• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.17 no.10
• /
• pp.1155-1167
• /
• 2008

Chlorophyll a (chl a) has been used as an indicator for phytoplankton biomass in pelagic ecosystems due to the relative ease of measurement and selectivity for autotrophs in mixed plankton assemblages. However, the use of chi a as an indicator for phytoplankton biomass is restricted due to its inability to resolve taxonomic differences of phytoplankton and the highly variable relationship of chi a with phytoplankton. Here, we describe the analysis of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) photosynthetic pigment data using CHEMTAX, which is a matrix factorization program that uses chemical taxonomic indices (phytoplankton carotenoids) to quantify the abundance of phytoplankton groups. Compared to direct microscopic counting that can distinguish species within broad groups, the resolution of taxonomic groups by CHEMTAX is generally coarse. It can only distinguish between diatoms, dinoflagellates, cryptophytes, cyanobacteria, chlorophytes, prasinophytes, and haptophytes. However, CHEMTAX analysis is much faster and less expensive than microscopic counting methods. HPLC pigment observations were taken in the spring, summer, fall, and winter in$ 2005\sim2006$ within Gamak Bay, South Korea. CHEMTAX results revealed that diatoms were the dominant taxonomic group in Gamak Bay. In inner Gamak Bay, the ratio between diatoms and cryptophytes was $75\sim80%$, and the ratio between dinoflagellates and cryptophytes was $10\sim15%$. In outer Gamak Bay, the ratio between diatoms and cryptophytes was $85\sim90%$, and the ratio between dinflagellates and cryptophytes was only $1\sim5%$. The population structure was seasonal. Relative diatom populations were less in the summer than the winter season.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.209-216
• /
• 2014

This study was undertaken to suggest an effective fisheries resources management system by using stock assessment and potential yield analyses of crucian carp population in the mid-upper system of the Seomjin River. Fieldwork was conducted seasonally from 2008 to 2009 in the mid-upper system of the Seomjin River. The stock assessment was carried out by the swept area method and the potential yield was estimated by improved fisheries resource potential estimation system based on the Allowable Biological Catch. Also, the yield-per-recruit analysis was used to review the efficient management implication of the resource, Carassius auratus. As a result, the age at first capture ($t_c$) was estimated as 1.468 year, converted body length (BL) was 10.8 cm. Meaning the current fishing intensities, the instantaneous coefficient of fishing mortality (F) was $0.067year^{-1}$, and the yield-per-recruit analysis showed that the current yield per recruit was estimated to be 15.999 g with F and $t_c$. The instantaneous rate of fishing mortality that provides for Allowable Biological Catch ($F_{ABC}$) based on the current $t_c$ and F was estimated as $0.618year^{-1}$. Therefore, the optimum fishing intensities could be achieved at the higher fishing intensity for Carassius auratus. The calculated annual stock of C. auratus was estimated as 7,608 kg, and the potential yield was estimated as 343 kg with $t_c$ and F at the fixed current level. Using yield-per-recruit analysis, if F and $t_c$ were set at $0.618year^{-1}$ and 2 year, the yield per recruit and total allowable catch would be predicted to increase to 62 g and 2,531 kg by about 3.9 times and 7.3 times, respectively.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.51-58
• /
• 2012

In this study, we investigated carabid beetles residing in the wetlands to understand their ecological adaptation and strategy selection associated with restricted resources and habitat limitation. The species richness, abundance, seasonal activity, and spatial distribution of the carabid beetles between the Mujechi Wetlands (wetland sites) and Mt. Jeongjok (mountain sites) have been compared. A total of 1,733 individual beetles from 30 species were collected and classified at the studied sites. The wetland sites were identified as having lower species richness and abundance for carabid beetles when compared with the adjacent mountain sites, whereas these beetles were observed to be dominant in the wetland sites than in the adjacent mountain sites. Calosoma inquisitor cyanescens, Carabus sternbergi sternbergi, and Carabus jankowskii jankowskii species were dominant in both the wetland and mountain sites. These species showed significantly different seasonal activity patterns in the wetland sites relative to the mountain sites. Although the three listed carabid species were observed to be widely distributed throughout the wetland sites, they still showed preference for drier sites, which clearly shows a distinction in their habitats. The results of the spatial-temporal distribution of carabid beetles in the wetland sites reflect their special strategies regarding space and time partitioning for maintaining their population. The distribution patterns of carabid beetles in the wetland sites also showed the desiccation gradient and environmental changes prevalent in wetlands. Ecological surveys, which use carabid beetles in the wetlands, can then be performed when restoring wetlands and for establishing management practices for improving the habitat quality.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
• /
• v.50 no.6
• /
• pp.1-11
• /
• 2012

