• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.1-14
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• 2024

Otters, designated as Class I endangered wildlife due to population declines resulting from urban development and stream burial, have seen increased appearances in freshwater environments since the nationwide ban on stream filling in 2020 and the implementation of urban stream restoration projects. There is a pressing need for scientific and strategic conservation measures for otters, an umbrella and vulnerable species in aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, this study predicts potential otter habitats using the species distribution model MaxEnt, focusing on Hwangguji Stream in Suwon, and proposes conservation strategies. Otter signs were surveyed over three years from 2019 to 2021 with citizen scientists, serving as presence data for the model. The model's outcomes were enhanced by analyzing 'river nature map' as a boundary. MaxEnt compared the performance of 60 combinations of feature classes and regularization multipliers to prevent model complexity and overfitting. Additionally, unmanned sensor cameras observed otter density for model validation, confirming correlations with the species distribution model results. The 'LQ-5.0' parameter combination showed the highest explanatory power with an AUC of 0.853. The model indicated that the 'adjacent land use' variable accounted for 31.5% of the explanation, with a preference for areas around cultivated lands. Otters were found to prefer shelter rates of 10-30% in riparian forests within 2 km of bridges. Higher otter densities observed by unmanned sensors correlated with increasing model values. Based on these results, the study suggests three conservation strategies: establishing stable buffer zones to enhance ecological connectivity, improving water quality against non-point source pollution, and raising public awareness. The study provides a scientific basis for potential otter habitat management, effective conservation through governance linking local governments, sustainable biodiversity goals, and civil organizations.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.61-69
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• 2011

Integrated stream naturalness based on abiotic and biotic factors were developed. Abiotic factors considered in this study were types of land use in the riparian area, river bank and high water bed streamside, revetment, bed substrate and artificial construction of streamside. Biotic factors included types of vegetation, assemblages of fish, macroinvertebrate, bird and mammal(Otter) in streams. The presence/absence of legal species and biological assessment index were also weighted as important parameters in this study. Scoring criteria selected for each matrix was five rating system; 1=poor, 2=moderate, 3=fair, 4=good, 5=excellent. Numerical ratings for the matrix were then summed. This resulted in a minimum score of 13 if all matrix at a site were poor, and a maximum score of 65 if all matrix were excellent. Five grade system from poor(I) to excellent condition(V) was employed. To verify its validity in natural environment, the evaluation system was applied to the Gapchun stream which is a test bed selected. Our result showed that stream naturalness of each reach was clearly distinguished by biotic and abiotic characteristics. Determination of correlation coefficient between abiotic and biotic factors was also high ($R^2=0.96$, p<0.05). In conclusion, assessment for stream naturalness reflecting abiotic and biotic factors was useful method representing stream integrated.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.229-245
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• 2018

This study aims to investigate the changes in the riparian vegetated area in the Naeseong stream, an unregulated river, in order to analyze the main factors leading to these changes. For this purpose, the land surface cover in the channel area of the Naeseong stream was classified into 9 categories using past aerial photographs collected between 1970 and 2016, which recorded the long-term changes of the Naeseong stream. The increase or decrease in the vegetated area was calculated for each category using a pair of before and after images. The changes in the vegetated area were divided into 6 periods: the unvegetated channel period (1970 - 1980), the first rapid increase (1980 - 1986), the period of decrease due to flood (1986 - 1988), the period of repetitive man-induced disturbance and vegetation increase (1988 - 2008), the period of gradual vegetation increase (2008 - 2013), and the period of second rapid increase (2013 - 2016). Multiple regression analysis was performed using independent variables representing hydrology, climate, and geomorphology. The major variables found to be involved in the changes in the vegetated area of the Naeseong stream were the discharge during June - July, channel width, and temperature during April - June. Among the three variables, discharge and temperature were respectively the main independent variables in the downstream and the upstream reaches as per a single variable model. Channel width was the variable that distinguished the upstream and downstream reaches of the stream. The implication of the long-term increase in the vegetated area in the Naeseong stream was discussed based on the result of this study.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.140-150
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• 2023

