in land where artificial facilities were introduced. Reference information was applied thoroughly in the process of active restoration to create biome around the world, Korean peninsula forests, and wetland ecosystems. In order to realize true restoration, we pursued the ecological restoration in a landscape level as the follows. We moved the local road 6 and high-voltage power lines to underground to ensure ecological connectivity within the National Institute of Ecology campus. To enhance ecological diversity, we introduced perch poles and islands as well as floating leaved, emerged, wetland, and riparian plants in wetlands and mantle communities around the forests of the Korean Peninsula in the terrestrial ecosystem. Furthermore, in order to make the public aware of the importance of the intact nature, the low-lying landscape elements, which have disappeared due to excessive land use in most areas of Korea, was created by imitating demilitarized zone (DMZ) landscape that has these landscape elements. Conclusions: The National Institute of Ecology was created in an eco-friendly way by thoroughly reflecting the principles of ecology to suit its status and thus the impact on the existing ecosystem was minimized. This concept was also designed to be reflected in the process of operation. The results have become real, and a result of analysis on carbon budget analysis is approaching the carbon neutrality.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.107-121
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• 2011

To assess the impact of climate change on water quality in an impounded river basin, this study estimated future air temperature and rainfall in the years of 2020, 2050 and 2080 by statistically downscaling the simulation results from two GCM models combined with two emission scenarios (A2 and B1). Both scenarios were selected from the Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES) suggested by IPCC. The A2 scenario represents an extreme condition whereas the B1 scenario represents a clean and energy efficient condition which is similar to that of study basin. With the results of estimated climate factors and land use data, the discharge and the concentrations of BOD, TN and TP in the Andong dam basins were simulated using the SWAT model. The change in BOD concentration for the B1 emission scenario was greater than the A2 scenario in the annual increase range and the pollution level. The concentration of TN was decreased during March? June which is drought period and increased again afterward. In contrast to TN, the concentration of TP was generally decreased. The change in TP concentration was greater for the B1 scenario than the A2 scenario.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.1025-1029
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• 2005

A simple analysis of atmospheric sulfur dioxide($SO_2$) pollution in industrial region was investigated using badge type passive samplers. It were set up in 76 locations and the $SO_2$ distribution evaluated along the boundary of land use type. It changed considerably both monthly and seasonally. Soil samples were also collected in 120 locations to investigate influence of sulfur dioxide pollution on soil and heavy metal distribution in the study area, where the sulfur dioxide pollutants from industrial area could affect the soil environment of near residential and green areas. The relationship between the $SO_2$ concentrations in the atmosphere and heavy metal(Cu, Pb) concentrations in the soil were analyzed, by using the correlation coefficient values and the results were 0.17 and 0.08 in industrial area. And this study indicated that the atmospheric pollution in industrial region affect the level of the soil pollution adjacent to the residential and green area. The study result may be used to define correlativity for establishing an exposure index. It will subsequently be used for a more precise assessment measuring the exposure of plants and inhabitants, for the purposes of a study en effects on health.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.19-35
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• 2003

In order 새 investigate the spatial and seasonal variations of heavy metal pollution in heavily industrialized urban area, urban roadside sediments were collected for five years from gully pots in Seoul City. A series of studies have been carried out concerning the physicochemical characteristics of the sediments in order to evaluate the contamination of heavy metals such as Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn. Roadside sediments and uncontaminated stream sediments were analyzed for total metal concentrations using acid extraction. The roadside sediments are characterized by very high concentrations of Zn (2,665.0$\pm$1,815.0 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g), Cu (445.6$\pm$708.0 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g), Pb (214.3$\pm$147.9 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g) and Cr (182.1$\pm$268.8 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g), indicating an artificial accumulation of these metals to the sediment chemistry. Comparing with average contents of uncontaminated stream sediments, roadside sediments were shown zinc 14 times (up to 64.4), copper 9 times (up to 181.7), lead 6 times (up to 63.7), cobalt 6 times (up to 168.7), nickel 4 times (up to 98.4), cadmium 2 times (up to 12.8) and chrome 2 times (up to 40.2) high content. The relative degree of heavy metal pollution for roadside sediments collected from each district in Seoul City is evaluated using the “geoaccumulation index”. As a result, heavy-metal contamination is highest centering the oldest residential district and industry area, and contamination level decreases as go to outer block of the city. The factor analysis results indicate that the levels of Cu, Ni, Fe and Cr are strongly related to numbers of factories, whereas the concentrations of Cr, Zn and Cd dependant on pollution index, indicating artificial contamination due to site-specific traffic density.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.34 no.4 s.117
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• pp.69-83
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• 2006

