• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.73-81
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• 2018

This study was conducted to understand the current status of the translocated species using a precede study and a model to evaluate the potential invasiveness that could adversely affect the aquatic ecosystem in the Gangneungnamdae Stream. A total of 12 translocated species were investigated and identified from 9 sites in a precede study, and steadily increased since 1982. For the study, which utilized research based on the total FISK (Fish Invasivenss Screening Kit) scores, all of the non-native fishes in Gangneungnamdae Stream were classified into two groups: namely as a high and a medium risk of becoming invasive. It was determined that there were two species (Zacco platypus and Pseudorasbora parva) that were determined to have posed the highest risk. The study determined that the mean scores were shown to have ranged from $3.06({\pm}0.16)-3.42({\pm}0.13)$. Consequently, the habitat analysis showed that the determined QHEI (Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index) values in the stream averaged 146 (88-171), indicating that an optimal habitat condition did exist in that locale. It can be inferred that compared to land use in the surrounding watersheds, the QHEI values and frequency of translocated species showed the lower the altitude of stream, the QHEI values were decreased and in case of land use pattern, a noted decreased forest and grassland area, and gradually increased urbanized area was seen to exist in the region. The correlation between the fish assemblage, QHEI, land use pattern of surrounding watershed and number of translocated species was identified and analyzed when the stream altitude decreased, and the number of species was increased (r= - 0.782, p=0.0127), the number of species was decreased (r= - 0.737, p=0.0234), and finally when the QHEI values were decreased, it was noted that the urbanized area was increased (r=0.292, p=0.446). In the case of the number of translocated species, when the number of translocated species was increased, the associated urbanized area was increased.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.39 no.3 s.117
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• pp.320-330
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• 2006

An integrated health of a lotic ecosystem, Cho River, was evaluated by various approaches such as conventional water quality analysis, physical assessments of Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI), and the bioassay of Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) durin August${\sim}$September 2005. The IBI model used in the study was based on original multivariate metric model and then modified the metric attributes of the model for the regional application. Physical habitat health, based on the QHEI, was estimated using eleven metrics. During the study, values of IBI model averaged 36, which was judged as 'fair' to 'good' conditions. Spatial variations in the model values were evident: the headwater site (S1) was estimated as 48, indicating an 'excellent' condition, and the other sites were estimated 32${\sim}$38, 'good' condition. Values of the QHEI in the all sites averaged 148, which is judged as a good condition. The QHEI values varied from 120 (fair condition) to 199 (excellent condition) depending on the location of the stream. Site 5 (S5) was estimated as 'fair${\sim}$good' condition, while Site 7 (S7) was estimated as 'excellent' condition. The biological health, based on the IBI, reflected the habitat health. However, chemical conditions in terms of pH, turbidity, electric conductivity, dissolved oxygen (DO) did not make a difference in the biological health because of minor chemical differences among the locations.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.428-436
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• 2010

This study was to evaluate water quality characteristics and ecological health using a mulimetric fish model in Taehwa-River watershed during May~September 2009. The ecological health assessments were based on the Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) using fish community and the multimetric model of Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI). For the study, the models of IBI and QHEI were modified as 8 and 11 metric attributes, respectively. We also analyzed spatial patterns of chemical water quality over the period of 2000~2009, using the water chemistry dataset, obtained from the Ministry of Environment, Korea. Values of BOD and COD averaged $1.7\;mg\;L^{-1}$ (scope: $0.1{\sim}31.8\;mg\;L^{-1}$) and $3.6\;mg\;L^{-1}$ (scope: $0.4{\sim}33\;mg\;L^{-1}$), respectively during the study. Total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) averaged $2.8\;mg\;L^{-1}$ and $96.8\;{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$, respectively, indicating an eutrophic-hypertrophic state. Also, TN and TP showed longitudinal increases toward the downriver reach. In the watershed, QHEI values varied from 67.5 (fair condition) to 164.5 (good condition) by the criteria of US EPA (1993). There was a abruptly decreasing tendency from T9 site in the QHEI values. According to 1st and 2nd surveys of Taewha River, multimetric model values of IBI was averaged 26.1 (n=14) with "good" condition (B) and the spatial variation was evident. Our results suggest that the mainstream sites was getting worse health condition along the river gradient due to inputs of the point and non-point sources from the urban (Ulsan city). Overall, dataset of IBI, QHEI, and water chemistry indicated that the ecological river health showed a downriver decline and the pattern was closely associated with habitat degradations and chemical pollutions as the waters pass through the urban region.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.254-263
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• 2007

