• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.374-383
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• 2021

In 2020, the diversity of benthic macroinvertebrate communities was investigated in the Sohan stream, an ecological and landscape conservation area, and the results were compared with the previous research conducted in 2011. In total, 42 species (two phyla, three classes, and seven orders) were found in the Sohan stream. Species richness and abundance sharply decreased at all sampling sites because of Typhoons Haishen and Maysak in 2020, which had a direct impact on the stream. In the functional feeding group, the ratio of collector-gatherers was the highest at all sampling sites. However, during the autumn season, the shredder ratio increased from 13.4% to 42.4% in the uppermost stream site. Compared with the diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates surveyed in 2011, a total of 53 species (two phyla, three classes, and eight orders) were found. The percentage of species richness and abundance of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera was more than 50% both in 2011 and 2020. Only the richness of Ephemeroptera was significantly different between them (2011: 2.9 and 2020: 6.7). In this study, the abrupt changes of species richness and abundance in benthic macroinvertebrate were not observed before and after the designation of an ecological and landscape conservation area. However, it is necessary to monitor benthic macroinvertebrates in order to confirm that biodiversity is continuously maintained long after the designation of the ecological and landscape conservation area.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.61-74
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• 2024

Daemadeung, located in the estuary of the Nakdong River, is formed by sand dunes and possesses well-developed intertidal flats. This study aimed to investigate the habitat of benthic microalgae, photosynthetic pigments, and photosynthetic efficiency in the intertidal flats of Daemadeung from January to December 2011. The inorganic nitrogen content in the sediment pore water was primarily composed of ammonium, while nitrate + nitrite was dominant in the upper layer water. The concentration of chlorophyll a and fucoxanthin in the sediment surface was significantly higher than the mean of all the sediment layer. The average Fv/Fm of benthic microalgae during the entire survey period was 0.52±0.03, with the highest value (0.61±0.08) observed in February. The rETR_max showed a seasonal trend, being high from spring to early autumn (April to October) and low from winter to early spring (January to March, November, December), with the highest value (153.05±2.30 µmol electrons m^-2 s^-1) in July and the lowest (38.49±5.17 µmol electrons m^-2 s^-1) in January. The average Fv/Fm of diurnal microalgae was 0.48±0.03, with the highest value (0.61±0.08) observed at noon. The rETR_max showed a highest peak at noon (54.24±11.35 µmol electrons m^-2 s^-1) and reached its lowest point at 16:00 (26.17±4.75 µmol electrons m^-2 s^-1). These findings suggest that the productivity of benthic microalgae varies significantly depending on the survey time and sediment depth. Therefore, to quantify the productivity of benthic microalgae using Diving-PAM, surveys should be conducted based on tidal conditions, and simultaneous pigment analysis of sediment layers should also be performed.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.75-91
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• 2004

Biodiversity and seasonal community composition of benthic macroinvertebrates were studied from Upo wetlands in Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea, comprising Upo (4 sites), Mokpo (2 sites), Sajipo (1 site), Jjokjibeol (1 site), Yeobeol (1 site), and Topyeongcheon (2 sites) areas from October 2002 to August 2003. As a result, it was known that Upo wetlands retained relatively well-preserved littoral zones which may provide good habitats for benthic macroinvertebrates; however, frequent disturbances of littoral zones caused by flood were the major factor affecting on the survival and distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates in the areas. During the study period, a total of 135 species of benthic macroinvertebrates in 10 genera, 59 families, 16 orders, 7 classes, and 3 phyla were collected those of which are the highest degree of diversity of the taxa ever known in Korean wetlands: aquatic insects 103 spp. (Diptera 27 spp., Odonata 24 spp., Coleoptera 19 spp., Hemiptera 16 spp., Ephemeroptera 9 spp., Trichoptera 7 spp., and Collembola 1 sp.), Crustacea 2 spp., Mollusca 19 spp. (Gastropoda 12 spp. and Bivalvia 7 spp.), and Annelids 11 spp. (Oligocaeta 1 sp. and Hirudinea 10 spp.). Sajipo (St.G) and Jjokjibeol (St.H) areas yielded relatively larger numbers of species, 54 spp. and 53 spp., respectively, while more than 40 species occurred at most other sites. Based on quantitative sampling (0.5m${\times}$2m), aquatic insects (88.0％), particularly chironomids in Diptera (61.0％), occupied major proportion of the total individuals of benthic macroinvertebrates, while Mollusca (5.3％), Annelida (3.5％), and Crustacea (3.2％) occupied minor proportions. In standing water areas, diverse groups of benthic macroinvertebrates such as chironomids, demselflies, aquatic bugs, aquatic beetles, crustaceans, and gastropods were dominant in terms of individual number; in the running water areas, on the other hand, chironomids and baetid mayflies were dominant. However, gastropods, i.e. viviparids, were the dominant group of benthic macroinvertebrates in most study areas in terms of biomass. Dominance indices were 0.22-0.51 (mean$\pm$sd 0.42$\pm$0.09) in autumn, 0.31-0.96 (0.02$\pm$0.23) in winter, and 0.30-0.89 (0.57$\pm$0.18) in summer; diversity indices were 3.50-4.26 (3.80$\pm$0.24) in autumn,1.55-4.50 (3.10$\pm$1.01) in winter, and 1.35-3.77 (2.55$\pm$0.09) in summer. Highly movable or true aquatic benthic macroinvertebyates such as aquatic bugs, aquatic beetles, and gastropods recovered earlier after flood. In the study sites of Upo wetlands, Upo and Sajipo areas showed relatively higher values of average diversity index which may indicate a good habitat condition for benthic macroinvertebrates.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.257-270
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• 2014