As the immigrant population is rapidly growing in South Korea, it is important for the next generation of Korean adolescents to foster unprejudiced attitudes towards immigrants. This paper thus seeks to shed light on adolescent prejudice towards immigrants, by addressing the following three questions: (1) Does a mother's prejudice towards immigrants and parenting style influence their adolescent children's prejudice towards immigrants? (2) Does an adolescent's prejudice towards immigrants influence his/her self-identity? (3) Does an adolescent's prejudice towards immigrants influence his/her coping styles? The sample consisted of 288 pairs of Korean adolescents and their mothers. According to hierarchical regression analyses, a mother's prejudice towards immigrants significantly predicted her adolescent's prejudice towards immigrants, after taking sociodemographic variables into account, whereas her parenting style did not. In addition, having a low level of prejudice towards immigrants among adolescents predicted high levels of self-identity (e.g. independence, proprioceptive, and mission orientation), and a greater use of positive coping skills (e.g. support-seeking and problem-solving). Overall, results showed that mothers played a significant role in shaping their adolescent's prejudice towards immigrants. Results also provided evidence that prejudice towards immigrants may interfere with the healthy development of self-identity and coping style during adolescence. In conclusion, this study suggests that multicultural education for adolescents can be more effective, when it is provided in partnership with a parent education program that is designed to raise parental multicultural awareness.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.253-261
• /
• 2009

Habitat environment and feeding habitat of Iksookimia koreensis and Cobitis lutheri were investigated in the Mangyeong River, Jeollabuk-do, Korea from 2005 to 2006. They together inhabit the upper and middle stream, but they showed differences in their microhabitat. I. koreensis inhabited the stony zones of relatively rapid waters with a water depth of 30~60 cm, whereas C. lutheri lived in the sandy zones of relatively slow waters with a depth of 30~100 cm. The two species were active during daylight hours from March to October but hibernated in the winter season. During hibernation I. koreensis still lived in the gravel and stone and C. lutheri burrowed in the sand. I. koreensis ingested mainly chironomid and other aquatic insects, whereas C. lutheri fed mainly on Chironomidae, Copepoda and Branchiopoda. The feeding rate of both species was highest in April and September, but they did not feed in the winter.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.27 no.12
• /
• pp.2089-2093
• /
• 2017

The past decades have been a golden era during which great tasks were accomplished in the field of microbiology, including food microbiology. In the past, culture-dependent methods have been the primary choice to investigate bacterial diversity. However, using culturein-dependent high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes has greatly facilitated studies exploring the microbial compositions and dynamics associated with health and diseases. These culture-independent DNA-based studies generate large-scale data sets that describe the microbial composition of a certain niche. Consequently, understanding microbial diversity becomes of greater importance when investigating the composition, function, and dynamics of the microbiota associated with health and diseases. Even though there is no general agreement on which diversity index is the best to use, diversity indices have been used to compare the diversity among samples and between treatments with controls. Tools such as the Shannon-Weaver index and Simpson index can be used to describe population diversity in samples. The purpose of this review is to explain the principles of diversity indices, such as Shannon-Weaver and Simpson, to aid general microbiologists in better understanding bacterial communities. In this review, important questions concerning microbial diversity are addressed. Information from this review should facilitate evidence-based strategies to explore microbial communities.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.56-64
• /
• 2017

Systemic health conditions increase with advancing age, and may be linked to poor self-reported oral health. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between systemic health conditions and poor self-reported oral health among Korean elderly. The study used a nationally representative sample of Koreans (2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) aged 65~98 years (n=1,595). Systemic health conditions in this population were assessed by the presence of one or more of the following conditions: obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia. The relative risk of poor self-reported oral health according to the occurrence of systemic health conditions was estimated by multivariate logistic regression after controlling for several potential confounders (i.e., socio-demographic factors, oral health behaviors, health behaviors, and psychological factors). After adjustment for these confounders, the relative risk of having poor self-reported oral health was greater among the elderly with one or more systemic health conditions than in those without a systemic health condition. The odds ratio of having poor self-reported oral health according to the occurrence of systemic health conditions was 1.51 (95% confidence interval, 1.08~2.12). Among the Korean elderly, perception of poor oral health was associated with the presence of one or more systemic health conditions. Future studies are needed to examine the detailed causal relation between systemic health conditions and poor oral health longitudinally.