The objective of this study was to evaluate biological water quality using fish assemblages in Nakdong River watershed. We selected 6 sites along the main axis of the river and evaluated the Index of Biological Integrity (IBI), Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) and chemical water quality during July 2004${\sim}$March 2006. For the study, we applied the 10 metric IBI model, which was developed for national biological water quality criteria. Nakdong River's IBI value averaged 20.8 (n=14) during the study which means poor biological water quality. Physical habitat health at all sites, based on QHEI model, was measured as 110, indicating fair${\sim}$good condition. The habitat health varied depending on the locations sampled. Habitat health in sites 1 and 6 was judged as good, while the health in sites 3 and 4 was $poor{\sim}fair$. Especially, we found the metric values of $M1{\sim}M5$, M7, M10 were low in sites 3 and 4 compared to other sites. In these sites, thus, habitat restoration of substrate composition, riffles, and bank vegetation may be necessary. In the mean time, chemical water quality, based on BOD, COD, TSS, and nutrients, had no large spatial and temporal variations. Overall data analysis indicated that site 3 was largely impacted by the polluted-tributary, Keumho River and the downstreams showed better water quality due to the dilution of the polluted river water by Nam River and Hwang River.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.307-318
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• 2010

This study was to analyze the ecological conditions, based on physical habitat, chemical, and biological conditions before (2006, 2007) and after ecological restoration (2009) in five sites of Changwon Stream (CS) and six sites of Nam Stream (NS), respectively, and then to compare ecological health between the two period. The analysis of ecological health was based on the multimetric models of Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) and Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) along with water chemistry in the streams. For the study, the models of IBI and QHEI were modified as 8 and 11 metric attributes, respectively. For the evaluations, the survey was conducted in the period of 2006~2007 before the restoration and in 2009 after the restoration by the city. Chemical conditions, based on conductivity, in both streams showed a typical longitudinal declines along the axis of the upstream-to-downstream. There were no significant differences (p>0.05) in water quality between the two periods. Values of IBI in the CS and NS averaged 21.6 and 19.7, respectively, indicating a C grade in the criteria of Ministry of Environment, Korea, and there was no significant differences in the IBI between the two periods. Values of QHEI after the restoration averaged 29.2 and 63.2 in the CS and NS, respectively and the values decreased markedly especially, in the NS (35.3) after the restoration. The habitat disturbance was mainly attributed to destructions (i.e., the narrower width of riparian vegetation and higher substrate exposure by the air) of artificial materials by massive flood in 2009. Overall, our results suggest that the restoration was not effective in the two streams between the two periods, even if the budget was used a lot and that such ecological restoration, not considered the natural disaster, may not effect for the stream restoration.

• 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.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.184-192
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• 2007

This study was to evaluate ecological health of Sumjin River during April${\sim}$June 2006. The ecological health assessments was based on the Index of Biological Integrity (IBI), Qualitative Babitat Evaluation Index (QHEI), and water chemistry. For the study, the models of IBI and QHEI were modified as 10 and 11 metric attributes, respectively. We also analyzed spatial patterns of chemical water quality over the period of $2002{\sim}2005$, using the water chemistry dataset, obtained from the Ministry of Environment, Korea. In Sumjin River, values of IBI averaged 33 (n= 12), which is judged as a "Fair${\sim}$Good" condition after the criteria of Barbour at al. (1999). There was a distinct spatial variation. Mean IBI score at Site 5 was estimated as 40, indicating a "Good" condition whereas, the mean at Site 3 was 23, indicating a "Poor${\sim}$Fair" condition. Habitat analysis showed that QHEI values in the river averaged 109 (n=6), indicating a "Marginal" condition after the criteria of Harbour et al. (1999). Values of BOD and COD averaged 1.3 mg $L^{-1}$ (scope: $0.9{\sim}1.8$ mg $L^{-1}$) and 3.3 mg $L^{-1}$ (scope: $2.8{\sim}4.0$ mg $L^{-1}$), respectively during the study. It was evident that chemical pollutions by organic matter were minor in the river. Total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) averaged 2.5 mg $L^{-1}$ and 0.067 mg $L^{-1}$, respectively, and the nutrients did not show large longitudinal gradients between the upper and lower reach. Overall, dataset of IBI, QHEI, and water chemistry suggest that river health has been well maintained, compared to other major watersheds in Korea and should be protected from habitat disturbance and chemical pollutions.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.183-191
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• 2009