In a survey of periphytic and benthic diatoms in Korea, diatoms of genus Stauroneis were found to be widely distributed over freshwaters, rivers and streams, lakes and reservoir, wetlands in lowland and mountain areas, and even subaerial terrestrial habitats. However, it is clear that Stauroneis diatoms prefer peatlands, which can be more or less acidic or oligotrophic environments in freshwaters. In this study, Staurones diatoms were collected mainly from mountain peatlands. Twenty five taxa were confirmed to be species, while some specimens remain unidentified. Approximately twenty species have been reported in Korea in the past, but these are largely S. anceps Ehremberg sensu lato, S. phoenicenteron (Nitzsch) Eherenberg sensu lato, and their infraspecies variety or forma. Sixteen of the twenty five Stauroneis taxa found in this survey are reported for the first time in Korea.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.249-252
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• 2005

Microphytobenthos bloom from late January to early March in Korean tidal flats. KOMPSAT-2 will provide multi-spectral images with a spatial resolution of 4 m comparable with IKONOS. Using IKONOS and Landsat data, algal mat detection was tested in the Saemangeum area~ Micro-benthic diatoms are abundant and a major primary product in the tidal flats. A linear spectral unmixing (LSU) method was applied to the test data. LSU was effective to detect algal mat and the classified algal mat fraction well correlated with NDVI image. Fine grained upper tidal flats are generally known to be the best environment for algal mat. Algal mat thriving in coarse grained lower tidal flats as well as upper tidal flats were reported in this study. A high resolution multi-spectral sensor in KOMPSAT-2 will provide useful data for long-term monitoring of microphytobenthos in tidal flats.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.95-100
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• 2013

Many countries have adopted a single, well-described approach to the use of phototrophs for monitoring river water quality, which involves the use of indices related to diatom composition at a site. Increasingly these indices have focussed on assessing ambient phosphate concentration. However, there is a wide range of other methods which can provide additional information to make up for any weaknesses in the standard method. Some of these methods are reviewed briefly here. They can be useful, for instance, when considering temporal and spatial variability in phosphate concentration at a particular site and providing much more insight on heavy metal or pesticide pollution than revealed by routine water analysis.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.151-159
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• 1997

