• 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.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.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.634-649
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• 2020

Recently, stream longitudinal connectivity has been a topic of investigation due to the frequent disconnections and the impact of aquatic ecosystems caused by the construction of small and medium-sized weirs and various artificial structures (fishways) directly influencing the stream ecosystem health. In this study, the international and domestic research trends of the longitudinal connectivity in aquatic ecosystems were evaluated and the applicability of fish-based longitudinal connectivity models used in developed countries was analyzed. For these purposes, we analyzed the current status of research on longitudinal connectivity and structural problems, fish monitoring methodology, monitoring approaches, longitudinal disconnectivity of fish movement, and biodiversity. In addition, we analyzed the current status and some technical limitations of physical habitat suitability evaluation, ecology-based water flow, eco-hydrological modeling for fish habitat connectivity, and the s/w program development for agent-based model. Numerous references, data, and various reports were examined to identify worldwide longitudinal stream connectivity evaluation models in European and non-European countries. The international approaches to longitudinal connectivity evaluations were categorized into five phases including 1) an approach integrating fish community and artificial structure surveys (two types input variables), 2) field monitoring approaches, 3) a stream geomorphological approach, 4) an artificial structure-based DB analytical approach, and 5) other approaches. the overall evaluation of survey methodologies and applicability for longitudinal stream connectivity suggested that the ICE model (Information sur la Continuite Ecologique) and the ICF model (Index de Connectivitat Fluvial), widely used in European countries, were appropriate for the application of longitudinal connectivity evaluations in Korean streams.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.282-293
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• 2020

This study investigated a long-term variation trend of water quality, fish compositions, and ecological health conditions in the Gwanpyeong stream located in the nearby Daejeon metropolitan city to understand the impact of urban development projects on the aquatic ecosystem. The sampling was made in four surveys (2009, 2010, 2016, 2019) before and after urbanization. The urban development was conducted in 2008, resulting in the stream's ecological disturbance, and the stream restoration was conducted in 2012. Thus, stream monitoring was conducted to analyze the ecological trends before and after the restoration. The multi-metric models for Fish Assessment Index(FAI) and necropsy-based Health Assessment Index(HAI) were applied in the fish community and organ-level, respectively, to assess the ecological health of the stream. Minimum turbidity and chlorophyll-a(Chl-a) occurred in the mid-stream(St. 2), and this was probably due to rapid current velocity in the riffle zone. We collected 18 fish species, and the dominant species was Zacco platypus (40.6%). In 2016 immediately after the stream restoration, the relative proportions of sensitive species and insectivore species were the highest along with highest values in the species diversity and species richness index, resulting in the best condition in the ecological health, based on FAI model values. However, the ecological health, based on the FAI, became worse in the latest survey conducted in 2019. The analysis of the HAI model based on the organ-level approach showed skin erosion in the fish of upper stream, kidney defects in downstream, and the liver and gill defects observed in all sites, indicating that the anatomical health was also affected.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.468-480
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• 2007

The urbanization is altering the hydrology, water quality, channel form of waterway and changing the composition of biological communities in the aquatic ecosystem. Recently, towns grew bigger by the drift of large numbers of people and the medium and small leather and dyeing industries around the Pocheon and Youngpyeong streams. The discharges of sewage were increased by them. The UII (urban intensity index) was 85 (st. P-3) and 91 (st. P-6) in the Pocheon stream and about 20 in the Youngpyeong stream. A total 141 taxa of epilithic diatoms which were composed of 2 order, 8 family, 30 genera. Dominant species were Navicula saprophila, N. subminuscula, Nitzschia palea, Gomphonema pseudoaugur in the Pocheon stream and Achnanthes alteragracillima, A. convergens, A. minutissima, N. minima, N. fonticola, N. frustulum and Cymbella minuta var. silesiaca in the Youngpyeong stream. It Showed the different composition of dominant species by the urbanization near two streams. In the relationships between UII and environmental factors such as EC, BOD, COD, TN, TP and DAIpo, UII showed the high relations $(r^2>0.8)$. It was the difference of organic pollution according to urbanization. It therefore, was higher the relative abundance and more the numbers of saprophilous taxa in the Pocheon stream than the Youngpyeong stream. The water quality of two streams by biological indicators(DAIpo) was polysaprobic state(st. P-3, P-4, P-5) in the Pocheon stream and was oligosaprobic (Y-1), mesosaprobic (Y-2, 3) and polysaprobic state (Y-4) in the Youngpyeong stream during the investigation periods.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.556-565
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• 2010