• Research in Plant Disease
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.57-63
• /
• 2003

Clubroot disease of curcifer crops caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae had been first reported in 1928 in Korea, and maintained mild occurrence until 1980s. Since 1990s the disease has become severe in alpine areas of Kyonggi and Kangwon, gradually spread to plain fields throughout the country, and remains as the great-est limiting factor for its production. Researches on the disease has begun in late 1990s after experiencing severe epidemics. Survey of occurrence and etiological studies have been carried out, particularly, on the pathogen physiology, race identification, quantification of soil pathogen population, and host spectrum of the pathogen. Ecology of gall formation and its decay, yield loss assessment associated with time of infection, and relationships between crop rotation and the disease incidence was also studied during late 1990s. In studies of its control, more than 200 crucifer cultivars were evaluated for their resistance to the disease. Lime applica-tion to field soil was also attempted to reduce the disease incidence. Resistant radish and welsh onion were recommended as rotation crops with crucifers after 3-year field experiments. However, so for, most studies on clubroot disease in Korea have been focused on chemical control. Two fungicides, fluazinam and flusulfamide, were selected and extensively studied on their application technologies and combination effects with lime application or other soil treatment. To develop environmentally-friendly control methods, solar-disinfection of soil, phosphoric acid as a nontoxic compound, and root-parasiting endophytes as biocontrol agents were examined for their effects on the disease in fields. In the future, more researches are needed to be done on development of resistant varieties effective to several races of the pathogen, establishment of economically-sound crop rotation system, and improvement of soil-disinfection technique applicable to Korean field condi-tion, and development of methodology of pretreatment of fungicides onto seeds and seedbeds.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
• /
• v.24 no.6
• /
• pp.377-380
• /
• 2001

Herbivory is an important selective forces on plants by reducing the ability of the plant to compete with its neighbors and to produce offspring. Oak nut weevil(Mechoris ursulus Roelofs) females lay eggs in unmatured acorns and cut off the branch of oviposited acorns. To investigate the influences of branch-cutting behavior of oak nut weevils on oak production, we surveyed the horizontal and vertical distribution ranges of damaged oaks and depth of sites of overwintering larvae and quantified the amounts of biomass and acorn removed by the weevils on deciduous oak species. All of the endemic oak species in Korea were damaged by oak nut weevils in all of the study sites including Mt. Halla and Mt. Seorak. The upper limit of vertical distribution of damaged oaks by the weevils raried from 700 m to 900 m. Mostly their larvae were found in soil from 8.1 cm to 10.0 cm depth in winter. Percentage of annual net primary productivity($720g{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}day^{-1}$) of oak species removed by the weevils was about 7%, which is higher than the percentage removed by all the herbivores in typical temperate forest(5%) and equivalent to that by all the herbivores in tropical forest. The predation percentage of annual acorn production by oak nut weevil was 27% in Q. mongolica and 33% in Q. acutissima. This results indicate that the branch-cutting behavior of oak nut weevil may be the most important factor regulating oak population and affecting other predators dependent on acorns.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.51-65
• /
• 1989

Some aspects of limno-biology of the five dammed lakes such as Tamyang, Changsong, Kwangju, Naju, and Youngsan Lake along the Yongsan River were investigated from June 1986 to July 1988 for the comparison on the lentic ecosystems in relation to the fish fauna. Sixty four fish species representing 48 genera and 21 families of fishes were collected in these dammed areas, which included 29 species of the family Cyprinidea and 40 speaies of the primary fresh-water fishes. Among, these, 12 species such as Rhodeus Acheilognothus yamatsutae, A canathorhodeus gracilis, Sarcocheilichthys nigripinis morii, S. variegatus wakiyae, Gnathopogon strigatus, Squalidus gracilis majimae, Microphysogobio yaluensis, Cobitis longicorpus sp, Liobagrus mediadiposalis and Odontobutis platycephala are enddmic to Korea. Leiocassis nitidus and Gasterosteus aculeatus which occur in these water areas take note of the zooge rographic study of Korea. The fish species in each of the dammed lakes is in proportion of the scale of the lakes such as 32 species in Thamyang, 40 species in Changsong, 24 species in Kwangju, 35 species in Jaju, and 52 species in Yongsan Lake. The dominant fish species of the 4 upper dammed lakes of Thamyang, Changsong, Kwangju and Naju Lake are Zacco platypus and Rhodeus uyekii, while those of Youngsan Lake are Hemiculter eigenmanni and Carassius auratus. This difference of fish species of those areas suggests that the upper damed lake differ from the lower dammed lakes in the habitable condition of fishes. The migratory fish species have significantly declined and will continue to decline in both population size and number of species in the dammed lakes in near future as a result of the dam construction barriers in the river estuary. The major migratory fishes of this water area are as follows; Anguilla japonica, Plecoglossus altivelis, Hypomesus olidus, Gasterosteus aculeatus, Konosirus Punctatus, Coilia ectens, Hemirhampus sajori, Mugil cephalus. Acanthogobius flavimanus, and Takifugu ocellatus.