Benthic respiration and chemical fluxes were measured at the sediment-water interface underlying the marine fish cages floating on the open coastal waters off Tong-Young, the South Coast of Korea. The effects of cage farming on coastal benthic environment and on mass balance of organic carbon in the benthic boundary layer under the marine fish cages are addressed. In a growing season of caged fishes of June, 1995, benthic chambers and sediment traps were deployed on the sediment-water interfaces of the two sites chosen for this study: 1) Cage Site, directly underlying the fish cages of the farm at 18 m water depth, and 2) Control Site, about 100 m away from the farm at 32 m water depth. Benthic respiration rates and chemical fluxes were calculated from the evolution of dissolved oxygen and chemicals in the chamber water, and mass balance of organic carbon in the benthic boundary layer was constructed based on the vertical flux of particulate organic matter (POM) and chemical fluxes out of the sediment. High organic dumping (6400 mg C $m^{-2}d^{-1}$) and high benthic respiration (230 mmol $O_2\;m^{-2}d^{-1}$) were observed at the Cage Site. Equivalent to 40% of vertical flux of organic carbon into the Cage Site seemed to be decomposed concurrently and released back to overlying waters (2400 mg C $m^{-2}d^{-1}$). Consequently, up to 4000 mg C $m^{-2}d^{-1}$ of organic carbon could be buried into the farm sediment (equivalent to 60% of organic carbon flux into the Cage Site). At the Control Site, relatively less input of organic carbon (4000 mg C $m^{-2}d^{-1}$) and low benthic respiration rate (75 mmol $O_2\;m^{-2}d^{-1}$) were observed despite short distance away from the cages. The influence of cage farming on benthic chemical fluxes might be restricted and concentrated in the sea bottom just below the fish cages in spite of massive organic dumping and high current regime around the fish cage farm.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.210-220
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• 2015

We quantified temporal and spatial changes in the habitat for fish populations, the distribution of mandarin fish(Siniperca scherzeri) and an introduced species, largemouth bass(Micropterus salmoides) in Lake Paro and inflowing streams. The number of fish species identified in Lake Paro and the tributary streams included 10 families, 24 species and 10 families 30 species, respectively. The dominant fish species in Lake Paro were Zacco platypus, Hemibarbus labeo, Squalidus gracilis majimae, S. scherzeri and Tridentiger brevispinis, Z. platypus, Z. koreanus, and S. gracilis majimae in the inflowing streams. Although the habitat segregation for S. scherzeri and M. salmoides occurs, these two species showed the use of the fishes of the family Gobiidae as an important prey item based on IRI analysis. S. scherzeri and M. salmoides preyed mainly on T. brevispinis(67.4 %) and R. brunneus(84.0 %), respectively. The species preyed on by S. scherzeri and M. salmoides were benthic fishes that inhabit shallow water depths around the lake and have little swimming ability.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.82-93
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• 2014

A starch ball was devised to conveniently supply carbon source to indigenous microorganisms and to enhance biotransformation of explosive compounds(TNT and RDX) in the sediments of settling basins installed in military shooting ranges. To identify optimum dose/sediment ratio for degradation of explosives in the basin, a series of bench scale settling basin experiments were performed for 30 days while monitoring supernatant pH, DO, concentrations of nitrite, nitrate, sulfate, explosive compounds, and acute toxicity measured by bacterial luminescence. Addition of starch ball induced changes in oxidation conditions from oxic to anoxic in the benthic zone of the basin, which resulted in subsequent reductive degradation of both TNT and RDX in the liquid and solid phase of basin. However, fermentation products of excess starch, acetic acid and formic acid, caused acute toxicity in the liquid phase. The optimum ratio of starch ball/sediment for explosive compounds degradation by inducing changes in bio-geochemical environments without increase in acute toxicity, was found to be 0.009~0.017.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.64-79
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• 2015

We investigated the tidal current, hydrographic data, and benthic environment of major sea cucumber (Holothuroidea, de Blainville, 1834) habitats in Baengnyeongdo, Jindo and Uljin to understand the optimal environmental or ecological habitat for sea cucumbers. The three study areas were characterized by a cold-water mass of temperatures ranging $12{\sim}18^{\circ}C$, with an active circulation between the surface and deep waters. According to an analysis of the tidal current map, a strong flow velocity of $100{\sim}120cm\;s^{-1}$ appeared in Baengnyeongdo and Jindo. The three sea cucumber habitats showed the common characters of a bottom sediment composed of sand-silt, a diverse seaweed colony and benthic organisms, and boulders and rocks which provide a hideout for the organisms. We aimed to draw the optimal habitat condition for sea cucumbers in Korea, and the result showed that the low water temperature, rapid water flow, active vertical mixing between surface and deep waters, bottom composed by sand-silt, large rocks, and diverse seaweed colony and benthic organism were important factors. The optimal habitat for Juvenile sea cucumbers was the intertidal areas characterized by a muddy bottom, reef, and seaweed. The optimal habitat for adult sea cucumbers was characterized by a place where sand and mud are mixed, and the body size of the sea cucumber was proportional to water depth, and the relatively large boulders and rocks compared to the intertidal area.