Community analysis based on functional feeding groups of benthic macro invertebrates at Wangpi-cheon was assessed with the result of four field survey from October, 2007 to May, 2008. A total 138 species of benthic macro invertebrates in 58 families, 16 orders, 6 classes, and 4 phyla were collected during the field surveys. The result of EPT index value showed high value of 61.59% and it means that the stream ecosystem of Wangpi-cheon is very clear and healthy. In this study the functional feeding groups in Wangpi-cheon were divided into two groups. First, Scrapers and Collectors-Gathering group which is normally dominant in midstream showed higher dominance in main stream than tributary. Second, shredders group showed higher dominance in tributary than main stream like as the general characteristics of upriver. With the result of cluster analysis based on the similarity index, the study areas could be grouped into a natural area(A group) and an artificial disturbance area(B group; site 8 and 11) where embankment, bank and levee had been built near by. And also, the natural area(A group) was classified into two groups which had the characteristic of main(site 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7) stream and tributary(site 5, 6, 9 and 10) respectively.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.273-288
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• 2021

We analyzed the spatio-temporal distribution characteristics of water quality and phytoplankton communities in the Isa Stream systems (ISS) from Sangsa Lake to Suncheon Bay. Sangsa Lake showed relatively oligotrophic and mesotrophic conditions, but the freshwater and mixed brackish water zones showed more severe eutrophication than Sangsa Lake and Suncheon Bay due to the influence of industrial waste such as livestock waste. In terms of the phytoplankton community, the number of phytoplankton species was higher in freshwater and mixed brackish water zones than in Sangsa Lake and Suncheon Bay, but the cell density and Chlorophyll-a concentrations (Chl-a) were relatively high in Sanga Lake and Suncheon Bay. In particular, the mesotrophic species Fragilaria crotonensis and Asterionella formosa showed different dominance in the surface and bottom layers, and the influence of A. formosa was significant in the freshwater and mixed brackish water zones in spring and summer. However, Skeletonema costatum-ls, a eutrophic indicator species, dominated in mixed brackish water zones to seawater in autumn and winter. Thus, the severe eutrophication and rapid environmental changes in the ISS could seriously damage the coastal ecosystem in Suncheon Bay. These ecosystem changes are threatening in terms of conservation and management of the UNESCO Suncheon Biosphere Reserve and Yeoja Bay including Suncheon Bay, which recorded the first Ramsar wetland in Korea. Therefore, further research is needed to establish an in-depth management plan.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.242-251
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• 2012

To investigate foodweb of aquatic ecosystem in the Tamjin River, carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes ratios of aquatic organisms, as well as environmental indicators based on the water, were determined in this study. Various organisms such as fishes (Coreoperca kawamebari, Zacco platypus, Cobitis lutheri, and Pungtungia herzi) and periphyton (epilithon and epiphyte), and particulate- and coarse particulate organic matters (POM and CPOM) were collected in upper (Tamjin River, Yuchi Stream, and Omcheon Stream) and lower (TJ-1~TJ-5) reaches of Jangheung Dam. The nitrate concentration and ${\delta}^{15}N$ signature of POM and organisms (invertebrates and fish) were found to be more enriched toward the downstream section of the river. It was determined that allochthonous matter occurring from a tributary alters the chemical character of water, as well as the isotopic signature of organisms contained therein. Attached algae (ephilithon) were identified as a base component of the benthic foodchain further downstream.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.575-580
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• 2018

This paper discusses system for real-time monitoring of patient waiting time in hospitals based on open-source platform. It is necessary to make use of open-source projects to develop a high-performance stream processing system, which analyzes and processes stream data in real time, with less cost. The Hadoop ecosystem is a well-known big data processing platform consisting of numerous open-source subprojects. This paper first defines several requirements for the monitoring system, and selects a few projects from the Hadoop ecosystem that are suited to meet the requirements. Then, the paper proposes system architecture and a detailed module design using Apache Spark, Apache Kafka, and so on. The proposed system can reduce development costs by using open-source projects and by acquiring data from legacy hospital information system. High-performance and fault-tolerance of the system can also be achieved through distributed processing.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.327-336
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• 2007

This study assessed ecological health using a multi-metric fish model from 15 sites in the headwater watershed of southern Han River during June${\sim}$August 1999 and then compared the health with conventional community diversity index to figure out differences between health and diversity index. For the analysis, we adopted 10 metric IBI model for regional applications. During this survey, total number of species sampled were 24 (6 families) and varied depending on magnitude of ecological disturbance and stream order. In the mountainous streams, mean proportion of sensitive and insectivore species was composed of 91% and 56%, respectively, indicating a potential healthy conditions. However, tolerant species with 66% and omnivore species with 76% were sampled from the 2nd order stream, which was shown deterioration in the physical habitat quality. In the overall watershed, mean IBI value was 38, judging as "fair" condition by the health criteria. Values of Individual IBI were closely associated with stream order and this pattern was similar to other mountainous streams showing low chemical pollutions and disturbance. Our comparison between IBI and diversity index over the stream order showed a distinct difference; Shannon-Weaver diversity index overestimated the actual community conditions and the variation range in the 2nd order stream was greater in the diversity index. Overall data suggest that the multi-metric approach may to a useful tool for stream ecosystem management and the conventional diversity index may not effective unless the stream order is considered for the stream evaluation.