Nature rehabilitation has become a major theme in river management in South Korea. An analysis and evaluation of the landscape is a crucial step to select the suitable tracts for developing or conserving land use in the process of landscape planning. The purpose of this paper is to establish a hierarchical procedure for the setting of the landscape units on the various scales at which field biologists performed their observations and to select the preserves through by a suitability model for synthesizing the ecological empirical, and biophysical data. An evaluation process needs to be performed according to the landscape scales: site, local, and regional scales, at which the environmental data were collected, analyzed, and synthesized. Introducing of three level scales was crucially necessary for evaluating the various multi level ecological data for zoning of preserves in river corridors. The evaluation level at different scales are hierarchically established into three phases. The first evaluation phase can be performed by the long length units defined by the ranges of stream widths at regional scale. Secondly, each of these long units can be divided into two or more segments according to its landscape homogeneity at local level. Finally the segments at the last phase can be designated according to the location of the reservoir weirs and bridges at site level. The conceptual model components are adopted for collecting, evaluating, and interpreting the biological and abiotic data at site level. Three preserves are selected, having high potentials for being intensely managed as the Ecological Education Areas in the river. Despite a lot of assumption the results are expected to facilitate discussion and decision making about which frameworks of evaluation are desirable and adaptable for integrating the ecological data into the rehabilitation design process in South Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.267-285
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• 2001

This study has tried to develop the modified DRASTIC Model by supplying the parameters,such as structural lineament density and landuse, into conventional DRASTIC medal, and to predict the potential of groundwater contamination using GIS in Whanam 2 Area, Gyeonggi Province, Korea. Since the aquifers in Korea is generally through the joints of rock-mass in hydrogeological environment, lineament denisity affects to the behavior of goundwater and contaminated plumes directly, and land-use reflect the effect of point or non-point source of contamination indirectly. For the statistical analysis, lattice layers of each parameter were generated, and then level of confidence was assessed by analyzing each correlation coefficient. Composite contamination map was achieved as a final result by comparing modified DRASTIC potential and the amount of generation load of several contaminant sources logically. The result could suggest the predictability of the area of contamination potrntial in the respects of hydrogeological aspect and water quality.

• The Journal of Engineering Research
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.89-107
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• 2004

This study has tried to develop the modified DRASTIC Model by supplying the parameters, such as structural lineament density and landuse, into conventional DRASTIC model, and to predict the potential of groundwater contamination using GIS in Whanam 2 Area, Gyeonggi Province, Korea. Since the aquifers in Korea is generally through the joints of rock-mass in hydrogeological environment, lineament density affects to the behavior of groundwater and contaminated plumes directly, and land-use reflect the effect of point or non-point source of contamination indirectly. For the statistical analysis, lattice layers of each parameter were generated, and then level of confidence was assessed by analyzing each correlation coefficient. Composite contamination map was achieved as a final result by comparing modified DRASTIC potential and the amount of generation load of several contaminant sources logically. The result could suggest the predictability of the area of contamination potential on the respects of hydrogeological aspect and water quality.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.30-39
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• 2018

Soil contamination survey was conducted during March - July, 2017 to obtain soil contamination profile of 16 organic and inorganic contaminants in Hanam industrial complex located in Gwangju, Korea. The concentrations of all surveyed contaminants except Cd showed were within 0.3~1.5 times of their natural background levels. Cd showed concentrations as high as 6.9 times of the background level, signifying the influence of the metal processing facilities in the complex. The concentrations of Zn, Pb and Hg in areas nearby industrial facilities were 1.3~5.5 times higher than those within the facility and green area. The concentration of Cu in the green area was 1.4~2.9 times higher than in other areas. The Soil Pollution Index (SPI) analysis revealed 54% of the total area belong to first-grade soil, 43% to second-grade, and 3% to third-grade. The Enrichment Factor (EF) of Zn, Pb, and Cd were 9.2, 15.6, and 88.5, respectively, indicating high accumulation and contamination of the soil with Cd.

• Journal of Appropriate Technology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.118-125
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• 2019

Climate change is one part of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). According to the Fifth Assessment Report by the Inter- governmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) published in 2014, global warming is caused by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The most important GHG is carbon dioxide (CO₂), which is released by the burning of fossil fuels and, to a lesser extent, by land use practices, followed by nitrous oxide and methane. IPCC predicts that global temperatures will rise 3.7℃ and sea level will rise 0.63 m by 2099 in the case of no strong restraint. According to the report, we can expect a massive species extinctions, changes in storm and drought cycles, altered ocean circulation, and redistribution of vegetation by global warming. However, climate changes, especially global warming, are the largest potential threat to human health and the source of a number of diseases globally. If climate changes are continued uncontrolled, human health will be adversely affected by the accelerating climate change and the natural disaster induced by climate change. It means we will face more serious conditions of injury, disease, and death related to natural disasters such as flood, drought, heat waves, malnutrition, more allergy, air pollution and climate change related infections related to morbidity and mortality. This review emphasizes on the relationship between global climate changes and human health and provides some suggestions for improvement.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.290-298
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• 2013

A Saemangeum Development Project, which is a national project in South Korea, has started with the objective of developing the reclaimed area mainly agricultural land use since the mid'80s. To develop a model of the global eco-reclamation, constructions of the eco-friendly counter facilities such as sluice gates and inner dikes, as well as environmental preservation measures for an estuary reservoir, have been carried out. However, reasonable measures of the water quality management for the Saemangeum area are required. Thus, the purpose of this study is to rigorously analyze and quantitatively evaluate the environmental problems due to the water level management associated with inner dike constructions. To achieve these objectives, the affecting factors on determination of water level management are described and a series of calibrated transient-state numerical simulations was performed to demonstrate the salinity distribution difference in the estuary before and after the construction of inner dikes. The overall salinity reduced about 2~5 psu, and the seawater intrusion was weakened by a well-regulated waterway after construction of the inner dikes compared to before construction of them.