The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is an apex predator of the riparian ecosystem. It is a keystone and an indicator species; consequently, its presence suggests a sustainable water environment. Otter is a keystone species as a predator at the top of the food web in the aquatic environment and an indicator species representing the health of the aquatic environment. Although Eurasian otters disappeared from the Han River urban water system because of anthropogenic activities like habitat destruction, poaching, and environmental pollution in the 1980s, the species were sighted in the Cheonggye Stream, Jungrang Stream, and Seongnae Stream, which are urban sections of the Han River, in 2016 and 2021. Therefore, it is pertinent to assess the habitat potential in the area for conservation and management measures to ensure its permanent presence. However, existing studies on otter habitats focused on natural rivers and reservoirs, and there is a limit to applying them to habitats artificially confined habitats in narrow spaces such as tributaries in urban areas of the Han River. This study selected the Cheonggye Stream, an artificially restored urban stream, to evaluate its potential as a habitat for Eurasian otters in urban water environments using the habitat suitability index (HSI). The HSI was calculated with selected environment attributes, such as the cover, food, and threat, that best describe the L. lutra habitat. According to the results, the confluence area of Seongbuk Stream and Cheonggye Stream and the confluence area of Cheonggye Stream and Jungnang Stream were suitable otter habitats, requiring appropriate conservation efforts. The HSI model suggests a valuable method to assess the habitat quality of Eurasian otters in urban water environments. The study is crucial as it can help rehabilitate the species' populations by identifying and managing potential Eurasian otter habitats in highly urbanized areas of the Han River basin and its tributaries.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.149-155
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• 2017

Willow plants are representative biomaterials used in river restoration and main target trees in stream managements. In order to understand the changes in the growth of Salix subfragilis and S. chaenomeloides with their stand ages, we investigated the density, height and basal area of stems and biomass at their different aged stands of the riparian zone of the sand-bed stream, the Nakdong River, Korea. We also developed allometric equations for estimating the biomass of these two species by establishing the relationship between diameter at breadth height and tree height with above-ground biomass. The stem density showed a sharp decrease for 3 years after germination for S. subfragilis and 6 years for S. chaenomeloides, resulting in strong self-thinning. The stem height of the two species increased to 7.5 m in 15 years for S. subfragilis, and to 14 m in 13 years for S. chaenomeloides. Aboveground biomass also increased rapidly at the early stage of growth. The biomass increased to 17 ton DM/ha in 13 years for S. subfragilis and to 1,110 ton DM / ha in 13 years for S. chaenomeloides. It is expected that the allometric equations of two Salix species derived from this study will be applied to the objectively estimating the biomass of willow plants for the management of floodplain trees in streams.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.25-34
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• 2020

Land use in watersheds has been shown to be a major driving factor in determining the status of the water quality of streams. In this light, scientists have been investigating the roles of riparian vegetation on the relationships between land use in watersheds and the associated stream water quality. Numerous studies reported that riparian vegetation could alleviate the adverse effects caused by land use in watersheds and on stream water quality through various hydrological, biochemical and ecological mechanisms. However, this concept has been criticized as the true effects of riparian vegetation must be assessed by comprehensive models that mimic real environmental settings. This study aimed to estimate a comprehensive structural equation model integrating topography, land use, and characteristics of riparian vegetation. We used water quality data from the Nakdong River system monitored under the National Aquatic Ecosystem Monitoring Program (NAEMP) of the Korean Ministry of Environment (MOE). Also, riparian vegetation data and land use data were extracted from the Land Use/Land Cover map (LULC) produced by the MOE. The number of structural equation models (SEMs) were estimated in Amos of IBM SPSS. Study results revealed that land use was determined by elevation, and developed areas within a watershed significantly increased the concentration of Total Nitrogen (TN) in streams and LDI in riparian vegetation. On the contrary, developed areas significantly reduced LPI and PLAND. At the same time, PLAND and LDI significantly reduced the concentration of TN in streams. Thus, it was clear that developed areas in watersheds had both a direct and an indirect impact on the concentration of TN in streams, and spatial pattern and the amount of vegetation of riparian vegetation could significantly alleviate the negative impacts of developed areas on TN concentration in streams. To enhance stream water quality, reducing developed areas in a watershed is critical for long-term watershed management plans, restoration patterns for riparian vegetation could be immediately implemented since riparian areas were less developed than most other watersheds.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.325-330
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• 2011