This study was to evaluate ecological health of Dongjin River in October 2007. The ecological health assessments was based on the Index of Biological Integrity (IBI), Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI), and water chemistry. For the study, the models of IBI and QHEI were modified as 8 and 11 metric attributes, respectively. We also analyzed spatial patterns of chemical water quality over the period of 2005${\sim}$2008, using the water chemistry dataset, obtained from the Ministry of Environment, Korea. In Dongjin River, values of IBI averaged 19 (n=3), which is judged as a "Fair" condition after the criteria of Barbour et al. (1999). There was a distinct spatial variation. IBI score at Site 1 was estimated as 28, indicating a "Good" condition whereas, IBI at Site 2 and Site 3 were as 18 and 12, indicating "Fair" and "Poor" condition, respectively. Habitat analysis showed that QHEI values in the river averaged 117 (n=3), indicating a "Fair${\sim}$Good" condition after the criteria of Barbour et al. (1999). Values of BOD and COD averaged 2.3 mg $L^{-1}$ (scope: 0.1${\sim}$8.9 mg $L^{-1}$) and 5.5 mg $L^{-1}$ (scope: 1.8${\sim}$12.6 mg $L^{-1}$), respectively during the study. Total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) averaged 2.7mg $L^{-1}$ and 0.127mg $L^{-1}$, respectively, and the nutrients showed large longitudinal gradients between the upper and lower reach. Overall, dataset of IBI, QHEI, and water chemistry showed that river health was a gradual decline at upstream to downstream. So, Dongjin River should be protected from habitat disturbance and chemical pollutions.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.370-378
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• 2007

The objective of this research was to diagnose integrative ecological health in Bansuk Stream, one of the tributaries of Gap Stream, using the fish assemblage during July 2006${\sim}$April 2006. For this research, we selected six sampling sites and applied some approaches such as the Index of Biological Integrity (IBI), Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI), and necropsy-based Health Assessment Index (HAI). The stream health condition, based on the IBI values, averaged 24 (n= 18, range: $10{\sim}46$), indicating "poor${\sim}$fair" condition according to the criteria of US EPA (1993). Physical habitat condition, based on the QHEI, averaged 116 (n=6, range: $77{\sim}139$), indicating "fair${\sim}$good" condition. Values of IBI were more correlated with 3 metrics of instream cover ($M_1$, r=0.553, p=0.017, n=18), flow/velocity ($M_3$, r=0.627, p=0.005, n=18), and riffes/bends ($M_7$, r=0.631, p=0.005, n=18) than other metrics. Value of HAI in the control was zero (i.e., excellent condition), while the values in the T1 and T2 treatments were 5 (range: 0${\sim}$30) and 50 (range: 40${\sim}$80), respectively. The maximum values of IBI (46) were coincided with zero of HAI. Thus, these approaches seem to be a good tool for a diagnosis and evaluations of stream ecosystem health.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.218-231
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• 2012

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the physico-chemical water quality, trophic and tolerance guilds in the control ($C_o$) and impacted streams of the abandoned mine, along with the ecological health, using a multimetric health model and physical habitat conditions of Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI), during the period of three years, 2005~2007. Also, eco-toxicity ($EE_t$) enclosure tests were conducted to examine the toxic effects on the outflows from the mine wastewater, using the sentinel species of Rhynchocypris oxycephalus, and we compared the biological responses of the control ($C_o$) and treatment (T) to the effluents through a Necropybased Health Assessment Index ($N_b$-HAI). Tissue impact analysis of the spleen, kidney, gill, liver, eyes, and fins were conducted in the controlled enclosure experiments (10 individuals). According to the comparisons of the control ($C_o$) vs. the treatment (T) in physicochemical water quality, outflows from the abandoned mine resulted in low pH of 3.2, strong acid wastewater, high ionic concentrations, based on an electrical conductivity, and high total dissolved solid (TDS). Physical habitat assessments, based on Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) did not show any statistical differences (p>0.05) in the sampling sites, whereas, the $M_m$-EH model values in a multimetric ecological health ($M_m$-EH) model of the Index of Biological Integrity (IBI), using fish assemblages, were 16~20 (fair condition) in the control and all zero (0, poor condition) in the impacted sites of mine wastewater. In addition, in enclosure eco-toxicity ($EE_t$) tests, the model values of $N_b$-HAI ranged between 0 and 3 in the controls during the three years, indicating an excellent~good condition (Ex~G), and were >100 (range: 100~137) in the impacted sites, which indicates a poor condition (P). Under the circumstances, organ tissues, such as the liver, kidney, and gills were largely impaired, so that efficient water quality managements are required in the outflow area of the abandoned mine watershed.