In order to revive the ecological function of degraded rivers, a total restoration plan for riverbeds and riparians needs to be developed. Previous evaluations for rivers were mainly focused on the river's physical structures. Therefore, this research has developed indicators to evaluate a riparian restoration considering biodiversity. Through literature and previous cases review, 4 fields and 13 indicators are selected for the evaluation. Four fields are biodiversity, habitat diversity, connectivity and habitat functionality. In the biodiversity field, 4 indicators of the exuberant extent of herbaceous vegetation and their diversity, the exuberant extent of shrub and woody plants and their diversity, the number of plant communities and naturalized plants are included. Habitat diversity are comprised of 4 indicators of the longitudinal continuity of vegetation, the mixture of plant communities, the extent of plant type color fruit abundance and the distribution of vegetation. Connectivity includes 3 indicators of target distribution, the shore slope of low water channels and the extent of artificial embankment materials. Habitat functionality has 2 indicators of the status of food supply plants and the habitat functionality. The value weighting for the fields and indicators has been calculated based on the AHP(Analytic Hierarchy Process) method. 50 experts were surveyed with quantifiable questionnaire, among them 43 experts have more than 10 yesrs experiences in the nature restoration field. The selected and weighted indicators have been tested to the 12 sections in Gap stream located in Daejeon. In conclusion, the indicators are feasible and the selected indicators could be used to establish the direction and objectives of riparian restoration.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.349-357
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the water pollution degree in the Mid-Nakdong River watershed regarding to landcover types using GIS method. As a result of landcover classification, rate of urban appeared highly on Daegu Metropolitan city. Also, rate of agriculture showed highly in the riparian zones of the Nakdong and Guemho River and rate of forest appeared highly in the borders of the study area. To identify the groups of watershed with similar landcover patterns using the Cluster Analysis. According to the cluster analysis, the fifty sub-watersheds were grouped in three clusters, 'Urban watershed', 'Agriculture watershed', 'Forest watershed'. The proportion of urban area in each cluster had a positive correlation with water pollution degree. Otherwise, the proportion of agriculture in the Agriculture watershed had a high positive correlation with water pollution degree. Therefore, it is necessary to estimate environmental capacity of water duality considering ecological and environmental characteristics of watershed ecosystem and expand water duality monitoring systems to small stream.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.23-33
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• 2019

Naeseong Stream is a sand-bed river that flows through the northern area of Gyeongbuk province. It is characterized by dynamic sandy bedforms developed in response to the seasonal hydrological fluctuation and by its unique riverine landscape called "white river." However, changes including construction of Yeongju Dam from 2010 and the extensive vegetation establishment around 2015 occurred along the Naeseong Stream. This paper aims to analyze climate, hydrology, and water quality as factors and to examine the possibility of channel changes accordingly. The second least precipitation during the last 60 years happened in 2015, which led to the lowest peak discharge in 50 years. The sediment characteristics of Naeseong Stream were not significantly different along the upstream and downstream reaches, but it was confirmed that annual minimum water level of the stream decreased continuously regardless of the dam construction. This suggests that intermittent drought and change in water quality are likely to provide favorable conditions for riparian vegetation establishment and the resulting physical changes have affected riverbed degradation. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct diversified monitoring in connection with river vegetation change in order to analyze the causes of river changes.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.137-151
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• 2014

Various studies have been conducted to investigate effects of dams on river ecosystems, but less information is available regarding damming impacts on downstream denitrification. We measured denitrification enzyme activity (potential denitrification rate) and denitrifier abundances (using nirS, nirK, and nosZ as markers) in dammed headstreams of the Nakdong River in South Korea. Sediments in Phragmites-dominated riparian areas and in-stream areas across streams (dammed vs. reference) with different streambed materials (gravel and sand) were sampled occasionally. We hypothesized that (i) the higher available N and C contents in sediments downstream of dams foster larger denitrifier communities than in the reference system and (ii) differences in potential denitrification rates across the systems correspond with denitrifier abundances. Despite 30 years of different hydrological management with dams and greater inorganic N and DOC contents in sediments downstream of dams, compared to the references, abundances of denitrifier communities and potential denitrification rates within the whole sediment were not significantly different across the systems. However, nirS and nosZ denitrifier abundances and potential denitrification rates were considerably increased in specific sediments downstream of dams (gravelly riparian and sandy in-stream) with regard to flooding events and seasonal temperature variation. nirK was not amplified in all sediments. Canonical correspondence analyses (CCA) revealed that the relationship between abundances of denitrifier communities and nutrient availabilities and potential denitrification rates was a weak one.